BROOM-CORN EXPERIMENTS AT WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA. 47 
rates in the 3-year period. This method ranked first in groups B 
and D, or in two of the four rates averaged in the 5-year period. 
The third method, with four plants in each hill, gave the highest 
average in group A, or the thick rate, in the 3-year period. The 
second method, with two plants in the hill, gave the highest average 
in group D in the 3-year and in groups A and C in the 5-year period. 
Thus, it is seen that the first method, with one plant in the hill in 
rows spaced 3.5 feet apart, has more high averages than any other 
method. This is a good indication that it is the most favorable 
method of spacing, and also from 6 to 7 inches of row space to the 
plant appears to be the most profitable rate of seeding, as that is the 
rate which gave the highest average yield in this experiment and in 
all other experiments as well. 
HARVESTING EXPERIMENTS. 
he object of the harvesting experiments was to learn the stage of 
development at which broom corn should be harvested to obtain the 
highest yield and quality of cured brush. The experiments were con- 
ducted in the seasons of 1915, 1917, and 1918. Acme broom corn 
(C. I. No. 248) was used in making these experiments. 
In 1915 the harvesting experiment was conducted to learn the stage 
of maturity at which to harvest broom corn to obtain the highest yield 
of cured brush. Three plats of broom corn, not equal in area, in dif- 
ferent stages of development, were harvested. The first lot was in 
the flower stage, the second in the milk, and the third lot in the 
dough stage when harvested. Each lot was weighed as soon as 
harvested, including the seed. Then the heads were thrashed and 
the brush was put on racks in the shed to cure. After the brush 
was thoroughly dry the cured weights were obtained. 
TABLE XXII.—Data obtained from the broom-corn harvesting experiment con- 
ducted at Woodward, Okla., in 1915. 
Green 
Stage of development. ee "| Cured cue 
seed. 
Pounds. | Pounds. | Per cent. 
309 79 5.6 
DDIGN Gir Se ah ee ae oe ate ee De oe Spas ore eee ae ene ere 25.6 
Ia ese eet tae ae cae eee aie ace eee scee eee et oe 209 59 28.2 
EON 6 BE Teepe so Saw oo eat = aise epee MS SEO Slee Nios cio ee sce 441 142 32. 2 
The data in Table XXII show that 309 pounds of broom corn 
harvested in the flower stage yielded 79 pounds of cured brush, 
which is 25.6 per cent of the total green weight. When harvested 
in the milk stage, 209 pounds produced 59 pounds of cured brush, 
or 28.2 per cent of the total green weight. In the dough stage 441 
