The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-22

Ii the stalks are cut on before the
seed is ripe, they are better, stronger,
more durable, than il, cut after the
seed is ripe. The seed is used for
feeding horses, cattle and swine. 1t
is ground and mixed with Indian
meal, and is regarded an excellent
food-it weighs forty pounds a bushei.
from the Rural New YorkerI sp4
EDITORS RURAL New YORKER la
your issue of January 18th, [ notice
an inquiry in regard to the culture
and value of broom corn. Not seeing
any answer from our celebrated broom
raisers, I will answer to the best of
my ability, promising that, although
not in that business. [ am somewhat
familiar with it in all its details.
Il In the first place, the ground should
be dry and rich; the same conditions
of soil being. required as for Indian
corn. After the ground is plowed
and Thoroughly palverized, it must be
marked out in rows, three feet apart
one way, and eighteen. inches the
other. The rows should be perfectly
straight, if possible, as this will en-
able the most of the cultivation to be
donelwfth aqhorse - Plant at the sea-
son for planting maize, dropping from
six to, eight kernels in a hill, and !
cover about an inch deep. "a a. 80
-Aslsoon as it appears above ground
put,on aiihandful of ashes, or ashes
and, plaster mixed, if thee ground is /
not rich enough without such, top /,
dressing. In about one week the
horse and cultivator can be started,
and the first hoeing performed. Great
care. is required TODD this well-if the
ground is weedy it is hard to distih1l
gush the broom corn from :. pigeon
grass, no" corn grass, and similar
coarse weeds-4if the weeds are left,
the corn gets stunted, and never will
irecuperate., The corn should qbe
sthinned when hoed the second time,
to five stalks in the hill, and the Gull
ltivator should be busily employed to
keep the ground mellow and free
from weeds. oolfisoedo ~.
} After the seed is, say one half out
and cut. The tabling is performed
by walking between Q the rows, and
bonding or breaking the hills in each
row.. alternately, toward and across !
the other row, behind the tables; or,
as some doit, go backward between
the rows, breaking the hills down, al
ternately, as before, across each other, !
lat an angle with the row, of 40 de-
grees.5 The tops will then usually
reach over the table about far enough
TO cut easily! The table should be-
sixteen or. eighteen inches high, in !,
order that the cutter may not be OBJ
hged to stoop too much at his work.
/, A shoemaker's broad, thin knife, is
the best to- cut withailThe cutting is
performed by taking hold of the brush
or tops, and. cutting the stalk about
eight inches from the brush. It re-
auires much skill and practice to cut
rapidly and easily. o The brush should
be left for a few days on the tables, to-
dry thoroughly-it is, then bound in
bundles and housed. The seed can
be scraped off at any time when con-
venient. Good seed is worth. for
feeding purposes, about the same as
oats. ~ lot be+rabe aew 0eifaict
do not know the exact cost of
raising, but it is just about double the
work that it is to raise maise. The
average crop per acre, aon good land,
is 1000 pounds, Rich, well Guilt
waited land, will give, l 800 pounds per
! acre. The crop is under the control
of the eultipater IS much as is Indian
corn, and good farmers will always
get good crops. The best fertilizer
is good barn-yard manure-to be APP
piled as for Indian corn. The stalks
are usually plowed under for manure;
but few take pains to pull the fodder,
as used to be the custom in the South
west. Probably the best way to do
this is to let the cows into the field,
for an hour each day, after the brush
is harvested, and let them pull their
own fodder. 1t is equal to- the fame
sorghum, or to a''sowed corn" for the
purpose of increasing the yield Of
milk, as long as it lasts.
81 We would advise farmers to plant
large crops, as it is one that pays well,
and for which they will always find a
ready market.