Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-11

should consider the old saying, Livery
| young man who starts out in the world
has got TO lose a horse, Il. e., he has
| got to pay for learning most things, and
some that appear quite simple.
! Raising, curing and properly prepar-
| ing broomcorn for marketing requires
implements and drying sheds or build
+, ings adapted for the purpose. 1t can be
| very easily grown on good, new Western
corn soils that are free from weeds, par
| ticularly pigeon grass, and If started IN
drills thus free from weeds-stalks TO
average four (4) inches apart in the
| driils-the cost of cultivation will be
light. But if weeds get the start and
| hand-hoeing is requisite the operator will
find learning expensive.
The next thing to consider is curing the
| brush; for if even a good growth of brush
is secured It may become worthless unless
it is properly cured. 1t must be thor
ough1y dried before baling for market,
and should be as near as possible to q
bright pea-green color. This green color
can only be secured by cutting at exactly
the right time. Broomcorn grows green
up to the time its seed is milky, and ap-
prosches the dough state when the tips of
the brush begin to rsdden and also be-
gins 10 lose IN weight.
The time TO cut it Is just before it be-
gins to lose the pea-green color, or in Its
milky state, and it should be cut with
about six inches of stalk and stripped of
leaves; and in all the landings IL must
be kept with the brush ends all one way
and kept in regular gavels or piles. And
if possible it should be scraped and
placed regularly on Stats in the dry
Fo Tor
mold or discolor, and It is a fact that il
will dry better green in
dark place than in a light one. 1t
will require about two thousand cubic
feet of space for one ton of cured brush
or say 12x12x16 feet. It requires
power-scraper to take OF the seeds,
which are worthless for feed If the brush
is cut in the green state. If allowed TO
ripen, the seed is of poor quality-little
value-and the broom brush is-af little or
no market value.
These are things that are SO hard and
costly TO learn. The novice may learn to
raise the brush If he has fresh. new land,
free from weeds; but 1t is almost impos-
sible TO pound into his head the necessity
OF power soraper TO take of the seed q
dry house TO lay ii away TO dry in, and q
gang of some fifteen hands TO keep the
business In regular operation. After this
is all done, then IL requires press to
press it into bales.
But for all this, broom corn is q well
paying crop under favorable conditions.
1t Is one of the products that the people
must have, and being crop that stands
drouth well there Is no good reason for
surprising that it might not be made a
profitable crop for many sections of
Texas.
People sometimes get to thinking that
certain crops can be made to pay only in
the Northern states, for the reason that
they have, as yet, been most extensively
grown there. That is no reliable sign.
Broom corn does as well. IL not better,
in the South than at the North, as has
been clearly proven by tests made in the
black prairie lands of Alsbams-lands
very similar in character TO the black
lands of Texas.