BREEDING MILLET AND SOEGO FOR DROUGHT ADAPTATION. 



15 



of yields secured from 1908 to 1914, inclusive. The strain of sorgo 

 used from 1908 to 1910 was of the Minnesota Amber type (S. Dak. No. 

 341), which is the parent stock from which the selections mentioned 

 in this bulletin were made. In 1912, 1913, and 1914 S. Dak. No. 

 341-13, a selection from this strain, was used instead of the original 

 stock. The results of yields from two closely adjacent and compara- 

 ble plats of corn are given for comparison. These results are shown 

 in Table IX. 



It will be seen that where forage is the main consideration it would 

 be much more profitable to grow sorgo than corn, for the total yield 

 of sorgo is one-half more than that of corn. It should be considered, 

 however, that the corn produced an average annual yield of grain of 

 6 J bushels per acre, which helps to compensate for the lower total 

 weight of the crop. In most cases the sorgo also was nearly ripe when 

 the crop was harvested and would probably have produced a yield 

 of seed equal in value to that of the corn, although no records of the 

 seed yield were taken. 



Table IX. — Comparative yield {in pounds per acre) of air-dry sorgo and corn fodder 

 at the Belle Fourche station, Newell, S. Dak., for 190S to 1914. 1 



Year. 



Sorgo. 2 



Corn. 2 



Relative 



yield of 



sorgo, 



corn= 



100. 



190S 



3,270 



5,920 

 3,3C0 

 4,100 

 3,400 

 1,725 



3,090 

 3,230 

 1,990 

 3,870 

 1,400 

 725 



106 



1909 .. 



183 



1910 



169 



1912 



106 



1913 



228 



1914 : 



238 









3,110 



2,060 



151 







1 No crop was planted in 1911 on account of the extreme drought of that year. 



2 Average of two rotation plats. 



Com is grown to a considerable extent in the northern Great Plains. 

 In a favorable season a fair yield of grain is obtained, and even in a 

 dry season some fodder will be secured. Corn is often planted for 

 fodder alone. There is no doubt, however, that sorgo is a more 

 profitable crop to grow where forage is the main consideration, not 

 only on account of the higher yield of sorgo but also on account of 

 its excellent feeding value. 



WATER REQUIREMENT OF MILLET AND SORGO. 



An important factor in the adaptation of millet and sorgo to condi- 

 tions of drought is the low water requirement of these crops. This is a 

 factor of special importance in the Great Plains, where the rainfall is 

 limited and the relative water consumption of crops is in general much 

 higher than in the more humid sections of the country. In humid 



