CULTURE OF SORGHUM 38Q 



remedy for this, the Kansas Station recommends more thorough 

 surface tillage of the sorghum. Inasmuch as broom corn is har» 

 vested soon after the flowers have set, t-he crop is not an 

 exhaustive one. Broom corn is frequently raised continuously 

 for many years on the same land without material diminution 

 of the crop or injury to the land. Rotation of crops, however, 

 is desirable on account of injury from insects and fungous 

 diseases, particularly the latter. 



III. CULTURAL METHODS. 



547. Preparation of Seed Bed. — The preparation of the seed 

 bed is similar to that for maize except that greater care is im- 

 perative on account of the smaller seed and the slow early 

 growth of the sorghum plant. For the first month after planting 

 the growth of sorghum is much less rapid than that of maize, 

 and the difficulty of keeping the land free of weeds is therefore 

 greatly increased because of the difficulty of killing weeds with- 

 out covering the plants. 



548. Time of Planting. — In the sections in which it is grown 

 the time required to mature a crop is rather less than that re- 

 quired for maize. During germination and early growth sor- 

 ghum is very sensitive to cold, wet weather. It should not, 

 therefore, be planted until the land has become thoroughly 

 warm, usually from one to three weeks after the time for planting 

 maize. 



540. Rate of Planting. — Generally speaking, about twice 

 the number of plants per acre should be raised of sorghum as of 

 maize. That is to say, if at the rate of one grain every twelve 

 inches in rows forty-two inches apart is the best rate in a given 

 locality for maize for the production of grain, then one grain 

 every six inches would be the best for the Kafir varieties of 

 sorghum for the production of the seeds or grains. If one grain 

 every six inches is the best for the production of maize fodder 



