242 



SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



crop of broom-corn. Therefore an increase of a few thousand 



acres greatly depresses prices. 



Fig. 120. — Broom-corn Brush. 



The chief centers of production 

 are certain districts in Illinois, 

 Kansas, and Oklahoma. 



Nashville, Tennessee, is proba- 

 bly the most important southern 

 market for broom-corn brush. 

 If the crop is grown on farms 

 in the South Atlantic and Gulf 

 States, growers should aim rather 

 to supply local broom factories 

 than to compete on the larger 

 markets with localities in which 

 broom-corn culture is a long- 

 established industry. 



224. Types of broom-corn. 



— The varieties of broom- 

 corn may be divided into two 

 types or classes — standard 

 and dwarf varieties. Stand- 

 ard broom-corn is a tall plant 

 with brush 18 to 24 inches 

 long. Dwarf broom-corn usu- 

 ally stands only 4 to 6 feet 

 high and bears brush that is 

 10 to 18 inches long. From 



On left, before removal of seed ; the latter are made whisk 



and on right, after stripping. ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ 



brushes. The Dwarf varieties are considered to be espe- 

 cially suited to Oklahoma and Kansas. 



225. Climate, soils, and fertilizers. — WTiile the broom- 

 corn plant can be grown under a wide range of climatic 

 and soil conditions, yet it is most profitable in a climate 



