SORGHUM SMUTS AND VARIETAL RESISTANCE 37 
Hybrid broomcorn. — Two hybrids in which broomcorn was one 
parent were grown at Manhattan in 1919. These hybrids were 
developed by Samuel J. Weed, of Monmouth, 111. The parentage 
of both was the same, namely, Early Amber sorgo and Standard 
broomcorn. These hybrids have juicy stems but produce brush of 
only mediocre quality, and they are not yet grown commercially. 
Both have proved susceptible to the covered kernel smut. One of 
the hybrids, Amber Saccharine broomcorn (C. I. No. 619), produced 
19 infected plants out of a total of 74, or 25.7 per cent. The other 
hybrid, Golden Saccharine broomcorn (C. I. No. 618), gave 5 infected 
plants out of a total of 39, or 12.8 per cent. 
Darso. — Darso was developed at the Oklahoma Agricultural Experi- 
ment Station, but its exact origin and history are not known. It may 
have originated from a cross between a sorgo and a kafir, as it pos- 
sesses some characteristics of both groups. At the Oklahoma station 
darso is a dwarf plant about 4 feet tall with a large number of leaves. 
It has short internodes and is comparatively free from suckering. 
The heads are rather loose and 10 to 12 inches long; the seeds, which 
are ovate, somewhat flattened, and of a reddish brown color, do not 
shatter. The glumes are black and cover about half of the seed 
when mature. 
A strain of darso (Missouri No. 49) was grown at Columbia during 
1916, 1917, and 1918. No infected heads were obtained, although a 
total of 327 plants was grown. It was also grown at Brooklyn, 
where 12 plants matured, but none was infected. Darso (C. I. 
No. 615) was grown at Manhattan in 1921, but no smutted plants 
out of. a total of 80 were observed. 
The results indicate very clearly that darso is very resistant to 
the covered kernel smut. It raises the interesting question whether 
darso has originated from a hybrid between kafir and a sorgo, as has 
been suggested, as kafirs and sorgos are both susceptible to the covered 
kernel smut. It would seem more logical to suppose that some 
resistant sorghum, such as milo, entered into the original cross. 
Freed sorghum. — Freed sorghum is named for J. K. Freed, of Scott 
City, Kans., on whose farm it was first grown. Its exact origin is 
unknown. It is more or less intermediate between some grain sorghum 
and a sweet sorghum. The stems are only slightly juicy and sweet, 
and the seeds are not astringent, as are those of most sorgos. The 
seeds are plumper, somewhat more flattened, chalky white, and not 
so long as those of the Amber varieties. The glumes are yellowish 
white and nearly inclose the seed. The plants grow 33^ to 7 feet tall. 
One strain of Freed sorghum was grown at Columbia. The results 
in the two years during which this strain was grown indicate a 
moderate degree of resistance. A total of 438 plants was grown, of 
which 23, or 5.3 per cent, were infected. S. r. I. No. 29166 was 
grown at Amarillo, Tex., during three seasons. Out of a total of 
710 plants, 187 (26.3 per cent) were infected. This same strain was 
grown at Manhattan three seasons with an average infection of 8 
per cent. At Rosslyn 4 out of 76 plants were infected. C. I. No. 
350 gave negative results at Manhattan, 768 plants having been 
grown in two years. 
Dwarf hegari. — Hegari, from which Dwarf hegari was selected, 
was originally obtained from Khartum, Sudan, Africa. In general 
appearance Dwarf hegari resembles Dawn kafir to some extent. It 
