The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-14

10 tue CultltatlOn OIL tue CIUpt 1uu WIFI
in 4 few year Illinois beanie the broom
corn State of the Union. Though at
this time it is second in tonnage to
Oklahoma, it is rightfully still regard
ed as the national source of our broom
supply. for from a limited region ex-
tending in a radius Of thirty miles
around hrcUla. which is the broom corn
centre of the country and practically
Of the world. is grown the corn from
which practically all of the high class
and best brooms of the world are made.
The cultivation was taken up around
Galesburg, ILL.,, and a colony of SWedeS
there made some success of it. This
colony threw off a branch to Kansas
and that branch took the seed into
that State, and from there the Guilt
walton has extended down into Okla
homa within the last four or five years.
While it is n fact that broom corn can
be raised with some success in almost
every part Of the country in WHICH
good Indian corn can be raised. and
while also it is pretty generally de-
MED that there is any peculiar quality
in the soil of the Illinois, Oklahoma
and Kansas broom corn districts,
which, after all, are mere pockets. the
fact remains that the production of the
corn is limited to these fields and they
are closely defined and are the national
sources Of supply. Attempts to engage
in broom corn raising have been made
in Indiana and other big corn States
even in other parts Of Illinois-but
without any success.
The secret may, indeed, be found in
the fact that the cost OF preparing to
engage in the cultivation on a good
basis is heavy. In order to raise and
market broom corn Of the first grade it
is quite as necessary to build large
drying sheds as it is to build similar
sheds in the tobacco countries in which
to dry the tobacco crop. Peculiar
thras hing outfits have to be bought.
The crop is cultivated much the same
as corn, except that it is a much faster
crop than is corn. 1t is planted i'm
mediately after the Indian corn crop
is planted and is harvested in early
September. In fact, it is a ninety day
crop. The fields i'll Illinois are from
ten to 100 acreaS in area, and are very
beautiful. The annual acreage in
Illinois runs from 10000 to 10000.
acres.
The harvest Is picturesque. Unlike
most other crops, broom corn must be
harvested just at a certain time in the
growth Of the plant just when the
seed is in a milk state. The corn still
is green - so is the broom fiber, and
it contains a certain percentage of oil
and moisture and is very tough and
flexible. When properly harvested and
dried slowly in the shade, it retains
these qualities to a great extent and
the fiber remains so flexible that it can
be twisted and tied into knots without
breaking. 1t also retains its beautiful
green color, and it is this green color
which the experienced housewife seeks.
She knows that such a broom will
wear much longer than the yellow,
light or red strawed brooms and that
the straWS will wear down to a stub
and will not break off. Practically all
Of the green straw brooms are Illinois
straw brooms. The Oklahoma broom
is less flexible and most cheap broOms
are made of It. Such brooms shed a
great many of their strawS.
Kansas raises some good broom corn,
but the bulk Of her crop consists Of
dwarf broom corn-regular hand
brushes, which are made up into
whiSkbroomS. In fact, practically all
Of our whiSkbroomS are grown in Kan.
sas. The production of broom corn
about M ton to every two or two
and a half or three acres. The market
prices IN Illinois this year opened
around $50 to 500, and in Oklahoma
from 500 to $50. The source Of supply
is so limited that it has been possible in
the last few years for men to corner
the Illinois crop at least once. Then
the price was sent up to $130 a ton.
A ton Of Illinois broom corn will make
1900 to 1900 brooms; a ton OF Okla
homa broom corn from 500 to 1000.
Because Of the necessity Of harvest
ing the crop while it. is in it's right
stage of growth there is an unusually
active demand for labor through the
broom corn country the last two weeks
in August and the first two weeks
in September. The tramp fraternity
has learned this and the members of it
begin to arrive in the broom corn sec
ton on August Is.
They are there for two puTposeS-to
get employment for S1.50 a day and
board and to do as little work as pos
sible-at least SO the growers say.
They are pictureSquely termed 'broom
corn canarieS." Whence they come no
L knoweth: whittier they so is as
great a mystery. All are panhandlerS
and refrain from supporting railroads
with their Substance" While many
seem to be men of considerable capac-
ity the large majority are said to be a
very Objectionable lot. Great swarms
Of these men are necessary to harvest.
thresh and handle the crop in a hurry,
and in the protest of the wives Of the
growers to cooking and caring for
these men is said to be found the eX-
PLANTATION of the decreasing acreage in
Illinois. Many big growers have gone
out of the business in recent years be-
cause Of their wives, though the broom
corn crops brought higher revenue an
acre than any other crop grown.