ECONOMIC PLANTS 



215 



and when the cane has grown so that this is prevented, 

 the hoe is used to keep the crop free from weeds. 



Sorghum. Sorghum as a fodder has been mentioned 

 on page 199. The plant is also used as a grain in semi- 

 arid regions of the west where the corn crop is uncertain. 



The sorghums are giant grasses with solid, pithy 

 stems. The leaves are long and broad. The planting 

 and tillage are very much the same as for corn. 



Although originally a semitropical plant, sorghum has 

 wider adaptation than corn, and this, with its ability to 

 withstand a more protracted drought, has made it a 

 common crop throughout the country, its production 

 having increased enormously in recent years. 



Broom corn, Kaffir corn, Jerusalem corn, durra, and 



FIG. 109. Kaffir Corn. 



milo maize are varieties of the sorghum plant without 

 sugar enough for sirup making. 



Broom corn is used in the manufacture of brooms. 

 There are two types of this plant, the standard and 



