242 



SOUTIIKUN FIELD CROPS 



crop of broom-eom. Therefore an inerease of a few thousand 

 acres greatly depresses prices. The chief centers of production 



are certain districts in Illinois, 

 Kansas, and Oklahoma. 



Nashville, Tennes.see, is proba- 

 bly the most important southern 

 market for broom-corn brush. 

 If till' crop is gr(_)wn on farms 

 in the South Atlantic and tiulf 

 States, growers should aim rather 

 to siipply local brcjom factories 

 than to competi' ou the larger 

 marlvcts with localities in A^'hich 

 broom-corn culture is a long- 

 estal ilished industr3'. 



224. Types of broom-corn. 



— - The varieties of l)ru(.)iii- 

 com may lie divided into two 

 tjqies or classcH — standard 

 and dwarf varieties. Stand- 

 ard lii-oom-corn is a tall jilant 

 with l)nish IS to 24 inches 

 li )u,t;'. Dwarf liroom-ceirn tisii- 

 ally stands only 4 to 6 feet 

 lii.L^ii and hears l)rnsli that is 

 10 to IS inches lona;. From 

 tlie hitter are made ^yhisk 

 l)r(ioms, h(>arth lirooms, and 



finishes. The Dwarf \'arieties are considered to be espc- 



eialh' snite(l to (>l<hihonui aiul Kansas. 



225. Climate, soils, and fertilizers. — Wliile the hroom- 



corn iilaiit can he t^i'owii tmder :\ wide raitse of clinuitic 



and soil eouditions, yet it is most profital>le in a elimato 



On left 

 and on ri^lit 



