GROWING CULTIVATED CROPS IN DRY AREAS 289 



there are several, are the more valuable. The extremes 

 of height in the growth of these have been put at 2 to 12 

 feet. Both extremes should be avoided. The extremely 

 dwarf varieties do not yield sufficiently, and the ex- 

 tremely tall varieties are illy adapted to very droughty 

 conditions. The best variety of Kafir corn is the black 

 hulled white. The stalks are leafy and the yields are 

 relatively good. Red Kafir corn is also much grown, 

 but to grow it calls for a longer season, and this also is 

 true of the white variety. The aim should be to secure 

 home-grown and acclimated seed in all instances. 



The time for planting the seed will, of course, vary 

 with soil, season, latitude and altitude. The warmer the 

 soil, the earlier the season, the higher the latitude, and 

 the lower the altitude, the earlier may these crops be 

 planted. But they should not be planted until all danger 

 from frost is past and until the weather has become rea- 

 sonably and regularly warm. The seeds are easily injured 

 in their germinating power by being planted in the cold 

 soil, and in cool weather. The time for planting is from 

 two to three weeks later than would be suitable for corn 

 (see p. 274). 



When the sorghums are grown mainly for seed, un- 

 der very dry conditions, they may be best grown in hills, 

 and may be planted with the hand-planter or the check- 

 rower used in planting corn. For hand-planting the 

 ground should first be marked out in squares 3^ feet 

 distant. When thus planted, the cultivation given may 

 be more thorough than if the seed were planted in rows. 

 When grown mainly for fodder, the aim should be to 

 grow the crop in rows and usually to plant the same 

 with the grain drill. The rows should be about 3% feet 

 distant. Broadcast planting may answer where the rain- 

 fall is 20 inches, but it is seldom satisfactory when it is 

 15 inches or less. 



