24 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SORGHUM. 



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be sufficiently increased. A brown-seeded form with the panicle 

 branches elongated is used for brooms and brushes. 



This group is apparently confined to the northeastern part of China 

 proper and to adjacent Manchuria, from latitude 38° to 41° north. 

 In this region it is very important. The seed is used for human food, 

 the stems and leaves for fodder, thatching, fences, and baskets, and 



the stems and roots for 

 fuel. Since Andropogon 

 htdepensis is not native 

 in this portion of China, 

 there is little probability 

 of a Chinese origin for 

 the kowliangs. They are 

 not like any varieties so 

 far found in India or in 

 any other country. These 

 facts seem to point to 

 their introduction into 

 China many centuries ago 

 and their subsequent 

 modification to the pres- 

 ent forms. Since au- 

 thentic references to a 

 sorghum are found in 

 Chinese literature at least 

 as early as the third 

 century A. D., this theory 

 seems the most probable 

 one. 



In 1851 the seed of a 

 variety of sorgo or sac- 

 charine sorghum was sent 

 to France from the island 

 of Tsungming (Chung- 

 ming) in the mouth of 

 the Yangtze River, lati- 

 tude 32° north. From 

 the brief and unsatisfac- 

 tory descriptions and illustrations (fig. 9) of it published in France 

 and in this country, we know that it had a tall and slender stalk, with 

 about thirteen leaves, and a loose, conical panicle, with more or less 

 drooping branches, and light-brown seeds completely enveloped in 

 shining black glumes. These characters show that it was very similar 



175 



... 



8-* > '.v, * j. 



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Fig. 8. — Plants of 



two varieties of kowliang from 

 China. 



