116 



SORGHUM. 



not very marked till the third year. The southern seed did not excel so much 

 in an earlier ripening of the crop as in its increased product, the excess, in some 

 cases, amounting to one-third. The sentiment of the convention was expressed 

 in the following resolution: 



Resolved, That Early Amber cane seed, grown in the latitude of St. Louis, is 

 the best seed for Minnesota for two years. 



If every statement in the above be accepted without question, the 

 conclusion expressed in the "resolution" appears by no means estab- 

 lished, since we might expect a falliug off in crop, as with Mr. Miller, 

 if the sorghum was continuously grown upon the same land, and espe- 

 cially as nothing is said about any means for keeping up the fertility 

 of the soil. 



In the case observed by Mr. Wylie, a difference of less than 20 per 

 cent in tlie product, and that but for a single year, is a result which, 

 in one place or another, is experienced every season with all our crops; 

 and often, as in 18<S1, over nearly the whole country, and with almost 

 every crop grown. Such differences are readily explained npon other 

 grounds. 



In a matter of so great moment as this — the proper selection of seed — 

 it is most unfortunate that such questions are settled by " re.soluticm," 

 rather than by careful ex[)eriments. Hasty generalizations are the 

 bane of science ; and the history of this sorghum industry during the 

 past thirty years, well illustrates the fact, that the extent of our 

 knowledge is not always measured by the amount of our experi- 

 ence. 



In connection with this matter, the following results with seed of ap- 

 parently the same varieties, grown in all parts of the country, 

 planted the same day and upon the same plat of ground, are of in- 

 terest. 



Variety Honduras (j>lanted May 6th, 1880, at Washington, D. C). 



