Agrl Library
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VOL. LXVI
INDIANAPOLIS, JULY 22, 1911.
NO. 29
WORTH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
PLENTY    OF    TIME    FOB    EMERGENCY FORAGE CROPS.
There is so much complaint of the
drouth and shortness of pastures, the
light hay crop, poor yield of oats and
poor corn prospects that we are led to
publish a large portion of the following circular just issued from the office
of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, on the
subject of emergency crops, believing
that it will be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to our readers:
Reports from many
sections  of  the   Cen-	
tral West indicate
that the droughts of
spring and early
summer have greatly
reduced the hay crop
throughout this entire section, and that
in many localities the
pastures are already
completely dried up.
Oats, too, in some
sections, are only half
i crop. This calls for
prompt recognition
by farmers and tho
immediate planting
of emergency crops
to round out the
shortage of both hay
and pasture. There
is still time between
now and mid-July to
plant half a dozen
kinds of quick-growing   crops that    may
be used as substitutes  ____
for the   regular    hay
and pasture crops if the seed is secured
-nd' the land  at once put into  condition.
Several Good Crops.
For hay there may be planted millet,
cow peas, sorgum, soy beans, and Canada field peas and barley. These same
crops are suitable for pasture purposes,
a"d, in addition, rape, rye and winter
varieties of wheat. The whole corn
Plant may also be used. For grain,
buckwheat, millet and cow peas are
available, and, in the southern part of
the region, early varieties of soy beans.
The aim lf this pamphet Is to state
briefly enough essential facts relative
to each of these crops to enable intelligent selection, giving reference to more
complete bulletins on the subject,
*nich may be secured later. The vital
s^oint now is the recognition of the sit-
uation and the prompt planting with
fagt possible delay of some crop that
*'" supplement the pastures as quick-
'y as possible and fill empty barns with
**' for winter.
Common Millet.
Common millet is one of the
*•* varieties of millet -•♦ sow as an
"Urgency hay or pasture erop, since it
low plowed land well harrowed down.
Other good varieties of millet are Hungarian and German. Millet hay is of
most value for cattle. It is less desirable for horses and sheep. Broom-
corn or hog millet is one of the best
producers of seed. Millet seed is relished by poultry, hogs, and young cattle.
Also Sorgum.
For fodder, sorgum should be
sown as early in July as possible.
Early Amber, one of the best varieties,
requires 70 to  100 days to mature for
this purpose. The most satisfactory
results are likely to be secured l.y
seeding on well-prepared ground in
rows 27 to 30 inches apart, at the rate
of about half a bushel per acre, keeping tho rows cultivated. If seeded
broadcast at least 1 bushel should be
sown and the crop harrowed in. Cow
peas sown in the standing corn at the
last cultivation will furnish a large
amount of pasturage, and this method
of handling the crop is recommended.
Soy Beans Productive.
This crop is    somewhat    more    pro-
A Field of Alfalfa, the Great Forage Crop,
Held
soil
'» 50
As
s well  under trying conditions  of
and climate.      It matures for hay
to 80 days from the date of sow-
and for seed 10 to .15 days later.
*'th pasture- stock can be turned on it
hair     a montn after seeding. Use one-
to  three-fourths   of  a  bushel   of
■'  Per acre.      If seeded for an early
by H Cr°p or on eorn land burned up
^*V°ueht, disk the land thoroughly
lrrow the seed in or sow on shal-
fodder, and the Orange varieties about
10 days longer. The crop should be cut
for fodder when the seed on about half
the head is mature. The yield of
sorgum is from 3 to 6 tons of cured forage per acre from one cutting. Sow
on well-prepared ground at the rate of
1 % to 2 bushels of seed per acre and
harrow the seed in. In some sections
cow peas and sorgum are sown together at the rate of one-half to 1 bushel
of cow peas and 1 bushel of sorgum.
This makes better hay or pasture than
sorgum alone. As a summer pasture
the mixture is especially relished by
sheep, cattle, and hegs. Sorgum fodder is of greatest value for cattle, but
is also a good roughage for horses and
sheep.
Sow Cow Peas.
Throughout Indiana and Illinois,
especially the southern portions,
and the States to the southwest,
the early varieties of both cow peas
and beans may be rucessfully sown for
hay or pasture as late as July 20. Both
crops are equal or superior to clover in
feeding value and are relished by every
class of stock on the farm. Cow peas
will give from 1 to 3 tons of hay per
acre. New Era is one of the earliest
varieties, maturing seed in 60 to 80
days after sowing. Other early varieties are Early Blackeye and Michigan
Favorite. Whippoorwill, while a little
later, is a more vigorous grower and a
general favorite for hay or pasture. In
Missouri, Kansas, and the southern
portion of Illinois and Indiana a cow
pea hay crop can be grown after an
early grain crop has been removed.
New Era is one of the best varieties for
ductive of seed than cow peas
and is equally as rich in feeding value
as that crop. The hay is valuable for
dairy cows, brood sows, and young
stock. Seed in rows, 24 to 32 inches
apart, at the rate of one-half to three-
fourths bushel per acre on well-prepared ground and cultivate the crop. Ogemaw is one of the earliest varieties,
maturing seed in 70 to 90 days. Extra
Karly Dwarf and Early Yellow mature
in about the same time. Ito San is a
medium early variety and a good seed
yielder. Hollybrook is still later and a
heavy producer of forage.
Field Peas and Barley.
Barley and Canada field peas
seeded together at the rate of
about one bushel of each make
an excellent pasture and soiling crop,
and if seeded by July 15 will mature
for hay. The hay is relished by sheep,
horses and cattle and is a rich protein
forage for dairy cows, while the pasture Is especially valuable for hogs and
lambs. The yield varies from 2 to 3
tons of cured hay per acre and the hay
is fully equal in feeding value on the
farm to the best mixtures of clover and
timothy. Oats are frequently seeded
with Canada field peas for forage, but
after July barley makes a more rapid
growth than oats and is less subject to
rust. A mixture of barley and peas
may be seeded together with a grain
drill on well-prepared, fertile soil, preferably clay loam, or broadcasted and
harrowed ln, covering 2 to 3 inches
deep.
Tape a Quick Crop.
This    is    strictly    a    succulent pas
ture crop of especial value for hogs,
growing lambs, and fattening sheep. It
may be sown in corn at the last cultivation, using about 3 pounds of seed
per acre and lightly harrowing it in.
Much better results will be obtained by
seeding the crop alone on fertile clay
loam or black soil, sowing cither in
drills 30 inches apart and at the rate
of 2 pounds per acre, or broadcasting
at the rate of 3 pounds per acre, covering about half an inch deep. The crop
will be ready for pasturage within 50
to 60 days from seeding, and on good
soils will furnish 20 to 30 tons of green
forage.      An acre  of
 ■ —      rape   on    good    land
will furnish pasture
two or three months
for about 20 hogs or
as many lambs fed
light grain rations in
addition. Dwarf Essex
rape is the variety to
grow. Cattle and
sheep should be
gradually accustomed to rape, and well
filled up on other
feed before turning
in to graze otherwise
they may bloat.
Seventy Pays Buckwheat.
This is a quick-
growing crop, maturing seed in about seventy to seventy-five
days from the time
of seeding. It is
chiefly valuable as a
grain  crop   for   poul-
        try and hogs, though
the ground middlings
make rich protein feed for dairy
cows. For horses the ground grain
may constitute about one-third of
the grain ration and when so used is
considered equal in feeding value to
oats. As forage it may be used as a
soiling crop for dairy cows, having considerable value for this purpose. Of
the three varieties commonly grown—
Japanese, Silver Hull, and Common—
Japanese has usually given best results
and is recommended for the West. Seed
2 to 3 pecks per acre, either in drills
or broadcast, covering 2 to 3 inches
deep . While buckwheat will do better
on poor land than some crops, it gives
best  results  on     well-prepared,  fertile
soil,
frost.
The    crop    is    easily killed by
Rye in the Corn.
This crop can be sown in the standing corn at the last cultivation in
July and will afford considerable pasturage for all stock. It is often thus
sown either alone or mixed with rape
for lambs or sheep being fattened for
market. If seeded on especially prepared ground the crop will come on much
earlier and give considerably more fall
feed. Seed at the rate of 1% bushels
per acre. In pasturing cows on rye
the change from other feeds to rye
should be gradual to avoid possible
taint of milk. Winter varieties of
wheat if sown at once will also afford a
large amount of fall pasture.
Corn Fodder.
Every    farmer    knows    the    value
of  corn   as a supplement to a pasture
crop late in summer, for which pnrpofco
Continued on page 4.