i 2 BULLETIN 1260, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the favorable seeding period ma}' be said to last for six weeks, from 
May 1 to June 15, with somewhat larger forage yields but less grain 
from seedings between June 1 and 15. 
North of the region where Sumac is the leading variety, the most 
favorable period for seeding becomes more and more restricted. 
From the southern boundary of Kansas up to the middle of Nebraska 
the best period for seeding is between May 15 and June 1. North of 
this region it is best to seed sorghum during the first week of June. 
RATE OF SEEDING IN ROWS. 
Frequent newspaper articles have discussed the effect of thin 
stands on the yields of sorghum, and this question will no doubt 
continue to be of interest not only to the agricultural press but also to 
farmers in the semiarid regions. In order to obtain definite infor- 
mation regarding the effect of stand on the yield when the sorghum is 
grown in rows, it was necessary to classify the experiments according 
to the row space per plant rather than the rate that the seed was sown. 
Also, in row seedings the space between the rows affects the stand, 
and experiments doubling the space between the rows and also 
leaving out one row in three were conducted at several stations. In 
addition, the effect of seeding cowpeas in alternate rows with sorghum 
was tested at Chillicothe, Tex. 
In drilled or broadcast seedings the use of different quantities of 
seed, froni 15 to 75 pounds per acre, was tested to determine the 
effect of the different rates not only on the yield but also on the 
quality of the hay. 
Spacing of Plants in the Row. 
Experiments have been conducted at Hays. Kans., and Chilli- 
cothe and Amarillo, Tex., to determine the most desirable row space 
for sorghum plants in rows 40 to 44 inches apart. The plan of these 
experiments was to sow rather thickly at the most f avorame time and 
to thin the plants by exact count to the desired row space when they 
were about 5 inches tall. Duplicate twentieth-acre plats were used 
for these experiments at Hays, Kans.; single tenth-acie plats at 
Chillicothe. Tex., prior to 1913 and duplicate twentieth-acre plats 
afterwards; quadruplicated 8-rod rows in 1913 and 1914 at Amarillo, 
Tex., and duplicate fiftieth-acre plats from 1915 to 1917. 
EXPERIMENTS AT HAYS, KANS. 
The experiments at the Hays station were in progress from 1914 to 
1918 with Red Amber and feterita. The period mentioned included 
two rather favorable seasons, 1914 and 1915. and three that were 
medium dry. None were so adverse, however, as the seasons of 
1911 and 1913. In the latter season all the plats in a preliminary 
test of Red Amber dried up without heading, when the plants were 
less than 18 inches tall. Good stands were obtained in all five years 
of the regular experiment, although it was necessary to sow the 
third time in 1915. This was done on June 23, and notwithstanding 
the late seeding excellent crops were obtained. Both varieties had 
time to mature in the other years also, although in 1916 most of the 
Red Amber dried up without heading. 
Table 18 shows the effect of differing row spaces on the yields of 
forage and grain and also on the height of the plants. 
