The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-08-17
GOOD SORGHUM TO PLANT

Washington, d. C., Aug. l5.-Four
new varieties of sorghum which are
worthy of trial in the Central and
Southern Great Plains area are de-
scribed in a new bulletin just issued
by the U. s. Department Of Agricul-
ture. These varieties are the product
Of the introduction and crop breeding
work of the Department.
Dwarf hegari is primarily a grain
sorghum, but like Blackhull kafir It is
valuable also as a forage plant. In
general appearance it Is intermediate
between Blackhull kafir and feterita,
and at the Chillicothe (Texas) Field
Station, where it has been under test
for five years, IL has produced better
seed crops than any other variety of
sorghum, and has become quite popu-
lar with the farmers in that locality.
Many farmers prefer it to Dwarf milo
on account of its higher forage value
and the greater ease Of harvesting,
due to the erect heads.
Improved feterita is "A late impor-
tation of this variety of sorghum, hav-
ing been obtained from Africa in 1908
two years after the first successful i'm
portation of feterita, II has been Sc
lected for uniformity lad leafness.
and shows "A higher yielding power
than the earlier importation.
Dwarf feterita originated from a
plant which was only 2i5 feet high
and two weeks earlier in maturity
than the general crop of ceterita. II
has not fully retained either its dwarf
mess oil its earliness, but has made
consistently high yields of grain and
appears TO be Of some value where
an early maturing grain crop is de-
| sired.
White milo Is a variety of sorghum
which has been grown to a small ex-
tent throughout Oklahoma and Texas
for n number of years. A dwarf strain
Of this variety has been obtained by
the department, which very much re-
sembles the ordinary Dwarf Yellow
milo. White milo has given evidence
Of greater drought resistance than
even the ordinary Dwarf milo and fet-
erita.
These four varieties Of sorghum
were grown in field tests at the Chill
licothe (Texas) Field Station for the
years 1913, 1914, and 1915. Dwarf
hegari made the highest average yield
of both fodder and grain for this per-
iod, with Dwarf feterita second in
grain yield, but lower in yield of fod-
der. At Amarillo, Texas, for the same
period Dwarf f~eterita gave the high
est grain yield, with Improved feter-
tia second in grain yield and only sur
passed by Blackhull kahr in the full
amount of fodder produced.
At Hays Kansas, for the two years
1914 and 1915 White milo gave the
highest grain yield and a fodder yield
about equal TO that Of Dwarf hegari.
The grain yield Of White milo was
about ten bushels greater per acre
than that of the ordinary Dwarf milo.
1t was found possible at Chillicothe
Texas, 10 obtain two grain crops in
one year from Dwarf hegari and two
feteritas. The Dwarf milo, however,
produced only one cutting.
The purpose Of the bulletin is not
TO urge the general adoption Of these
new varieties in preference 10 the
present standard varieties of this dis
trict. It Is intended to serve as a
source Of information in regard to
these varieties at a time when they
are being sent out for trial among the
farmers and IL is believed that one or
more of them is apt to Ali the needs
Of certain limited localities and be-
come Of considerable Importance with
In the next ten years, This bulletin