Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-12-14
aanraster .gmelIiganrlr.
axow,so pRoOw CORN.
Tn. way to prepare the Ground.

rs. w.v IN prepare the Ground.
Germantown Telegraph .,.,,fl ~
While there il considerable quantities OF
hroom corn sown In certain sections, ana
"a NAV say most generally on small farms,
there IL undoubtedly room for great deal
more ON farms large and small. In the
north western parts of this state, In portions
Of New York, New Jersey, Michigan aud
Ohio, the increase In this crop OF late years
has been quite considerable, aud 1t will no
doubt 20 on increasing aud prove proht'
able branch Of farming. In winter, when
outdoor work Is impossible, aud there Is
but little indoor work to do for the ordi
nary hands employed,i it Is common prac
tice for our farmers to manufacture their
own brooms, aud with very little experience
they can make as good brooms as any 10
be purchased in ths market, and genoI'In,
much stronger. The handles are sun
easier to prepare, there being cheap na
chimes by which they eau be rapidly maue
AZ a little cost and labor, and, as We say
~ t;mes when there Is little else 10 40
Oo manv farms the boys make the brooms
and most generally the profits OF the crop
go 70 them as pocket money. This Is
yerv GOOD way to encourage the boys To
work and lay ups little store Tor the tu
turc. when IL may come in as a helper
very oppoitunely. On many farms where
broom corn Is raised, 1t is done with
view to selling the brush aud the seed, the
former going to regular broom makers auu
the latter feed to fowls, etc, but TINS Is III
the way of regular branch OF iarming,
In cultivatiug broom corn, the ground Is
prepared as for corn, and the planting Is
done Immediately after the latter Is
through with. Broom corn is sowu in
hills and drills, rs may be desired, but
mostly In drills The rows should be about
three aud a / alf feet apart and when IN
drills the plants stand about a foot apart ana
IN the rows two feet. Three stalks to hill
are sufficient, aud, when more, should oe
reduced to this number, after sprouting Q
coupls of inches. The seed should not bt
covered quite as much as Indian corn. lht
ground caunot be kept too clear oil
weeds. and tho ground should be
we'll narrowed. The cultivation II
all respects is about the same a.
other corn. When the heads are in ful
bloom, or little before, the crop should o'
harvested, the beginning of which is th'
breaking over of the brush, which break
ing should take place in the stalk aoon,
one foot from the brush. The cutting of,
and gathering the heads should take place
when the seed Is pretty well fipene1'
They should be cut off with sharp knlte
lust above the upper joint. wagon cart
should be at hand TO carry away the heads
at once, aud no. allow them to touch the
ground. Lay the heads in the vehicle as
they are cut of, and all Que way, and
haul to dry shed where shelves should
be arranged about eighteen inches
apart, Some growers place the heads IN
dry stacks, to remain until the seed Il
pretty hard, when the seed is separated
by an ordinary threshiuG machine. Th'
motion of the machine should be reversed
bupches should be held 10 the cylinder
turning them back aud forth until the setC
is all removed. 1t takes from three C
four quarts Of seed per acre, which ouSh'
to yield from seven TO ten hundrsd pounds
of brush aud from 30 70 80 pounds OF seed
We broach this subject now ia order
that where the crop is already on the farm
the seed may be selected in time and th'
patch of fgrouud selected.