The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-10-23


The seed is drilled in by machine. gauged
SO as to drop four or five seeds At 5 time.
the droppings or hills nine inches apart, the
rows two feet nine inches, thus bringing It
closer than the common corn. The stalk IN
consequence Is slender, making a liner
brush. The machine Is q drill, manufac-
tured at Schenectady. and sold for about
fifty dollars II is called Gray's Broom
Corn Drill. It marks the rows and plants
and covers at the same time. 4 man and a
horse viii work 1t.
There are two kinds OF broom corn grown
IN the valley here-the Mohawk and the
Evergreen. The last comes from the West,
and requires longer to mature, seldom upen-
ing here; hence the seed is brought from
Missouri or Iowa, where 1t ripeHs. 1t Is
considered the most profitable to grow.
yielding about eight hundred pounds Of
brush to the acre, while the common or no
hawk kind yields about six hundred. These
figures with superior culture and soil are
exceeded, sometimes reaching eight to ten
hundred pounds, as in the West, but rarely
here
The common CIohawk) kind is ct TO cut
when the top begins 10 redden. The Ever
green is cut as late as the season viii admit,
avoiding, if possible, the frost. The frost
hurts it, bleaching it and reducing the
weight. If pretty well matured and gath
cred before the frost, this variety makes
very fine article, green and elastic. The
color enhances the price. The best brush is
green and bright and springy without brit
tleness. The Evergreen IS of this kind,
and commands two or three cents per pound
more in market. 1t is being more and more
raised here In proportion to the other.
Wkcv1 fha tina for crafi1arin hoe or-,r-oI
the brush is cut, leaving a but or handle of
about six inches in length. and is laid in
small heaps, followed by the wagon which
carries it to the drying place, a barn or
building the size agreeing with the amount
to be dried, 1t is cleared Of its seed as it
is brought in by machine made for that
purpose with two cylinders running near
together in opposite directions, their teeth
or spikes intersecting as in a thresling ma
chine. The machine, Gray's Broom Corn
Scrapcr, is manufactured and sold ut Schen-
ectady, and costs about seventy dollars.
The brush, to clear it of its seed, is taken by
the butts, a handful, and put in between the
cylinders far enough to remove the seed,
then out 1t is an easy operation; there is
not the drawing IN by the spikes as with a
thresher, as the opposite motion of the two
cylinders, one above the other, neutralizes
the effect; and it may be done rapidly, as
fast as two persons feel disposed to work it.
When taken from the wagon, the brush is
laid evenly in piles on long table, and car
ried thence to the scraper, so as to expedite
the work there. 1t takes about a dozen
hands thus to sort and get ready the brush
for the mill. The work of sOr ingis done
by women and girls and small boys
When relieved of its seed, the brush
is placed on laths or narrow boards,
ranged few inches apart, so as to hold
the brush, which is laid on crosswise.
The entire floor of the building Of a
barn, bays and sheds included) is thus
covered with laths and brush--the brush
two or three thickncsses, if laid too
thick it will not readily dry, and it is nee
essary to have it as bright as possible, and
free from mould. Another tier is laid about
ten or twelve inches above this, and so on
to the roof. Ventilation is then given by
removing boards at proper distances out of
the sides of the building. The circulation
of air wants to be free and full. 1t takes
about thirty days thus to day the brush,
which must be seen to and turned occa-
sionally. When dry, it is pressed hay
press answering the purpose-two rows of
brush, butts outside, put together. 1t is
three hundred pounds. tits then ready for
market.
The broom corn interest is a very fuc-
tuating one. The price for the last few
years has been about six cents for the COM
mon kind, and eight for the other. This
last, at the close of the war, brought as high
as eighteen cents per pound. Small fortunes
were realized by some growers in the West;
but, many rushing into the business, the
price was brought down, and so low that
good evergreen brush was sold at penny a
pound, and brought to the eastern market,
which it kept for several years at a reduced
figure, barely paying cost of production.
This discouraged the interest, so that to-day
the Mohawk valley grows only about half
the amount that it used to. and in the West
it is entirely paralyzed. But change is
taking place. The old crop which deluged
us from the West is cleared out, and the
growers being few, the demand at once in
creases, and good brush is now worth ten
to twelve cents.