6 SUDAN GRASS.

FEEDING VALUE OF SUDAN GRASS.

All reports agree on the high palatability of Sudan grass, either green or cured. At Chillicothe, Tex., the farm horses even ate readily the straw from which the seed had been thrashed. Until reeding experiments can be conducted no definite statement of the comparative feeding value of this grass can be made.

Table I shows the analyses of a series of hay samples cut at various dates at Arlington Farm. Virginia, in 1912. Perhaps the most interesting feature shown is the close comparison of the mature straw with hay cut at earlier stages.

Table I. Analyses of Siutim grass grown fit Arlington Farm, Virginia, in 1912, cut <it various dates in different stages of maturity.

Cut Aug. 7.

1 . before heading.

Cut Oct.

was fully mature.

Substance.

Before beading.

Heads just appearing.

Just beto bloom.

In full bloom.

Percent.

4.13 6.61 1.72 7.7.-, 30.68 21.82 27.29 Per caxt.

3.54 "). 55 1.39 6.06 31.94 24.01 27.:,l Pit cent.

3.46 5.02 1.23 5.16 33.23 24.70 27.20 Pit cint.

3.51 5.(14 1.27 4.66 35.12 24..51 24.79 Piranl.

4.82 7.12 1.49 5.63 34.30 23.38 23.26 Pit cent.

4.38 Ash 5.59 1.4S Protein 4.19 Crude fibar 34.44 Undetermined 26. 70 EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS WITH SUDAN GRASS.

Owing to the fact that Sudan grass came from a dry tropical country and that the quantity of available seed was very small, the preliminary tests were all made in Texas. The remarkable adaptation of the grass to Texas conditions led to its being tested in 1911 at Arlington Farm. Virginia, and in various Southern States. At the former place it succeeded beyond expectation, so that seed of it was sent in the spring of 1912 to many experiment stations with the request that it be tried, but for various reasons comparatively few -tat ions made a test. The reports of these trials are given later in this circular. As nio-t of these tests were very small the results can only be regarded as indications of its possible value. In most cases the grass was -ceded in cultivated rows, under which condition it is usually too coarse for hay of high quality. By thick planting, however, this difficulty is easily overcome.

Practically every test of the grass made in the semiarid regions from South Dakota to Texas has given remarkably favorable results. There is scarcely room to doubt the very high value of the grass for this portion of the United States. A single test in eastern Oregon also gave very promising results, so the grass is doubtless adapted [Cir. 125]