SORGHUM EXPERIMENTS OX THE GREAT PLAINS. 
87 
mine the composition of the sorghum, hay from the different cuttings 
and also the total acre production of the different toed elements. 
The results oi this chemical study of the hay obtained from the 
different cuttings are shown in Table 28. 
Table 28. — Composition of hay and yield per acre on a moisture-free basis of the 
principal food elements of Red Amber sorgo when cut at different stages of ma- 
turity. 
Stage of maturity 
Dry 
matter. 
Ash. 
Ether 
extract. 
Protein. 
Crude 
fiber. 
Nitrogen 
free 
extract. 
Composition (per cent): 
Before heading 100 
Partially headed 100 
Bloom to dough 100 
Seed ripe 100 
Yield per acre (pounds) : 
Before heading 4.535 
Partially headed 4.963 
Bloom to dough.. ; 5,239 
Seed ripe 6.209 
11.92 
11.67 
10.84 
9.66 
540 
579 
568 
2.18 
2.13 
2.19 
1.95 
99 
106 
115 
121 
12.75 39.97 
11.28 | 35.08 
11.03 27.97 
S. 94 24. 44 
57S 
560 
000 
1,813 
1,741 
1,465 
1,517 
33.18 
39.84 
47.97 
55.01 
1,505 
1,977 
2,513 
3,416 
The data in Table 28 show that there is a definite increase in the 
percentage of nitrogen-free extract as the sorghum approaches 
maturity and a corresponding though less pronounced decrease in 
the percentage of all the other principal food elements. When these 
percentages are applied to the average acre yields, the yields from 
the later cuttings are found sufficiently greater than the yields from 
the early cuttings to compensate for the smaller percentages of prac- 
tically every element except the crude fiber. In everything except 
protein and crude fiber the yields are largest from the fourth stage 
of maturity and a deficiency in crude fiber is usually considered 
an advantage. 
It is a matter of considerable convenience in farm operations that 
sorghum is not at all exacting in its requirements as to the time of 
cutting. Any loss in quality resulting from a delay in cutting is 
usually balanced by an increased tonnage. 
