The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-12
Would Flourish in Viz
ginia if Material Was
Grown Near at Hand.
THE HOMEGROWN
CORN is THE BEST.
Co-operation Between Farmers
and Capital in Towns Would
Lead to Establishment Of
Many Paying Industries.
Project Being Agitated
in One Community.
ny FRANK $. wooDsoN,

Industrial Editor.
TO" many Richmond people know
wat the largest broom factory IN ma *
south is operated in this citv? Com
: paratively few dare say. Yns ~ ia
dnout the largest. and a small enter
prise 1T Is at that There arc less than
l,a dozen establishments in the
Slate engaged in the manufacture OF
p.ooH's' ana they arc all on the small
order and yet thousands upon tho,,-
sands of brooms arc in daily use IN
tne territory that trades with Rich
mond Virginia factories ought Ia
supply all OF this broom trade. but
tneS 90 not because there are as
a.dteo' out very few in the State. and
they are all small. This cond ton needs
an explanation, and in Il long talk Ta4
iau with a broom maker the other
Jay l think | found the explanation.
The virginia broom factories haya
20 buy their stock. that is to say. tho
broom corn, Il long ways from base
The Richmond factory buys in carload
lots broom corn that is grown in Ol,I,- iis
h"ma. Kansas. Nebraska and in South 3
america, and the freight on 1t is some- n
thlnG startling. I saw my friend nav
me charges OH carload of the stock
tnat came from Kansas, and the freight
Dill was within a few dollars of baIf
me cost or the carload of broom corn
But Little Grown in Virginia
| asked this broom maker why he
did not buy his stock nearer home.
can't set it any nearer" was his
laconic reply. sought further infor-
mauon' and was told that there is
hardly enough broom corn grown 81
Virginia to Keep this one l.tte fac
tory at work three months In the year.
Inc demand for the broom corn grown
In Kansas and other Western States
named Is SO great that the growers
como nowhere near meeting it, and
"a n rct y ~ =, g
! INTO brooms i'll this country Is exported
from South America. Every now and
then tho little Richmond factory has
q Duy carload or two OF the South
American grown corn, which he gets
from New York, and after the duty is
PAID on 1t and the freight bills ara
added the South American grown stock Il
becomes mighty costly. and that is ond
OF the reasons brooms are now so high
In The retail stores OF Richmond and
all other cities and towns. This con
dition OF affairs fully explains why
there are so few broom factories n
Virginia and the South
C'nn Virginia Grow the Stocks
The broom factory man l talk ed
with was n farmer boy. and grew m
and worked on n Chesterfield farm, and
so when ! asked him If Virginia lands
can grow the broom corn successfulIy
and thus supply the few factories now
IN existence in the state and the nifty
or more that might be and ought to
be in the State, he was right in his
native element. and OH the subject he
spoke eloquently. From his eloouencs;
l learned that the broom corn is an
easy crop TO grow; that Virginia lands.
especially in the James River section,
arc better adapted to its growth than
are the lands of the Far West or the
lands OF South America.
This fact is amply proven by the
actual experience in the factory. The
little Virginia grown stock my friend
Is able TO get every now and then he
declares to be superior to that he buyn
In the West and far superior to the few
carloads lie has used from South Amer
lea lie tells me that Virginia soil is
not only we'll adapted TO the cultivation
Of broom corn, but that 1t is a hardy
plant. and its cultivation is easy, but i
the trouble comes with caring for 1T 4
and properly harvesting the crop to tho
end that the straw shall be made to
grow straight; that the corn shall not
get too ripe before cutting: that it
shall be properly cared for after cut
ting. and that it shall he properly
thrcshcd ana cleaned Of the seed. Ny
friend thinks Virginia farmers would
have a good deal 20 learn along these
lines. Tut the value OF Q crop after
it has been grown and properly pre-
pared for market Will amply pay tho
average Virginia farmer to acquire this
information and 10 act upon it when
acquired.
Factories would Follow Cultivation.
The natural result OF extensive cul.
tivation Of the broom corn in Virginia
would be the establishment Of many
broom factories and the building up
OF splendid Industry that is now
almost a stranger to the State. an In
dustry that would employ many peo-
pie, pay good wages and keep a. vase
amount Of money At home that now
goes elsewhere and bring equally as
much from the territory with which
Richmond and Virginia manufacturers
and merchants have vast business In 5
other lines
The machinery necessary to equip
broom factory is not costly. ond no
great amount of capital Is required
to embark in the business The art
Of broom making with the proper ma
chinerv In use is very easily mastered.
and there would he no trouble on tho
labor score. y dozen broom factories
in Richmond and twice as many more
In other parts OF the state would not
he TOO many ana thes. would be es-
ttablishcd and successfully operated lt
the stock could he bought at nome.
The stock can he made In . irginia
and any farmer who has the land
need not hesitate to grow the broom,
corn, for the demand for 1t all over <
this country is and has been for many
years greatly in excess OF tho supply. II
Ucninrkabtc Coincidence
u Since writing the above and be- @
fore Ii could be put In tyDs have n