BROOM-CORN EXPERIMENTS AT WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA. 13 
stalks, and heads in all the rows of each variety for which such 
data are presented. The percentage of suckers is determined by 
dividing the difference between the number of stalks and the number 
of plants by the number of stalks. The percentage of headed stalks 
is the number of stalks that bore heads divided by the total number 
of stalks in the plat. The growing period as given here is the total 
time elapsing from seeding until the brush is harvested, usually 
when in the dough stage. The vegetative period is the time from 
seeding until the heads appear. If growing conditions are unfavor- 
able and heading is progressing slowly and unevenly, this period is 
prolonged but counted as ended when heads cease to appear. The 
fruiting period is the completion of the vegetative period or the 
time from the appearance of the heads until the brush is considered 
ready to harvest. 
The height of the plants is the average of several measurements 
made at different points in the plat. The heads are included in these 
measurements and considered as standing erect, though most of them 
droop, which gives the stalks the appearance of a lower height. 
The standard varieties are harvested by tabling the stalks so that 
the heads are brought within easy reach. Then the heads are cut 
off with a jackknife, leaving about 6 inches of stem with the head. 
The Acme and Dwarf varieties are harvested by pulling or jerking 
the heads from the standing stalks. The heads are taken at once 
to the curing shed and thrashed. Then the thrashed brush is placed 
in layers, about 3 inches thick, on shelves in racks to cure. After the 
brush is cured, which requires about two weeks, depending some- 
what upon the weather conditions, it is graded. This is done by 
sorting by hand the good brush from the poor. Each lot is then 
weighed and the acre yields are computed therefrom. The com- 
bined weight of the two grades is the total yield per acre. 
Brush with long, round, straight fiber without heavy center stems 
is graded good quality, and short, spiky brush with large center stems 
and that with crooked brush or coarse, flat fiber is graded poor 
quality. Heads with fiber of good and poor quality are shown in 
figure 3. 
The length of the brush in each grade is the average length of 
10 heads picked at random from each lot after it is graded. 
The percentage of good brush is the weight of that grade divided 
by the combined weight of both grades, or the total yield of the plat. 
Environing Conditions. 
A brief summary of the environing conditions during the 5-year 
period from 1914 to 1918, inclusive, is given to aid in the interpreta- 
tion of the results obtained during that period. 
