338 



SORGHUM OR DHURRA. 



Among the food-grains grown in the Madras Presidency, there 



were in 1870 devoted to 



Acres. 



Cholum (Sot^ghum vulgare) 4 , 855 , 000 



Ea^gy {Eleusine corocana) 1 , 611 , 000 



Y exagu (Panicum miliaceum) 1,605,000 



Cumboo (^Penicillaria spicatd) 3,197,000 



Gorralvi (Panicum italicum') 1,018,000 



Millet of various kinds 614 , 000 



Total 12,900,000 



In Ceylon there are about 72,762 acres under these small grains. 



Red Cholum. This is the S. {Andropogon) Caffrarmi, Kunth, of 

 the Australians ; it is a variety of the white cholum, and is supposed 

 to have been originally obtained from the south-eastern coast of 

 Africa. In America it is by many considered a better sugar-producer 

 than the Chinese species, and all agree that its sugar is much more 

 easy to analyze. 



S. cernmim, Willd., Andropogon cernuus, Eoxb., of which the grain 

 is white, forms the staff of life of the mountaineers beyond Bengal. 

 It is much cultivated in India and other tropical countries. 



Sorghum or Dhurra is produced in considerable quantities in 

 middle and lower Egypt for making bread. Being 40 or 50 per cent, 

 cheaper in price than wheat, it is more commonly the food of the fellah 

 or peasant than any other grain. The late Prof. Johnston states 

 that from his analysis Dhurra flour contains 11^ per cent, of gluten. 



Schweinfurth tells us that a large yellow-grained variety of 

 S. vulgare is known in the Khartoum markets as Soffra. The panicles 

 are alDout nine inches long and four in diameter. In Algeria two 

 species are grown, the Sorghum scoparium, Lin., with a red grain ; 

 and the S. vulgare, Lin., with white grain. It is sown in April, in 

 good deep soil, when not irrigated, or in June, when water can be 

 had. These plants are, however, remarkable for their resistance to 

 drought and their power of vegetation. 



The grain of the S. vulgare has a high food value both for man and 

 animals. The Arabs merely cut all the panicles, and leave the green 

 stalks standing, to feed their cattle. In 1870 there were ll,117 

 hectares under Sorghum in Algeria, which produced 237,516 hecto- 

 litres. In 1874 there was under Sorghum 



Hectares. 



By natives 24,588 



„ Europeans 5,102 



Total 29,690 



equivalent to about 74,000 English acres. The grain is known there 

 under the names of bechna, dra, and durra. 



The dari from Jaffa is considered the best in the Mediterranean, 

 on account of its whiteness and hardness. It used to be a large 

 article of export from thence to the United Kingdom for feeding and 

 distilling purposes. The yield of 1862 was as much as 7225 qrs., on 



