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MARKETING BROOM CORN. 5 
“jor a removing the seed. Improper thrashing induces great waste, 
| x tmauch of the waste in thrashing is unavoidable unless the brush 
4 bas ‘been delivered in a satisfactory condition. It is obviously im- 
possible at this stage of preparation for market, for thrashing crews 
to take the time necessary to disentangle brush, or to remove foreign 
nd worthless material, such as husks, Simlne stalks, spikes, burly 
“brush, and crooks. It is essential, therefore, that broom corn receive 
ig proper attention prior to its thrashing. 
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PROPER FEEDING IMPORTANT. 
~ The importance of feeding broom corn into the “feeder chain 
Fs roperly should not be overlooked, because, once inserted, the brush 
passes through without giving Partner apoontanits to retain or 
arrange it so as to remove any seed the cylinders fail to touch in 
the regular operation. In feeding, the brush should be arranged so 
- that all seed to be removed must rise along not closer than 4 inches 
- to the chain. Broom corn of ordinary Nene dh has httle or no seed 
within 4 inches of the knuckle and this permits feeding so that 
' the feeder chain may engage the fiber just above the knuckle, thus 
preserving the stems of the brush and preventing undue loss of 
brush, which sometimes occurs when the stem has been engaged 
: by the feeder chain and crushed. The amount of brush fed should 
be uniform. The cylinders will remove the seed better if the 
4 layer of broom corn engaged is not too thick. Large handfuls 
‘crowded in the feeder chain “slug” the machine and Alscastse the 
speed for a moment and the nes portions pass through poorly 
iat Best results are obtained by having sufficient mle to fur- 
e / mish the feeder a ee stream of brush about 2 inches deep and well 
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OPERATING DEFICIENCIES. 
_ Machinery for thrashing is simple in construction and is easily 
_ kept in proper condition, but it is often neglected and becomes the 
b source of much waste and poorly thrashed broom corn. Bent cylin- 
_ der teeth or the loss of teeth hinder proper thrashing and loose bolts 
_ are the forerunners of breakdowns, which cause loss of time to large 
~ crews, allow brush to become overripe, and result in much waste. 
The speed of the cylinder is an important factor in thrashing and. 
" any inattention, resulting in too low or too high a speed, is detri- 
_ mental. Too low a speed results in the heads passing through with- 
out being sufficiently. scraped. This is particularly true when the 
seed is immature or chaffy. Too high a speed removes with the seed 
_the fine fiber on which it grows, destroying the full tip of the brush 
~ so much desired by all broom manufacturers. 
No set rule can be given for the proper speed. It is governed en- 
_ tirely by the condition of the broom corn and.the size of the cylinder. 
rae are ee. 
