6 SUDAN GRASS. 
FEEDING VALUE OF SUDAN GRASS. 
All reports agree on the high palatability of Sudan grass, either 
green or cured. At Chillicothe, Tex., the farm horses even ate readily 
the straw from which the seed had been thrashed. Until reeding 
experiments can be conducted no definite statement of the compara- 
tive feeding value of this grass can be made. 
Table I shows the analyses of a series of hay samples cut at 
various dates at Arlington Farm. Virginia, in 1912. Perhaps the 
most interesting feature shown is the close comparison of the mature 
straw with hay cut at earlier stages. 
Table I. — Analyses of Siutim grass grown fit Arlington Farm, Virginia, in 1912, 
cut <it various dates in different stages of maturity. 
Cut Aug. 7. 
1 . before 
heading. 
Cut Oct. 
was 
fully 
mature. 
Substance. 
Before 
beading. 
Heads 
just ap- 
pearing. 
Just be- 
to bloom. 
In full 
bloom. 
Percent. 
4.13 
6.61 
1.72 
7.7.-, 
30.68 
21.82 
27.29 
Per caxt. 
3.54 
"). 55 
1.39 
6.06 
31.94 
24.01 
27.:,l 
Pit cent. 
3.46 
5.02 
1.23 
5.16 
33.23 
24.70 
27.20 
Pit cint. 
3.51 
5.(14 
1.27 
4.66 
35.12 
24.. 51 
24.79 
Piranl. 
4.82 
7.12 
1.49 
5.63 
34.30 
23.38 
23.26 
Pit cent. 
4.38 
Ash 
5.59 
1.4S 
Protein 
4.19 
Crude fibar 
34.44 
Undetermined 
26. 70 
EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS WITH SUDAN GRASS. 
Owing to the fact that Sudan grass came from a dry tropical 
country and that the quantity of available seed was very small, the 
preliminary tests were all made in Texas. The remarkable adapta- 
tion of the grass to Texas conditions led to its being tested in 1911 
at Arlington Farm. Virginia, and in various Southern States. At 
the former place it succeeded beyond expectation, so that seed of it 
was sent in the spring of 1912 to many experiment stations with the 
request that it be tried, but for various reasons comparatively few 
-tat ions made a test. The reports of these trials are given later in 
this circular. As nio-t of these tests were very small the results can 
only be regarded as indications of its possible value. In most cases 
the grass was -ceded in cultivated rows, under which condition it is 
usually too coarse for hay of high quality. By thick planting, how- 
ever, this difficulty is easily overcome. 
Practically every test of the grass made in the semiarid regions 
from South Dakota to Texas has given remarkably favorable results. 
There is scarcely room to doubt the very high value of the grass for 
this portion of the United States. A single test in eastern Oregon 
also gave very promising results, so the grass is doubtless adapted 
[Cir. 125] 
