602 Geasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



fall off before the plant matures. The beads, in most cases, are 

 very compact, in shape resembling those of the milo. The seeds 

 of most varieties grown in the United States are white, but there 

 are brown and red-seeded varieties in Africa and India. The 

 glumes are usually gi'ay and somewhat pubescent ; black-giumed 

 forms are also common. 



The first varieties of durra to be grown in this country were all 

 white-seeded forms with recurved heads. One of these, which 

 became of some importance in Kansas and other central states, 

 was known as " Jerusalem corn." Others were called "' Egyptian 

 durra " and " AVhite durra." None of these forms are of anyl 

 value in comparison with Blackhull kafir, Dwarf milo, and 

 Feterita. 



Feterita 



This variety, which has also been called " Sudan durra," is 

 about the only variety of any importance in the United States, 

 and it is so different from the other durras that there is reason 

 to feel that it should be placed in a separate group. It was brought 

 to the United States in 1906, from the Sudan region of Africa. 

 In Feterita the heads are erect and the stems slightly sweet, 

 although scarcely juicy. The seeds are bluish white, larger than 

 those of milo, and also softer. The glumes may be either greenish 

 gray or black. Feterita is noted for its earliness and drought 

 resistance, and is valuable as a grain and silage crop, but can 

 not compete with kafir as a fodder plant. 



Shallu 

 This sorghum is usually classed with the durras, although quite 

 distinct. It is grown quite extensively in southern California and 

 other parts of the Southwest under the names, '' Egyptian wheat," 

 " rice com," " California rice-corn," etc. Shallu has tall, pithy 

 stems, lacking both juice and sweetness. It is fairly leafy and 

 the head is loose and drooping. The seeds are quite hard and 

 yellowish white or buff in color, held loosely by the spreading and 

 involute glumes. The seeds shatter freely when ripe. This sorg- 

 hum is of little value for forage and very few sorghum growers 

 prefer it to kafir and milo for grain production. 



