Extract from 
Supplementary Feed Crops for 1935 
GEO. M. BRIGGS 
by courtesy of 
Extension Service of the College of Agriculture, The University of Wisconsin, Madison 
Sudan Grass Makes Heavy Yields 
This dual purpose pasture and hay plant is meeting with 
more and more favor in our state. Sudan grass does best on 
loam soils but will make profitable pastures on most fertilized 
soils if sufficient moisture is available. Because it can be 
seeded over a long period it fits well where other crops have 
failed and crops have been cut early for hay or pastured off. 
Its roots and leaves grow thick and fast, thereby making it an 
excellent crop to follow up on quack grass fields where partial 
summer fallowing has been practiced. 
As the plant is sensitive to soil and weather conditions, too 
early planting often gives disappointing yields. While good 
crops of Sudan are raised when seeded at corn planting time, 
it is usually best to wait a week or two weeks later, when the, 
seed will germinate better and grow much faster and more 
satisfactorily. In any event, the soil should be warmed up 
before seeding. 
Dry Hay Thoroughly Before Using 
Sudan grass often could be cut two times to advantage, 
rather than to let heads get too mature, the lower portion of 
stems turn brown, and leaves get dry and drop off. By making 
two cuttings a larger yield of more palatable hay will be har¬ 
vested. It is advisable to avoid any danger from prussfc 
acid poisoning by feeding the hay only after it is well cured. 
Use 25 to 30 pounds of good germinating seed per acre unless 
seed is of lower germination when more would be desirable. 
The seed bed should be well prepared by breaking up lumps 
and by having it well firmed. If soil and weather are good, 
harrow in the seed, otherwise drill in from one-half to one inch 
deep which will help insure a catch if the soil at the surface 
is dry. 
Sorghum, ordinarily known as cane, is often used as fodder. 
It produces a fodder medium in value, quite comparable to corn 
fodder but is exceptionally palatable and readily eaten by farm; 
animals. It can be seeded brodcast 60 to 75 pounds to the 
acre or in rows requiring 8 to 12 pounds to the acre, using the 
heavier rate on best soils and dropping seeds from 2 to 6 
inches apart. Plant about corn planting time but for fodder, 
plantings may be made up to the middle of June. 
Use a medium early variety, usually as is planted for sor¬ 
ghum, or any of the amber strains. Cure in small shocks and 
feed when thoroughly cured. 
Millet Fits Into Crop Plan 
Millet also fits into the crop plan both in point of time of 
seeding and value in weed control. The soil should be well 
warmed up before seeding, in that weeds often times bother 
considerably in early seeded millet. For best quality of hay 
it is well to cut when the seed is in dough stage. The Japanese 
variety yields the heaviest on low rich soils and is not as well 
adapted to dry areas or upland soils as the other types. The 
foxtail types like common, German, Hungarian, and Siberian 
all make desirable quality of hay if cut at the proper time. The 
German is latest of the foxtail types, producing the largest 
yields, but with somewhat coarser stems than the other var¬ 
ieties. For late seedings, the earlier types will produce the 
finest quality hay. From 25 to 30 pounds of seed per acre 
are needed to make best quality hay on heavier soils. Broom 
corn types of millet as the hog millets, called Proso, are usually 
used in producing seed but if cut while seed is in dough stage 
a fair quality of hay results. 
Nurse Crops Used as Hay 
To play safe, most of the legumes are seeded with some 
grain crop seeded at one-half the usual rate. It is not un¬ 
common to cut this nurse crop as hay in early July to preserve 
moisture and prevent smothering of the young seeding. On 
level lands where there is little soil washng or few weeds, an 
early seeding of alfalfa or sweet clover by itself or with a 
light nurse crop would give a real legume hay which could 
be cut this first year but not later than August 15. 
On flat or heavy clay soils with poor drainage, sweet clover 
often abounds where there is enough lime. By cutting the new 
sweet clover either with or without a nurse crop, a fine crop 
of hay is obtained the first year, with little or no injury to the 
second year crop if a good growth is allowed to develop during 
the fall. 
It is sound practice to disc up spots where alfalfa has winter- 
killed or did not catch well and seed to a grain crop with regu¬ 
lar amounts of alfalfa seed. Cut all for hay when tthe rest of 
the field is cut or leave until grain is well headed in larger 
areas. 
Use This 
Post Card 
For Seed Or Inoculation 
Orders 
Be sure to specify size and 
variety of inoculation required 
Cut out along dotted line 
Business Reply Card 
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FIRST CLASS 
PERMIT NO. 1488 
[Sec. 384% P.L. &R.] 
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