FORAGE CROPS 



225 



293. Broom corn. Broom corn has greatly elongated branches. 

 The entire flower head is usually spoken of as the "brush." 

 The two chief forms are the Standard, which is from 10 to 

 15 feet in height (Fig. 107), with brush from 20 to 30 inches 

 long, and the Dwarf, which is from 4 to 7 feet in height, 

 with brush 12 to 18 inches long. The Standard is grown 

 chiefly in Illinois and adjacent states ; its heavy brush is 

 harvested by cutting. The Dwarf is grown in Oklahoma, 

 Kansas, and Texas ; its brush is pulled or jerked. 



FIG. 107. Cutting broom corn in central Illinois 



Broom corn is a deep-rooted plant, and makes much the 

 same demands upon the soil and is planted and cultivated 

 in much the same way as Indian corn. It is sometimes 

 used as a rotation crop with Indian corn, but this practice 

 is not justified by experience. The brush is threshed or 

 seeded, then cured in well-ventilated sheds, and then baled 

 for market. The chief markets are Wichita, Oklahoma 

 City, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago. In Europe broom 

 corn is grown most largely in Italy, Austria-Hungary, and 

 Germany. 



