42 



vania and New York and even in Canada. At first it was grown only 

 for the manufacture of syrup. It was soon discovered, however, that stock 

 of all kinds ate it with a decided relish and that it kept them fat. About 

 1880 it first began to be grown in Tennessee as food for .cattle. It is 

 now grown extensively for forage in every part of the State and by many 

 farmers it is regarded as far superior to corn fodder for feeding cattle. It 

 certainly abounds in fat-making elements. The seed in India and in other 

 tropical regions is largely employed by the inhabitants as food and it is 

 asserted by high authority that more people subsist upon it and kindred 

 species than upon any other cereal. While wheat makes the best bread, 

 sorghum seed, Kaffir-corn, Durra-corn and other like species can be pro- 

 duced cheaper and is the chief "staff of life" among the 

 poorer classes in the Orient. In Tennessee the grain has 

 rarely been employed for human food, but it has been fed 

 to all kinds of live stock and it is especially valued for 

 feeding poultry. 



VARIETIES, SOILS AND CULTIVATION. 

 There is a vast number of varieties and sub-varieties of 

 sorghum. Original!}' there were two leading kinds, the 

 Chinese sugar cane and the Inphee, known as the red and 

 the black, or the Chinese and the African. For the man- 

 ufacture of sugar, probably the Inphee cane is superior, 

 but for the manufacture of syrup, the Chinese is preferred. 

 These varieties have been modified by cultivation and cli- 

 mate and from them have originated several that are re- 

 garded for specific purposes much better than the two 

 great original varieties. The variety called amber is most 

 widely distributed and is used for forage purposes in 

 almost every state where sorghum is cultivated. What is 

 known as the early amber is used both for forage and for 

 pasture. The amber variety is very sweet, very early, not 

 very rank and therefore is better adapted for making a 

 coarse kind of hay. The orange varieties are said to come 

 next to the amber varieties in point of popularity and use- 

 fulness. These are coarser than the amber varieties. 

 They do not grow so rapidly or mature so quickly and are 

 therefore not so much used for early feeding or for hay. 

 They are said, however, to be better for soiling purposes 

 and for the silo. Other varieties are known as Folger's 

 early, Coleman and gooseneck. For summer pasturage, 

 Folger's early is said to be an excellent variety. 

 Sorghum will thrive to some extent on the poorest soils. When the 

 earth is parched up by drought it maintains its fresh, green color and 

 continues to grow. However, it will thrive, better on rich, calcareous and 

 alluvial soils, and though the juice may have more water, when grown 

 on such soils it will make far more syrup. The roots of sorghum pene- 

 trate the soil deeper probably than any other cereal and consequently 

 deep plowing in the preparation of the soil is highly important to make a 

 full crop. Not only should the plow be used, but the subsoiler also. On 



Seedhead of 

 Amber-Orange 



Sorghum. 



(U. S. Dept. 



of Agric.) 



