26 CIRCULAR NO. 122, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 



lias also hcon leslcd during- shortci- pei'iotl.s at otlu'i' lii'Ul stations 

 in the sonthern Plains area. For the last three years there has been 

 an increasing acreage grown by farmers in that section. 



The account of the crop given here is based on the results of these 

 station tests and upon the experiences of farmers. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Feterita is an early-maturing, drought-escaping sorghum of con- 

 siderable promise both for grain and forage. It has rather slender 

 stems, varying in height from 4 to 7 feet with locality and season. 

 They are somewhat juicy and very slightly sweet before ripening. 

 Suckers are produced freely when moisture is sufficient and are 

 usually taller and later than the main stalk. The plant also branches 

 freely under favorable conditions, and the branch heads are late in 

 ripening. These habits result in considerable unevenness in ma- 

 turit3^ 



Feterita resembles milo in habit, except that the heads are uni- 

 formly erect and the seeds are larger, softer, and chalk white or 

 slightly bluish white in color. It differs from the ordinary wdiite 

 durra (Jerusalem corn) in having naturally erect heads, black 

 glumes, and plumper seeds. The seed shatters more than milo but 

 less than common white durra if the crop is allowed -to stand in the 

 field until overripe. 



It is as early or a little earlier than Dwarf milo and two to three 

 weeks earlier than standard Blackhull kafir. In drought resistance 

 it compares favorably with any sorghum yet introduced. In general, 

 the yields have been equal to those of the other gi^ain sorghums and 

 in some cases better, for reasons which are fully discussed later. 



PROBABLE VALUE. 



From the foregoing description it will be seen that feterita is more 

 like milo than kafir. It resembles milo in earliness, in the size and 

 height of stalk, in the relatively dry pith, the few leaves, the shape 

 of the head, and the large seeds. It differs from milo most sharply 

 in having the heads all naturally erect and in its larger white seeds. 



It has become quite popular in parts of northern Texas, because 

 in 1911, a year of severe drought, it produced good gi'ain yields when 

 both milo and kafir gave low yields. In that year much of it was 

 planted on land where the corn crop had been destroyed by drought. 

 In the vicinity of Chillicothe, Tex., many farmers are planting in- 

 creased areas to feterita in preference to either milo or kafir. 



There is no satisfactory evidence that feterita is inherently more 

 drought resistant than other grain sorghums. The Chillicothe re- 



[Cir. 122] 



