FORAGE CROPS FOR THE SAND-HILL SECTION OF NEBRASKA. 9 



numbers will be lost ; and even if the older ones succeed in weather- 

 ing the storms, a large percentage of calves will be lost on account of 

 the weak condition of their mothers. 



A small quantity of grain fed with the native hay daily would 

 improve conditions a great deal, but the planting of most of the farm 

 land to corn for a few years would be ruinious. Even sorghum, 

 which would be some improvement on the native hay, presents the 

 same difficult}' on account of the necessity for its cultivation. Sor- 

 ghum is a slightly stronger feed than native hay, but there is the same 

 objection to its culture that there is to corn when planted in rows 

 and cultivated on truty sandy soils. On the harder soil at the edge 

 of the sand-hill region sorghum can be utilized profitably on account 

 of its drought resistance. . Settlers will find it useful on the newly 

 turned sod in the sand hills, but it can not be utilized as a permanent 

 crop on account of its effect on the soil. 



IMPROVEMENT OF GRAZING CONDITIONS ON THE SAND RIDGES. 



In the spring of 1908 tests with various grasses, including brome- 

 grass, orchard grass, tall oat-grass, slender wheat-grass, and western 

 wheat-grass, were conducted to determine whether a cultivated grass 

 more palatable than native vegetation might be found that could be 

 grown more successfully on the tops and sides of the sand ridges. 

 Brome-grass proved more promising than any of the other grasses 

 under such conditions, but it does not flourish in the loose sand. 

 Most of the seedings, except those on land heavily manured, have 

 been failures so far as practical results are concerned. No sugges- 

 tions for the improvement of these grazing conditions can be made 

 at the present time except that the blow-outs may be remedied some- 

 what by seeding them to sweet clover or brome-grass and then 

 scattering manure or straw over the loose sand to prevent it from 

 blowing. (Fig. 4.) It is hoped that in time a grass may be found 

 which will prove sufficiently aggressive to thrive on the loose, sandy 

 ridges. 



USE OF CLOVER IN THE WET- VALLEY REGION. 



As nearly every farmer knows, clover hay carries a high per- 

 centage of protein, and for putting on flesh and inducing growth 

 it is much better than even timothy hay. One of the ways, then, of 

 filling the need for protein is to mix a good percentage of clover 

 with the native hay. It is strongly urged that this be done, as all 

 the clovers grow naturally on the moist lands of the hay flats. In 

 fact, no part of the United States seems able to produce clover with 

 less care or attention than this wet- valley region, and its use here is 

 strongly urged. Red clover seeded in 1895 near Chambers, Nebr., 

 in meadow sod, without plowing or other cultivation, has reseeded 

 1931°— Cir. 80—11 2 



