CHAPTER XIII 



SORGHUMS 

 SORGHUM (Andropogon sorghum) 



THE numerous varieties of sorghum are cultivated in the 

 Old World for three distinct purposes ; namely, grain, sirup 

 and brooms, and but incidentally for forage. In the 

 United States the utilization of the crop for forage far 

 exceeds its other uses at present, though the culture of 

 broom-corn is important, and the harvesting of the crop 

 as grain is increasing. Sorghum is potentially of enormous 

 importance in America because of its adaptation to regions 

 too dry for Indian corn. 



309. Botany. The botanical origin of the cultivated 

 sorghums is a complex problem. Hackel on the basis of 

 extensive studies reached the conclusion that all the 

 cultivated forms as well as the different forms of Johnson- 

 grass represent but one botanical species. However, 

 the wild forms easily separate into two groups ; namely, 

 the perennials with rootstocks like Johnson-grass and its 

 3 or 4 varieties ; and the annuals which lack rootstocks, 

 like Sudan-grass, Tunis-grass and others. As the latter 

 cross spontaneously and abundantly with the cultivated 

 sorghums while the former can be crossed only with diffi- 

 culty, it seems more logical to admit two species, Johnson- 

 grass and its varieties (Andropogon halepensis) and the 

 annual sorghums (Andropogon sorghum) including Sudan- 

 grass. 



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