SUGAR FARMING 151 



4. Producing Saccharine Sorghum 



The sorghums comprise a wide range of varieties, which 

 may be divided into two great groups, ( 1 ) grain sorghums ; 

 and (2) saccharine sorghums, used for forage, sirup and 

 sugar. 



Varieties of saccharine sorghums. There are seven 

 important saccharine sorghums : Sumac, Amber, Orange, 

 Planter, Gooseneck, Honey and Sapling. Of these, the 

 Sumac has proved the best for southern regions, and the 

 Amber for northern regions. 



The Sumac is the sweetest, has the largest supply of 

 leaves and yields best of the saccharine varieties. It re- 

 quires from one hundred and eight to one hundred and four- 

 teen days to mature seed. The Amber is more slender of 

 stem, has fewer leaves, and matures seed in from ninety to 

 ninety-four days. 



Climate and soil. Sorghum will grow in any cli- 

 mate and soil that will successfully produce corn. It 

 roots more deeply than corn, and often does well for one 

 or two crops on soil too much exhausted for a good yield 

 of corn. Sorghum is, however, hard on the soil, since it 

 produces so large an amount of forage and grain. Sorghum 

 resists drought better than corn. It has proved successful 

 in southwestern regions too dry for good corn production. 

 The methods of fertilizing and cultivating suitable for corn 

 are practical for production. 



Harvesting and manufacturing. Sweet sorghum used 

 as forage may be cut green from the time it is two or three 

 feet high until it is ripe, and fed at once or cured for hay. 

 If the sorghum is to be used for sirup or sugar, it should 

 be cut from the time the seeds are well on in the milk stage 

 until they are hard. The crop should be harvested with- 

 out frost. 



