Sudan Grass.

PLACE IN THE CROPPING SYSTEM.

Although Sudan grass is an annual and can be introduced easily into any rotation, it probably never will be widely used as a staple crop in permanent rotations. To fill such a position acceptably a crop must serve either as a " money crop " or as a soil improver. Under certain conditions in the Southern States Sudan grass utilized as a hay crop or for seed production may be considered as a cash crop, but in most cases it will be grown as an emergency hay crop or

for summer pasture.

PIG. 4.—A plat of Sudan grass (at left) grown Ireside a plat of Kursk millet at Iledliekl,

8. Dak., 1016. Both crops are in approximately the right stage to be cut for hay.

The other two crops most widely grown as catch crops or emer- gency hay crops are millet and sorgo, or " cane." (Fig. 4.) The yields of Sudan grass, as compared with these two, its chief competitors, over a series of years from 1912 to 1919 and at a considerable number of stations are given in Table 1.

TABLE 1.—Comparison of Siidun grass witli millet and sorgo in yields per aere of

cured hay.

Region.

Yield por acre {tonsV

Sudan grass. Millet. Sorgo.

1.49 1.78 3 33 2.80

1.89 1.51 1.83 2.52

2.21 2.S9 4.64 6.06

.