188 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



Planting. Broom corn should be planted in hills two feet 

 apart, in rows two and a half to three feet distant. If the seed 

 is good, drop 1 5 to 20 seeds in a hill , an inch and a half deep, to 

 ensure eight or ten thrifty plants, which are all that must be 

 left after the second hoeing. The time of planting must de- 

 pend on the climate and season. The 1st of May is about 

 the time in latitude 40, and 10th to 15thin42; but let it be 

 as early as possible, yet late enough to escape spring frost. 

 Mellow the ground well with a harrow before putting in the 

 seed. Thick 'planting gives the finest, toughest brush. 



After Culture. As soon as the plants are visible, run a 

 cultivator between the rows, and follow with a hand hoe. 

 Many neglect this till the weeds get a start, which is highly 

 prejudicial to the crop. The cultivator or light plow should 

 be used afterwards, followed with a hoe, and this may be 

 repeated four or five times with advantage. Break the tops 

 before fully ripe, or when the seed is a little past the milk ; 

 or if frost appears, then immediately after it. This* is 

 done -by bending down the tops of two rows towards each 

 other, for the convenience of cutting afterwards. They should 

 be broken some 14 inches below the brush, and allowed to 

 hang till fully ripe, when they may be cut and carried un- 

 der cover, and spread till entirely dry. The stalks remain- 

 ing on the ground, may be cut close, or pulled up and buried 

 in the furrows for manure, or burned, and thus be restored 

 to the earth to enrich it ; or they may be carried to the yard 

 to mix in a compost, with the droppings of the cattle. 



Cleaning the Brush. Unless some larger machine is 

 used, this is -most rapidly accomplished by passing it through 

 a kind of hetchel, made by setting upright knives near to- 

 gether, or it may be cleaned by a long-toothed currycomb. 

 By the use of the hetchel, none of the little branches are 

 broken, and the brush makes a finer, better broom. We 

 have seen horse power machines used for cleaning the seed 

 with great rapidity, in the Miami Valley. The average 

 yield is about 500 Ibs. of brush per acre. It varies according 

 to season or soil, from 300 to 1,000 Ibs. The price also va- 

 ries materially, ranging from three to sixteen cents per 

 pound ; the last being seldom obtained unless in extreme 

 scarcity. A good crop of seed is matured in the Connecti- 

 cut Valley, about two years out of five. When well ripened, 

 the seed will average three or four "pounds for every 

 pound of the brush. A single acre has produced 150 bush- 

 els of seed, though 25 to 50 is a more common yield. 'It 



