10 



BULLETIN 1019, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



drying chamber for ventilation in case too high a temperature en- 

 dangers the broom corn. 



Trays are provided on which to place the green brush as soon as 

 thrashed. These trays consist of frames with wire bottoms, which 

 telescope into each other, forming tiers as high as desired. They 

 are filled about 4 inches deep and placed one on top of the other 

 on a truck, which is then rolled into the drying chamber. This 

 process is continued until the entire chamber is filled. There is 

 room in the drier for 28 trucks of trays each of which when 'filled 

 contains about 200 to 400 pounds, depending on the dryness of the 

 brush. The capacity of the drier is from 4 to 6 tons of broom corn. 

 When the hot air has been applied from 6 to 12 hours the brush is 

 ready for baling, whereas it takes from 12 to 15 days to dry broom 

 corn in open sheds by the open-air method of curing. 



Fig. 3. — Thrashing broom corn with power thrasher. Note the waste underfoot and the 

 poorly shelved broom corn at the extreme left. 



The operators claim that the following advantages besides others 

 are procured through using a kiln for drying the corn : Delivery 

 about 15 days earlier than with open-shed drying; better color be- 

 cause of ability to dry in wet weather, thereby saving crops that other- 

 wise would spoil ; elimination of moldy brush ; and the production of 

 a tougher fiber. They also claim that buyers will pay from $25 to 

 $35 per ton more for the kiln-dried brush. The average cost of kiln 

 drying brush at the plant described is estimated to be about $11 

 per ton. 



BALING. 



Better prices are obtained for well-baled broom corn than for brush 

 of the same kind and grade that is poorly baled. The baler is filled 

 with brush by hand. Small armfuls are placed alternately against 

 each end until the baler is full (see PI. IV, fig. 1). A crew of nine 

 men with a horsepower baler can bale about 50 bales a day. The bale 

 should be firmly packed, square with smooth ends devoid of protrud- 



