22 BREEDING DROUGHT-RESISTANT FORAGE PLANTS. 



The average yield of 6,642 pounds of feed per acre at these two 

 stations is sufficient to warrant the growing of tins strain where 

 forage of this kind is desired. 



SORGO BREEDING AT THE BELLEFOURCHE EXPERIMENT FARM. 



In 190S the writer obtained some of the bulk seed of the South 

 Dakota Xo. 341 stock from the Higlrmore substation and planted a 

 field with it at Bellefourche for the purpose of making selections. In 

 September, 1908, IS individual selections were made in this field. 

 These were selected for earliness, amount of stoohng, and uniformity 

 of the main stalk and suckers in height and ripening. The selections 

 ranged in date of ripening from September 10 to September 20, in 

 height from 4} to oh feet, in yield of seed from 50 to 100 grams, and 

 in number of suckers from 3 to 5 per plant. The characters which 

 make the most desirable type of forage sorgo are slender stems, uni- 

 formity in the size of the suckers on each plant, and large total leaf 

 surface, and these points governed the selection. 



The seed of each of these selected plants was planted in a single 

 row. S rods long, in 1909. In date of ripening the progeny rows were 

 very similar to the mother plants, ranging from September 10 to Sep- 

 tember IS. In height the progenies exceeded the respective mother 

 plants by about 6 inches, the plants ranging from 5 to 6 feet high. 

 This was probably due to the more favorable season in 1909. Each 

 individual row was quite uniform as to height and tvpe. (PL II, 

 fig. 2.) 



In order to show what characters apart from drought resistance are 

 regarded as most important in a sorgo for the northern Great Plains 

 and to give some idea of the amount of diversity still remaining in 

 this selected stock, short descriptions are given of the types that pre- 

 dominated in the 1909 progenies of the five most promising selections. 

 It is possible that strains derived from more than one of these selec- 

 tions may ultimately be found valuable for this region. Thus, near 

 the northern limit for sorgo culture the earliest maturing strain, even 

 if somewhat inferior in other respects, may prove to be the most use- 

 ful, while farther south a later developing strain which produces a 

 better quality of forage may be preferred. 



Selection Xo. 2. — Plants in this row stooled freely; the stalks were 

 small and fine and there were many small suckers which would make 

 forage of good quality. The progeny was good in seed production 

 and uniform in early ripening. This was one of the best rows. 



Selection Xo. 6. — This was a good row, but was slightly later than 

 that of selection Xo. 2 in ripening seed. It was very uniform in 

 height and type of plant. The plants were very leaf}* and had 

 numerous suckers that were slender and fine. 



196 



