FIELD CROPS 279 



when it has a chance to root deeply, and for green feed 

 is often sown broadcast. 



Maize is the largest of all grain crops in the United States. 

 Its largest uses are as food for hogs in pork production, for 

 the manufacture of starch, and of sweet sirups (glucose), 

 candies, alcohol, and whisky. Much of it is also catenas 

 corn bread, but maize grain cannot be ground as fine as the 

 other grains, because it contains too much oil; and for that 

 reason corn meal becomes rancid if kept long, just as butter 

 and lard do. The oil is valuable because from it is made a 

 substitute for rubber. Maize is also much eaten as " roast- 

 ing ears," preferably from the varieties known as sweet corn, 

 which grow very rapidly. Maize is also grown in southern 

 Europe, where it is miscalled " Turkish wheat"; also in South 

 Africa, where it is called "mealies"; and likewise to some 

 extent in Asia. But the natives of both continents have 

 long grown sorghum instead, as their most important grain* 



Sorghum has several varieties which we cultivate 

 under various names, such as Egyptian corn, broom 

 corn, durra, Kaffir corn, milo maize, etc. All sor- 

 ghums look much like maize in growth, but instead of 

 bearing ears and tassel, they bear perfect fruiting 

 flowers at the end of the stalk, and there produce 

 smooth, rounded grains of various colors, which can 

 be used just like maize grain. 



When broom corn is grown, the seed-bearing tassel is 

 bent sharply so as to hang downwards while still green ; it is 

 from such tassels that our common sweeping brooms are 

 made. The various sorghums are largely used for feeding 



