CHAPTER XXXIII 

 THE SACCHARINE SORGHUMS 



THIS type of sorghum, commonly designated as " sweet 

 sorghum" is characterized by the production of stems 

 having a juicy pith that is high in sugar, and a relatively 

 small seed-crop as compared with the grain-sorghums. 

 The saccharine sorghums were introduced into the United 

 States from China and Natal. In 1853 a variety known 

 as " sorgo " or "Chinese sorgo" was brought to this coun- 

 try from China by way of France. This early Chinese 

 sorgo is the variety from which our well-known and popu- 

 lar Amber sorghum has been derived. Several of our other 

 commonly grown varieties of sweet sorghum, including 

 Orange, Sumac and Gooseneck, have been derived from 

 a collection of Natal varieties, introduced into Europe in 

 1854 and thence into the United States in 1857. From 

 the time of their introduction in this country up until 

 1880 the sweet sorghums were grown almost entirely as 

 a sirup crop. This continues as the principal use of these 

 sorghums in the central and southern states east of the 

 Mississippi River. Since 1880 the sweet sorghums have 

 been grown in the region west of the Missouri River and 

 southward in the Great Plains principally as a forage 

 crop. 



469. Classification of saccharine sorghums. The 

 classification here given has been adopted from Ball by 

 Montgomery. 1 



1 Montgomery, E. G., "The Corn Crops," p. 296. 

 381 



