The Lamar register., 1914-12-30
EAR 1914
Marks New Era for Prowers County
and the Arkansas Valley

While in immediate material results
the year 1914 has not been the great
est this section has known, there IS
ample reason to believe it marks the
beginning of the greatest and most
prosperous era that has ever visited
any agricultural section and that La
mar and Prowers county will lead in
the great material rewards that are
to come as the result of this new
awakening.
With all the necessary essentials Tor
the greatest dairy section in the world
the Arkansas valley has previous to
this year paid so little attention TO
the industry as to make a negligible
part Of our resources. Our farmers
preferred to raise the raw material
and sell to others, who reaped the
big rewards from its use. With the
establishment Of the Helvetia COM
pany's plant in Lamar early in last
January a change began at once to
take place. 1t has been making rapid
progress ever since. From a milk
payroll of less than two thousand dol
lars in January it has steadily grown
until the December milk payments
will run considerably over the ten
thousand dollar mark. This is the
most rapid increase ever made at any
of the nine condenseries of the COM
pany, and is only the beginning as
-. - a., ,,pr.boe.e t,,as1a by pIif-
people in the eastern dairy districts
were of young heifers which have not
vet got into the payroll, but will be
coming to the front rapidly beginning
with this spring.
Both the farmers and the Helvetia
officials are highly pleased with the
results of this first years operations,
and such a condition means bright
prospects ahead for the future. The
list Of patrons of the factory recoiv-
ing monthly checks in excess Of 500
is now larger than the original list of
patrons, and new names are appearing
in that class each month. These
checks run up as high as $500.
This is easily the great event Of
the year in this valley, and its far
reaching effect on the future can only
be estimated by personally inspecting
other dairy sections of the country
less favored than this, and marking
the evidence Of great material wealth
and prosperity of the people and the
remarkably high price Of all real es-
tate.
The crops of Prowers county have
been record breakers in all lines this
year and with fair prices prevailing
for most of the products our farmers
have little to complain of 1914. Wheat
had splendid yield and after the
breaking out of the European war
brought a good price. Alfalfa, the
great crop of this section, in the early
months of the year had a heavy sale
at record prices, but eased off later.
However, it is now moving freely
again at good prices. The acreage
of sugar beets was not large this year
but the yield was fine and after the
rise in price of sugar the company
restored the old rates and made it a
highly profitable crop for all who
raised it. The other crops of the val
lev were all good in yield and average
prices.
The sheep feeders did not go in as
heavily as usual this year owing to
the difficulty in securing loans, but
there are many thousand being fed
here and the market indications now
are that they will have splendid
year of it. Stock growers generally
are having a successful year as hogs