480 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



The seed should not be covered much more than about an inch deep, unless the soil is 

 light and dry. In such a case, the covering should be a little deeper. If the seed is put in 

 as soon as the ground is prepared, the moisture of the soil will serve to hasten germination. 



Thick planting produces the finest and toughest brush. Old soil long in cultivation is 

 also thought to give a better quality of brush than new, fresh soil. 



Cultivation. As soon as the plants make their appearance, the cultivator should be 

 run between the rows to loosen the soil and check the growth of weeds. This should be fre 

 quently done during the early stages of growth, as stirring the soil promotes the growth of 

 the plants, and holds the weeds in check, which are exceedingly injurious to the young 

 plants. If the weeds are allowed to once get the start of the crop, it will prove veiy detri 

 mental, and require the plants a long time to recover the effect, if they ever do. 



It is well to begin the stirring of the soil before the plants are up, and consequently 

 before the weeds appear, and when they are germinating in the earth; but in such cases it 

 will be necessary to use considerable care, or the seed of the crop may be disturbed. The 

 practice of some farmers of allowing the weeds to grow several inches before they are exter 

 minated, is not only very injurious to the crop, but more than quadruples the labor of their 

 destruction afterwards. Those farmers who have learned the great economy of the practice 

 of killing weeds before they come up, with respect to corn, will appreciate the importance of 

 this practice as applied to broom corn. 



This constant stirring of the surface will make a great difference in the yield of the crop. 

 The various horse hoes and cultivators in agricultural use may be employed for the purpose. 



The thinning should be done when the plants are three or four inches high, leaving five 

 or six of the most thrifty ones in a hill; or, if drill-culture is practiced, the stalks should be 

 left three or four inches apart. The thinning is a very laborious job, and the most to be 

 dreaded of any part of the labor attending the cultivation of this crop. The general rule 

 with the best cultivators is to keep the whole surface of the soil clean of weeds from the very 

 beginning, and use the cultivator for this purpose once a week, as long as the size of the 

 plants will permit. Different varieties of broom-corn are very liable to mix when planted 

 near together; consequently, when growing seed for future crops, they should be planted 

 entirely separate and in fields remote from other varieties, that the seed may be kept pure. 

 The same is true if it is planted near any of the varieties of the sorghum or Chinese sugar 

 cane, with which it will readily mix. 



Harvesting. The period of harvesting will depend somewhat upon the use to be 

 made of the crop. &quot;When the brush only is desired, broom-corn can be cut much earlier than 

 when the seed is one of the objects sought. In the former case, the harvesting may be per 

 formed as soon as the blossoms begin to fall. The quality of the brush is better at this 

 period than if the cutting be delayed till later. The brush then will be of a green tint, and 

 fine and tough in quality. 



A few days later, when the seed is in a milk state, or is approaching maturity, the brush 

 will assume a reddish shade, and lose somewhat of its weight, being in quality inferior to the 

 green-tinted product, and accordingly commanding a less price in the market. 



&quot;When the grower wishes to secure a good quality of seed and does not care for a very 

 fine quality of brush, the harvesting should not be done until after the seeds are fully 

 matured. The quality of the seed that is planted influences largely the character of the crop; 

 consequently, care should be taken that all seed designed for planting should be perfectly 

 mature before harvesting. Broom-corn should always be harvested before frost makes its 

 appearance. 



Before harvesting the larger or tall-growing varieties, it is customary to break down the 

 stalks, turning the tops of the stalks of two rows towards each other, thus leaving a vacant 



