A NEW INDUSTRY.—AMERICAN BROOM CORN.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 39, 23 September 1867, Page 234

A NEW INDUSTRY.—AMERICAN BROOM CORN.

(Southern Cross, September 12.)

It will be in the recollection of our readers that we noticed, last autumn, the fact that Mr C. T. Wren, of the Mount Hobson Nursery, Remuera, had gathered the first crop of American broom corn grown to any considerable extent in the colony. The broom material, after the seed was saved, was soldto Messrs. Smith and Mandeno, of the Auckland Tub aud Bucket Factory, Mount Eden, who manufactured it into brooms, which, had a ready sale. Indeed, the demand has been so. considerable as to warrant the presumption that a greater breadth will be sown in the coming season.

It will be seen, by an advertisement in another place, that Mr Wren is prepared to supply the seed of his last year’s crop at one shilling per pound, and, if taken in quantity, at a proportionate reduction. k iVe recL-mmend our fellow-settlers to try this crop. There is a very considerable import of American brooms ; but we may avoid this expenditure, and grow the raw material, and manufacture sufficient for colonial use, and for export tq the Australiad colonies, where there is. a large and regular market. We fiud that one of the W augauui settlers, recently returned from North America, has introduced the broom corn, and it is likely to be cultivated iu that district. But Southern settlers heed not send out of. the colony for seed, inasmuch as they may procure it' at once, of our esteemed colonist, Mr Wren. If New Zealand is ever tq become a truly prosperous country, it is by promoting enterprise of this kind, which enables us to supply our own wantß, and take advantage of adjacent markets to the exclusion of foreign produce, at the same time giving employment to a large number of hands.

Mr Wren estimates that he has been amply paid by last year’s crop, assuming eveu that the seed is altogether used as feed. He has tested the fattening qualities of the millet or 1 broom com Beed, aud finds, in the csbc of a horse which got it as a substitute lor maize, that he is in better condition than ordinary at this season. A pig, fed almost exclusively on the seed, fattened rapidly, and, after slaughtering, produced very excellent pork. Poultry eat it greedily. These, facts ought to encourage- the cultivation of the American broom corn. There will always be a demand for the broom material, and the surplus seed is a useful and . economic cattle feed, whilst the straw may. be used for litter.