SORGHUMS. 117 



seed is comparatively hard), otherwise sour silage may result. 

 The average yield is from six to eight tons per acre. 



For Forage. — Sowing is usually heavy. 20 to 30 pounds 

 broadcasted or drilled with seed-drills. If planted in rows 

 with a maize planter about 15 pounds per acre are required. 

 The latter method is to be preferred in South Africa. For 

 forage purposes saccharine sorghums should be used. It is 

 somewhat difficult to cure ; bundles should be placed in small 

 stooks at first, and left until thoroughly cured before being 

 stacked. If broadcasted, it may be treated as ordinary hay, 

 care being taken that the hay is fairly dry before being cocked. 

 The average yield is two to five tons per acre. 



Comparisons between Sorghums and Maize. — Sorghums 

 will produce good crops more reliably than maize in parts 

 where maize, owing to a lack of moisture, is uncertain. Good 

 practice is adopted in parts of the Lichtenburg District, where 

 the annual rainfall is about 22 inches, but of an erratic nature, 

 in planting half the land to maize and half to sorghums. In 

 the years when maize fails as a grain crop it can be used for 

 silage, and the sorghums can then be relied upon to produce a 

 fair yield of grain. This is the practice adopted over large 

 parts of the Western States of America, bordering on the 

 Maize Belt. In parts of the Union having less than 20 inches 

 of rain, sorghums should undoubtedly supplant maize 

 altogether. 



Comparison of Yields of Maize and Kaffir at Stillwater, 

 Okla. 



Crop. 1909. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. Average 



Kaffir 34-0 19-0 45'5 48-0 28-0 34-9 bushels. 



Maize 25 000 OO'O 1-5 I'O I'O do. 



The superiority of the yield of the sorghum at this semi- 

 arid station is largely due to the fact that sorghums can remain 

 dormant during periods of drought, while maize is practically 

 ruined when badly checked in growth. 



The composition of the grain has been shown to be prac- 

 tically the same as that of maize, the digestibility being slightly 

 lower. The storage and harvesting of the sorghums is more 

 difficult than maize. 



Sorghums, if checked in grow^th during dry, bright 

 weather, develop poison to a dangerous degree, and pasturing 

 them should be done with caution. When frosted, the after- 

 math is said to be particularly dangerous. If fed, when cut 



