26 BULLETIN 698, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the milos, the percentage of erect heads. Finally, in some cases, 
data are given covering the weight of the heads and of the total crop 
and the proportion by weight of the heads in the total crop and of 
seed in both heads and total crop. 
The different groups of varieties vary considerably in the size of 
the plants and in earliness and therefore in probable water require- 
ment. From a study of the tables it will be noted that they also 
vary greatly in their ability to produce from year to year under 
Panhandle conditions. In the first place, long-season or late-maturing 
varieties have ripening periods that fall after the warm weather 
conducive to rapid ripening is well past. Hence, early-maturing 
varieties are at an advantage. In the second place, in the frequent 
seasons when the water supply is deficient, dwarf and early varieties 
with water requirements which are comparatively low or of compara- 
tively short duration are best able to produce good yields. 
The tabulated data show clearly that such varieties as milo and 
Dwarf milo, which are both comparatively early and dwarf, nearly 
always outyield the larger and later kafirs. Among the kafirs them- 
selves the advantage is always with the earlier and dwarfer varieties. 
THe Mrto-DuRRA GROUP. 
The two subgroups and the varieties included in each have been 
described previously and separated by means of a simple key. These 
plants are low to midtall, with midsized dry stems and only seven or 
eight leaves. The heads are broad and comparatively short, either 
erect or on more or less recurved peduncles. The seeds are either 
brown or white, broadly oval or sublenticular in outline, and more 
or less flattened. The group contains two out of the three com- 
mercially important varieties, namely, milo and Dwarf milo, the 
third being Blackbull kafir. 
All the varieties, except one or two of the milo hybrids, are early 
to midearly in maturing. The dry stems ripen with or before the 
seeds, and the leaves also become dry and often break off and blow 
away in windy weather. On the whole, the water requirements of 
the milos and durras are probably as low as those of any of the groups. 
Their earliness requires that the water supply be maintained during 
only a comparatively short period. These adaptations give them 
the power to produce well even in somewhat unfavorable seasons. 
Their chief handicap is a tendency to produce recurved, or gooseneck, 
heads in all the varieties except feterita. 
The results obtained from the different varieties in this group are 
presented in Tables VI to XVIII, inclusive. In general, Dwarf milo 
is the best of all the varieties. Standard milo and feterita rank 
second, with White milo third. 
