The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-22
AGRICULTURAL.
Directions for the Cultivation of
Broom Corn.

year. In using the ulrecIlOns que
allowance must be made for the diff
ference In Soil and climate:
IA contamination made By Mr. William
Allen, of Northampton, Mass. to Mir.
oh. l. Ellsworth, Commissioner of Pat
ents.l a.sf-ue 1re9 81oli1sE va
OF the genus sorghum (bro0m grass
there are four or FIVE species. sSor-
ghum saccharatum is the broom corn,
abundantly cultivated in this country
both for the seed and for its large
panicles, which are made into the
brooms The whole plant is saccha-
rine. Attempts have been made in
France to extract sugar from it, but
with little success. -
Of the sorghum dcchGrQtunt Tor h0I-
cas- saUehnretus), broom corn there are.
several varieties raised in, Hampshire
county, Massachusetts,. in the valley
of the Connecticut river, principally,
in the broad meadows of the North
ampton, Hadley, and Hatfield. The
pine tree Is regarded as. the poorest,
kind 81 the least advantageous for.
cultivation; yet, as it is earliest, (be7g
ing three weeks earlier than the large
kindly, in a short season, when its seed
will ripen, while the seeds of the,
other Kind fail to ripen, this may
prove the most profitable crop. The
North river crop is ordinarily; the best
crop; it is ten days earlier than the
large kind, and yields about, 40
pounds of the brush per aere-the
brush meaning the dried panicles,
cleaned of the seed, with six or eight
inches of the stalk. The New Jersey,
or large kind, yields a thousand Or
eleven hundred pounds Of brush, per
acre. The stalks and seeds are larger.
In good seasons, this, is the most
profitable crop. But in the present
season (1842), owing to an early frost
(about September 23l, much of the
seed Of this kind will fail to ripen.
There is also the shirley, or black
brush. Soil rich, alluvial lands are
best adapted for the broom corn, more
especially if warmly situated, pro-
tected by hills, and MANFRED. "
N METHOD OF PLANTING. The
broom corn is planted in rows, about
two and d half or three feet apart,
so that a horse may pass between
themG with a. pillow, or ic1ltivator, or
harrow The hills in each row are
from eighteen inches to two feet apart,
or farther, according to the quality Of
the SELL The quantity of seed to be,
planted is estimated very differently
by different farmers some say that
half a peck is enough per acre, while
others plant half, a bushel, and some
bushel, in order to make it sure
that the land shall be well stocked.
The rule with some is to cast tea
spoonful, or thirty or forty seeds, in
hill the manure at the time of plant
ing should be put into the hill, and
old manure or compost is preferred,
as being most free from worms. = 77'i
CULT1vATToN.t - The broom corn
should be plowed and hoed three
| times-the last time when about three
feet high, though some hoe it when it
| is six feet high, and when they are
concealed by it as they are toiling in
the field. The number of stalks in
hill should be from seven to ten. IF
there are only. five. or six stalks, they
| will be large and coarser; if there are
| about eight the brush will be finer
and more valuable. In the first
hoeing, the s1pernumerary stalks
should be pulled up 400 p ~ ~ &
| HARvEsTING.-As the frost kills
the seed, the broom corn is harvested
at the commencement of the first
frost. The long stalks are bent down
at two or two and a half feet from the
ground, and by laying those of two
rows across each other obliquely, a
kind Of table is made by every two
rows, with a passage between each
table for the convenience of harvest
ing. After that the brush is cut,
| leaving of the stalk from six to eight
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 the brush should not be ex-
posed to rain or@damp weather after
it is cut As it is carried into the
barn some bind it in sheaves, and this
is great convenience for the further
operation of extracting the seed.
Others throw the brush into the cart
wagons unbound. : oaa+ .4h4
ScRAPING. -The process of extract
ing the seed is called 9 scraping the
brush" Two iron horizontal scra-
pers are prepared movable, to
be introduced between them. The
upper scraper is then pressed down
with one hand, and the brush drawn
through with the other, the seed be-
ing scraped off. This is the old meth
3D. A newly invented scraper is sue
ceeding the old one. It is an upright
instrument, 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 it is forced
down, and drawn toward the body, it
separates the elastic sticks from the
central piece, but their elasticity
] presses sufficiently on the brush so