The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-01-23

and no doubt viii continue TO do so
so long as the present prices for
small grain continues; and the ques-
ton of labor at the harvesting period
Is so unsatisfactory,
At the same time We deem II wise
to caution your farmers about plant
ing to large an acreage when begin
ming the industry but II the crops are
used as ordinary crops on the farm,
and In connection with other farm N
dustries, no doubt, II can be made
success, and the farmer who plants
from 2j TO 40 acres along with other
varieties OF farm crops will find his
time well employed throughout the
entire farming period OF the year.
and at the same time when growing a
variety of crops, he can seek a more
favorable time to market any or all
OF them than II he had his entire
years labor in any single crop. At
the same time he can hold his pro-
ducest namely, broomcorn, wheat, cot
ton or hogs, untiI favorable market
conditions are presented.
II might he well at this point to
call the attention OF your farmers as
to the possibilities az maintaining
soil standard when attempting to
grow broom corn for number OF
years on the same land It is posi-
BILE that they may be able to do so
for a time, since your soils are new,
and no doubt rich in fertility. At
the same time broom corn produces a
rapid growth, and exhausts tho soil
OF those constituents that go to make
up a broom corn soil fertility; and 1t
Is important that some rotation crop
should follow broomcorn or else the
land in short time will be so inn
poverlshed that broomcorn can no
longer be grown successfully. The
Illinois farmer we'll understands the
Importance OF maintaining the fer
tility of his lands. Hence, we sow
clover and other tame grasses, and
never follow broom corn with broom
corn for the second year.
Diversity With Broom Corn.
We would be glad to see the
broom corn industry made a success
full crop in the Panhandle country.
Yet, there is a possibility OF over
production, and your people should
proceed very cautiously, by simply
making "the broom corn industry"
one Of the various crops ON the
farm, and not the only crop, as many
did in Illinois during the period when
the industry was at the highest point.
The result was overproduction and
low prices for many years, and to
many Illinois farmers, serious fin
ancial loss. Keep in view. the one
single idea that the annual consump-
ton OF broom corn in the United
States is about $4,000 tons, with a
commercial value, when placed at the
door Of manufactures in the East OF
OF about four million dollars. Any
production beyond the actual demand
will mean lower prices on the whole
product, and since the industry has
had such wide publicity, the posslbll-
tiles OF overproduction is in sight,
and unless due caution is made in
the production, and an effort made
to increase the foreign demand for
brooms, it is possible not to realize
the results that we would all like to
see attained when endeavoring to
widen the area of the useful industry,
known as the growing of broom corn.
Now, gentlemen, | have tried to
give you the splendid possibilities, at
the same time have put in a word of
caution along the lines OF conserya-
tive action, and IN the language of
our ex-President Cleveland, when he
said, Tell the truth" | have en-
deayored to do so.
The Farms Best Product
Thanking you for your kind con-
siderations and congratulating the
Panhandle farmers on the possibili-
ties Of their splendid country, and its
merits when fully developed along
such lines that your industry and in
telligence may dictate, making for
yourselves a history as an agricultur-
al people equal to any locality in the
United States. At the same time, do
not forget when raising hogs. corn,
cotton, broom corn and alfalfa that
the best product Of your farms, and
those to your lasting honor Is your
boys and girls, who are always
worthy of your best efforts in order
that they may represent in the years
to come the highest type Of Christian
American citizenship, which stands
for all time our National perpetuity,
Very Respectfully Submitted,