Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1912 — SORGHUM ANO JOHNSON GRASS [ARTICLE]

SORGHUM ANO JOHNSON GRASS

Mr. H. H. Humphrey, Arlington, Arizona, writes: “What property does sorghum take from the ground that other grains need? I notice that wheat and barley grown this spring on a plot of ground that had sorghum on it last summer was very poor, while on an adjoining plot of exactly the same kind of soil the crop was very good, making nearly twice as much grain to the acre. Can you advise me what is the best method of kiling Johnson grass?” We have been unable to find an analysis of sorghum which show's the amount of the different plant food elements that this crop takes from the soil. Sorghum fodder is rather low in protein and high in crude fiber as compared with corn fodder. This would lead us to believe that sorghum is not as heavy a nitrogen feeder as the common corn. The amount of sugar which sorghum contains varies from two to twenty per cent of the juice, or from one and one-half to twelve percent of the cane. We note what you say regarding the growth of oats and wheat on a plot that produced sorghum last year. The decrease in yield may not have been due to any particular drain on the plant food elements caused by the sorghum, but might have been the result of a lack of, moisture. Sorghum is a heavy feeding plant and requires considerable moisture, hence it may have taken so much moisture from the soil that there was not a sufficient amount as compared with other fields to produce a good crop of wheat or oats. We do not believe that you will have any trouble in cutting your corn with the ordinary corn binder, even though there are pea vines in the corn. The corn binder may be used very satisfactorily for cutting sorghum, also milo maize. Where these crops grow unusually high and heavy some of the machines may not handle them as easily as they do corn because they are built for corn and not for heavy sorghum crops. The height of grain that can be cut-with the ordinary grain binder varies some with the binder. This machine will handle grain considerably higher than the ordinary run of grains. The most successful method of killing Johnson grass is to plow early in the fall and to harrow the land thoroughly, using a spring tooth harrow if possible, or a peg tooth if the spring tooth is not available. This will tear out a large number of the root stalks, which should be removed from the field. A heavy seeding of small grain or millet should now be sown which will keep down the Johnson grass during the late fall and early spring. This crop should be cut for hay, and the land should next be plowed and harrowed as before. It is well to keep this land under thorough cultivation during the summer months, not permitting any of the Johnson grass to grow to any extent. By fall the field will be free from the Johnson grass. The main objection to this is the loss of one year’s crop, but It has been found to be the most, satisfac-

tory way < f killing out this grass. Close pasturing and considerable tram-ping is very injurious to Johnson grass, and will practically kill it out in time. A thorough drainage of the land, 'combined with the above, will be of material assistance in eradicating Johnson grass.