CHAPTER XVI 

 ANNUAL FORAGE GRASSES 



412. Introduction. Several annual grasses are quite gen- 

 erally grown as forage crops, while in some sections large 

 acreages of the cereals are cut for hay. In addition, a large 

 part of the straw and stover which is a by-product of grain 

 growing is fed to stock. The principal annual plants of the 

 grass family which are grown for forage are the millets, the 

 sorghums, corn, oats, wheat, and barley. The Census figures 

 for 1909 show that millet was grown on 1,113,000 acres in 

 the United States, with a production of 1,540,000 tons of 

 hay; that grains cut green for hay were grown on 4,254,000 

 acres, producing 5,278,000 tons; and that coarse forage was 

 grown on 4,093,000 acres, with a total production of 10,073,- 

 000 tons. The ''grams cut green for hay" include not only 

 the cereals but also the annual leguminous crops such 

 as cowpeas and soy beans. The coarse forage includes corn 

 and the sorghums grown specially for forage. 



THE SORGHUMS 



413. Origin and Description. Sorghum, Andropogon 

 sorghum, is a native of Africa and southern Asia. The 

 forage sorghums are closely related to the grain sorghums 

 (Section 306) and to broomcorn (Section 312), for all these 

 plants have been developed from the same parent stock. 

 They differ from the other members of this group in having 

 abundant sweet juice, while the pith of the grain sorghums 

 and of broomcorn is dry or only slightly juicy. The plant 

 grows from 5 to 10 or more feet tall, with numerous broad 

 leaves. The flowers are borne in a terminal panicle, varying 

 in size and form with the variety. The seeds are red or 



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