The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-05-01
BROOM CORN CULTURE.
No Reason Why Broom Corn May
Not be ProfitabIy Raised Here II
PROPERLY Handled.

corn in North Carolina for the home
markets. Certainly there can be no
reason why broom corn may not be
raised proftably here, if properly
handled.
Herewith is presented letter from
Mr.. J. l.. Ingold, Of Hickory, one OF
the most successful farmers and
truckers OF the good county OF Ca
tawba, giving his one years OK
perience in raising and handling
| broom corn; and, also, carefully
prepared article on the culture and
curing OF broom corn, going some
what more into details than given in
Mr. Ingold's letter. Mr. Ingold writes
as follows:
Il planted one and half acres in
broom corn last spring as an expert
ment, with a view OF raising corn
and manufacturing same into brooms,,
if found the raising of corn would
| pav in this section. Part OF the land
| / planted was in sweet potatoes the
previous year and part in tomatoes.
Both did well, and was pleased with
the crop raised. Did not weigh the
crop to ascertain the exact yield, but
was we'll enough pleased with results
to buy machinery for making brooms,
and in January manufactured 800
3-pound brooms and 80 brooms OF
less weight, and a few brushes, from
my crop on the one and one-half
acres. AS this is my first experience
I am not prepared to say whether or
not my crop was an average, good or
poor Weld, but | shall plant several
acres this year. Twill say had very
unfavorable weather in which to cut
and save my crop Of broom corn. as
it set in wet weather about the time
it was ready to cut and rained every
day but one for three weeks, and
while let my corn get little over
ripe waiting for sunshine, | at last
cut it wet and saved it nicely"
The culture of broom corn hereto
fore has been almost exclusively in
the middle West. The crop when
matured is sent to our Southern cities
for manufacture. 1t appears, there
fore. that it might he, for a limited
number of our Southern farmers, not
only profitable industry, but salts
factory one as we'll. Under ordinary
conditions the crop can be matured,
yielding from thirty to fifty dollars
per acre. OF course, by additional
) experience this may be increased. as
it is largely dependent on the skill o.
the grower and the fertility Of the
land.
THE SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION.
The soil for broom corn culture
should be similar to that used in the
production Of Indian corn. 1t shoulC
be reasonably we'll drained, ant
should have sufficient amount o
moisture. What can be said in refer
ence to the kind of soil for IndiaI
/, coan may be applied in the same
sense TO its culture. A good deeI
soil and thorough preparation is TIT
first requisite. After thorough pillow
ing the soil should be narrowed unit
it is finely pulverized so as to provide
a good seed bed. The harrow shoult
be used up to the time of sowing, 81
as to destroy all the weeds that have
terminated, for weeds are enemies o
the broom corn plant in the sam
way rs they are OF any other kind
n and even more so, because of the yer
: great likeness between many Of tn
kinds of weeds and the Young broom
L corn stalk.
/ SEEDING AND CULTURE.
=, From five TO ten pounds of broom
!. corn seed should be used per acre
: This can be distributed in rows thre
= !, or three and one-half feet apart, wit
= the grains three to six inches apart
>, 1t should be thinned to one stalk in
y. place every four or five inches apart
- The seed can he obtained from an
. reliable seed dealer at from 81 80 t
g $1.75 per bushel. The seed can b
y sown either by hand or a han
- planter. We have found the Planet
r Jr.. Seed Drill an exceptionally goo
tool for this purpose. Let one no
forget to begin the fight against tn
weeds at the very earliest moment
Thorough culture in the beginning
worth days of culture after the cor
and weeds have both got a star
# The cultivation should continue unit
l. the corn shades the ground, and it
v advisable, in a dry season, to cult
+ vate frequently enough to keep
II mulch over the whole surface of tn
"a ground. There should never be pei
:. mitted crust to form over the top
O the ground. This suggests that a
r soon as the ground is dry after raj
e to give cultivation at once.
V HARVESTING
IS When the corn has passed matu
: ity, so that it has passed the blool
o stage, and the grains are in til
l. milk stage, the top should be Der
q over, two rows the same way, with
q drop of three feet. more or less.
two or three days the cutting
n begun. The cut should be made ia:
n above the first joint. In thorough
IS dry weather the corn can be left i
"a the field, but this is always grss
r risk, because if rain should come
Is would be sure to injure the grade an
10 value of the product by mildew. w
10 have found it better and safer to q
10 once remove to shelter. or cove
-e where it can be protected from tn
le rain and heavy dews. When tn
broom corn is put away it shout
m have free circulation of air so as t
III be thoroughly cured. 1t should |
r packed in thin layers so as to nj
N hinder circulation of the air l.,
n the reader be assured that thoroug
30 curing is dependent to a great e,
'e tent upon how this drying tax,
g. place. Unless the broom corn
lie cured thoroughly bright it will ne
N command the top price of the make
m 1t has materially low price whs
10 improperly cured. Carefully cure
broom corn is a valuable and pawn
10 crop; improperly cured it is unprofi
s. able and unsatisfactory.
q The Philadelphia Times, in stror
=. editorial condeming the bureaucrat
,r spirit which is manifesting itself 4,
e the White House and War Depar