Vol. XVIII. No. 437. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



29 



THE GRAIN SORGHUMS. 



All sorghums were at first supposed to be derived from a 

 wild species of grass, viz., Andropogon hakpensis, of which 

 Johnson grass is a typical representative. The underground 

 creeping rootstocks of Johason grass, however, and its peren- 

 nial character, make it extremely difficult to reconcile it with 

 our annual sorghums. Sudan grass, which is really half a 

 grass and half a sorghum, appears more closely related to the 

 sorghums; and it seems more feasible to believe that the 

 sorghums have been derived from a wild species of grass, 

 such as Sudan grass, than from such a plant as .Johnson 



grass. 



Sorghums have been known and cultivated almost from 



time immemorial, and Egyptian records of this class af fodder 



plants have been discovered dating as far back as "2.590 B.C. 



At the present time sorghums are grown for one of three 



purposes — for forage, for grain, or for brush. In early time, 



however, it was grain sorghums which were mostly 



grown.' ' This was probably due to the fact that the seed was 



one of the chief sources of diet of mankind, just as it is at 



present among many of the native tribes of Africa. As 



civilization progressed, and social conditions changed, the use 



of the grain as an article of man's diet diminished, and for a 



considerable period the cultivation of the grain sorghums 



was not encouraged. Especially was this so because the 



stems were not considered the best form of animal forage, 



owing to their pithy contents, and much better results could 



be obtained from the saccharine sorghums. Of late years, 



however, certain characteristics have been discovered amongst 



the grain sorghums which are highly important in the economy 



of farming, particularly in dry areas. These are: (1) their 



ability to set grain sometimes in large (luantities, under very 



adverse conditions; (2) the nutritive quality of the grain; and 



(3) the remarkable drought-resisting properties of the plants. 



There are four varieties of grain sorghums of economic 



importance, referred to in the Agricultural Gazette of New 



South Wales, October 2, 1918, viz. Kafir, Milo, Feterita, 



and Kaoliang 



Kafir sorghum is a native of South Africa, and, until just 

 lately, has been the best known and most grown in European 

 countries. 



Milo probably originated in North Africa. It is only 

 quite recently that its cultivation in America has been carried 

 out to any extent. 



Feterita originated in the Sudan, and, although of the 

 White Dhurra type, it is distinct from Egyptian corn. It is 

 becoming increasingly popular in the I'nited States. 



Kaoliang is a native of Eastern Asia, and although a very 

 old sorghum, it is the latest arrival in America. It is prob- 

 ably the principal crop grown in Manchuria. 



Both Feterita and Kafir have whitish seeds, and Milo 

 and Kaoliang brownish seeds, but difterences in the stem and 

 shape of heads distinguish them from each other. Kafir pro- 

 duces fair fodder yields, but no grain in semi arid districts. 

 It is the slowest maturing of all the sorghums, and can only 

 be recommended under irrigation and for parts of the coast. 

 Milo is an excellent sorghum for semi arid districts and for 



irrigated areas. Yields of 30 bushels and upwards can be 

 expected. Feterita at present shows a tendency towards 

 tillering, but in all other respects equals Milo. Kaoliang 

 produces seeds very quickly and under adverse conditions, 

 but the yields are generally light. 



Grain sorghums are admirably adapted as summer crops 

 in those semi-arid districts where maize-growing is not 

 practicable. 



In the West I.'.dies sorghum has been grown for a long 

 number of years under the name generally of Guinea corn, 

 and probably the old variety came with the slavejships from 

 the /^ frican coast. At the present time, however, a newer 

 and improved variety known as Mazaggua Guinea corn, seed 

 of which was sent by Mr. George Nugent from Nigeria, 

 to the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, in 1903 or 

 thereabouts, has been established in the Leeward Islands, 

 where it has proved successful, and is a fine cropper under the 

 conditions obtaining there. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE ISLE OF PINES. 



Since the freedom of Cuba was secured, there has been a 

 continued development of the resources of the Isle of Pines, 

 an island of considerable size lying to the southwest of Caba 

 and forming politically a part of that republic. American 

 capital is being largely attracted towards developing the Isle. 

 The following notes, which appeared in the Cuba ReT'iau, 

 October 1918, are interesting, as pointing t;o possibilities of 

 mineral development, as well as to the value of the grape 

 fruit industry: — 



'The Isle of Pines promises to become an important pro- 

 ducer of iron, copper, and other ores. Eleven mines have 

 already been located, though only two are being actively 

 developed as yet At one of these, an iron mine near Nueva 

 Gerona, shafts have been sunk to a depth of 1 1 7 feet, and 

 apparently fine ore is being found. Assays of samples of 

 this ore are being made in the United States and Cuba. A 

 copper mine, also near Nueva Gerona, only awaits the neces- 

 sary machinery to begin development work. 



'Little has been done at the other mines, chiefly because 

 their boundaries have not yet been officially established. A 

 few days ago the chief Cuban Government mining engineer 

 arrived here, accompanied by two assistants, and the work of ' 

 establishing the boundaries is now under way. 



'The Cuban Government is taking a most active interest 

 in the development of these mines, four of which are said to 

 be owned by American.s, with an American engineer a.s mana- 

 ger, and the others by Cuban corporations.' 



'The harvest of grapefruit, at pre.sent the principal pro- 

 duct cultivated by American fruit growers on the Lsle of 

 Pines, is now well under way. 



'While the continuous hotweather of this summer ripened 

 the fruit somewhat sooner than usual, it also imjiroved its 

 quality, but the crop, in comparison with former years, is a 

 very unimportant one as regards quantity. 



'The damage to the trees by the hurricane of last Sep- 

 tember, coupled with a lack oT chemical fertilizers has resulted 

 in a yield of fruit far below the normal. It is expected that 

 about 20,000 cases will constitute this year's crop, whereas 

 the normal crop runs between -50,000 and 55,000 cases. 



'While the quantity of grapefruit harvested this year ia 

 discouraging to the growers, it is expected that their losses 

 will be somewhat offset by higher prices obtained in the 

 L^nited States for the early fruit. Reports on the first ship- 

 ments are very favourable in this respect.' 



