106 SORGHUM. 



Character of the Varieties of Sorghum as to Habits of Suehering. 



Owing to the importance of having a uniform crop of cane without 

 any admixture of immature stalks, for the purpose of sugar produc- 

 tion, observations were made in the field upon the several varieties of 

 sorghum under cultivation in 1882 for the purpose of determining 

 their character in respect to throwing up suckers from the roots and 

 offshoots from the parent stalk. 



The following different clas!='es appeared pretty well defined ; but it 

 often happened that one variety would have the characteristics of two 

 or more classes : 



First class. — A single stalk from the seed, without suckers from be- 

 low or offshoots from the stalk. 



Second class. — Two or more stalks from the seed, maturing Avith 

 equal rapidity, and without suckers or offshoots. 



Third class. — A single stalk from the seed, with no suckers from 

 the roots; but with offshoots from the upper joints of the parent 

 stalk. 



Fourth class. — A single stalk from the seed, without offshoots ; but 

 with suckers springing up from the roots, and maturing much later 

 than the original stalk. 



Fifth class. — A single stalk from the seed, with no suckers from the 

 roots; but with offshoots from every joint of the parent stalk. 



It will, I think, be obvious that, other things being equal, the sev- 

 eral varieties of sorghum will, for the purpose of sugar production, be 

 valuable according as they belong to the above classes in their order, 

 viz, those of the first or second class most valuable ; those belonging to 

 the third next, and so in order. 



It was generally found, however, that each variety belonged to two or 

 more of the above classes; and below is given the results of observa- 

 tions upon fifty-two varieties, October 14th, one hundred and forty- 

 three days after planting, see page 121 : 



Class 1.— Nos. 86, 10, 11. 16c, 17c. 



Class 3.— Nos. Sb, 7, 8a, 12, 14, 16a, 166, 18a, 21, 22, 25, 28, 29a, 

 296, 33, 35, 37, 39, 406. 



Class 5.— Nos. 2, 3a, 4, 5, 6, 34. 



Classes 1 and 2. — Nos. 96, 15a. 



Crosses 2 and 3.— Nos. 9a, 9c, 13, 17a, 176, 19, 23, 30. 



Classes 2 and 4. — No. 1. 



Classes 3 and 4.— Nos. 20, 24, 26, 27, 32, 36, 38, 40a. 



Classes 3 and 5. — No. 31. 



Classes 1,3, and 4. — No. 186. 



