LI in; 



INTRODUCTION. 



Considering the importance of the Broom-corn crop, it 

 is surprising how little is said about it in works on gen- 

 eral agriculture. The literature of the subject is mainly 

 confined to articles in the various journals, and the direc- 

 tions published by sellers of seeds and implements. 

 Some of the latter give very meager instructions, showing 

 a singular want of knowledge of the present methods of 

 culture, while others are clever and useful treatises, 

 though recommending implements and machines adapted 

 only to the prairie soils of the Western States. In view 

 of the demand for information upon the cultivation of 

 this crop, we at first proposed to gather the various arti- 

 cles that have appeared from time to time in the Ameri- 

 can Agriculturist, and publish them as a pamphlet. The 

 articles are by different editors and contributors familiar 

 with the crop in various localities, from Maine to New 

 York and Pennsylvania, and westward to Ohio and Illi- 

 nois ; but it was found that to reproduce these as they 

 originally appeared, would involve a great deal of useless 

 repetition, and one who wished information as to a par- 

 (5) 



