CORN 199 



Africa, while corn is a native of southern Mexico. They 

 are sorghums, belonging to the same genus as ordinary 

 sorghum cane ; but they are not sweet as we are apt to 

 thinlv all sorghums must be. They aU bear their seeds, 

 which are of various colors and more or less round in 

 shape, in heads or spikes, at the tops of the stems. The 



Fig. 87. — Field of Kafir corn. 



leaves are coarser, thicker and glossier than those of corn 

 and the jdeld of grain per acre is somewhat le.ss. 



The value of these plants in the semiarid West depeiads 

 not alone upon the fact that their pollen is able to fertilize 

 the ovules while in a drier condition than is required by that 

 of corn, but also upon their remarkable abihty to revive 

 after hot winds or drouth and to continue growth. More- 



