Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-16
DIRECTIONS FOR THE CULTIVATION O
BROOM CORN

The following account Of the broom Germ, IT'S CHI
ture and uses, is the substance OF a COMMUNICATIONS
made by Mr.. William Allen Of Northampton, Mas
sachuse,ts, to Mr. II. l. Ellsworth, Commissioner
of Patents.
OF the genus sorghum broom grass :h.re arc
four or five species Sorghum s.cchoratum is the
broom corn ahunlan,y cultivated in this country,
both for the seed and for its large pancles, which
are made into the troolns. The whole plant IL
saccharine Attempts have been made IT. France 10
extract sugar from it. bu, with little success
OF the sorghum saccharatuns Tor holcus sacchar's.
tus) broomcorn there are several varieties raised
in Hampshire county, Massachusetts,, in the valley
of the Connecticut river. principally in the broad
meadows of Northampton, lladley and Hatfield
The pine tree kind is regarded as the poorest kind
Or the least advantageous for cultration yet, as it
is earliest, (being three weeks earlier than the large
kind in short season, when its seed will ripcn,
while the seeds Of the other kind fail to iipen this
may prove the most profitable crop. The North
river crop is ordinary the best crop it is ten days
earlier than the large kind, and yields about 72O
lbs. of the brush per acre-thc brush meaning the
Tried pancles cleaned of the seed with six or 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, u842,) owing to early frost,
(about September 23) much of the seed Of this kind
will fail to ripen. There is also the shirley black
brush. Soil rich, alluviai lands are best adapted
for the brooln-corn, more especially if warmly stu
ated, protected Ivy hills, and well MANFRED
METAoD OF PLANTING boomco is planted
in rows; about q or feet apart SO that horse
may pass between themwith plough or cultivator.
or harrow The hills in each row are from IL inches
to feet apart or farther, according to the quality
of the soil The quantity Of seed to he planted is
estimated very differently by different farmers
some say that half peck s enough per acre, while
others plant half bushel in order to make it sure
scme is to cast teaspoonful, or 30 or 10 seeds, IN
hill; the manure at the time Of planting should
be put into the hill, and old manure or compost is
preferred as being most free from worms.
CULTIvArIoN.-The broom corn should be plough
ed and hoed three times-thc last time when about
three feet high, though some hoe it when it IS six
feet high, and when they concealed by it as they
are tolng in the field. The number of stalks in
hill should be from to ten IF there are only
five or six stalks, they will be large and coaser; if
there are about eight the crush will be finer and
more valuable. In the first noeing the supernu.
merary stalks should lie pulled up
HARvEsTING-As the frost kills the seed, the
broomcorn is harvested at the commencement of
the first frost. The long stalks are bent down at
or q feet from the ground and by laying those Of
two rows across each other obquely, kind of Ia
ule IS mace ny every TWO rows, with 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 OH the
tables, still farther to dry that is if the weather is
fair. Care should be taken that the brush should
not he exposed to rain damp weather after it is cut
AS it is carried into the barn, some bind it in seaves
and this is great convenience for the further oper-
alton Of extracting the seed. Others throw tho
brush into the cart or wagon unbound
| SCRAPISG.-The process of extracting the seed is
called scraping the brush" Two iron horizontal
scrapers are prepared-one movable, to be elevated
a little, so that handful of brush NAV be intro
duced 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,
This is the old method. A newly invented scraper
is superseding the old one. 1t is an upright instru
ment, of elastic wood STEEL inserted in bench q
convenient height for the operator A quantity
OF brush is taken in the hand, apd brought down
upon the top Of this instrument As II is forced
uno"n, and drawn towards the body, it separates
sasnc sticks from the central piece but the
ths 'sty presses sufficiently on the brush, SO tina
s s.s SEQ Is scrsped Of. The advantage Of th
S.nI ~ mat both hands may be applied to tn,
1iusn, instead Of only one hand, as Il. the othe
KIND and the elastic power Of nature is substitute,
for the pressure Of one Of the hands. The instyu
r's'' also "esrns to double th. ssrspins surf.es-