14 



FOEAGE-CROP EXPEEIMEXTS AT SAN AXTOXIO. 



able to plant the sorghum-legume mixtures under irrigation in tliis 

 manner, and it is certainly not ad\dsable to do so without irrigation. 

 Even with a thin rate of seeding the sorghum plants stool profusely 

 and have a tendency to crowd out the shorter leguminous plants. 

 So far, none of the tests with this method of planting have been satis- 

 factory. 



On a field wliich was fallow in 1909 and planted in Johnson grass 

 previously, a rate-of-seeding test for sorghum-legume mixtures was 

 made in 1910, to determine as far as possible in one year's test the 

 best proportion of each seed for the mixture. The row method of 

 planting was adopted and the rows were 3^ feet apart, the plats being 

 one-tenth of an acre in size. Sumac sorghum and Unknown cowpeas 

 were the varieties used in this test. Table X shows the results of 

 this test. 



Table X. — Yields of rate-of-seedinq test of sorf/hum-coicpea mixtures, planted by the 



roio method in 1910. 



Mixture. 



Stand, 



plants 



in 50 



feet. 



Number 



of 

 cuttings. 



Yield 

 per acre. 



Sorghum 

 Cowpea . 

 Sorghum 

 Cowpea . 

 Sorghum 

 Cowpea. 

 Sorghum 

 Cowpea . 



95 

 90 

 74 



100 

 70 



105 

 30 



100 



Tons. 

 4. 



5. 15 

 4.02 

 2.35 



With all points considered, the second plat showed the best rate of 

 seeding, although a test of one year is not conclusive. (Fig. 1.) 



In the first plat the sorghum appeared to be a little too thick and 

 crowded the covv^peas, reducing the quantity of forage from them. In 

 the case of the last two plats the sorghum was entirely too thin, mak- 

 ing it rather coarse, but the cowpeas made an excellent growth. 



While the combination of sorghum and cowpeas is recommended, 

 especially for the irrigation farmer, yet it should be borne in mind 

 that extreme care must be exercised to secure the proper mixture. 

 If the sorghum is too thick, the cowpeas will not properly develop and 

 the forage wiU be little better than if the sorghum were j)lanted alone. 

 On the other hand, if there is too great a proportion of cowpeas the 

 yield will be materially reduced and will prove a disappointment to 

 the grower. 



Sumac sorghum is undoubtedly the best variety to use when these 

 mixtures are planted, owing to its leafy character and slow growth at 



[Cir. 106] 



