254 SORGHUMS 



of canes will yield from ten to thirty gallons of syrup. Three tons 

 of canes per acre is a fair yield. 



Broom Corn Culture. Broom corn grows eight to ten feet 

 tall, has a dry pithy stem, and very long branching heads of " brush.' 7 

 It has been cultivated in Europe for at least 300 years, and in 

 America since 1800. 



Where Cultivated. Oklahoma produces about two-thirds of the 

 broom-corn crop, and the rest is grown principally in Missouri, 

 Kansas, and Illinois. 



Varieties. There are two general types: (1) standard, growing 

 ten to twelve feet high, with a brush eighteen to twenty-four inches 

 long; (2) dwarf broom corn, growing four to six feet high, with a 

 brush twelve to eighteen inches long. 



Culture. Any good corn land will grow broom corn, but it is 

 considered important to have the land quite uniform in order to 

 produce a crop that will ripen at the same time and will be of 

 uniform quality. 



It is grown in rows three to three and one-half feet apart, with 

 the plants two to three inches apart in the row. 



When just past full bloom, the heads are harvested and cured. 

 Considerable skill is required in harvesting and curing to secure a 



good quality. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Where did sorghum originate? 



2. How important a crop is sorghum in the Old World? 



3. What are the principal uses for the sorghum crop? 



4. Where in the United States is it grown for syrup; grain forage; broom 



corn? 



5. Give the relative importance of these crops. 



6. Name the principal groups and types of sorghum. 



7. Distinguish between Kafir and Durra. 



8. What is the principal use of the saccharine sorghums? The non- 



saccharine sorghums? 



9. Define the climatic requirements of sorghum. 



10. What explanations for the great drought resistance of sorghums? 



11. Discuss the range of soil conditions that will grow sorghum. 



12. Is sorghum " hard on land"? 



13. Describe the method of growing sorghums in rows. 



14. How are grain sorghums harvested? 



15. Give the yield of grain sorghums compared with corn. 



16. Define the feeding value of sorghum grain. 



17. What kind of sorghum is preferred for forage? 



18. Describe method of culture. 



19. How much syrup can be made from an acre of sorghum? 



20. Describe the culture of broom corn. 



