50 SORGHUM. 



CHAPTEK III. 



(a.) History of Sorghum. 



(6.) Botany of Sorahum. 



{c.) Introduction of Sorghum into the United States. 



(d-) Hybridization of Sorghum. 



HISTORY OF SORGHUM. 



This interesting and valuable plant,, which, for one purpose or 

 another, has been cultivated, from the earliest historic periods, over 

 an extent of territory as Avide as that occupied by any of the other 

 cereals, is in its early history very obscure. It origin is supposed to 

 have been in India, the fruitful source of so many other cviltivated. 

 plants ; and thence it has been carried over a large portion of Asia, 

 Europe, and Africa. Cultivated not only in India, but China, over 

 the wide territory of Central Asia, Syria, and Arabia, and thence into 

 Africa and Europe, until it occupied nearly the Avhole of Africa and 

 the southern half of Europe, this plant has supplied the wants, as 

 food or forage, of perhaps as large a number of the earth's population 

 as any plant. Although its great value has so long been known, it 

 appeal's destined to be, in the future, of far greater value to the agri- 

 culturist than it has been in the past. 



Whether or not the many varieties of this plant now in existence 

 have resulted from a common origin, remains, and perhai)s must re- 

 main, an open question. Certain it is, that the numerous varieties, 

 together with the closely related species, have long engaged the atten- 

 tion of botanists. The following quotations will show some of the 

 points in the history of this plant. 



In his "Principal Plants used as Food by Man," Dr. F. Unger says: 



The common Indian millet (Sorghum vulgare, Pers.) was introduced into 

 Egj'pt by Arabians, and is a characteristic plant of Africa, not because it 

 was originally indigenous there, but because it is principally cultivated in this 

 country, on the east and west coast of the northern half to Timbuctoo; in 

 Abyssinia, from sea level to 8000 miles elevation. Although its native country 

 can not be positively ascertained, it can scarcely be any other land than India. 

 Even in the time of Pliny it was known in Europe, and in the 13th century 

 had extended to Italy, and at beginning of 16th century reached France 

 under name of Saracen millet. It is now grown in Hungary, Dalraatia, Italy^ 

 Portugal. The different varieties of Ihe Indian millet, however, are not well 

 defined at ihe present day. It is doubtful whether the Sorghum bicolor, Willd^ 

 and the Sorghum Usorum, Nees, are entitled to a specific rank. 



