The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-03-21
Raising Of Broom Corn.

The introduction of broom corn as D
regular crop of the farm has again been
considerably discussed and commended
in certain sections as being one of the
most, il not the most, profitable b anch
es in general farming. We are fully
aware that the results of a crop when
carefully cultivated and great del of
labor bestowed upon it. are better than
those of many other crops; but AL
things considered we are bv no means
prepared to encouraee its introduction
extensively. There are many features
eonnec, ed with IL that require mech
labor and money to dispose If properly.
The common barn or ou:buiIdings are
not, adapted to broom-corn. Open
sheds with Slated racks. will have To
be built somewhat similar to what is
used for the crop of tobacco; for, IL
stacked in bulk il viii soon mold and
lose its natural color, and as a mer
chantable article IL would be deprecated
to one half its value. Then
the seeds have to be nicely
cleaned out, which is not an easy
matter, as the ordinary threshing-ma-
chimes will not answer, for they would
seriously injure the broom-st' aw; but
something must be got up expressly fr
it. The threshing then is no mean III.
Us it is both laborious, di,ag e. ,ble and
expensive. There is a peculiar dust
arising from it hat il very iujnriou TO
the lungs, so much so in fact that very
few can stand it at all, and th0-e who d
or can are obliged TO wear spnngeS over
their mouths and gauze over their face;
and even the particles falling upon the
skin produce a painful itching, TO which
the virus if the poison-ivy Is q soothing
sirup in comparison. And after all
this Is gone through with and suffered,
we come to the result, and now let us
see what it is. The broom corn rai-ers
in the west, where this crop is more ex-
tensively raised than almost anywhere
else, II we except q portion of New
York and one or two of the New En-
gland States, who have been successful,
and who, of course, give us the best
figures, tell us that half ton of pre-
pared straw to the acre is first rate
crop, and that the cash value of IL de-
livered is about forty dollars.
Now, it will be admitted that it is
poor year for Indian corn that does not
yield $25 an acre to q Western farmer,
generally. This Il not so much as the
broom-corn, certainly, but then there is
not half the labor, and of course not half
the expense, to say nothing of the very
irving annoyances to which the farmer
Is subjected in preparing it for the pur.
chaser. We can, therefore, safely say
that, compa'ing one crop with the
other in growing 1t and getting it ready
for market, $50 or even $50 per acre for
broom-corn would pay no better.
Hence, the conclusions drawn from
these facts are very different from those
Submitted by the broom corn grower,
which, as it is seen, will not bear exam
ination. . ID .-- ~ fss
1t must be remembered that the re-
suit of q profitable business is deter
mined by events, as at no business what.
ever can any one tell with certainty
what he can make the most money.
he farmer and gardener should, in the
first place, attend to those things that
eyeiybJdy wants and that are abso-
lately sure to sell. As ne progresses he
can try experiments that promise sue
cess, and include such specialties in his
series of crops as are likely to be In
demand; but in all such cases to risk
only TO such an extent that he shall not
feel il in the event of disappointment.
A man of fair, ordinary degree OF
sense can usually see his way pretty
clear in these things, and win not be
likely to be led astray by any undue ex-
element in any new thing that may be
started by spectators. And one OF
thesp things, though by no means new,
Is the sudden clamor about going ex-
tsnsiyely into broom-corn culture.
Pfa ,s f,rr shoes recently coDst-uo,ed