COMPOSITION AND DIGESTIBILITY OF SUDAN-GRASS 
HAY 
By W. G. GaESSLER, Acting Chief in Chemistry , and A. C. McCandlish, Assistant 
in Dairy Husbandry , Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station 
INTRODUCTION 
The introduction of Sudan grass (Andropogon sorghum var.) into the 
United States took place less than nine years ago (1909), but since then this 
crop has become widely known, and its popularity is rapidly increasing. 
Sudan grass, being an annual, does not make a good pasture plant, but 
gives excellent results as a hay or soiling crop; it might also be success¬ 
fully made into silage if mixed with a legume. 
RfiSUMIS OF PREVIOUS WORK 
A considerable amount of work has been done on the production of 
Sudan grass; and, though the yields of hay obtained varied considera¬ 
bly, they were as a rule satisfactory (Table I). 
Table I.— Average yields of Sudan-gross hay (5)® 
State Experiment Station. 
Dry hay 
per acre. 
State Experiment Station. 
Dry hay 
per acre. 
Virginia. 
Tons. 
3-4 
2. 6 
5 * 5 
3-3 
3-6 
1. 1 
Texas. 
Tons. 
3*9 
2.9 
4-3 
3 - 1 
Tennessee. 
Oklahoma. 
Mississippi. 
Ohio ( 8 ) . 
Louisiana. 
Kansas (7). 
Georgia. 
Average. 
3-4 
Arkansas. 
The average yields of Sudan-grass hay, as stated in Table I, have 
not all been calculated by the same method, but the results show that 
as a rule a yield of 3 to 4 tons of field cured hay per acre can be 
expected. 
The material available to show the composition of Sudan-grass hay 
is limited, but a compilation of the published analyses is included here. 
There is a wide variation in the moisture contents of hays, due to a 
a Reference is made by number (italic) to “ Literature cited,” p. 185. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
ol 
(176) 
Vol. XIV, No. 4 
July 22, 1918 
Key No. Iowa-6 
