CHAPTER XIII 



THE SORGHUMS — Andropogon sorghum (or Sor- 

 ghum vulgare) 



The sorghums comprise a very interesting group of 

 diverse sub-species grown over a wide range and used for a 

 variety of purposes. Some kinds or races are used for the 

 making of sirup, and are sometimes erroneously known as 

 " sugar-millet " ; some are grown for the grain in the top or 

 head; one provides the material from which brooms are 

 made ; they all yield forage, of different degrees of excel- 

 lence. The group belongs to the Graminece, or grass family. 



The Sorghums in General 



208. Groups of sorghum. — The sorghums may ■ be 

 divided into three groups, all of the same botanical species. 

 These classes are : (1) saccharine or sweet sorghums, grown 

 for forage and sirup ; (2) nonsaccharine or grain sorghums, 

 including kafir and milo, which latter are important grain 

 and forage crops in the dry chmate of the southwestern part 

 of the United States ; (3) broom-corn, from which brooms 

 and brushes are made. There are a munber of varieties of 

 each class, only the most important of which can be men- 

 tioned hei-e. 



209. General description. — The sorghums are giant 

 grasses with stout, solid, pithy stems. The leaves are long 

 and broad, but smaller than those of corn. The heads are 

 of considerable size and varying shape and are borne at the 

 top of the stems. The sorghums have strong root systems, 

 made up of numerous fibrous parts. 



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