The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-11-10
Broomcorn.
PREPARATION OF SEED BED.

the land should be disked and harrow
ed, and il necessary, narrowed a Sec
ond time before planting, Broomcorn
is good sod crop. 1t is very largely
raised on the new land of Western Ok
lahoma and makes profitable yields.
TINE.
Broomcorn plants are very tender,
and make the most rapid growth in
warm weather. They will not stand
the cold OF early spring like corn. The
seed will rot before terminating, or, il
the plant terminates, the growth will
be retarded by continued cold. The
climatic conditions Of Oklahoma are
such that planting in May will usually
give best results. Where large areas
are planted, the most convenient way
is to divide the field into sections OF
about ten acres each, and plant at in
tervals Of about week. The crop de-
mands prompt attention, and if this
system of planting is followed, there
there is not much danger of damage TO
the brush from rain, or becoming too
ripe In case farm hands are scarce,
the scarcity is not so keenly felt, for
there is not very large crop that de-
mands attention within a period of a
few days. A few hands can take care
of comparatively large fields, and it is
much more convenient than to plant
the whole field On single date.
METHOD.
The method for planting is about the
same as for Kafiir Plant the rows
about three feet apart, and four to five
inches apart in the row. The Stand
ard, due to its large growth, is planted
in rows about three and half feet
apart.
AMOUNT OF SEED.
Selecting good seed is very impor-
tant. Good seed should give germi-
nation of 80 to 95 per cent. and seed
should not be us d that falls much be-
low this standard By using seed that
gives termination test above 80 per
cent. one bushel is sufficient quantity
to plant twenty acres Or, two quarts
OF seed will plant an acre
CULTIVATION
The soil should b. in gp ID condition
when seeded, then the cultivation
should begin early and be repeated
frequently to prevent the weeds from
getting a start of che slow growing
plants. A sharp tooth harrow is some.
times used just as the plauts are com
ing up. After one good narrowing the
field should receive about two cultiva-
tirns of medium deptn, then the re-
of the cultivation sh luld be shallow sc
as not To injure the root system In
this way the -Nil i finely pulver zed
forming n dust blanket which aids in
the conservation moisture.
HARVESTING.
Time-Broomcorn is crop that will
not stand in the field without great
damage after it is ready to harvest. /.
should BE- harvested just as the plants
are coming into full bloom, or wher
the anthers are falling from the head
METHOD. Wharf.-The head Of th'
1t is more convenient to pull the head
than to cut It, after which the boot j.
removed The heads are usually pull.
ed and piled in punches along the row
The brush from three or four rows ar,
piled together, and after drying fci
two or three days is gathered ~
stacked in small rcks.
Standard-Because Of the create,
height of the Standard broomcorn, il
il necessary to bend the heads over t.
make them easy to cut. The stalki
are bent at height of about thre,
feet Two adjacent rows are bent di
agpually across the intervening spac'
so that the portion of the ks abo, {
the sharp bend is supported in hor
zoutnl position, with the'seed heads %
ne .,w * ending about twp feet ;.
md the opposite row. This metz
isc He'd cabling" One man can u
bile as fast as two can cut. In cutji {
the operator walks along the space.
between the tables, and cuts the head
six or eight inches bslow the attach
ment of the straws. The brush ia Gu
and laid in handfuls upon every sec
ond table, making it very convenien
for loading on wagon.
CURING.
Use of Sheds. After drying, tn
brush should still retain the gree
color To accomplish this, it canno
be dried in the sun, as it will b
bleached to light brown color. b
curing in sheds the original gree
color can be retained to large exten
and as result the brush will con