THE SORGHUMS 235 



but in this respect it cannot compete with sugar-cane and 

 sugar-beets. 



As a sirup plant, sorghum is most extensively grown in 

 the northern part of the cotton-belt and in the regions a 

 little farther north. Even in the region where sugar-cane 

 succeeds, some sorghum sirup is made, for two reasons: 

 (1) that sorghum grows on poorer land than does sugar- 

 cane, and (2) that it affords sirup 1 to 2 months earlier in 

 the fall than does sugar-cane. The sirup 

 from the latter is superior both in yield 

 and quality. 



215. Varieties. There are many vari- 

 eties, which may be divided into four 

 sub-groups differing chiefly in the form 

 of head and the color and covering of 

 the seed : 



(1) Amber sub-group, having large loose 

 heads with seeds borne on long, slender, 

 flexible branches ; seeds almost completely 

 covered by black chaff (glumes), making 

 seeds and head appear black (Fig. 115) ; 



one variety has red chaff. FIG. lie. OB- 



(2) Orange sub-group, having heads ANGE 

 neither very open nor very compact ; seeds yellowish, pro- 

 jecting beyond the dark chaff (Fig. 116) ; 



(3) Sumac, or Red-top, sub-group, having short, very 

 compact heads ; seeds small, brownish red, projecting con- 

 siderably beyond the very small glumes. 



(4) Goose-neck sub-group, so called because the top 

 of the stem curves, permitting the head to hang down 

 (Fig. 117). The stalks of this variety near the ground 



