110 DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 
Serious trouble, and even death, has at times resulted from cattle 
or horses eating second-growth sorghum. This generally occurs 
after periods of frost or extreme drought, when the plants have 
been stunted in their growth and afterwards begin to grow. It 
is due to the formation of a glucoside in the new shoots which sets 
free prussic acid through the action of a ferment. Accidents usually 
have happened when pastures are short and cattle get into a field 
of sorghum, eating considerable of it on empty stomachs. They 
should, therefore, be given some feed before being let into fields of 
Fia. 14.—A field of dwarf black-hull es a good grain-sorghum for western States. 
all, 
such sorghum; since no trouble will occur when second-growth 
sorghum is made into hay or silage, the safer method in case of 
doubt is to use it for one or the other of these purposes. 
The non-saccharine sorghums, so-called grain sorghums, kafir 
corn, milo maize, and durra, are largely grown for the sake of the 
grain in western States; they are also occasionally used as green 
and dry forage, as well as for silage, for cattle, horses, and sheep. 
These sorghums are discussed more fully under “ Cereal Grains” 
(Chapter XVI). Second-growth kafir corn and other grain sor- 
ghums sometimes have poisonous properties, under similar condi- 
