SUDAN GRASS 
A Valuable Forage Plant 
of the Sorghum Family. 
Sudan Grass was first brought to this country in 1909 by the 
U. S. Department of Agriculture from Sudan, Egypt and is 
now grown successfully over a large part of the country. 
Withstands extreme heat and drought to a remarkable degree, 
makes a very rapid growth and is especially valuable to cut 
as a forage crop when pastures fail during summer, or it may 
be cut and stored as nay. The stalks are quite sweet and 
cattle eat them greedily. 
The photograph shown above was taken on our Irondequoit farm. Seed 
was sown June 5th and first cutting made Aug. 9th. Four tests from this 
first cutting showed an average of a little over 13% tons of green 
fodder per acre. The single plant shown in the picture is from second 
crop. Sept. 29, and shows 44 stalks all grown from a single seed. 
Dpccrt nfifttl Sudan Grass is an annual of quick growth, 
L/CStl tpUUll. stools freely and produces stalks about the size 
of a lead pencil. Two or more cuttings can be made during a season. 
The first crop requires from 50 to 70 days and second cutting will be 
ready about 45 to 50 days later. This grass will do well on almost any ' _ 
soil but a rich loam will produce the largest crop. From 5 to 8 Tons per acre of hay can be made varying according to number 
of cuttings during the season and fertility of the soil. Sudan Grass does not gather nitrogen from the air like the clovers. 
^pprlimy The ground should be fitted as for com and seeding should not be done till ground is warm. May 10th to June 1st 
OCCUlIl^, for this locality. As a catch crop it may be sown as late as July 1st. Seeding can be done with grain drill 
or broadcast using 20 pounds per acre. If sown in drills 28 inches apart use 8 to 10 lbs. of seed per acre and cultivate once or 
twice. Where sown in drills the stalks grow a little coarser for first cutting. When sown in drills and given one cultivation after the 
first crop has been cut, our experience is that the second crop will start more quickly and make a faster growth than where sown 
broadcast. The stalks will grow from 5 to 9 feet high. Also in the cultivated rows each plant will tiller or stool in a remarkable manner, 
a single plant often giving 50 to lOO stalks. Cutting can be done with mower and the crop handled the same as any hay. ror hay 
it is best to cut as soon as the heads begin to show and before the stalks get woody. We advise all stock men to sow enough of the Sudan 
Grass to carry their cattle thru the dry weeks of late July and August. 
33 
Gardner Seed Co. 
