42<S Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



delicately iiyaliiie; oiuuu iiairow-oval . stig'uias and styles quite 

 separate; anthers 2 liii. lonfj: on short filaments; pcdiccUed spikelef 

 ■Sh lin. long, glabrous, rather narrow; lower glume up to 13-nerved, 

 with scabrid inflexed keels, in the upper part; upper glume 7-nerved; 

 upper valve entire, ovate, hyaline, muorouulate, and eiliate; lower 

 valve pale, stamens and lodicules as in the sessile spikelet. 



A Pernicious Relative. 



Sudan grass is related to the broom corns, " Impliee," and Kaffir 

 corns, all of wliich are species of Sorghum. It is also very nearly 

 related to the pernicious Johnson grass; in fact, so near is its resem- 

 blance to the last named that the casual observer will often mistake 

 one for the other. 



The main character that separates Johnson from Sudan grass, 

 and the character that has stamped the former as a pernicious weed 

 in spite of its other excellent qualities, is its stout stoloniferous root- 

 stock. Whereas Sudan grass is an annual, Johnson grass is a perennial, 

 and by means of these stout underground stolons takes firm possession 

 of ihe ground, spreading rapidly, resisting all attempts at eradication, 

 and choking out all other growth. In California, so thorouglily is 

 the danger of Johnson grass realized that it has been proclaimed a 

 noxious weed, and the law strenuously enforced against it. 



Johnson grass seed is one of the commonest impurities found in 

 Sudan, and buyers should be careful to buy only guaranteed clean 

 seed. The seed of Johnson grass resembles that of Sudan, but is 

 smaller and usually darker in colour. 



Comparison avith Teff. 



With the introduction of tefP it was thought that an ideal hay- 

 grass had been procured, and one best suited to the adverse conditions 

 of this country. The feeding value of tef¥ is certainly higher than 

 that of any other known grass, but experience has shown that its 

 adaptability is very limited. Sudan grass, on the other hand, is 

 not only a palatable grass of high feeding value, but is not so precise 

 in its requirements as iM. This season, at the station at Groenkloof, 

 an experiment was carried out with the two gTasses : a piece of land 

 was thorouglily plouglied and brought to a fine tilth, and was sown 

 broadcast, half with Sudan grass and half with teff, on the same 

 day. The Sudan came up evenly and commenced growing vigorously; 

 the teff germinated poorly and only in odd patches. At the time of 

 writing (two months after sowing) there is to be seen a beautiful 

 stand of Sudan grass just coming into flower, even, well grown, 

 densely leafy, and devoid of weeds. Beside it is a piece of ground 

 covered mostly with a tine crop of weeds, and with poorly groAvn 

 patches of tef at intervals. The Sudan is now about 3 ft. high, and 

 has smothered all the weeds ; but these pests have quite got the better 

 of the telf, which, where it is seen, is poorly grown and nowhere more 

 than 1 ft. high. 



Adaptability. 



Sorghum Sudanense adapts itself to soil and climatic conditions 

 such as suit other cultivated species of sorghums, including kaffir corn, 

 but will mature earliei' than any of these species. It does best on 



