LESSON XXI 

 MILLET, SORGHUM, AND OTHER FORAGE CROPS 



The millets are cereal grasses whose seeds are exten- 

 sively used as human food in parts of Asia. In this 

 country the millets are grown mainly for hay. The 

 crushed seeds are used to some extent as food for 

 stock. The three millets most generally grown in 

 the United States are the common millet, Hungarian 

 millet, and German millet. These grasses make quick 

 growth and come to maturity in a shorter time than 

 most grasses, and for this reason they are called short 

 season crops. The seed is usually sown in the spring, 

 but may be sown in midsummer. 



The sorghums are grasses which are grown in this 

 country mainly for forage, while in parts of Africa and 

 Asia the seeds form an important food for man. The 

 principal kinds of sorghum are sweet sorghum, Kafir 

 corn, milo maize, Jerusalem corn, and broom corn. 

 The sweet sorghum is grown for the molasses, which is 

 made from the sweet juice of the stem. The sweet 

 sorghum is also used for fodder and silage. Broom 

 corn is grown for the tassels from which brooms are 

 made. The Kafir corn, milo maize, and Jerusalem 

 corn are tropical or subtropical plants, and are able 



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