16 BROOM-CORN AND BROOMS. 



use of the harrow and cultivator, all the season. If done 

 for the benefit of future crops, this fallowing may be de- 

 sirable, but one who followed this advice, expecting to 

 get his returns from the Broom-corn crop, would be 

 likely to be disappointed, as he has to compete with 

 those who can raise it at much less expense. 



When a sod is turned over for the crop it is turned 

 deep, and the surface just before planting is pulverized 

 with a cultivator, or may have a shallow plowing with a 

 plow that can be guaged to the proper depth, and after- 

 wards harrowed. This last operation should be done im- 

 mediately before planting, as it is all important that the 

 seed come in contact with moist, recently stirred soil. 

 'xi MANURE. Some cultivators upon prairie soils assert 

 / that manure of all kinds is a great deal worse than use- 

 less, but elsewhere fertilizers are found to be essential. 

 The novice must be governed by what is required by other 

 crops, as Broom-corn demands quite as good treatment 

 as Indian corn, or other farm crops. Well decomposed 

 barn-yard, hog-pen, or sheep manure, made very fine, or 

 guano and other ammoniacal manures are used with advan- 

 tage upon lands needing them. They are usually applied 

 in the drill, in order to forward the growth of the 

 young plant as rapidly as possible, with a view to get it 

 the sooner in advance of the weeds. Among special ap- 

 plications none have been so highly commended as plas- 

 ter, which is claimed to have produced positively benefi- 

 cial results when applied with the seed at the rate of 

 250 Ibs. to the acre, and the application repeated at the 

 first working after the plants are well up. Ashes at the 

 rate of 12 or 15 bushels to the acre have been used with 

 great advantage, both alone and with plaster. Lime 

 upon soils where it is useful for other crops, may be ap- 

 plied with advantage to Broom-corn. Indeed no general 

 rule can be given to meet all localities, from those in 

 which the fertility of the soil appears to be inexhaustible, 



