CHAPTER VII 



THE SWEET SORGHUMS 



The sweet or saccharine sorghums are used 

 both for the making of syrup and for forage. 

 They are more corn -like in appearance than the 

 kafirs because the panicle is more like a corn 

 tassel in form. This panicle or head is usually 

 loose and open, although it may be more or less 

 dense when its grain is ripe. The grain is borne 

 in the panicle or tassel, not in ears. The general 

 directions for the growing of the kafir corns 

 (Chapter VI) apply very well to the sorghums. 



The varieties of sorghum well adapted for 

 soiling are Early Amber and Early Orange. The 

 Early Orange produces a larger and heavier 

 growth, and is a little later than the Early Amber, 

 and is thus more suitable for sections in which the 

 seasons are long. The soils best adapted for sor- 

 ghums are deep, moist loams, or those most favor- 

 able for maize, although the crop may be grown 

 successfully on light lands if they are well ferti- 

 lized. Sorghum seems to be capable of withstanding 

 drier conditions than corn, and thus its use is 

 increasing where droughty conditions are liable 

 to occur. 



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