Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-04-12
DIRECTIONS FOR THE CULTIVATION OF
RROOM CORN

BROOM CORN.
The following account of the broom corn, its cu-
ture and uses, is the substance OF communication
made by Mr. William Allen of Northampton, Mas
sachusetts, to Mr.. II. |. Ellsworth, Commissioner
Of Patents
Of the genus sorghum (broom-grass) there are
four or five species. Sorghum SacchdrGtum is the
broom.corn, abundsntly cultivated in this country
both for the seed and for its large panices, which
are made into the broomS. The whole plant Is
saccharine. Attempts have been made IT. France to
extract sugar from it, but with little success.
OF the sorghum szccharGtuR, Tor hOicuS SlcchHra
tus) broom corn there are several varieties raised
in hampshire county, Massachusetts,, IN the valley
of the Connecticut river, principally IN the broad
meadows of Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield
The pine tree kind is regarded the poorest Kind,
or the least advantageous for cultivation; yet as
is earliest being three weeks earlier than the large
kind in o short season, when its seed will riptn,
while the seeds Of the other kind fail to ripen this
may prove the most profitable crop. The North
river crop is ordinary the best crop; Is ten days
earlier than the large kind, and yields about 720
lbs. of the brush per acre-the brush, meaning the
dried pancles, cleaned Of the seed, with eight
inches of the stalk. The New jersey, or large kind
yields thousand or eleven hundred lbs. of brush
per acre. The stalks and seeds are larger In good
seasons this is the most profitable crop. But, in
the present season. (lSi2) owing to an -arly frost;
(about September 90 much Of the seed Of this kind
will fail TO ripen. There is also the shirley or black
brush Soil rich alluVial lands are bet adapted
for the broom-corn, more especially if warmly stu
ated, protected by hills, and well MANFRED.
METHOD OF PLAGTlNG.-The boom.corn is planted
in rows, about p OF feet apart, so that horse
may pass between them with plough, or cutivator
or harrow. The hill+in each row from Is inches
to feet apart or farther according to the quality
of the soil. The quantity Of seed to be planted is
estimated very differently by different farmers
some say that hs peck is enough per acre, while
others plant half bushel in order TO make it sure
that the land shall be well stocked. The rule with
some is to cast tcaspooniul, 80 CT 20 seeds IN
a hill; the manure at the time of planting should
be put into the hill, and old manure compost is
preferred, as being most free from worms.
CULTIyATIoN.-The broom corn should be plough
ed and hood three times-the last tufe when about
thee feet high though some hoe il when it is six
feet high and when they are concealed by it us they
are toling in the field. The number of stalks i'll a
hill should be from TO ten. If there are only
tive or six stalks, they i'll be large and coaser; if
there arc about eight, the brush will be finer and
more valuable. In the FIRST hoeiug.the supernu-
inersTy stalks should be pulled up.
HARFEsTINs-As the frost kills ihe seed, the
broom-corn is harvested at the coz hencemen, of
the first frost. The long stalks are .t ,iogn at
OF q feet from the ground; and hYs yiiS those Of
two rows across each other OGlquel 70 kind of Ia
Die is made by every two rows, wit7a passage be-
tween each table, for the convenience of harvesting
After that the brush is cut, leaving of the stalks
from TO inches. As it is cut it is spread on the
tables still farther to dry; that is if the weather is
fair Care should be taken that the brush should
not be exposed to rain damp weather after it is cut
As 1t is carried into the barn. some bind it in sheave
and this is great convenience for the further oper
alton of extracting the seed. Diners throw the
brush into the cart or wagon, unbound
| ScRArING.-The process OF extracting the seed is
called scraping the brush" Two iron horizontal
Scrapers are prepared-one movable, to be elevated
little, SO that handful of brush may be intro
auced between them. The upper scraper is then
! pressed down with one hand, and the brush drawn
through with the other, the seed being scraped off,
Inns Is the old method, A newly invented scraper
is supersedng the old one 1t is an upright instru
ment, of elastic wood or STEEL inserted in bench Of
convenient height for the operator. A quantity
| OF brush is taken in the hand and brought down
| upon the top of this instrument As il is forced
down, and drawn towards the body. it separates
the elastic sticks from the central piece but their
elasticity presses sufficiently on the brush so that
the slsd is scraped off The advantage of this
scraper is, that both hands may be applied to the
S1lsh, instead of only one hand, as 10 the other
Knn and the elastic power Of nature is substituted
lot the pressure of one .of the hands. The iistru
tneo' also seems to double the -scrspng surfans-