The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1910-02-18
BROOM CORN.
How Some Farmers are Making the
Crop Profitable.

Broom corn is one OF the best
paying crops the Illinois farmer can
grow. II will do we'll on almost all
kinds OF land, and the farmer who
grows 1t is surer OF a crop than the
one who grows corn, wheat or other
grain crops. Although small. young
broom corn plants are hardy aud
will stand wet or dry weather much
better than Indian corn. For plant
ing the land is prepared about the
same as for corn. If possible the
seed bed should be finer to insure
good stand. The rows are the
same distance apart and the corn
planter can be used for planting the
seeds, by using plate with smaller
holes. The seed should be dropped
from ten to twelve inches apart and
covered with about three inches Of
soil For a poor soil the larger
kinds should be planted, while on
rich soil the short brush is best to
SOW. The richer the soil the more
seed should be drilled in per acre.
When too thin on the ground the
brush will be still and Of poor quail
ity.
The first working should be done
with the small tooth harrow as the
plants are too small for the use of
the cultiyator, After they are once
started the cultivator should be
used as often as possible, and the
ground kept well cleaned. Soon 1t
will get too tall for the use of the
cultiyator and, after it is shoulder
high, is so tender that 1t will stand
no bending Broom corn planted
the first OF May will be ready to
cut the first Of September, The
time for cutting is the sixth or sew
enth day after the brush pushes
from the root. When left uncut too
long the brush turns red and is
damaged, Properly cured brush is
of pale green color and is tough,
hard 10 cut, and makes the best
brooms.
To care for twenty acres OF this
corn farmer should have fifteen
men to table and cut and four men
and two teams to remove the brush
from the field. In forming the tab
les two rows of stalks are broken
about two feet from the ground
and the table made by overlapping
the stalks with the heads hanging
in the open middle where they can
be reached by the cutters. After
the brush is placed on the tables it
is loaded into wagons and taken to
near the curing sheds and dumped
in piles, After this it is run through
the seeder and all seeds and boots
are taken out. The brush is then
placed on racks in the curing shed
and after three weeks there it is
ready to be made into brooms or
bales. II sold on the market 1t
must be baled. But II the grower
wishes to make up his own brooms
1t is placed in small bundles and
stored in a dark room to prevent
bleaching. Many farmers have broom
shops and employ three and four
men through the winter making
brooms. The homemade broom is
considered much better than the
factory product fifty cents to a dol
lar more per dozen.
A fair soil will produce about
three-fourths of q ton of brush,
which brings from 500 to $11O
per ton when baled. The cost of
tending and getting the brush ready
for market is about SOS per acre.
When made into brooms there Is
more profit In the crop than when
sold in bales.
For quick returns broom corn
heads the list. Planted In May.
harvested in September and ready
for market by the first of October;
turned under green the stalks are
fine fertilizer and make good pas
turage; the seed when cured make
fine feed for the chickens. In south
ern Illinois broom corn is fast taxi
ing the lead as a money crop and
most of the growers work up their
own brush. The cost of broom max
ing tools is small and most any farm
building can be used for a shop.
This combination of growing and
making the finished broom on the
farm is one that is likely to come
into more general favor It not only
offers a greater profit on the broom
corn product but also has the adj