The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-02-22

ROOM CORN IN FIELD.
strongly developed central stem
should be removed before 1t flowers
and cross-fertilizes the desirable brush.
If this work is well done the first year,
much less time will be required in the
second and succeeding years.
Sowing broom corn begins in the
southeastern part of Texas as early
as April 1. In the southeastern part
| of Oklahoma it begins about April 10.
| In western Oklahoma, the Panhandle
of Texas, and southwestern Kansas
sowing begins about May 10 and con-
tinues for about two weeks. Usually
the crop is sown about two weeks
later than the average date for plant
ing corn in any given locality.
Experiments made at the Woodward
field station, Woodward, Okla, show
that one plant every six or eight inches
in the row is about right where the
This will be true of other localities
with similar conditions. Thinner
stands may be necessary under very
dry conditions. Two pounds of good
seed are sufficient to sow an acre in
dry sections. On moist, rich soils, the
crop should be SOwn at a heavier rate
than on poor soils or in dry sections.
Thin stands on rich soils tend to pro-
duce long, coarse brush. Too thick
| stands on poor soils or in dry sections
produce short brush, or in extreme
cases fail to produce brush at all.
Cultivation should begin early and
be repeated as needed while the plants
are small, as they make slow growth
and are easily choked by weeds. When
the crop Is surface sOwn, spike
tooth harrow is an efficient tool for
the first and second cultivation. Later
civilizations are made with an or
binary corn cultivator.
Harvesting.
To obtain brush of the best variety,
harvesting should be done early. 1t
may be at any time from the beginning
of blooming until the seed Is in the
early dough stage. The exact time
depends very largely upon the develop
ment of the fiber. The strength Of the
fiber increases until the natural pea
green color extends from the tip to
the base and from the outside to the
center of the head. After this time
the brush becomes more brittle as the
ripening progresses. If harvesting
takes place before the green color has
developed throughout the base of the
brush, the result is a weak base and
poor quality.
When the crop is grown for seed,i
the brush is not harvested until after,
the seed is fully mature. Ripe brush,
however, is of little value for making
brooms. If ripe brush is not discol-
ored by wet weather but has the
natural yellow color of mature brush,
it commands about half the price of
good brush. 1t should be cared for
and baled the same as the good brush.
If the broom corn is to be she'd
cured, it is first threshed. If the rick
curing method is to be followed, how
ever. the seed are not removed until
after curing, since the seedless heads
would pack too closely in the ricks and
induce molding. The value of the
brush is frequently determined in the
process of curing. This is because col
or and condition govern, to a large
extent, the price of broom corn. In
order that the brush may retain it's
fresh green color, it must be cured
rapidly and not exposed to strong
light. Shed-curing is the preferable
method. A shed 10 feet high, 16 feet
wide, and "a feet long will contain
ample space for the usual yield for
Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, from
35 acres of the dwarf variety. The
brush is placed on ricks in such a
shed.
Preparation for Market.
After curing, the care with which
broom corn brush is graded, baled, and
stored will largely determine it's mar
ket value. A common source of loss
TO the broom-corn grower is the preva-
tlent practice of baling the crop with
out grading. The grower will be re-
paid for the time and labor of grading
his brush and baling each grade sepa-
rately. Crooked heads, heads with
twisted or kinky fiber, and those con-
tanning a large center stem are of poor
quality and should be separated from
tbe good brush. Grading can be done
conveniently either when the brush is
being taken from the field or after it
IS threshed and just before the baling
is done. The graded brush should be
carefully baled with butts outward at
each end, heads tapping in the middle
If the bales are not sold directly
after baling they should be stored in a
dry. dark place for protection against
the weather and sunlight. Otherwise
the outside of the bales will be wealth
er stained or bleached by the sun and
win not command as high a price as
if kept in good condition.
selected. viii descend to one mongrel