The Holly chieftain., 1923-05-17
BAcA COUNTY, COLORADO,
MARKETS CORN IN P1GsKrNs

RACA COUNTY - comprising
1893 $50 acres. about 100000
more acres than the entire
state 81 pelaware--is Colorado's
greatest inland empire. An empire
not untouched by the wheels OF
progress, but as yet untouched by a
railroad. Baca is the eleventh county
in size in the Centennial State. and
stwcnfy-eighth in populations yet 1t
does not boast of single mile OF
railroad trackage. nor does a single
mile OF telegraph line cross its roll
ing, fertile acres The county lies in
the extreme southeastern corner of
he state, beiug bounded on The east
by Kansas and onthe south by Okla
iloma and New Mexico. 1t is served
blythe Santa Fe Railway from Lamar
and Holly on the north and Manter
and Elkhart in Kansas on the east.
Good roads and the motor truck
have brought Baca County in touch
with the rest of the world. Its ten
thousand head of breeding swine
forms tn basis of profitable busi-
fness-that of marketing corn in a
pigskin.
Its 5000 dairy cows produce a
quantity OF butter fat that finds its
way to the railroads inthe Arkansas
Valley form fourty to eighty miles
distant. There was q time when
wheat was hauled and trucked to
market, but such has proven an I'm
profitable venture during recent
years and the plan OF marketing
their crops on the hoof and in the
can seems to be growing in favor
For years the production Of broom
corn has been the means or bring
ing into the county close to suar-
ter of a million dollars each year.
In 1929 the total acreage of broom
corn in the state OF Colorado was
9,726 acres OF this amoant Baca
County alone produced $3.50 acres,
and her next door neighbor, Prowers
County, produced 914 acres More
than 9S per cent of all broom corn
in the state Is produced In the ex,
treme southeastern part ofthe state
This year with broom corn sellig at
500 to $50 per ton it is making
one Of the largest cash crops of the
county. Winding their way across
the plains may be seen hundreds of
wagons drawn by four-hDrse teams
all loaded with broom corn and
headed for railway points at Lamar,
Holly, and Granada.
Like wheat however broom corn is
not always an assured money maker
Sontimes the market is bad and a
whole years work may avail little
The steadying influence that Il.
bringing Baca County slowly but
surely to the front as one OF the
most productive counties of the
state is the iaising of livestock.
Already the Southern COW and the
Duroc, hog have come to aplace of
prominence In the farming opera.
tion Of Baca County AT almost
every little inland town, and there
are score of them. is cream buy
ing station. The cream station, the
postoffiee, general store, garage, oil
station, wagon yard restaurant,
and hotel may be alt under one
roof and management, but never
theiess IT Is an economic unit that
is functioning and filling the needs
OF its Immediate community.
Baca County can produce the
goods when it comes tolivestock,
Thousands OF good feeder steers
have been trailed to the railroad
this year. In September A. 4. Sack
rider, of Two Buttes, topped the
aver hog market with choice
car OF fat hogs. fed on Baca County
corn and trhcked so miles to the
railroad loading point at Granada
Mr.. Sackrfder also is the owner Of a
useful herd Of purebred Shorthorns,
for the surplus of which he: finds
good home market. Much interest
also is being shown in Baca County
in the dual purpose type of Short
horn cattle, while thousands of
! purebred Hereford bulls are being
grazed on native pastures that have
not yet felt the plowshare.
Baca County in its forward look,
ing manner is being aided in no
small way by the efforts of its news
paper editors, who are constantly
working for improvement Ed l..