Growing a useful fiber crop from seed to finished broom
Broom-Corn Culture connects a field crop with an everyday household tool. A. G. McCall follows broom-corn through variety selection, planting, seed improvement, harvesting and curing, then explains how the prepared brush becomes a broom. Published in 1912, this illustrated agricultural manual brings together the growing and manufacturing sides of a traditional rural industry in a compact, readable form.
McCall is identified on the title page as Professor of Agronomy in the College of Agriculture at Ohio State University. His preface explains that the book answers requests for information about the crop and draws on his growing experience, practical growers and experiment station work. The result is organized around the decisions that affect the quality of the brush, rather than treating cultivation as a matter of producing the greatest possible bulk of stalks.
Plant types, soil and seed
The opening chapter describes the American broom-corn industry through production figures and regional comparisons from the period. These tables provide historical context for the crop’s movement between growing regions and the relationship between acreage, quality and price. They are followed by a description of the plant and its place among the sorghums. Drawings compare broom-corn heads with other sorghum forms and show desirable and undesirable brush.
A useful distinction runs throughout the book between standard and dwarf broom-corn. McCall discusses their growth habits, the character of their brush and their different uses in large brooms, hearth brooms and whisks. He also explains why the quality of the parent heads and the seed itself deserves more attention than a varietal name alone. This gives readers a clear example of selecting a crop for the material it will eventually supply.
The chapters on soil, climate and planting consider the conditions needed to produce usable brush and bring it to harvest in good condition. Seedbed preparation, planting time and method are treated alongside the difficulty of managing weeds during the crop’s early growth. The discussion ties growing conditions to the texture, length and color of the harvested material, showing why a satisfactory field crop and a satisfactory craft material are closely related outcomes.
Separate chapters cover obtaining good seed and testing its vitality. McCall discusses selection, keeping seed of suitable parentage and checking its ability to germinate before planting. A further chapter records the enemies of broom-corn and the period’s treatment practices. Together these sections show how seed quality and field management fit into the longer production sequence.
Harvesting, curing and broom manufacture
The harvesting chapter is one of the most substantial parts of the book. Photographs and drawings show tabling the crop, cutting the brush, arranging it for handling and moving it from the field. Other illustrations depict seed-removing equipment, curing sheds, shelving and finished bales. McCall emphasizes the care needed after cutting: the brush must retain the qualities that make it useful to the broom maker, so drying, sorting and handling are part of the crop’s value.
A short chapter considers broom-corn by-products before the final chapter turns to broom manufacture. Here the scale changes from field work to the bench and factory. The book includes household methods using simple arrangements for compressing and binding the brush, followed by descriptions and illustrations of treadle and power equipment. Winding, stitching, sizing and trimming appear as distinct operations, each contributing to the shape and finish of the broom.
This combination is especially valuable for understanding the complete material cycle. The reader can see why straight, sound, properly cured brush matters during assembly, and how the intended finished article influences the earlier choice of plant type. The manufacturing section includes hand methods, but the book also documents commercial production; it is broader than a single small broom-making project.
Who will find it useful
Homesteaders interested in growing materials for household goods, gardeners exploring useful nonfood crops and traditional craft practitioners will find a distinctive subject here. Agricultural historians can use its production tables and machinery illustrations to study a specialized crop industry. For a practical reference shelf, its particular strength is the connection between cultivation, material preparation and making an object intended for regular use.
The text reflects American growing regions and equipment of the early twentieth century. Its ten chapters work best as a continuous account, with the illustrations consulted alongside the instructions. An index helps readers return to particular topics such as seed, curing sheds, harvesting equipment and broom manufacture.
Book details
- Title: Broom-Corn Culture
- Author: A. G. McCall
- Publisher: Orange Judd Company, New York; London imprint, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Limited
- Publication and copyright: 1912; no numbered edition stated
- Language: English
- Format: Illustrated PDF, 77 digital pages, 3,340,987 bytes
- Subjects: Broom-corn cultivation, seed selection, harvesting, curing, brush preparation and broom manufacture
