Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-15

any time in May. The objection to start
( ing crop so late lies in the fact that il
would miss much of the early season
which is considered the best season fol
| the growth of crops. But progressive
Texas is constantly casting about fol
good crops that she can make pay es-
| pecially well. and hence an article on
broomcorn culture may be regarded as
in order at any time, for there will be
| crops put in next year, and it is in the
preceding year that people lay their plans
| for the year to follow.
Mr.. f. G. Curtis, an extensive Wis
| consin broomcorn grower, says those
who desire to cultivate broomcorn
should consider the old saying, every
young man who starts out in the world
has got to lose a horse, ri. 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
lngs 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 10
drills-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 good growth of brush
is secured 1t may become worthless unless
it is properly cured. 1t must be thor
oughly dried before baling for market,
and should be as near as possible to a
bright pea green color. This green color
can only be secured by cuttingsat exactly
the right time. Broomcorn grows green
up to the time its seed is milky, and ap-
proaches the dough state when the tips of
the brush begin to redden and also be-
gins to 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 it must
be kept with the brush ends all one way
and kept in regular gavels or piles. And
if possible it should be soraped and
placed regularly on Stats in the dry
house where it is not too thick to cause
mold or discolor, AMI 1t is fact that it
will dry better green in
dark place than in q light one. 1t
will require about two thousand cubic
feet of space for one ton of cured brush
or say l2Xl2Xl6 feet. 1t requires q
power-scraper to take off 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 quaIity-little
value-and the broom brush is OF 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 it is almost impos-
sible to pound into his head the necessity
of power scraper to take off the seed, 81
dry house to lay it away to dry in, and a
gang of some fifteen hands to keep the
business in regular operation. After thi&
is all done, then it requires a press to-
press it into bales. ~
But for ali this, broom corn sd Vii
paying crop under favorable coIiaffieBS
1t is one of the products that Hseple
must have, and being crop tia Ids
drouth well there is no gesd 3egso8 Tor
supposing that it might9not BE- made
profitable crop for many SECTIONS of
Texas. sSsasse.s
People sometimes get to thinking that
certain crops can Be made to pay only in
the Northern st&tesr for the reason that
they have, as yat, been most extensively
grown there. That Is no reliable sign.
Broom corn doesas we'll, If not better,
in the South tha1sat the Nora, as has
been clearly provS4 By tksts rl4he in the
black prairie laud& Of Alabanza- landsS
very similar in cheractsE 20 tEsssblaee
lands of Texas. ~