174 



Effective Farming 



millet is grown to a limited extent in the 

 United States. The hay is coarse and of poor 

 quality. 



The millets are quick-maturing crops and, 

 in addition to being used for hay, are often 

 planted for soiling crops and sometimes for 

 pasture. They should be planted after the 

 ground is warm, usually after corn-planting 

 time. The seeds are small and the soil should 

 be made into a fine seed-bed. 



SORGHUMS 



101. Description. Three distinct classes 

 of sorghums are grown in the United States, 

 (1) the broom-corns, (2) the saccharine, or 

 sweet sorghums, (3) the non-saccharine, or 

 grain sorghums. All of the classes have cer- 

 tain common characteristics. The plants are 

 annuals belonging to the grass family; they 

 have a strong, fibrous root system; they 

 withstand drought remarkably well ; the 

 stems are tall, varying in different varieties 

 from four or five feet to twelve feet ; the 

 leaves are long, narrow and more pointed 

 than those of corn ; the head varies in shape 

 from a spike-like panicle in the grain sorghums 

 to a long branched panicle in the broom- 

 corns ; the grains are round, much smaller 

 than those of corn, and are usually either red 

 or white in color. 



102. Broom-corn. This corn has straight 

 stems and long, straight, loose, open heads 



that are used in the making of brooms. The stalks are dry 

 and pithy and lack the sweet juice of the saccharine sorghums. 

 The seed heads (Fig. 72) are known as the brush. 



FIG. 72. Head of 

 broom-corn. 



