108 SORGHUM. 



CHAPTER V. 



(a.) Selection and preparation of ground, planting, and cultivation. 



(6.) Selection and preparation of seed. 



(c.) Time, from planting, to reach certain stages of development. 



(cZ.) Time for harvesting crop. 



(e.) Importance of an even crop. 



(f.) Effect of removing seed, etc. 



(g.) Effect of stripping cane. 



SELECTION AND PREPAEATION OF GROUND, PLANTING, AND CULTI' 



VATION. 



In general, the sorghum crop, in it.s demands upon the soil and cli- 

 mate, aud in its method of planting and cultivation, very closely re- 

 sembles Indian corn (Zea mais), with which everyone is i)ractically 

 familiar. But this general statement demands modification. During 

 the earlier stages in the life of the sorghum, the plant is feeble, and 

 liable to be easily choked by weeds. Although the resemblance in its 

 culture is so close to that of maize, and the expense generally regarded 

 as about the same per acre, it is to be remembered that it is a crop 

 which, for seed, forage, sugar, and syrup combiued, far surpasses maize 

 in value, and that any increase in the aggregate value of these prod- 

 ucts (which may be secured by greater care in the preparation of the 

 soil and cultivation of the crop), will be fully justified by the economi- 

 cal results. 



It is, of course, hardly possible to lay down directions as to each de- 

 tail of cultivation applicable to every soil and locality ; but, in gen- 

 eral, such soil and such culture as would secure a good corn crop will 

 suffice. 



Like maize sorghum requires, for its best development, heat and 

 light; but, unlike maize, it is found to successfully withstand even 

 prolonged drought, provided only that it shall have secured a fair start: 

 and, in fact, the maximum of sugar has been found, in every variety 

 of sorghum under examination, to have been developed during a season 

 of drought (that of 1881) so severe that the crops of maize, in the same 

 section, were almost a complete failure. 



This subject will be considered in another jiart of this volume in 

 detail. 



For the growing of sorghum, then, good corn land should be selected. 



