silajge crops in the south. 171 



Prof. Scott of the Ploridp. Station at Gainesville, says: "Per- 

 iiaps the best silage crop that we grow here in Florida is the 

 Japanese cane. This produces a heavier tonnage per acre than 

 any other crop that we can grow and at the same time is prac- 

 tically double that which can be secured from sprghum or corn. 

 Then, too, Japanese cane is a much cheaper crop to produce 

 than sorghum or corn, due to the fact that one planting of cane 

 will last for fifteen or twenty years, while sorghum or corn must 

 be planted every year. * * * The Japanese cane stalks should 

 be well matured before being harvested, and this is not likely to 

 occur until early in November. If Japanese cane is cut and put 

 in the silo during September, very unsatisfactory results are likely 

 to occur, and what silage may be saved will be of very poor 

 quality, due to the fact that at this time of the year there is very 

 little feeding value in the Japanese cane, since the formation 

 of sugar does not take place until the crop begins to mature, and 

 the nearer we can let it stand in the field until frost, the higher 

 the percentage of sugar in the stalks. 



"A great many have been disappointed in using sorghum for 

 silage. However. I believe that 95 per cent, of the failures with 

 sorghum silage has been due to the fact that the sorghum was put 

 in the silo before it was fully matured. To make good silage the 

 sorghum must be fully matured, that is, the seed should be iA the 

 hard dough stage. 



"Without question sorghum makes good silage. I have no 

 doubt that it is as good as com, ton for ton. Whether one should 

 grow sorghum or com for silage will depend somewhat on local 

 conditions. Our soil conditions vary in all sections of the state. 

 Some of our soils are not the best for the growing of heavy crops 

 of corn. On this class of land sorghum produces a much heavier 

 tonnage per acre. Therefore it is advisable to grow sorghum. On 

 the better corn lands it is just possible that as heavy crops of 

 corn can be produced. Where it is possible to grow a heavier 

 tonnage of corn per acre It will no doubt be the better crop to 

 grow." 



Prof. Milton P. Jarnagin of the Georgia Agricultural College 



•writes us as follows: "'For a number of reasons the production 



of silage is one of the most Important phases of stock husbandry 



in the South. There has been an ill-founded opinion that since 



