GEAIN-SOEGHUM EXPEEIMENTS IN THE PANHANDLE OP TEXAS. 25 



only 16.6 inches, or about 5 inches below normal. While April and 

 June had fair quantities of rain, there was really only one effective 

 rain in each of the four months from April to July, inclusive, and none 

 between June 4 and July 29. The good rains of August did not 

 begin until the 20th, after which there was drought again. It is not 

 surprising, therefore, that low yields were obtained. The average 

 acre yields of the leading groups were as follows: Milo, 7 bushels; 

 Dwarf mdo, 8.6 bushels; feterita, 12.2 bushels; and Dawn kafir, 

 3.7 bushels. Standard kafir failed to mature. 



VARIETAL EXPERIMENTS. 



The objects of the experiments reported herein were to determine 

 the adaptation and value of the different groups and the best varieties 

 in each group. Studies on the best methods of growing the crop were 

 also made, but the results will appear elsewhere, 



Prehminary experiments with two or three varieties had been con- 

 ducted at Channing, Tex., from 1904 to 1906, inclusive. At Amarillo 

 the work was begun in 1906 by Mr. A. H. Leidigh, in charge of the 

 work with cereals at the Amarillo Cereal Field Station. Three varie- 

 ties were grown in field plats in 1906, with acre yields as follows: 

 Blackhull kafir, 44.4 bushels; Red kafir, 42.9 bushels; and shallu, 

 26.1 bushels. In 1907 only two varieties were grown in plats, mUo 

 yielding 23.9 bushels and BlackhuU kafir 18.9 bushels. Experiments 

 in methods of tillage, rates of seeding, and the improvement of varie- 

 ties were begun also by Mr. Leidigh. 



In 1907 the senior \\Titer began active direction of the experi- 

 mental work with these crops, and the comprehensive series of 

 varietal and other tests here recorded was planned for the year 1908. 

 The junior writer has been associated in the investigations since 

 July, 1909, and has been acting in charge of the experiments since 

 1914. 



The results obtained from all the lots, selections, and races of all 

 the varieties under experiment in any or all of the nine years from 

 1908 to 1916, inclusive, are presented in the tables that follow. The 

 importance of the ecologic study of the grain sorghums has been 

 shown in the introduction to this bulletin. The same reasons which 

 require a full presentation of the climatic factors require as weU a 

 presentation of all the agronomic data available, so far as they serve 

 to show the comparative response of these crops to environing con- 

 ditions each season. 



The data in the tables include not only the yields, therefore, but 

 many other agronomic data as well. Among them are the average 

 drill-row space occupied by each plant and each stalk; the length, in 

 days, of the vegetative and fruiting periods and of the total gro\ving 

 period, the percentage of suckers, the height of the plants, and, in 



