The sea coast echo., 1906-03-10

in 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 q limited region ex"
| tending In q radius of thirty miles
| around Arcola, 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. H., and colony Of Swedes
there made some success of it. This
colony threw off branch TO Kansas
and that branch took the seed into
that State, and from there the culti'
vation has extended down into Okla
| homa within the last four or five years.
While it IS a fact that broom corn can
be raised with some success in almost
every part of tbs country in which
| good Indian corn can be raised, and
while also 1t is Lretty generally de-
MED that there is ;,ny peculiar quality
in the soil Of the Illinois, Oklahoma
and Kansas broom corn districts,
which, after all, ark mere pockets, the
fact remains that thy production of tho
corn is Limited to these fields and they
are closely defined anu 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 llllnolS-but
without any success.
The secret may, indeed, be found in
| the fact that the cost ef preparing To
engage in the cultivation on 4 good
basis is heavy. In ordcK to raise and
market broom corn of tho first grade it
| is quite as necessary to build large
| drying sheds as it is to build similat
sheds in the tobacco countries i'll which
| to dry the tobacco crOp. reculiar
thrashing 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 harvesteG in early
September In fact, it is q n!nety day
crop. The fields in Illinois are from
ten to 100 acreas in area, ana 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 certain time in tho
growth of the plant = just when the
seed is In a milk state. The corn still
IS green - so is the broom fibcr, and
it contains q 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 Il great extent and
the fiber remains so flexible that i! 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 q broom VIII
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 oil
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 cory,
bat the bulk Of her crop consists Gf
dwarf broom corn-regular hama
brushes. which are made UP into
whlskbrooms. In fact, practically all
Of our whiskbro0ms are grown in Kan-
sag. The production of broom corn
runs about one ton to every two or two
ami q half or three acres. The market
prices in Illinois this year Opene1
around $50 to 500, and in OklahOma
from SO to $50. The source Of supply
Is 80 limited that It has been possible in
the last few years for men to corner
tho Illinois crop ut least once. Then
the price was sent up to $50 q ton,
A ton Of Illinois broom corn will make
1909 to 1900 brooms; a ton Of Okla4
hcu3a broom corn from 500 to 1000.
Because Of the necessity Of harvest.
| ing the crop while it IS in its right
stage Of growth there IS an unusually
| active demand for labor through the
broom corn country the last two weeks
| III august ana lHe uISL TWO We hd
in Erptember. The tramp fraternity
has learned this and the members OF it
| begin TO arrive in the broom corn Sec
| ton on August -.
| They are there for two purposes-to
| get employment for S1.5O a day and
| board AID to do as little work as pos
| sihe-at least so the growers say.
| They are picturesquely termed 'brOom
| corn canaries" Whence they come no
ono kaoweth: whittier they go 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 q
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
ont 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.
The Bearing Rein
The Duke of Portland, who holds
the position Of Master of the Horse at