Lesser Importations


ing and selecting varieties of sorgos. From the original Chinese
sugar cane the Early Amber was selected, and from this variety
arose the Minnesota Early Amber which was widely distributed
by members of Congress during Commissioner Le Duc's adminis-
tration. Growers reported it to be a heavy yielder of syrup and
sugar.
 Durras From Egypt-Sorghums were found to be adapted to
the hot, dry areas of Kansas and Texas where corn would not
flourish. The importance of this fact could not be overestimated.
Sorghums are especially valuable today for grain production in
arid regions of the West. The White durra and the Brown durra,
called Egyptian corn, were brought from Egypt to California in
1874-it is not known by whom. Their success was the beginning
of an expanding grain sorghum culture.
 "Guinea corn," or White Milo maize from the West Indies, was
grown at a very early date in the South. White and Red kafirs
from Natal were shown at the Centennial Exposition at Philadel-
phia in 1876, and the seed distributed. Shallu (Egyptian wheat)
was introduced from India by the Louisiana Agricultural Experi-
ment Station about 1890. In the course of further introductions
came two from Australia-in 1888 the sorgo Planter, originally
from India, and in 1891, the McLean. Pink kafir was introduced
from South Africa about 1904, feterita in 1906, and hegari in
1909. All were procured by the Department of Agriculture from
the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in the Upper Nile.
 Teosinte-Growers also attempted to produce sugar from corn,
pumpkins, and teosinte during during the 1870's. The teosinte,
which is an ancestor of Indian corn, was introduced from Central
America by the Department of Agriculture. The first seed crop
of teosinte was harvested in southern Florida in 1887. The plant
produced an abundance of fodder when it had sufficient moisture.
 Interest in sorgos as a source of sugar cane was so high during
this period that Commissioner Le Duc prophesied, ". . it is not
too much to say that the success attending the manufacture of
cane-sugar from sorghums and maize will mark the year 1879 as
an important epoch in the agricultural progress of our people."
 During Le Duc's administration the efforts to produce sugar
from sorgos reached their peak. Peter Collier received an appro-
priation of $25,000 from Congress to aid this work. Collier is
credited with introducing between 50 and 100 varieties of sorgo
from Java, Burma, China, India, and South Africa. In the sum-