THE GENESEE FARMER. 



IT^ 



friglitened cow?, spilled milk, cross milkers, a thorough 

 wetting and an utter dread of milking in rainy weath- 

 OT. These pictures are not overdrawn, as I have 

 seen them both carried out to the letter, and the in- 

 eonveniences named suffered because " it is too much 

 trouble " to tie up the cows at milking time. 



" On the Advantages of Forethought in Farming 

 Operations," is full of valuable practical truths, and if 

 followed we should see more good farmers, conse- 

 quently more good farms, better crops, better stock, 

 and a general improvement in agricultural affairs.— 

 We frequently hear it remarked of some farmer, " he 

 is a hard working man, but some way he does not 

 prosper." The essay in question divulges the whole 

 secret, if it may be considered a secret. He does not 

 give his business a thought until it is time to execute 

 it, and then he is as likely to commence wrong aa 

 right, does not discover his error till it is too late to 

 remedy it, and probably meets with serious loss in 

 consequence. 



The e&say "On the Advantage of Stirring the Soil 

 in dry weather," is full of sound reasoning, and worthy 

 ilie attention of every farmer and gardener ; it is a 

 Aeor)' that has been tested and proved by many, al 

 though the " false reasoning" referred to still prevails 

 lo a great extent. W. Gahnset. 



East Cobleskill, JV. Y. 



BROOM COEN IN OHIO. 



Messrs. Editors: — There is quite an extensive 

 business done at raising broom corn, and manufac- 

 turing brooms, in some of the valleys of Ohio. 



Any soil that will produce good Indian com, will 

 be found to be favorable to the production of broom 

 torn. But supposing it is true that any soil which 

 will produce one will produce the other, it is very 

 necessary that the after culture be thought of, as 

 broom corn, whea it first makes its appearance, is 

 verj' small, and if the ground had previously been 

 polluted by the seeds of noxious weeds, it will re- 

 quire a great deal more hand and hoe labor than 

 would have been required if the selection had been 

 judiciously made. 



The best soil for its perfect growth and early ma- 

 turity is a warm, sandy loam; clay lands, or those of 

 a wet and tenacious character, should be avoided. 

 A green sward, if turned under in the fall, has been 

 foand most productive, and easiest cultivated. The 

 ffround should be deeply plowed, and well harrowed, 

 before planting the seed. A dressing of hog dung 

 Mid leached a«hes, spread on broadcast before har- 

 rowing, has been found to be beneficial. Mark the 

 ground oif three feet apart each way, if to be planted 

 in hills; if to be drilled, mark the rows about four 

 feet aparL The hill planting is preferable, from the 

 feet that it diminishes the hoe labor. 



Aa soon as the plants are up, commence running 

 the cultivator, in order to get ahead of the weeds, 

 (for, as Dr. Franklin says, " a stitch in time saves 

 nine,") and keep the soil well stirred around the 

 TOung plants. Thin out to eight or ten plants to a 

 hill the second time you go through with the culti- 

 Tator, which should go through at least four times; 

 and, if the ground be disposed to throw up weeds, run 

 it through to the entire destruction of these crop rob- 

 h<rs, without stopping to sum up the number of times. 



la harvesting, pass between the rows and break 

 tibe tops about one foot below tluy brush, beading 



them towards each other, so that they may interlock 

 and support each other. The proper time for doing 

 this, is just after the seed has gone out of its milky 

 state; but in case of a frost, let no time bo lost — do 

 it immediately. The only benefit to be derived from 

 bending, is that it will prevent the bush from be- 

 coming crooked, in consequence of the weight of the 

 seed. When fully ripe, cut six inches below the bush, 

 and spread it thin on the second story of some oat 

 building. 



The seed is separated from the brush by what '» 

 termed a " hetchel," — made by placing upright knives 

 together, and drawing the brush through them. This 

 instrument, however, is intended only for hand labor. 

 When raised extensively, a machine driven by some 

 power will be necessary. Tho.?e in operation are 

 similar to the cylinder of a thresher, except that the 

 teeth are five inches in length. 



There are various estimates in refeience to the 

 quantity raised per acre — some asserting that there 

 cannot be more than five hundred pounds raised, 

 while others assert that one thousand pounds may be 

 raised, by extra cultivation. As the medium between 

 two extremes is generally the proper course, eight 

 hundred pounds may be considered a good yield. Its 

 market value varies in price from five to ten cents per 

 pound, according to the supply and demand. The 

 seed is worth from twenty- five to thirty-seven and a 

 half cents per bushel, depending on the price of other 

 grain. It is very hard to keep from spoiling, if io 

 large quantities, unless kiln-dried. 



Laceyville, Harrison Co., O. J. G. Sampsoit. 

 ^ ■»■•»■ 



CULTIVATION OF BROOM CORN. 



Prepare the ground as for maize, and plant at 

 the same season, in rows three and a half by one and 

 a half feet. Drop about ten seeds in the hill, cover- 

 ing about one inch deep. As soon as the corn prickB 

 through the surface, drop a mixture of ashes, plaster 

 and salt (unless on new land) — ten bushels of ashes, 

 one bushel of plaster, and one bushel of salt, thor- 

 oughly mixed — a table-spoonful to each hill, and re- 

 peat immediately after the first hoeing. Cultivate 

 and hoe thoroughly, at least twica When hoeing 

 the first time, pull out the superabundant plants, 

 leaving but five or six in each hill. As soon aa the 

 seed is out of the milk, table the com, by breaking 

 two rows across each other, a hill in each row altep- 

 nately, walking backwards between the rows; break 

 the com one and a half to two feet from the ground, 

 which makes the tables about the right height* Cat 

 the corn close above the upper joint, and lay the 

 brush on the tables to dry, which will take four or 

 five days in good weather; then tie up the bundlesv 

 haul to the barn, and scrape off the seed. The brush 

 is then ready for the broom-maker, usually bringing 

 $125 to $150 per ton. 



Five hundred pounds is a poor crop, one thousaEd 

 pounds a good crop, and fifteen hundred pounds a 

 first rate crop, on gravelly loam. One thousand 

 pounds will make five hundred brooms, costing $10 

 per hundred for manufacturing. One thousand pounds, 

 at $150 per ton, is $75; cost of making, S50; tota^ 

 $125. Five hundred brooms, at $3.75 per dozen, is 

 $156.25. One thourand pounds of brush wUl yield 

 about thirty bushela of seed, worth as much to feed 

 as oats. D. A. A. NiCEroi& 



