Sudan Grass. 9

Sudan is the only grass which yields under irrigation in the South- west even approximately as much as alfalfa. It can be used, there- fore, in providing a change of feed without reducing the tonnage obtained from the land. Sudan grass was found just in time to fill this need, and although it is not as rich in protein as alfalfa, experi- ence indicates that when mixed with alfalfa or fed with some con- centrate rich in protein the now of milk will be nearly or quite normal.

SUDAN GRASS AND LEGUME MIXTURES.

The suitability of Sudan grass for growing in mixtures with cow- peas, soy beans, and other legumes in regions to which Sudan grass and these legumes are well adapted is at once apparent. (1) Sudan

FIG. 5.—Plats at Arlington Farm, Va., in 1!)!^, showing mixtures of Sudan grass and

cowpeas (riprhti and Johnson grass and ro-n-peas (left).

grass grows strictly erect, with a stem stiif enough to support the vines characteristic of most legumes, and it thus makes the harvest- ing easier by keeping the legumes off the ground. It also allows them to cure more quickly by preventing the leaves from matting. (2) It is low in protein, which is abundant in the legumes, and thus a well- balanced mixture is produced. (3) The yields in the humid regions

are equal to those of Sudan grass when seeded alone, but the difficulty of getting a good stand and of harvesting the mixture is greater.

Tests of Sudan grass and legume mixtures in the States of Mary- land, Virginia (Fig. 5), Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louis- iana during the 4-year period from 1912 to 1915 gave the following