10 THREE MUCH-MISREPRESENTED SORGHUMS. 



Experiments conducted by the writer and by the Office of Forage- 

 Crop Investigations, as well as the observations of numerous farmers, 

 indicate that shallu is rather inferior to milo and kafir varieties as a 

 grain crop and to kafirs and sorgos as a forage crop. 



Those who purpose growing it are advised to do so on a small scale 

 and not to pay exorbitant prices for the seed. 



All farmers who test shallu in the season of 1910 are reciuested to 

 report their results to the waiter of this paper. Report sheets and 

 envelopes for this purpose will be furnished to all who reciuest them. 



"CHOCOLATE CORN.'' 



In October, 1905, the brief letter reprinted below was published 

 in one of the daily papers of the eastern United States. 



In your department "H. H. " asks for information concerning what she or he calls 

 "chocolate corn. " Quite a number of years ago Isaac Newton, first Commissioner of 

 Agriculture under James Buchanan, sent my father a pint of chocolate corn, requesting 

 him to plant it and report the results to the Department. It resembled broom corn very 

 closely — only darker and ranker. In color it was a dark brown. I suppose the crop 

 of seed, which was thrashed out with a flail on the barn floor, was twenty times greater 

 than broom corn; I think the crop yielded fully 200 barrels to the acre. Everything 

 to which it was fed ate ravenously, gaining in flesh rapidly. For fattening purposes 

 I never saw its equal. 



Horses and cattle would eat every particle of the stalk after it had been thrashed. 

 The stalk grew to a great height. 



I remember we ground some of it in the coffee mill and used it as a beverage at the 

 table. It was fairly good, but not as clear as the prepared chocolate which comes in 

 cakes. 



I never heard it called "chocolate corn, " nor did it resemble popcorn in the least. 

 There was no ear or husk — just the seed growing on the tassel, which was literally 

 covered . 



I think it can be obtained at the Agricultural Department in Washington. It is a 



wonder that poultry raisers do not cultivate it. I presume its value as an article of 



diet for all kinds of poultry can not be equaled. 



— — M. D. 



Some of the statements made in this letter naturally attracted 

 attention in many c[uarters. This was especially true of those state- 

 ments concerning the yield of the grain, its feeding value, its use as a 

 beverage, and the source of the seed. It scarcely need be said that 

 the estimates of the yield and feeding value are greatly exaggerated. 



The letter just c^uoted was rather widely copied by newspapers and 

 periodicals of all classes. The result was a flood of letters directed to 

 the Department of Agriculture, asking for seed and information. All 

 such incjuirers were answ^ered and given the known facts. Apparently 

 the same letter has been republished recently, and the matter of 

 "chocolate corn" is being agitated anew. The following statement 

 has therefore been prepared for the information of those interested: 



(1) The Department of Agriculture has for distribution no seed of 

 any plant called "chocolate corn. " 



[Cir. 50] 



