Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1877 — Broom-Corn Culture. [ARTICLE]

Broom-Corn Culture.

TTH* culsre of broßm-eom f# the purpose hf making the well-khown ?and uspfuUiousehold implementaurnsrs to haw originated; in . America, 4)UV juit hW Or when it would bq difficult to determine. Varieties of broom-corn or Indian millet have been cultivated for their valuable seed from the earliest ages, but it seems to have beep ieft for the Yankee Uxsqlect. one With aMifc brush (* ianicle, ans, 1* harvskfmgfeaflyi tokrtllpe this paftfoif makhrg bVeoms. x lltie Yankeir broom; however, proved to be so much superior to those'made -of other materials that it soon bficame known abroad, and now the different kinds of broom corn are cultivated to the warmer parts of although America still leads the van. It* Was formerly supposed that! our broom corn was a distinct species of Sorghum or Halcue from those grown exclusively for their seed, such as the Durracorn of Egypt, the two-colored millet pf Southern Europe, the jßlaok Indian millet, and many other well- known softs, but pf late years our botanists have decided that they are all varieties of the old Borgkum vidgare, which is almost as variable under cultivation as our common Indian corn. Of course, a plant which furnishes a material'for makingeo useful an implement as the broom must not only* be' in great'demand, but, owing to {he short life of even a good broom, the demand must be continuous. ~ f -f Forty yeafs ago the culture of broom com was confined mainly to the. New .England States and Eastern counties ot N£un York, with a Tew localities in New Jersey, but of late its culture has been extended westward, the rich lands of the newer States being well adapted., to the production of a long and [excellent staple. But before proceeding to say anything about the cultivation or this plant, we must remind our readers that a plant which is so easily raised and thrives over so wide an extent of. country, is not at all likely to be neglected whenever its culture can be made profitable. Statement Jn regard to the enormous profits to be derived from brbom-corn culture frequently appear in our agricultural journals, and while in some instances' they may 'be trhe; yet, upon the wfyjje, they should 1 :- b# ; cpusidered as sensational, or as rare exceptions to the general rule. The cultivators who have beeri the mostsuccessful are those making a crop pf broom-cora a specialty during a long series of years, taking the high and low prices as they come, not pursuing a vacillating course in endeavoring to “ hit” the market just right every time. If a farmer desires to grow a small quantity of broomcorn for hia own use, the transaction is a safe and economical one; • but before attempting to cultivate this crop on a large scale for market, it would be well to consider the subject carefully in all its bearings, in order; to know in advance what hia facilities aruior cleaning, drying and baling the “Crop in thar most approved manner. The price, of broom-dom f)«cM .tuates greatly from year to year, and the grower must take his chances of making the crop a remunerative one. Rich, alluvial river bottoms, which contain a portion -of sand and gravel, are better adapted to broom-coin than high and dry land, however fertile. But the rich prairie soils of the Western States produce good crops, and With a little extra care in the way of deep plowing, to insure the retention; of moisture during! droughts, they answer the purpose admirably. As the plants when they first appear";are much more delicate than Indian corn, greater care is-required to prevent them from being smothered by wfeefls; consequently it is well to ’sfelect land which has not become foul through neglect in the culture Of previous crops. The more general practice with those who make broom-corn culture afapCcjalty is tp continue the cr6p on the skme land *for several years, and, by thorough hoeing and cultivation, spbdue the weeds. Manure may lie *pplted to land not' rick enough ‘to produce a'crop without it, but it is bettqr to select;t*nd which i does not require fertilizing, for thC first two or three seasons, at least; and when manure is applied, it should be of some kind not likely to contain any great number of weed seeds. Some cultivators plant-In hills three feet apart, an< l others in drills. The latter is preferable, as a more equal distribution of the. plants in the soil can be secured than when three or four are crowded in a hill. The rows should be three and ahalf to four feet apart, and the ‘ seed dropped about three inches apart in the drill,- or closer, and the plants thinned out at the proper time. Seed-drills aie employed for sowing, 4 die groqnd being previously: marked off, as is usuarin planting corn. About twp quarts of seed will be sufficient fdr an acre. rj The Usual season for planting -ffidmnr corn wijii answer for broom-corn; bat it hats better be' a little after 2 that time-than before, "as the. sped is rathpr delicafe, and R few wet, Cold days after planting are likely to rot R, so that replanting becomes necessary. , Broom-cam Is cultivated much as other ki»da of com, except that the plants, being smaller, Will require earlier attention in keeping down the weeds. The cultivation is done mainly with a horse and light cultivator* but hand-hoeing and weeding mutt follow, in order to, clean out the ground between toe plants; also for thinning out, leaying one stalk every three inches, or thereabout. The more frequent the stirring of the soil the better the growth, as with othen similar plants. ) There are two distinct-method* of treating the crop. The first, Ahd what,may be termed tjwoldway, is to go overtheflyid soon after the grain is set jmd break.down the top or brush, allowing it to hang on theatalk a tew weeks, after which cat and take into the drying shed. The second method, and the one generally practiced now by our most extensive cultiva&tSStfSfßßß&ftX fore the seeds are formed, thereby securing brush of a light green color, which St present commands the best price in mark«C although 'lt la doubtful if it Is any better than that gathered in the old way. In cutting, the stem should be severed

eight or nine inches below Jke point where the brush springs from the stalk. Where any considerable quantity of broom can be raised, buildings for curing will be required; also, scraping-machines run by horse-power. The diy-house will have to be fitted up with racks upon which to lay the brush, and through which currents of air can freely pass during dry weather. After thoroughly drying, the h'lmrh k pm uula bales about three feet, m in*»ee lopfOtwo feet wide, and ten tefct pf inches when Irepbriads. Of efflsefftem wis? l>e more CriJjTd straight staple, fr the power desires to acquire a reputation for producing a firstrate article.— AT. T. Sun.