DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



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prized. Coming, as they do, from ' a section having hot, dry summers, 

 their success in our arid region is practically assured. Their ability to 

 resist drouth is remarkable, in spite of the fact tWat they are mostly 

 spring varieties. The Department of Agriculture has succeeded in ob- 

 taining a black winter variety of emmer that shows remarkable yielding 

 power and ability to withstand our most severe winters and great variation 

 of climatic conditions. The future popularity of these two grains will 

 be measured largely by their ability to adapt themselves as winter types, 

 just as is the case with oats and barley. 



The Grain Sorghum. 



The grain sorghums are another class of cereals that are proving 

 valuable in the arid region. Milo, Blackhull Kaffir and Red Kaffir are 

 already grown extensively for this purpose in the southern part of the 

 Great Plains area as well as in California. These three varieties, with 

 Brown Kaoliang, a Chmese grain sorghum, are the most promising for 

 use in extending this crop into other dry regions. 



Milo belongs to the durra group. It was originally a tall, uneven, 

 freely stooling, much branched crop, seven to ten feet high, with pendant 

 or goosenecked heads. It has been greatly improved in earliness, habit 

 of growth, and productiveness. Today we have a dwarf and uniform 

 crop, the standard strain four and one-half feet high, the dwarf strain 

 three and one-half feet tall, both stooling and branching but little, and 

 bearing from 75 per cent to 90 per cent of their heads erect. The average 

 yields of shelled grain in the Panhandle country are about 40 bushels 

 to the acre. This is at an elevation of from 3,000 to 4,000 feet, with an 

 average rainfall of 22 inches. In 1907 the crop was ripened in Colorado 

 at an altitude of 5,500 feet, and in South Dakota at 2,000 feet elevation 

 and 44 degrees of latitude. The improved Milo crop is adapted to rapid 

 and economical handling on a large scale by machinery. It is sown with 

 the corn planter, harvested with the corn binder or grain binder and 

 threshed in the grain separator. As soon as 95 per cent of the heads are 

 erect, the grain header can profitably be used in harvesting. Milo seems 

 fully adapted to successful extension over much of the Plains region and 

 is to be tried throughout the intermountain areas. 



The kaffir varieties are equally drouth resistant and productive, but 

 rather later in maturing and not adapted to such high altitudes or latitudes. 

 They are better combination grain and forage crops, because of greater 

 juiciness and more abundant foliage. In the kaffirs the heads are naturally 

 borne erect and adapted to heading, if desired. 



The group of Kaoliangs or Chinese grain varieties contains the earliest 

 strains yet known. The best variety matured in the Panhandle of Texas 

 this last season in 85 days. They must, however, be selected for greater 

 productiveness before they will be ready for general distribution. 



Rye. 



Rye is so well known that little need to be said of it. The growing 

 of rye is often objected to because of its persistency and its tendency to 



