BROOM CORN III 



the tricks of the trade, but a marked amount of long 

 stalks in a bale will result in a reduction of price. 



The process of removing the seed from the brush 

 is variously termed seeding, scraping or threshing, 

 and consists of running the seed-laden heads through 

 a cylinder similar to that of the ordinary threshing 

 machine, except that the entire brush does not pass 

 through, only the head being subjected to the scrap- 

 ing process, so as not to destroy the stalk upon 

 which the fibers were borne. 



When thoroughly dried, the brooms are baled 

 and these bales are inclosed with rather large, 

 smooth wire, to avoid cutting the fibers, and usually 

 weigh about 320 pounds. A few days of rain or 

 damp, cloudy weather at harvesting time may re- 

 duce the value of the crop very considerably. Many 

 farmers who continue growing broom corn year 

 after year have their own special machinery for 

 handling it. In such cases it is customary to cut 

 a certain amount of broom corn during the early 

 part of the day, haul it to the house and thresh it 

 in the afternoon and evening, so that the brooms 

 may be gotten under shelter at the earliest possible 

 moment. Leaving part of the cut broom corn in 

 the field overnight, of course, exposes it to the pos- 

 sibility of heavy dew or rain, with its consequent 

 bad effects. If a sufficient force of men is at hand 

 to cut the entire crop in one or two days, and then 

 haul in and thresh immediately, this plan is fre- 

 quently pursued. 



Crooked Brush Reduces Values. — Probably the 

 greatest factor influencing the value of the crop, 

 aside from weather conditions and curing is the 

 number of crooked stalks. Heavy dews or wet 

 weather during the maturing stage of the brush 



