The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-10-12
BROOMCORN CROP.
LACKS A MARKET
Bright Prospects of Early
Season Have Gone
Glimmering

OKLAHOMA CITY, oct. 1.-THE
man who stayed away from home
later than necessary thW year was
only half ~ likely to be greeted
with the swish Of a broom or broom
handle as he was last year. accord
ing 10 the first survey ever made of
the broom corn industry and made
public here BY G., h. Alguirc, statis-
tlclnn OF tho hay. feed and seed
division OF the United states bureau
OF markets and crop estimates.
His review shows that the per
capita sales this year were about
40 per cent OF normal and that the
total sale Of brooms amounted to
slightly more than 60. per cent OF
normal.
The broom coru industry has
moved slowly this year, compared
with several years past, general
stnEnant condition existing. which
was not expected at all when the
season for the 1920 crop opened.
The outlook then was compare
lively favorable, Alguirc says. with
the carry over OF 1919 estimated as
being one Of the smallest on record,
and the new crop which later proved
to he $4,000 tons, compared with a
siN-yoar average OF $4,000 tons, In
the United states. gave cvo0y lndl-
cation OF being tho smallest crop in
years
The survey covers the entire
broom corn hudustry Of the United
states.
These condltionB OF bear" fore
casting should ordinarily have
caused an extremely active market
for a raw product, he says but al
most the opposite was the case,
D Nf hn nlV at m ~ a
I market and in many eases refused
/ 10 sell II after they ENd hauled It
| In, saying the price did not COM
/ pensate for the labor involved.
/ 1Oo MANY New Wrinkles.
Increased use OF substitutes, too
/ many factories Operating, improved
/ methods OF building. the decrease In
| the use OF horses and the Increase In
] street paving, new methods OF sani.
tation; curtailmcnt or consumption
/ due TO shutting down the larger rail-
| road shops cotton mills, smelters
aud other industries nun-cmploy-
ment forcing tho ultimate con
| sumor to ecunomizc, and changes
( In methods of buying all had their
! effect on depressing the market ac-
/ cording TO this report
New devices, suction cleaning ma
/ chimes and many other methods OF
| modern house cleaning have been
adopted and upplanted the broom
| "a some extent, although II was be-
lieved that the broom had not lost
caste entirely the report stated.
what is driving the broom from
the home7 According TO Algulre's
report. push brushes OF rattan, bam-
boo and other materials now are be-
ing used for rough work and also are
used In street cleaning. Thousands
| of miles OF paving over which II Is
more practical to move horse power
/ than human power machines also
/ cut down the consumption OF the
hroom corn finished product It Is
/ held.
Many modern dwellings and
apartments have installed vacuum
| appliances and hardwood and tile
/ floors have come into increased use
/ This has stimulated the use OF oil
mops and bristle brushes but yearlN
has been cutting down broom sales
In the smaller cities and In the
country the decreased consumption
is less marked, he says. The corr
hrOoms have not ~--,en into genera
disuse, however. nor are they ceaa
ing to command first place with
housewives as "A dependable cleaning
agent, according 10 Alguire,