AGRICULTURAL HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SORGHUM. 13 



tances for planting the hills of different varieties, how and when to 

 harvest, and how best to cure the seed, as well as considerable skill 

 in preparing- different articles of food from it, are matters of common 

 knowledge among the older members of various tribes. Of the num- 

 berless varieties grown by tribes throughout the length and breadth 

 of tropical Africa, only the sweet sorghums and kafirs from the 

 region of Natal and the Orange River Colony have ever been brought 

 under cultivation in this country. 



South Africa. 

 That portion of the great tropical continent known as South 

 Africa includes the British areas of Cape Colony, Natal, Orange 

 River Colony, Transvaal, and Rhodesia; also German Southwest 

 Africa and parts of Portuguese East Africa and the Portuguese 

 territory of Angola on the west coast. It is not known if sorghums 

 are grown in the German and Portuguese territory on the west side 

 and little is known of the varieties found in Portuguese East Africa. 

 The forms of British South Africa have been quite fully studied. 

 Much of this area is a more or less dry and elevated plateau, an ideal 

 place for sorghums. Two of the principal groups, sorgos (sweet 

 sorghums) and kafirs, are found here in the greatest abundance and 

 diversity. They require but little selection to make them suitable for 

 use in America because of the similar conditions obtaining in the two 

 regions. 



ft NATAL. 



Natal, the smallest division of South Africa, lies in the southeastern 

 part of this great region, its coast washed by the Indian Ocean. Only 

 two sorghum groups, sorgos and kafirs, appear to be native to this 

 little state or extensively grown therein. 



In Natal the sorgos are cultivated by the natives for forage and 

 for the sweet juice, which they express by chewing the peeled stalks. 

 It was from Natal that sorgos were introduced to Europe and 

 America. From Natal, Arduino obtained, about 1775, his Holcus 

 cafer, which was apparently very similar to our Planter sorgo. From 

 Natal, Wray secured, in 1853, the sixteen saccharine varieties from 

 which have descended most of the sorgos now cultivated in Europe 

 and the United States. Several importations of sorgo varieties were 

 made from Natal in later years, but no systematic comparison of the 

 resulting plants was ever undertaken. It is therefore not known how 

 many different varieties have been found there up to the present time. 

 Some varieties recently obtained are proving distinct from any forms 

 now grown in this country. 



The kafir group is probably native in Natal, though the varieties 

 first domesticated in America were brought from the Orange River 

 Colony. Within the past few years forms very similar to our black- 

 hull and red kafirs have been secured in Natal. With these have come 

 a number of other forms varying mostly in the size of the head and 



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