Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-05-04
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Culture and Curing of Broom Corn,

j
Culture and Curing of Broom Corn,
! RY T. C.. CURTIS.
usually plant from three to sixty acres
of broom corn, according to the probabili-
ties of the price it will be likely to bring in
market, the land I have which l consider
in proper condition, and the price of labor.
Last year thought the high price of brush
would induce large amount of planting;
so much that the price woald be low, and
that the high price of labor would make
the crop improbable. The ex-
tremely rainy season ruined laroe por-
ton of the crop and also reduced
the yield OF much of the remaining part Of
| it. The report of the Board of Trade. of
Chicago, for 1868, shows the receipts for
| the year to have been 5, 229, ,916 lbs. that OF
1859, $3.50, 126 lbs, or l, 666, POT lbs. more
than the crop of 186S Had other portions
of the United States produced the crop in
similar ratio there would appear to be no
good reason for the present high prices l
mention this to serve as check upon the
unlnitiated, and to show why [ plant SO
| much less at one time than another.
! My three acres last year produced brush
sufficient for about 100 dozen good hurl
brooms, which sold readily for 81 so per
dozen, The yield was probably about $50
lbs per acre. 1t was planted on soil that
was originally good bur and white OAK
openings, had been cropped several years to
wheat, seeded to clover and timothy,
| sheeped two years, broken up and
raised good crop of patatoes the
year previous. The land was plowed
about seven inches deep, narrowed well,
and planted to the Mohawk variety, in
drills three feet apart, so as to secure
stand equal to one stalk every five or six
inches in the drill As it just began to
show above the ground, run over it with
an A-shaped harrow, with the front tooth
out, straddling the rows as much as con-
venent. In week or ten days after, I
went through it with a hand hoe, stirring
the ground about the broom corn, and
thinning it to the proper standard. The
grassy weeds were not troublesome I
worked it twice afterwards with double
shovel plow.
My mode of cutting and curing the brush
is upon the same principle as detailed by
the Messrs. Graves, but being on smaller
scale, / manage indifferently in some re-
spects. have no dry-house made especially
for the purpose, but use my barn floors
and other parts of the barn when necessary
What | term permanent horizontal supports
can be removed from the buildings, and give
room for other storage when the drying of
the brush is completed. I make these sup
ports by laying down two boards, twelve feet
long and six inches wide, about one foot
apart; upon these boards I lay lath about
five inches apart, the whole length of the
twelve feet with shingle nails, the lath pro-
jeoted each side of the boards equully [
am rather particular with the first one,
which serves as a pattern for the rest, as I
lay the next two boards directly over the
others and the lath directly over the ones
already nailed. This sort of ladder work
/ set upon end so as to form stalls or alley
ways, three feet nine inches
wide; the ends of the lath being six inches
apart, more or less, as it is designed
to carry up two tiers of brush upon each
pair of ladders, four feet, as the length of
ordinary lath does not give space enough
for two tiers of long brush; hence the ne
cessity OF the intervening space between
the ends of the lath. This ladder woik is
secured to its place by stay-lathing at thu
top and bottom. The width of the stalls
allows the common four feet lath to be
used to spread the brush upon
In my next will illustrate and describe
/ a hand scraper to be used when theamount
of broom corn grown is small, and means
for purchasing machinery are limited.
Deterioration of Wheat.
Hon. B. G. Cook, Member of Congress
from Illinois, recently addressed note to
Hon. Horace Caprop, Commissioner of Ag-
riculture, asking for suggestions as to the
| cause of the deterioration or running OUT
of the varieties of wheat in use in his
vicinity The Commissioner replied as fol-
lows: $3.50
Yours is received referring to the fire.
quent receipt of letters from farmers com
planning of the failure of wheat in your dis
trict. Your apprehension that such failure
may be due to the fact that the seed is not
changed often enough, is by no means
groundless, though more than one cause
exists for such decrease Of production.
Among these causes are the following:
/. Deterioration from Imperfect Seed. =
Regard must be had to pedigree in wheat,
as in cattle or horses, or deterioration is
sure to result. Among wild herds the pre-
vailing law of the strongest aids in preserv-
ing its average excellence; but the prevalent
neglect of selection of seed of cereals is 3
sure means of degeneracy. Seed is gener-
ally taken at random, often an inferior and
imperfect quality, because No. l wheat
commands higher price in market Like
produces like and this shrivelled grain
tends to slow growth in the plant to late
| ripening, and consequently greater risk of
insect ravages; it is immature and lacking
in vitality, and decreased plumpness and
diminished weight may be expected in the
harvest; it may have germs of mildew af-
fecting it, with insufficient vitality to re-
sist the attacks of fungoid enemies.
2. Deterioration, By E1a-0nd-iB Breeding.
The use of the same seed year after Wear
undoubtedly tends to deterioration, On She
well known principle holding in animal
production.
8. Neglect IN Rotation of Crops On the
richest wheat soils, with continued crop
ping, even with change of seed, and careful
| selection, diminished yieldi is usually ap
parent after the second crop. Illinois,
Minnesota California, Australia
famous wheat section known, attests the
certainty and rapidity of decreased pro-
duction under practice which disregards
| rotation. 1H
f. Deficient and Careless Cultivation.
AS rule, the only preparation for seeding
is a slight scratching of the soil, sometimes
only narrowing of the weedy, grassy un.
even surface from which corn has Just beer
cut; and weeds have thus an equal or su
/ perior opportunity for growth, and event
ually smother and dwarf the wheat, fur
nishing prolific cause for deterioration.
The wheat plant is susceptible of grea
Improvement if the same Judgment anG
care is exercised as is exhibited by success
tul breeders of farm animals. It will also
degenerate with wonderful facility under
the average management of pioneer wheat
growers. After this careless culture be
comes Improbable and probably not unit
then, will the requisite means for improve
ment be used. Is it not now time to com
| MT in =aS
If YOU do not feel well you send for q doc
tor. he calls upon you, looks wise, sGrawlf
| soma hinroolVphies IlT,on a. niece Of yoane1