CHAPTER I 

 PRODUCTION OF BROOM-CORN 



Broom-corn is grown almost exclusively in 

 America. In former times the Mohawk Valley in 

 New York and the rich first bottom lands of Ohio 

 and adjacent states supplied the market demand for 

 this crop. But with the opening of the west the 

 center of production has shifted, and Oklahoma has 

 taken first rank among the states in the production 

 of broom-corn, with an acreage more than five times 

 as great as any other state. 



According to the Thirteenth Census (1909) there 

 are now eight states each of which produces more 

 than 300,000 pounds of brush annually. A list of 

 the states, with their acreage, yield and production 

 is given in Table I, on the following page. 



At the present time the amount of broom-corn 

 grown in New York and Ohio is quite small. From 

 an inspection of the production table it will be seen 

 that the yield per acre is very much larger in some 

 states than in others. Illinois, with a planting of 

 38,450 acres, produced more than twice as many 

 pounds of brush as Kansas, with a planting of 40,- 

 065 acres, and almost half as many pounds as Okla- 

 homa, whose planting is almost six times as exten- 

 sive. Of the states producing more than 300,000 

 pounds of brush, California has the highest yield 

 per acre, while the lowest yield is found in New 

 Mexico. 



