FOEAGE-CEOP EXPERIMENTS AT SAN ANTONIO. y 



It will be observed that the average yield from the three plats of 

 the Sumac variety was nearly a ton larger than from the three plats 

 of the Red Amber. Another pomt m favor of the Sumac variety is 

 that there were only two cuttings of the Sumac, while there were 

 three of the Red Amber, and it costs more to harvest tlu'ee crops 

 than two. 



METHODS OF PLANTING. 



Two methods of planting are practiced by farmers, namely, plant- 

 ing in rows far enough apart so that cultivation is possible, and 

 plantmg closer, either in drills or by broadcastmg. Practically no 

 sorghum is grown under irrigation in cultivated rows, but in recent 

 years an mcreasingly large area is being planted on dry land in culti- 

 vated rows. Wlien sorghum is planted in rows and cultivated, the 

 crop may have to be harvested with a grain harvester or by hand if 

 there is a heavy growth, but if the rows are not more than 2 feet 

 apart or the growth is not too heavy it may be cut with a mowing 

 machine and handled in the ordinary manner. Even with the rows 

 4 feet apart the sorghum at the field station the past four years 

 has been harvested in the same way as broadcasted sorghums. 



Drilled compared with cultivated rows. — The yields from sorghum 

 growTL without irrigation have been larger when planted m cultivated 

 rows than when the crop was sown broadcast or in 8-inch drills. 

 Unfortunately, this comparison was not made in 1908, which was a 

 very favorable season. Table IV gives the yields in this experiment 

 for the years 1907 to 1911. ' 



Table IV. — Yields per acre of Sumac sorr/hum planted in cultivated roivs 4 feet apart 



and in 8-inch drills. 





1907 



1908 



1909 



1910 



1911 



Aver- 



Method. 



Num 

 berof 

 plats. 



Aver- 

 age 

 yield. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 plats. 



Aver- 

 age 

 yield. 



1 

 Num- Aver- 

 ber of age 

 plats, yield. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 plats. 



Aver- 

 age 

 yield. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 plats. 



AA^er- 



age 



yield. 



age 



for 



four 



years. 



Rows 4 feet apart 



i 



Tons. 

 3.20 

 1.68 



4 



Tons. 

 13.02 



C) 



4 

 3 



Ton^. 

 1.68 

 1.07 



4 

 3 



Tons. 



3.06 



.74 



4 

 3 



Ton^. 

 3.44 

 4.36 



Tons. 

 2.84 



S-inch drills 



1.96 







1 There were no plats of Sumac sorghum close-planted in 1908. 



The great difference in yield between the cultivated plats and 

 those in 8-inch driUs m 1910, the comparatively shght difference in 

 1909, and the difference ui favor of the 8-inch driQs in 1911 are due 

 to the seasonal raiafaU. As wiU be noticed by reference to the raia- 

 fall table (Table I), the year 1908 was a very favorable one and 

 much moisture that collected in the soil was carried over to 1909, 

 while 1909 was exceediagly dry, and 1910 was more favorable dur- 

 69799 — Cir. 106—13 2 



