GRAIN-SORGHUM EXPERIMENTS IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS. hi 
THE GRAIN SORGHUMS. 
The grain sorghums consist of several very distinct groups of varie- 
ties. Different groups and varieties react differently to environ- 
mental conditions and therefore give different results. To understand 
» these results 1t is necessary to know the characters by which the 
groups and varieties differ from each other. For this purpose a 
glance is taken first at the relationship of the grain sorghums to 
other sorghums. Keys to the groups of grain sorghums and brief 
descriptions of them are inserted next, and finally keys and descrip- 
tions covering the varieties in each group are presented. - 
CLASSIFICATION.1 
The different sorghums grown in this country may be arranged 
in a general way in four agronomic divisions, as noted below. 
(1) Grain sorghums, which include such well-known groups as kafir, durra and 
milo, and kaoliang, and also less commonly grown groups, such as shallu, ete. 
(2) Sorgo, or forage sorghum, known also as sweet or saccharine sorghum, and 
improperly called ‘‘cane” or “‘sugar cane.’’ This group includes such well-known 
varieties as Amber, Orange, and Sumac, as well as many others not so widely grown. 
(3) Broom corn, which includes two rather distinct varieties, Standard and Dwarf. 
(4) Hay sorghums, which include Johnson, Sudan, and Tunis grasses. 
This bulletin is concerned only with the grain-producing sorghums. 
Figure 3 shows representative kernels of the most important varie- 
ties. The groups of the grain-sorghum section may be separated 
by the following key: 
Spikelets broadly obovate, 4.5 to 6 mm. wide; seeds large, lenticular, 
flattened; panicle oval-ovate, short branched, compact.........-...- DURRA-MILO. 
Spikelets oval or narrowly obovate, 2 to 4 mm. wide; seeds midsized 
to small, ovoid, scarcely flattened. 
Stems stout, somewhat juicy; internodes short; leaves 12 to 15, 
beead euistialby dance PECCMR Se nes e226 oct eo ces ees ee Seek Karir. 
Stems slender, dry; internodes longer; leaves 7 to 10, narrower and 
lighter green: 
Panicle compressed; glumes tightly appressed to the brown or 
WILE SECU Bes bee ee ee eee nae ee eee oe KAOLIANG. 
Panicle conical, loose; glumes spreading, exposing yellowish 
LITERS, O50 Sie Bs Be Se a ae oe SHALLU. 
THe DurrRra-MILo GROUP. 
This group includes White and Brown durra, feterita, and White 
and Yellow milo. It is characterized by slender to midstout, dry, 
pithy stems, 0.8 to 2 meters tall, bearing 7 to 10 rather small leaves; 
panicles short, broad, ovate or oval, short branched, compact; 
1 Classification studies in sorghums were made by the senior writer during the period of 1903 to 1906, 
inclusive. All obtainable domestic varieties and several hundred foreign varieties and strains were grown 
and studied. Acknowledgment of valued cooperation in this work is made to Director W. R. Dodson, 
of the Louisiana Experiment Station, to former Director A.-M. Soule, of the Tennessee Agricultural 
Experiment Station, and to their assistants. 
56086°—18—Bull. 698——2 
