The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-05
WHERE BROOMS GROW.
FOUR LUCKY ILLINOIS COUNTIES
WHICH SUPPLY THE WORLD.

Methods Adopted for Harvesting the
Crop-suyers from Foreign Lands
Present In Douglas, Moultris, Coles
and Edgar Counties
IRON the Chicago Tribune.
ARCoLA, ILL, Sept. 23.-The broom is
an essential ad julct of civilization. Wher-
ever the primitive man separates himself
from the animals on which he depends for
subsist ence and introduces broom into his
dom,cile, he is on the high road to oiviliza,
ton. The broom is the imperial scepter of
the American house wife, and often the sole
sign manual Of her authority aud power
Very early in our history the witches OF
New England were supposed to scud across
that rugged soil bsstride the discar Il cd
broomstick, and that habitation is curios-
ity indeed that does not have behind some
sheltering door the broom that keeps clearly
cur happy homes. All hail to the brooml
There are four counties in Central Illinois
largely devoted to the cultivation of broom
! cOrn-Douglas. Moultrie, Coles and Edgar
| comprising about forty townships. Not
all Of this area, of course, is utilized for the
| production of broom-corn, but it is in
these counties it has its natural home. The
black alluvial soil Of which these counties
are composed is peculiarly adapted to the
! growth and perfection of broom
corn. The broom corn of this section,
| particularly of Douglas county, is re-
| garded as the standard in respect 20
| growth, fiber and color by the principal
manufacturers Of the United States, and
commands the best price in the markets.
There are some astonishing growths of this
/ fx,f hf- .,fx liant
has seen 70 day some stalks wh'ch show a
| growth of thirteen feet nine inches in
| eighty-seven days, and this growth was
made in the midst Of an unparalleled
| drought. No frosts affect the thrifty broom
corn growth Of this locality. In ninety days
the crop is practically matured.
The cultivation of bTOom-corn in this sec
ton as an agricultural pursuit. was begun
| W Col John Cofer. now deceased. a men,
| Der of the Illinois legislature nearly a
| quarter of a century ago. and from that
| small beginning it has grown into a great
| industry, bringing into this section in round
| figures about 81 900, 900 annually.
! In 1890 the acreage Of hroom-corn in the area
indicated was from 80 900 to IS, 900 acres
producing about 1000 tons, bringing into
the Golfers of the agriculturiSts of these
counties at least 81 100000. The acreage of
1901, owing to the extraordinary price Of
Indian corn last spring, Is fully one third
short-estimated at 10000 acres. The gross
yield will be somewhat 0rt of 1890, but
far superior in growth, fiber and color
| the essentials Of the broom-corn product
The acreage price for five years has been
from $40 to S75 per ton, or a return to the
grower OF 800 to $25 per acre, although
some of the most successful growers havs
Obtained returns of from $50 to $35 per
acre.
In this locality. devoted largely to the
cultivation of broom-corn, are seen the evil
dences Of prosperity; comfortable and ele-
CANT hsmes, all the appointments Of first
class agricultural outfit, land selling from
$50 TO 500 per acre, all resulting essentially
from the fact that this section OF the country
has the finest soil under the canopy of the
heavens. This area, rescued by the pioneers
from malaria and pestilence, is the broom
corn propagating area OF the world. A few
years agoS. r. Duncan sold SIS. 900 worth of
broom-corn of his own raising. and 8. D.
Harris the same year sold his crop for
| 900.
For the benefit of the statistical reader it
may be noted that the United States annu-
| ally, in round numbers, consumes 1000
| tons of broom-corn, and these four counties
furnish nearly half of that amount-about
1900 tons. The remainder is raised prin
cipally in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missis-
sippi, Ohio and Missouri. This section
] ThIatS du evergreen DTOOul'COTu ylelQlnR
| what is technically known as fine hurl y
| The brush is known in the market as short
used for filling or hand brushes, self-work.
ing, the average brush Of the average
season, which supplies the larger
demand of commerce; and hurl, the long
green brush that is used for outside wrap
pings. The farmers claim that in those
years in which they have the long brush
the buyers want the short and vice versa.
raOlo nOnOIaG il fha lar az
broom-corn shipping point in the United
| States or in the world. 1t supplies all the
| leading manufactures of this country and
| ships direct to Europe and Australia, while
Chicago dealers buy largely in this market
J. d. Blood. of the firm Of j. d. Blood &
| Co. of Amsterdam and New York, the
| largest manufacturer of brooms in the
world, is familiar figure on the streets OF
Arcola each autumn. I. Peck also OF Am
sterdam, deals largely here. j.. H. Smith,
| Pittsburg, Pa. k c. Mormon & Co., Bal.
timore, Md Perry & White, Ur.
bana, o.: the Merkle, Wiley Broom
| Corn Company, Paris, ILL.,, and the
Southwestern Broom Company, Evansville
Ind. all deal largely here. H A. Nelson &,
Son of Canada pay their annual visit, leav-
ing many solid dollars of the dominion in
this town, as do T. s. Simms & Co. of st.
John, New Brunswick. There is not, in
| point of fact an extensive broom manu-
featuring establishment in the United
States that has not its representative here
every year. a singular feature in connec-
tion with this project is that no large man
utacturing establishment mas yet been able
to survive for any length of time in the
neighborhood where the brush is raised, and
that this product has never been the object
of speculation on change. These are two
| matters in economics which tho able social
scientists who are setting everything on pa.
per should next tackle
The cultivation of broom corn Is not
more difficult than that of Indian corn.
The seed is planted from May Is to May
so. Corn-planters have particular
attachment for drilling the seed. 1t is only
planted to pillow one way. The chief diff
Guilty about the cultivation of this crop is to
get it fairly started. 1t is tender plant
and requires a good deal of care to get il
fairly under way, but when it gets waist
high and begins TO shade the ground it kills
all vegetation in the neighborhood. Hence,
the broom-corn row in the fall is perfectly
clean, something that seldom happens to the
Indian corn. The broom-corn gives the
best yield in dry weather, and this is essen
tial to its cutting and curing. The cutting
season commences about Sept l and
continues q month. September is usually
hot and dry in this locality, which favors
the harvest.
Thousands of foreign laborers are re-
Quired every year to gather this immense
crop. About Sept. l the farmer boys of
Clay. Cumberland, Effingham, Jasper and
other southern counties arrive at this point
by the train load daily with their oilcloth
valises, with organized and enduring appe-