\jotL OF SORGHUM Xg^ 



immature, possessing the ability to throw up new culms. Sweet 

 sorghum is also used for the production of syrup, and formerly 

 for the production of sugar, for which it is well adapted. The 

 production of sugar from sugar cane and from sugar beets being 

 more economical, the production of sugar from sorghum has 

 been practically abandoned. 



The? seed of both Kafir corn and broom corn has been used 

 to a limited extent in the production of flour. Although bread 

 of an inferior quality may be made from it, it is chiefly used for 

 the production of griddlecakes. 



560. Danger from Use. — Many cases have been reported of 

 animals dying suddenly from eating second growth or frosted 

 sorghum. This was formerly believed to be due to bloating, 

 and deaths may perhaps occur from this cause ; but it has been 

 pretty well demonstrated that deaths occur from violent poison 

 which is found in sorghum of stunted growth. This poison is 

 now believed to be due to prussic acid. Investigations of the 

 Nebraska Station show that the prussic acid is not present as 

 such but that it is liberated as a glucoside by an enzyme m the 

 plant It appears that this glucoside is always present in the 

 plant, but the plant is harmless except under conditions which 

 favor the action of the enzyme. The conditions which favor 

 action of the enzyme are not fully understood i but It is believed 

 that dry, clear weather, by arresting the normal development 

 of the plant, is the chief cause of the formation of abnormal 

 quantities of poison.* 



561. Sorghum Sugar. — During the past twenty-five years the production of 

 sugar from sorghum has been thoroughly studied, and several plants have been 

 established in different States for its manufacture. While a considerable quantity 

 of good sugar has been produced, most of the tactories have been unsuccessful finan- 

 cially. Some of the difficulties have been : 



1. A rather small yield of cane. The yield of cane has varied under normal 

 conditions from about five to ten tons of clean cane per acre. 



3. A low average percentage of sugar in the cane. The percentage of sugar 

 Is much more variable than in sufar cane or beets. The other solids are higher, 



I Neb. Bui 77. 



