The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-22
HOW TO GROW broom corn.
Planter of Long Experience Gives
the Information.

Planter of Long Experience Gives
the Information.
The Morning News mas from time to
time, printed considerable about broom
corn growing and the broom manufac-
turing industry. A grower of long exper-
fence gives the following information in
regard to the cultivation of broom corn:
Any ground that will successfully grow
Indian corn wlll also produce broom corn
In the first place L would say choose a
field having as near the same quality of
soil as possible so as to obtain conformity
of ripening. Don't think anything is good
enough for broom corn AMI pick out the
foulest, wettest and thinnest piece of land
you have and then expect to raise a. fine
crop OF broom corn on it. Give 1t at least
as good a chance as the rest of your crop
Dat or wheat stubble makes good ground
Tor broom corn. l am satisfied that many
plant broom corn too early in. the year
Being of the sorghum family, IL will not
grow In cold ground. Broom corn not only
requires warm air temperature to grow
well, but warm soil temperature of 65
to 20 degees Fahrenheit AT a deptb of
one inch would justify planting as a gen
efad proportion. L should say that broom
corn should not be planted earlier than
April IL, and may be. planted as late as
May 20. Let the preparation of seed bed
be thorough; many are sinners in this re-
spect. Before planting disk thoroughly
harrow, drag and If necessary. roll until
the field Is thoroughly pulverized at least
inches deep. You are now ready to plant.
An ordinary corn planter with broom corn
attachment is what you want Many fail
TO secure the proper stand. which In a
measure, is to be determined bv the ma
ture ana quality of the soil. Too thin a
stand viii produce long, coarse brush when
shorter brush is wanted. If the stand is
100 thick the brush will be too short and
flne Sixty to eighty plants to the rod
viii generally give the best results
The cultivation for broom corn sbould
De much the same as for Indian corn. Like
sorghum the plant is delicate and of slow
growth In its infancy. As il can only he
plowed one way, care must be taken 10
keep the ground as level as possible. I
know OF nothing better for first eultiva-
ton than good sharp tooth A-harrow
If ground is free from trash and In Ana
tilth large double harrow NAV he used
after having used the roller. Let the first
Flowing be as close to the plant as possi-
pie In anything but very wet year sur
face cultivation is best, but broom corn
will admit of deeper cultivation without
injury than corn, as the roots penetrate
the soil deeper.
Three good plowlngs, one narrowing
and one rolling ought to be sufficient for
ordinary ground and ordinary seasons
One bushel of seed Will plant twenty acres
Begin to cut when the broom begins IN
fan, before the seed begins to ripen.
tine length of time between cutting and
thrashing must depend upon the condition
OF the weather. Some, to economize. al
low 1t to remain in the field a day or two
after II is cut. This is smewhat risky. as
rain upon 1t after being partly cured
damages 1t greatly. The safer plan and
the one generally observed, is to haul In
late in the afternoon that cut during the
day, and thrash out the seed the next
morning, while the dew is on the standing
corn.
SHOULD there be indications of rain do
not wait until the following day Many
make the mistake of spreading 1t out to
dry too thickly and cause what is known
as shed burn In fair weather open up
all doors and get good draughts through
your barn. l wish here to distinctly state
that the broom corn must be dried by air
passing through ii not by the SUM- as heat
causes 1t to get red. When the pth in the
stem is dry and the stalk will break readi-
ly or snap It Is ready 10 bale. Bales usu-
ally weigh about 300 pounds. On ordinary
farms two and one-hah acres may be de-
pended upon to produce a ton of broom
corn"