18 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SORGHUM. 



it is reported that a large number of varieties was found. Some of 

 them were full of very sweet juice, some but slightly sweet, and others 

 not at all so. Their other varietal characteristics were not indicated. 

 Very meager data have accompanied the few shipments of seed re- 

 ceived in this country from Abyssinia. Most of the varieties are 



apparently very late, 

 and only occasionally 

 can one be brought to 

 the flowering stage, 

 and none to ma- 

 turity, in the United 

 States. Most of them 

 are very tall and 

 stout (fig. 5) and of 

 apparent kinship 

 with the larger varie- 

 ties of India. Some 

 are shorter and freely 

 stooling, though with 

 stems of enormous 

 size. The mixed 

 seed in one lot are 

 apparently identical 

 with those of the 

 yellow and brown 

 durras (safra and 

 ahmar) of Egypt. 

 Many of the sorts in- 

 troduced have ap- 

 parently been badly 

 hybridized. None of 

 them give promise of 

 being of any value, 

 unless for silage and 

 fodder on the Gulf 

 coast. Since the in- 

 terior of Abyssinia 

 is a high and dry plateau, it may be that varieties suitable for our 

 high plains will yet be discovered there. 



North Africa. 



Northern Africa may be separated into two regions, in each of 

 which sorghums are grown to a considerable extent for human food. 



175 



Fig. 5. — Plants of an Abyssinian sorghum not yet headed. 



