Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-02-02

market, because tHe demand 1OI
broom corn is so limited
The yield of broom corn varies. In
Kansas, an acre produces from 300
to 600 pounds per acre of brush. The
average crop in Kansas is less than
400 pounds of marketable brush per
acre.
again, considerable expense is
necessary to grow broom corn sue
cessfully," he continued in explana-
ton. "There must be expensive
equipment in special wagon and
rack, drying shed, thresher, baler.
and so on. That may cost as much
as $1,000. Then a large amount Of
labor is required in the short harvest
ing season, and it is not always pos
sible to get the extra help"
But for the man who is equipped
and who has had experience with the
crop, broom corn growing brings
good profit, taking long period Of
years. "The man who makes bust
ness of it," says Professor Hughes.
gets the benefit of the high prices
as well as the low and strikes a good
average.
1.-The successful growing Of broom
corn requires favorable climate.
with hot days and warm nights. Cool
weather makes brittle head of poor
quality. Furthermore, clear, fair
weather is necessary at harvesting
time for a product worth the top
prices, for damp weather depreciatns
qauIity and causes larger expense in
curing.
Loose, black soils such as are best
adapted to dent corn are best for
broom corn. 1t will not do we'll on
the heavier soils, Excessive fertiliz-
ing will produce coarse growth:
soils short of fertility also produce
poor quality corn. The ground needs
to be prepared more carefully than
for other corn, because the small
plant starts slowly.
"In planting, sow in rows about the
same distance apart as ordinary corn.
The plants should be about four
inches apart in the rows. This re.
quires about three pounds of seed
per acre, which should be carefully
selected. What is known as STAND
ard" broom corn is perhaps best
adapted to this country, rattle. than
the dwarf"
Preventing Smut in Oats.
Smut in oats, either the common
loose smut or the kernel smut, may be
effectively prevented by treatment
with formalin. The Iowa Agricultur.
al Experiment Station recommends
the following treatment for seed oats
and says that the crop grown from
them will be practically free from
the trouble:
For forty bushels of seed oats, mix
one pint of formaln with forty gal
Ions of water. On the day before
sowing, spread the forty bushels Of
oats five or six inches deep on the
barn or granary floor, or outdoors CT
a tarpaulin. With a sprinkling can
or spraying pump apply the formalin
mixture while the oats are being
shovcled over, so that every kernel
will have thorough treatment. After
the mixture has been applied, shovel
the oats into a long pile and cover
them over with sacks or blankets to
prevent too rapid evaporation. Leave
them thus for several hours, or over
night, if it was treated in the even
ing. Then spread the oats out 50
that they will dry out quickly, SHOW
cling them or raking them to help the
drying.
If more oats are treated that are
used for seeding, they may be fed
after three or four days with perfect
safety, if the formalin has been given
a chance to evaporate.
Keep the formain can closed, as
the fluid is very volatile and quickly
loses it's strength.