BROOM CORN. 323 



Shakers at Union village, Ohio, soon learned the trade, so 

 that it was, essentially, for many years a Shaker trade. 



Before the war, it was an almost unknown agricultural 

 product of the South, at that time being confined to a few 

 patches belonging to the slaves. But after the war it came 

 into notice, and the fortunate few who began its cultivation 

 realized such enormous profits, it attracted general attention 

 and it at once sprung into popularity. Soon, however, it 

 was overdone, and the price fell in one year, from a surplus 

 production, from 12 J cents to 2 cents per pound. This so 

 discouraged farmers, that it has been touched with hesitation 

 ever since, and its price, since 1870, has never, at any time, 

 ceased to be remunerative. At this time, its cultivation is 

 very generally carried on throughout the United States, and 

 it forms one of the staple productions of Tennessee. We 

 have no statistics of its growth in either the State or general 

 government, but that Tennessee produces more than she 

 wants, is shown by the fact that a large quantity is annually 

 shipped to Cincinnati, St. Louis and Boston, and several 

 large broom factories are in successful operation. 



No crop, at maturity, presents a more beautiful appear- 

 ance than broom corn. Its stalks grow, on good land, from 

 twelve to fifteen feet high, and its heavy panicle waves to 

 every passing breeze like a plume. The stalks are hard and 

 worthless, unless stock can be turned on a field immediately 

 after cutting, or before frost, when they will strip the fodder 

 to some extent. Some farmers will gather the fodder and 

 use it as sheep provender during the winter, but though 

 eaten, it is not with much relish. The seeds, formerly, 

 were quite valuable, and in fact were fully worth the cost of 

 production. But, of late, it has been ascertained that when 

 cut while the seeds are in the milk, or at farthest in the 

 dough state, the straw is much brighter and brings a higher 

 price. Consequently, the seeds are not nearly so valuable. 

 They are chiefly valuable for sheep, which are readily 

 fattened by them. Ground, and mixed with corn, oats, rye 



