24 



BULLETIN 976, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF -AGRICULTURE. 



desired stands in all rates. The row space to the plant for the differ- 

 ent rates is shown in Table X. 



The average stalk space varies much less in the different rates 

 than the plant space, because of the difference in the number of 

 suckers produced per plant in the different rates. The percentage 

 of suckers varies in the different rates in the same year and in the 

 same rates in the different years. In general, however, the per- 

 centage of suckers increases as the stand decreases. The thick rate 

 produced 5.8 per cent of suckers in 1918, which was the minimum 

 in the 6-year period. The maximum, 74.4 per cent, was produced 



Fig. 10.— Dawn (dwarf) kafir in rows spaced 42 inches apart, plants spaced I2inches apart, Amarillo 

 Cereal Field Station, Amarillo, Tex., August 17, 1915. 



by the thin rate in 1914. It appears that from 65 to 75 per cent, or 

 an average of about three suckers to the plant, is the limit for Dwarf 

 milo and that such rates of suckering may be expected under favor- 

 able conditions from plants with 10 to 20 or more inches of row 

 space. 



The percentage of erect heads was high in most years, reaching 

 almost 100 per cent in all rates. Thin stands have a greater tendency 

 to produce pendent heads than thick ones, but growing conditions 

 at the time the crop is heading probably are the determining factors 

 in their production. Rapid growth at heading time is favorable to 

 the production of pendent heads. 



The yields of the total crop and those of grain in pounds and in 

 bushels of 58 pounds each are recorded in Table X. The thicker 



