Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-05-19

since the sccd terminates slowly and
the young plant is far from a rapid
grower. II poor stand IN secured,
the crop cannot be Of good quality
Since II will not be uniform.
Cultivation must begin early and be
persistent. Weeders and large har-
rows can most profitably be used while
plants are very small. and shovel cul.
tivators later. II the plants once at
tain = height OF " foot without serious
Interference from weeds they will then
grow rapidly and may be cared for
with the ordinary corn cultivating ma
chinery. The season Of cultivation
over. the crop requires no attention
until time OF harvesting.
| Harvesting comes at a time when
ordinary farm work is somewhat slack.
The market demands green brush,
and therefore, the corn must be gath.
cred before the seed Is ripe. II IL OF
the utmost Importance that this work
be done rapidly The crop may be
ruined by few days OF bad weather.
and the harvesting requires a high de.
gree OF special knowledge and skill.
Because the work of gathering must
be dono in n very short time 1t re-
quires an immense force of hborers.
In the broomCorn districts the harvest
/ Ing season attracts to the community
swarm of most undesirable charact
ers These characters, too know full
we'll their value and the precarious'
/ - ha h.N
scruple TO strike for exhorhitant
wages at the most critical period OF
harvest If their demands are not
met, they go TO another locality whore
! the same scheme Is worked. The
grower is helpless and rather than lose
the crop he Is compelled TO submit TO
this method of highway robbery.
Harvesting comprises no less than
seven stages; Tabling, in which the
stalks are broken over in the field.
so that two rows form bench, or
table, from the edges of which the
brush projects. Cutting, which Is the
removal of the brush from stalks and
/ the laying OF II on the tables. Haul.
ing, tho collecting OF the brush from
| the tables and conveying II to the
thresher Sorting. the selection OF the
/ brush into crooked and straight.
! Threshing, the removal of the seed
from the brush. Drying, the placing
of the threshed brush in the specially
constructed dry house and finally the
hailng or operation of putting the
dried brush in compact bales ready for
shipment.
| While the preparation of the land
and the planting or cultivation require
/ practically no special tools or ma
chinery which differ from those used
/ for tho growing OF corn, the harvest
/ ing requires a considerable outlay.
The knives for cutting while inexpen.
slve of themselves. are the beginning
and these are followed ny the dump
wagon for hauling, the thresher the
drying shed and the baler, an equip
ment costing anywhere from $500 to
$1,000. and which is Of little or no
value for other purposes, Broom corn
when Its production Is understood and
/ the equipment for its production is
available. often serves n very good
purpose by giving n crop that may
]
/ that has been drowned out earlier In
the season The late planting Of this
crop allows OF its being used for this
/ purpose
/ In the growing Of hroomcorn any
soil suited to the production Of corn
would he servceable This being true
/ the silt loan soils Of the Central Mis-
slssippi Valley are probably the best
suited for heavy production Of any
soils in the world Central Illinois
produces from one.half to three.
| fcurths Of all the broomcorn Of the
world, while Kansas, oklahoma and
Southern Texas make up most Of the
remainder The standard corn is
grown chiefly In Illinois, while Kansas
and oklahoma contribute the dwarf
varieties
The soils OF these largeproducing
| localities are quite different. bur the
weather conditions at harvesting time
are really of great importance in prof
| table production as the soil on which
the corn grows,
II is very important that the soil Of
! any field intended for broomcorn
should be uniform in quality If a
| ndd should have light, unproductive
spots, II would be unsulted for broom
corn growing since the corn on these
poorer places would fail TO head with
the remainder Of the field. Nonuni
formity OF heading renders the hand
ing Of the crop and the production Of
high quality Of brush very dincult,
! If not wholly impossible.
Rroomcorn up to the time OF har-
vestlng costs no more to produce than
does corn, but whom we consider the
necessary expense attached to this
crop which begins with the harvest
ing we find the cost Of production In.
creaslng rapidly, Experienced broom
corn growers estimate that apart from
the cost OF production up to the time
OF harvesting Is requires not less than
$3.50 per acre extra expense 10 carry
the corn through the necessary steps
and place II in the bale. Others say
that with broomcorn at SIS per ton,
and corn at 30 cents per bushel, the
profit on either crop Is tho same.
The great risk Of losing crop be.
cause Of bad weather together with
the extra cost Of harvesting renders
II imperative for the grower to realize
o greater profit than can be secured
from corn