Vinall and Cron: Improvement ot Sorghums 



437 



HEADS OF FETERITA, KAFIR, AND HYBRIDS 

 This illustration shows two sorghums which have been used in making hybrids, and some 

 of the resulting forms: on the extreme right is a head of feterita, and on the extreme left one of 

 kafir; the five heads between them represent strains which have been selected from crosses between 

 the two, and which are now being used in the work of developing forms desirable for extensive 

 cultivation. (Fig. 1.) 



(Fig. 4). In these plats the yield of 

 grain and forage is the basis of final 

 judgment as to the value of any partic- 

 ular strain. The other selections from 

 Fa plants are grown in head-to-row 

 seedings as in the former year and if 

 none of these selections now seem to 

 be more valuable than the strains in 

 the plat tests they are all discarded. 

 Usually however one or two additional 

 selections are found which appear 

 worthy of plat tests. 



Fifth generation. — The best strains 

 as shown by the F4 plat tests are grown 

 in larger areas to increase the amount 

 of seed if comparison with the parent 

 varieties indicates that any of these 

 strains are superior to the standard 



commercial varieties. Plant selection 

 is continued in the other strains. 



The hybrid described in Table II is 

 a selected strain which is being grown 

 as F. C. I. 8921. It has been produced 

 under the selection system just de- 

 scribed. The yields of this strain and 

 two other feterita-kafir hybrids on the 

 experiment station at Chillicothe, Tex., 

 for the year 1921 are given in Table III 



INHERITANCE OF CHARACTERS IN THE 

 SORGHUMS 



In connection with the improvement 

 work genetic studies were made of the 

 feterita-kafir and several other crosses. 

 Lack of time and the feeling that the 

 production of an improved strain was 



Table III: 



Grain and Forage Yields of Feterita and Kafir in Comparison with the 

 Yields of Three Hybrids of These Varieties 



* Both grain and forage yields were rather low at Chillicothe, Tex., in 1921 on account of 

 the poor distribution of seasonal rainfall. The stands and soil conditions, however, were alike, 

 hence the yields are comparable. 



