BROOM CORN OR MILLET. 



339 



account of tlie latter rain having been abundant. Dari is used by the 

 poorer classes there for making bread. 



In Natal the species of Sorghum grown are known as Kaffir corn. 



In 1870 the land under culture with it and the produce were as 

 follows : 







Acres. 



Muids. 









45,047 

 50 



172,077 

 334 





The muid is nearly three bushels. There were also forty-eight 

 acres under other millets, which yielded 1091 cwts. of grain. In 1875 

 the land under millets was only 36,162 acres. 



Sorghum (Andropogon) saccharatum. This plant can be advan- 

 tageously utilized for preparing treacle. For this purpose the sap is 

 expressed at the time of flowering and simply evaporated ; the yield 

 is from 100 to 300 gallons from the acre. 



This sugar-producing millet has been already alluded to at p. 218. 



Broom Corn or Millet [Sorghum Dhurra). Whether this is only 

 a variety of Sorghum vulgar e, the Holcus Dhurra, Forsk., or a distinct 

 species, it is impossible to state. Its seed-panicle is, however, loose 

 and spreading instead of close and compact, like the principal kinds 

 of Sorghum vulgare. One species of Sorghum, described as Sorghum 

 Dhurra, is grown in Italy, in the United States, Australia, and other 

 countries, for its panicles as a brush-making fibre. 



In 1876 there were ninety-six acres sown with it in Victoria, which 

 yielded 2095 bushels of seed, and 338 cwts. of fibre. There are 

 many thousand acres under culture with it in the United States. 

 In 1875 there were in the State of Kansas 12,742 acres under 

 broom corn, and 82,552 acres under other millets ; the produce was 

 9,844,869 lbs. of broom corn and 218,252 tons of millet. The fol- 

 lowing is the mode of culture pursued in America. 



The seed is sown with a seed-barrow or drill, as early in spring as 

 the state of the ground will admit, in rows of 3|^ feet apart. As soon 

 as the corn is above ground it is hoed, and soon after thinned, so as to 

 leave the stalks 2 or 3 inches apart. It is only hoed in the row, 

 in order to get out the weeds that are close to the plants, the remain- 

 ing space being left for the harrow and cultivator, which are run in 

 frequently so as to keep down the weeds. The cultivation is finished 

 by running a small, double mould-board plough, rather shallow, be- 

 tween the rows. 



The broom corn is not left to ripen, as formerly, but is cut while 

 it is quite green, and the seed not much past the milk. It was 

 formerly the practice to lop down the tops of the corn, and let it hang 

 some time, that the brush might become straightened in one direction. 

 Now the tops are not lopped till the brush is ready to cut, which, as 

 before stated, is while the corn is green. A set of hands goes forward 

 and lops or bends the tops to one side, and another set follows imme- 



