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Broomcorn was one of the cash crops planted in the Deerfield area in the early to mid-19th century. The dried corn tassels were gathered and secured around the handle. The broom was clamped in this machine to form it into the correct shape and to hold the corn tassels steady until the worker sewed the individual pieces together into the broom. This phase of the production work was done in the wintertime when the farmer had extra time and could use an indoor occupation. With greater mechanization and specialization, this type of cottage industry was supplanted by factory production.

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