128 A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



but not sweet stems are known collectively as non- 

 saccharine sorghums. Kafir, milo, and durra have 

 become important' in the semiarid regions of the area 

 from Kansas to Texas and westward because of their 

 drouth resistance, and are used for forage and grain 

 especially in the localities where dry farming is practiced. 

 A variety of durra that has recently come into promi- 

 nence is called feterita. A variety of sorghum escaped 

 from cultivation in Louisiana and growing in a semiwild 

 state is called chicken corn. 



Common Names. — The common names of the various 

 races and varieties of sorghum are very numerous. Some 

 of these have been indicated in the preceding para- 

 graphs. The general name is sorghum, and the varieties 

 together are generally indicated by the plural, the 

 sorghums. Agriculturists, especially in the Middle West, 

 distinguish saccharine sorghums with sweet juice from 

 the non-saccharine sorghums without sweet juice. 

 Broom corn is grown only for the special purpose of 

 broom-manufacture. The saccharine sorghums or sorgo, 

 such as Orange and Amber, are grown for the production 

 of syrup and for forage but in this country not for grain. 

 In the Middle West when sown for forage, sorgo is often 

 called cane. The most important of the non-saccharine 

 sorghums are Kafir (or Kafir corn) and milo (sometimes 

 called milo maize) . Crook-necked varieties of milo and 

 durra are not looked upon with favor because the crooks 

 interfere with harvesting. Feterita is a variety of durra. 

 Sudan grass, a variety distinct from any of those men- 

 tioned in the key to the sorghums, is treated separately 

 in a following paragraph. Tunis grass is another dis- 



