96 



Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



The seed production of sorghum runs from 20 to 40 bushels per 

 acre, according to the richness of the soil and variety grown. To obtain 

 the best seed the sorghum should be planted far enough apart to grow a 

 strong, vigorous stalk. Seed may be grown from thickly planted cane, but 

 it is of an inferior quality and will not weigh out or germinate like well 

 developed cane seed, which is also much more valuable for feeding pur- 

 poses. 



If harvested in this method the seed can be easily threshed out, and 

 is a paying crop for that purpose alone. 



The yield of sorghum is a factor strongly in its favor, and one 

 which puts it ahead of nearly any other plant. From 3 to 15 tons is the 

 variable yield of cured fodder per acre, and on rich lands 7 or 8 tons can be 

 counted on 



Where two or three cuttings can be made, as in some parts of the 

 south, the yield runs up very high. It is a soiling crop of great value and 

 can be fed to horses, cattle, sheep, and swine, with goood results. From 

 its habit of second growth it will produce until killed by frost. 



When cut in bloom it furnishes the largest amount of digestible 

 nutriments, but is hard to cure at this stage. At the blooming period it 

 is best to soil and makes one of the best foods to give dairy cows that are 

 on poor pastures. 



FEEDING VALUE. 



In feeding value sorghum may be considered closely akin to corn, 

 both in seed and stalk, the seed being a little less nutritious than 

 shelled corn, while the sorghum forage well cured is better than corn 

 stover. 



While considerable investigating has been carried on by our Experi- 

 ment Stations to determine the feeding value of this wonderful plant there 

 is still much left for further investigation. 



We know it to be a valuable forage for all kinds of stock, but little 

 is known as to its digestibility in varieties and stage of growth. 



The writer in co-operation with Prof. Lyons at the Nebraska Exper- 

 iment Station tested for several years the pasture value of sorghum and 

 other forage plants. In these tests we found the sorghum plant to fur- 

 nish the greatest amount of pasture of any of the annual plants tested. 

 A one-fifth acre plat will furnish pasture to one cow on full milk flow for 

 one month. To get the best results when pasturing milch cows on sor- 

 ghum a little feed, high in nitrogen, should be given as the young sor- 

 ghum plant is strongly carbohydrate and weak in protein, while the high 

 water percentage makes it difficult for the animal to get the required 

 amount of protein. 



Prof Burnett found in feeding sheep on sorghum hay in compari- 

 son with alfalfa that the latter gave much the better gains, but still sor- 



