SUDAN GRASS AND RELATED PLANTS. 51 



beet pulp, coconut meal, wheat bran, and rolled barley in the pro- 

 portion of 4 to 1 to 1 to 1 by weight. The cows xeceived 1 pound of 

 this grain mixture for each 5 pounds of milk they produced. Corn 

 silage was fed in the first and third periods, Sudan grass silage in the 

 second period. 



The results were slightly in favor of the corn silage. The average 

 daily production of milk in periods 1 and 3 was 19.6 pounds; in the 

 second period it was 18.9 pounds. Butter fat, periods 1 and 3, 0.916 

 pound; period 2, 0.879 pound. If the production is indicated on 

 the basis of dry matter fed in the different periods, it is found that the 

 production of milk was 10 per cent larger and the fat 11 per cent 

 larger for the corn-silage periods than it was for the period when Sudan 

 grass silage was fed. 



Some experimental work with Sudan grass as a silage crop has 

 been carried on at the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station and 

 also at the Manitoba Agricultural College. The yields, however, are 

 sure to be the determining factor as to whether Sudan grass will be 

 used in making silage. The best yield that can be expected from 

 Sudan grass in most localities is 6 to 10 tons per acre. Corn in the 

 real corn States and sorghum in the semiarid regions will yield nearly 

 double that quantity; hence, there seems little chance for Sudan grass 

 to be widely used as a silage crop. 



SUDAN GRASS AS A GRAIN CROP. 



The yields of the seed are so small (see Table XX) that Sudan grass 

 has never been seriously considered as a grain crop. If, however, a 

 strain of Sudan grass or a hybrid between Sudan grass and sorghum 

 could be developed which would produce seed more abundantly and 

 retain the vegetative characteristics of Sudan grass as well as its 

 ability to withstand drought, it might be a good substitute for oats 

 in the semiarid region. Such a grass sorghum would become popular 

 on account of the ease of harvesting and thrashing, even though the 

 average yield of seed were somewhat less than that of kaflr or milo. 

 A grass sorghum the height of Sudan grass could be harvested easily 

 with a grain binder and thrashed like bundle grain. The straw would 

 be much superior to that of the ordinary small grains ; in fact, practi- 

 cally equal to prairie hay as a roughage for live stock. 



In so far as the composition of the seed is concerned, Sudan grass 

 seed is equal in feeding value to most other cereals. A comparison 

 of the composition of Sudan grass seed with that of the common 

 cereal grains of the United States is given in Table XVIII. 



The presence of a slight amount of tannin in the seed of Sudan grass 

 would perhaps lower its feeding value somewhat. This objectionable 

 feature may be overcome by the development of a white-seeded 

 strain. 



