SORGHUM

a grain which grows very much like broom-corn. It contains a high percentage of sucrose, and a few years ago it was hoped that it would prove an important commercial source of sugar. It was, however, found to offer many difficulties in crystallization and refining, and the project has since been almost abandoned. During 1889, 415,691 acres were planted to sorghum for sugar and syrup manufacture. Ten years later, the figures had fallen to 293,152 acres, and five years after that, to only 14,000 acres.

It has, though, proved an excellent stock-feed and is now largely so used.