The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-12-13

5, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1S, 19l
LOOKS FAVORABLE
FOR BROOM CORN
The demand for broom corn ap-
pears to be about as strong as ever,
according to several Of the local deal
ers. Just the other day one of the
local dealers was requested to get all
the broom corn he could find and the
the price would be as good as in the
past, which has been ranging from
$125 to $3.50. There are times when
dealers give out information in a
vague sort of way about the bottom,
slaves and all giving way and the
man holding brush would suffer just
because he had not been able to bring
the stuff to market sooner, but the
history of broom corn buying in this
section is that there are days when
the market is high and then there
comes the slow period, but through
out the season Liberal generally af-
fords a good market for broom corn.
There is always a chance for SELL
ing the brush here. The fact that
Liberal has from ten to fifteen buyers
is sufficient proof that there must be
something to the market for those
men. To even suggest that the mar
ket is failing is an error and it need
lessly works hardship on the Liberal
market, which is about the best in
the Southwest.
AS to the conditions at present the
following letter from the editor of
the Broom Corn Review says, in writ
ing to a local dealer:
"There has been some trading here
during the week. Selfworking to hurl
stuff selling all the way from 1926 to
$4.25. Saw car, which | did not
consider as good as your Elkhart
corn, sell at 1915, while some Lindsay
sold at $410, $415 and $425. Hawk
inson who has seven cars of Alva corr
here that is selfworking advised me
that he was on deal to sell the whole
block to one manufacturer who is ir
town at the present time, is one of the
big factories, and indicates that they
do not have enough corn to carry
them long, in fact this is the condi
ton of the majority of the trade, also
find that quite little of the corr
coming in is being stored on manu-
facturers account and any active
buying would soon clean up the fel
lows here in town. While everyone
has stopped buying in order to gel
their contract corn in and have il
shipped, personally look for a steady
demand with more activity after the
first of the year and if you have any
corn that is selfworking or better you
certainly ought to get out on it and
make some money"
Weather conditions favorable to
broom corn in growers hands, not yet
seeded or baled, continue throughout
the area. Deliveries as heretofore
are confined principally to contract
corn, receipts of the above, however,
not being as large as for several
weeks past, while street offerings are
exceedingly light. Buyers as well as
farmers have made an effort to get
the contract corn delivered as recent
ly the car situation has been much
easier at all points, railroads making
special effort to deliver cars at sta
tions not having warehouse facilities,
where considerable corn was piled on
hte ground.
Reports indicate that the greater
part of this corn has been shipped,
while along the Elkhart branch of the
Santa Fe more cars are available now
than the tonnage of broom corn de-
livered for shipment
Buyers are showing more of an in
clination to again take on corn, and
owing to the fact that field buying
has been inactive during the past few
weeks had expected that the growers
would rush this corn on the market,
and dispose of same at the best pos
sible price offered. Small lots of
poor corn together with an occasional
load of good corn have been brought
in, but as whole growers are show
ing more strength than was antcipat-
ed, and holding their crops at stiff
prices, refusing to accept offers
made. Banks are making loans on
broom corn to farmers and advising
them dispose of other crops. In sec
tions of Oklahoma farmers claim they
will hold over until next season, while
in Western Kansas and Colorado, the
disposition to await developments af-
ter the first of the year, as in pre-
vious seasons this has in most cases
been the most favorable marketing
season.
Reports from Southern and Cen
trail Oklahoma state that the crop as
whole has been shipped out, ware
houses at primary points having but
very small supply. In Northwest
Oklahoma, along the Wichita Falls
and Santa Fe railways, dealers have
been securing cars and shipped the
bulk of the corn contracted and ac-
cumulaated. The best end of the
crop has been to secure the best as
regards length and quality. In West
ern Kansas and surrounding districts,
receipts have been confined chiefly to
81 oo,,. h,,t n 1y1,an ,,nrtiny nf