12 BULLETIN 981, U. S. 
Fic. §.—Panicle of Andropogon sorghum 
hewisonii, S. P. I. No. 33739, from a 
plant grown in the greenhouse of the 
Department of Agriculture. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
CHICKEN CORN. 
Seed of this sorghum (Andropogon 
sorghum drummondii (Nees) Hackel) 
was first collected by Drummond at 
New Orleans in 1832. It is widely dis- 
tributed in Louisiana and Mississippi, 
being known locally as “chicken corn,” 
and occurs as far north as Kentucky, 
growing spontaneously in cultivated 
ground. This wild sorghum was un- 
doubtedly introduced from Africa by 
Negro slaves, as it has been found in 
northern Nigeria and at other points 
along the Niger River. Specimens have 
been collected from the Carolinas, 
Mexico, Yucatan, and Guatemala. 
This sorghum apparently has _ been 
modified by cultivation, and in its 
present form it resembles the cul- 
tivated varieties much more closely 
than does any other wild-grass sor- 
chum. At one time it appeared to - 
have been abundant and rather highly 
prized in the Southern States, but it 
is now somewhat scarce, owing prob- 
ably to the attacks of the sorghum 
midge. 
In cultivated plantings at the Arling- 
ton Experimental Farm and other field 
stations of the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture Andropogon sorghum 
drummondit grew to a height of 8 to 
10 feet, with pithy stems five-eighths to 
three-fourths of an inch in diameter; 
rather broad, fairly abundant leaves; 
panicle barely exserted from the last leaf 
sheath, open and spreading lke that of 
Amber sorgo (fig. 9); and spikelets about 
the same size as those of Black Amber, 
with smooth black or reddish brown 
glumes. A careful comparison with 
other sorghums indicates that this form, 
though interesting historically, adds 
little of value to the crop plants of the 
United States. 
