AGEICULTUEE FOR SOUTHERN SCHOOLS. 25 



Lessons 16 and 17. — Tlie Sorghums. 



Special references. — 



Sorghum for Forage in the Cotton Belt, Office of Secretary of Agri- 

 culture, Special Circular. 



The Grain Sorghums, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Yeai'book, 1913. 



The following Farmers' Bulletins : 246, Saccharine Sorghums for 

 Forage ; 287, Nonsaccharine Sorghums ; 448, Better Grain-Sorghum 

 Crops ; 458, Best Two Sweet Sorghums for Forage ; 477, Sorghum 

 Sirup Manufacture ; 552, Kafir as a Grain Crop ; 686, Uses of 

 Sorghum Grain. 



Exercise 26. — A, Study of Types and Varieties of Sorghums. 



Purpose: To familiarize students with a class of field crops some 

 of which may prove of great value to local agriculture. 



Directions : The school should have a fairly complete collection of 

 the types and varieties of sorghums as heads and thrashed material. 

 The collection and mounting of varieties grown locally should be 

 assigned to students. The collection may be completed by purchase, 

 or by exchange with other southern schools, of material from firms 

 which supply agricultural laboratories. The varieties of sorghum 

 may be grouped under the following heads: (1) Saccharine, in- 

 cluding the varieties used for sirup; (2) nonsaccharine, or grain sor- 

 ghums, including kafir, milo, and other durras, and such miscella- 

 neous varieties as the kaolings, shallu, and darso; and (3) broom 

 corn. 



The following outline may be used in the description of each 

 variety: (1) Head; length, circumference, and shape; (2) seed; 

 size, shape, color, hardness; and (3) glumes; hairy or smooth, color, 

 length. 



If score cards are not obtainable from the State agricultural col- 

 lege or State department of agriculture, the class should make up 

 score cards for judging both head samples and grain samples. Prac- 

 tice in judging may follow according to the time available and in 

 accordance with the importance of the crop. 



Note. — If the sorghums are not adapted to the section in which the school 

 is located, the same study may be made of some other group of forage crops 

 which is little known and which may give promise, such as the millets. 



Lesson 18. — Sugar Cane. 



Lesson 27. — A Study of Sirup Making. 



Purpose : To familiarize students with modern methods in making 

 cane sirup. 



Directions : The class should visit a farm or factory where th$ 

 most modern methods are in vogue. The teacher should make ar- 

 rangements before the visit so that the time may be spent most 

 profitably in a study of the processes from the grinding of the cane 

 to the canning of the sirup. 

 73398°— Bull. 521—17 4 



