DABuckingham - 1858
pageJT


7 June DAB was asked by Frederick Evans to write a history of brooms to send to Encyclopedia,
Appleton Bldg., New York C i t y /for Charles A. Dana. In part,DAB'wrote:
"Sorghum saccharatum (broom corn) is an exotic from the East Indies. We learn from the
Patent Report of 1847 that the origin ofthis plant as a cultivated product of this country is attri-
buted to Dr. Franklin. He is said to have accidentally seen an imported whisk of corn inthe
possession of lady of Philadelphia and while examining itas a curiosity saw a seed which he
planted, & from this small beginning has sprung the present product in the U .5 .
"The cultivation of broomcorn Is now very extensively carried on throughout most of the
States; and the manufacture of itInto brooms is becoming a branch of business of great importance,
in which there is much capital invested and from which is derived very considerable profits, both
to the manufacturer and vendor.
"The seed of the broom corn is excellent for fattening sheep. ..., is good for feeding fowls,
and when ground with Indian corn, rye, oats or barley, very profitably fed to cows & cattle. .,.
"Alluvial lands are the best and most suitable for raising broom corn/ yet almost any soil
that w i l l
raisegood Indian corn will produce a tolerable crop of broom corn. ... It often attains
a height of 12 to 15 feet. Planting is generally done with a machine drawn by a horse, in rows
3 ft. apart. ... & flropped in hills16-18 inches apart. Four quarts of seed will plant an acre ....
"When broom corn was first introduced in the United Society of Shakers at Watervliet, as
long ago as 1791, itwas raised in the garden, as other corn. In 1798 it began to be an article of
attention and some few brooms were manufactured by them for the market and sold for 4 shillings
each. The handles were made of soft maple and turned in a common foot lathe. The machinery
for manufacturing brooms was then very simple. It consisted of nothing more than a roller turned
by a short crank for the purpose of winding on the cord or twine... while applying the brush with
the other hand.
"The next process by way of improvement was adding a bench to the roller.. . Two dozen
brooms a day, well npp de, was considered good
"Now, one man with a horse and a machine that will plant 2 rows at a time, can plant 10-12
acres in a day. Average product of an acre is about 500 Ibs. 1 1/4 Ibs. of brush is allowed for a
broom and one man will make 5 tons of brush per year, if constantly employed. The entire cost of
a broom is 9 -- 1 1/4 Ibs. of brush - 6$, Heing on - 2 1/2$, handle - 1 1/4$, w i r e ,
twine, etc. -
1/4$. We have an Island in the Mohawk at Niskayuna of about 70 acres which has been planted
annually for 30 years without manuring and the iast crop yielded about the same as usual -500 Ibs.
per acre. Usual practice in harvesting is to bend the stems or stalks some 2 1/2 or 3 ft.from
ground, and lefta few days to dry. The stalks are then cut 6-8 inches from the brush and laid in
heaps.; ready to be carried to the scraper." The scraper (horse-powered) removes the seed from
the brush, cleaning 3 acres ofcorn a day.
" The stalk remaining in the field should be plowed under during the fal I or fol lowing spring.
Our practice is to break them down with a heavy drag in spring and plow them under and then run
over the ground with a large roller, which prepares the land for planting...."
"Nearly all the Shaker Societies in the Union are more or less engaged in this branch of
employment, but the Societies at Watervliet, N.Y. and Union Village, Ohio carry iton most
extensively. The capital invested in Itby the Shakers unitedly would amount .to some $40,000,..
bringing in most generally a net profit of 5 to 25%."