56 BEOOM-COEN AND BEOOMS. 



inch apart, until they cross the broom. Then another guide 

 is turned up which reaches about an inch nearer the bottom 

 of the broom, and another double turn of twine is made, 

 and more stitches, and this is repeated in long-straw 

 brooms yet once more. It is only necessary then to trim 

 the broom smoothly, which, where large quantities are 

 made, is done by the machine shown at figure 22 ; but 

 in other cases may be done by means of a sharp knife or 

 a pair of sheep-shears, to finish it ready for market. The 

 wire used on the best brooms is known in the trade as 

 "tinned broom wire"; cheaper brooms are wound with 

 "bright annealed iron wire," the sizes Nos. 29 to 36 be- 

 ing used. 



Broom handles sell at from $16 to $18 per thousand, 

 and are retailed in small lots at 2 to 3 cents each. In 

 cities they are kept by the dealers in wooden ware. 



Brooms are packed in bunches of one dozen each, being 

 sewed together through the brush, and bound by a cord 

 at the ends of the handles, and the manufacture is com- 

 pleted. 



The value of the brooms in the market of course depends 

 altogether upon the material of which they are made. 

 Those made of poor yellow brush, which is so short that 

 the stubs of the brush are used in making the brooms, 

 bring but half the price of those made of the long green 

 hurl. This should be remembered when the brush is 

 harvested, as well as when the choice of seed is made for 

 planting. The average prices of brooms, as quoted in 

 May, 1876, were $2 to $3.50 per dozen. 



EXTENT OF THE MANUFACTUEE. Very few have any 

 idea of the extent of this apparently unimportant manu- 

 facture. There are in the United States 625 factories 

 engaged in making brooms and whisks, employing 5,206 

 hands. The amount of capital invested in the business, 

 is estimated at a little over $2,000,000. The annual 



