BROOM-CORN EXPERIMENTS AT WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA. 13 



stalks, and heads in all the rows of each variety for which such 

 data are presented. The percentage of suckers is determined by 

 dividing the difference between the number of stalks and the number 

 of plants by the number of stalks. The percentage of headed stalks 

 is the number of stalks that bore heads divided by the total number 

 of stalks in the plat. The growing period as given here is the total 

 time elapsing from seeding until the brush is harvested, usually 

 when in the dough stage. The vegetative period is the time from 

 seeding until the heads appear. If growing conditions are unfavor- 

 able and heading is progressing slowly and unevenly, this period is 

 prolonged but counted as ended when heads cease to appear. The 

 fruiting period is the completion of the vegetative period or the 

 time from the appearance of the heads until the brush is considered 

 ready to harvest. 



The height of the plants is the average of several measurements 

 made at different points in the plat. The heads are included in these 

 measurements and considered as standing erect, though most of them 

 droop, which gives the stalks the appearance of a lower height. 



The standard varieties are harvested by tabling the stalks so that 

 the heads are brought within easy reach. Then the heads are cut 

 off with a jackknife, leaving about 6 inches of stem with the head. 

 The Acme and Dwarf varieties are harvested by pulling or jerking 

 the heads from the standing stalks. The heads are taken at once 

 to the curing shed and thrashed. Then the thrashed brush is placed 

 in layers, about 3 inches thick, on shelves in racks to cure. After the 

 brush is cured, which requires about two weeks, depending some- 

 what upon the weather conditions, it is graded. This is done by 

 sorting by hand the good brush from the poor. Each lot is then 

 weighed and the acre yields are computed therefrom. The com- 

 bined weight of the two grades is the total yield per acre. 



Brush with long, round, straight fiber without heavy center stems 

 is graded good quality, and short, spiky brush with large center stems 

 and that with crooked brush or coarse, flat fiber is graded poor 

 quality. Heads with fiber of good and poor quality are shown in 

 figure 3. 



The length of the brush in each grade is the average length of 

 10 heads picked at random from each lot after it is graded. 



The percentage of good brush is the weight of that grade divided 

 by the combined weight of both grades, or the total yield of the plat. 



Environing Conditions. 



A brief summary of the environing conditions during the 5-year 

 period from 1914 to 1918, inclusive, is given to aid in the interpreta- 

 tion of the results obtained during that period. 



