HARVESTING BROOM-CORN 



It is essential that the curing should proceed 

 rapidly, but exposure to strong light will destroy the 

 fresh color which is demanded by the manufacturer. 

 Brush that has been long exposed to the weather or 

 cured in the field is very 

 inferior in quality and 

 does not command a good 

 price on the market. 



In the important 

 broom-corn sections spe- 

 cial curing sheds are pro- 

 vided. The building 

 shown in Figure 14 is 

 typical of the Illinois 

 region and exhibits the 

 essential features of a 

 good shed, namely, a 

 tight roof with wide pro- 

 jecting eaves and ample 

 provision for the free cir- 

 culation of air. 



To care for 20 acres of 

 broom-corn will require 

 a shed about 24 feet long, 16 feet wide and 10 feet 

 high to the eaves. A second 20 acres may be cured 

 in this shed the same season if the planting is so 

 arranged as to have the second field ready for 

 harvest three or four weeks later than the first plant- 

 ing, since the first crop will be ready to bulk down 

 by the time the second planting has reached the 

 harvest stage. 



During the curing season these sheds are used 



Fig. 15. Interior of a shed in 

 which light poles are used for 

 shelves. The brush is piled in 

 thin layers to permit a free 

 circulation of air. 



