CHAPTER III. 



SORGHUM. 



Sorghum (S. vulgare saccharatum) was intro- 

 duced into the United States from China, and also 

 from South Africa, more than forty years ago. For 

 many years it was grown only for the syrup made 

 from its juices. But within the last decade, and even 

 for a longer period, considerable attention has been 

 given to growing it as a food for live stock in certain 

 centers and in various sections of the country. 



It is a wonderful plant. It can be grown to pro- 

 vide cane for making syrup in every state in the 

 Union. It is one of the best soiling foods that we 

 have. It furnishes fodder of an excellent quality for 

 live stock, when fed in the autumn and winter, 

 more especially the early winter, arfd it is one of the 

 best forage plants that we shall ever have. The seed 

 of sorghum can also be turned to good account as 

 food for all kinds of domestic animals kept upon the 

 farm. But it is as a forage plant that it will be dis- 

 cussed at this time. Sorghum grown for fodder is 

 seen in Fig. 4. 



Although this plant, as just intimated, has hith- 

 erto been grown chiefly for the syrup which could be 

 extracted from it, in the near future it is more than 

 probable that a much larger area will be grown to 

 furnish food for live stock than to furnish syrup. In 

 some of the states in the Mississippi basin, on both 

 sides of the river, in the Gulf states and in Texas, 



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