198 THE PEOPLE'S FA RM AND STOCK C YCL OPEDL I . 



blade occasionally comes off with the brush it must be taken 

 off, as it would be likely to cause the one who holds it on the 

 cylinder in scraping to lose his handful. A little experience 

 will soon enable one to know at what angle to hold the knife, 

 and how to manage that he may do the work properly and 

 rapidly. 



The brush from two or more tables can be laid on one, so as 

 to leave room for the wagon to pass through to take it to the 

 scraper. The scraping is usually done with small machines run 

 by one or two horse power, either tread or sweep. A small cyl- 

 inder like that of a threshing-machine is used, but the concave 

 is removed, and it is run from the operator instead of towards 

 him, as in threshing. A board eight or ten inches wide, with 

 circular notches cut in it to protect the hands and keep them 

 from being drawn on to the cylinder, is placed within a few 

 inches of it, and leaning slightly towards it. One or two boys 

 gather up the brush in handfuls of the proper size, and hand 

 them to the man who scrapes. He holds these bunches on the 

 cylinder, resting his hands against the board, turning the brush 

 until all parts are freed from seed. It is a matter of considera- 

 ble importance to keep the brush straight in bringing it from 

 the field, and I usually bind with rye straw, as it can be han- 

 dled much more rapidly than when taken in loose. 



If the farmer expects to make a business of broom-corn grow- 

 ing it will pay him to build a shed for the purpose of curing it, 

 and one similar to that described in the wheat chapter will 

 answer, and could be used for both purposes, as the wheat can 

 be threshed before the broom-corn is cut. A building the size 

 that I suggested (twenty-five by forty-eight feet, with posts six- 

 teen feet high) would furnish room for thirty-five to forty acres 

 of broom-corn. A building for this purpose should be provided 

 with ample ventilation by hanging every fifth or sixth board 

 with hinges, so they can be opened in good weather and closed 

 during stormy weather. Racks must be provided for curing the 

 brush, so arranged as to allow a free circulation of air, and at 

 the same time to^illow access to all parts of the building to -ex- 

 amine and turn the brush. When green it is advisable to only 



