8 BULLETIN 383, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
leaves 12 to 14, averaging 3 to 3£ inches broad and 24 to 28 inches long ; head 
club shaped, erect, medium compact, 3 to Si inches in diameter, 7 to 8 inches 
long, usually well filled, the base of the head sometimes inclosed by the boot; 
seeds ovoid, slightly flattened, medium sized, brown, the upper one-third or one- 
fourth exposed from the glume, shattering very little ; glumes ovate, black or 
dark red-brown, glabrous or slightly pubescent, not awnecl. 
Schrock kafir has leaves as broad and somewhat longer than those 
of Blackhull kafir, so that the plant presents an exceedingly leafy 
appearance (fig. 1). The head is about the same size, but not so 
compact as that of the ordinary kafir. The seeds are pointed 
at the tip, like those of the sweet sorghums, and are like them also 
in that they contain a noticeable percentage of tannin. The stem 
and leaves remain green until the seed is ripe, and even the tillers 
will mature before the main stalk shatters its seed. It requires from 
100 to 120 days to mature fully, which will prevent the successful 
production of this variety north of Kansas. Schrock kafir has been 
tested with the idea that it might be found valuable for both grain 
and fodder, but the tannin in the seed lessens its value as a grain 
crop. 
Figure 2 shows typical heads of all five of the varieties described 
in this bulletin and gives an idea of their size, shape, and color. 
COMPARISON OF THE FIELD RECORDS OF THE NEW SORGHUM 
VARIETIES. 
For the past three or four years Dwarf hegari, Dwarf feterita, 
Improved feterita, and White milo have been grown at three field 
stations in the Great Plains region in comparison with standard va- 
rieties of kafir, milo, and sorgo. As a result of these trials the new 
varieties are being distributed to farmers in order to obtain their 
judgment on the usefulness of these sorghums. The figures on yields 
of forage and seed, with statements regarding stands, height of 
plants, and length of the growing season, for Chillicothe, Tex., Ama- 
rillo, Tex., and Hays, Kans., respectively, are given in Table I. The 
size of the plats used in obtaining these data is stated in connection 
with the table. The yields of fodder are given in terms of field-cured 
material in all cases except at Hays, Kans., in 1915, where the 
moisture content in the fodder was corrected to a uniform basis by 
means of air-dried samples. 
