The progress., 1904-12-24
opp FACTS FoR FARM FOLK.
Tokay and Syrian Grapes Grown IN
Y 1rot$hern 1daho-Au Grains Are
DIVER Weight When Properly ,
X 7rown BY Irrigation-Whits
d A FLAX sesd-Corn Wheat
In Place Of Corn.

/ q,71tftTF - = 4s~S - D~~-v
= Il . big surprise to Worlds f'air
visitors to ilnd that tokay grapes
grow in the United States - far
north - Duluth, MINI. The particu-
lar place where this may be done u
Lewiston. Idaho. on the banks of the
| Snake river. Whatever Is done along
the Snake river in the matter Of agri-
culture and horticulture must be done
with irrigation. however.
The remarkable things done under
irrigation are portrayed by q number
OF states. Colorado has a relief map
Of the Arkansas valley. Utah shows
diorama OF one Of her irrigated val
leys. California exhibits her products
from lands worth thousand dollars
en- acre. Oregon displays her beauti-
iul fruits and grains from irrigated
districts, while Idaho, her next door
ncighbor, won twenty gold medals on
her agricultural showing.
The toksy grapes from Lewiston are
only one of 81 varieties now success
fully grown at that far northern point
where the climate is almost as mild az
Italy, for the tokay cannot flourish
where the winters are cold. Along
with the tokay is fine sweet grape
from Syria, in which every grape and
fruit grower will be interested. The
name is Hunisa, or Antab late, from
Antab. 1t is large, very dark, and a
fine keeper, the last being its most
important quality. After travelling
over 1,500 miles to the Worlds Fair
il, opened up in as fine condition as the
tokay. and made good show. These
grapes are from the first vine Of this
variety fruited in America
Another fact not well known Is that
grains grown by irrigation in the
dry atmosphere of the western slope
OF the Rocky mountains are much
heavier than those grown In the east,
and the yield is far greater. In the
Idaho exhibit of the Palace Of Agri'
culture at the Worlds Fair are many
examples of irrigation results. A
sack of oats was received at the ex-
.tlbit few days ago which was graded
by one Of the machines in the building
and tested as to weight. 1t was found
that the third, or poorest grade,
weighed 38 pounds to the bushel, while
the standard Of weight for oats is only
80 pounds to the bushel. The yield
is 100 to 110 bushels to the acre, and
Idaho oats ordinarily weigh AZ to 46
pounds to the bushel. An acre OF ir-
rigated land yields about three times
as much as an acre in a humid cli-
mate. Wheat in southern Idaho is 62
to Ga pounds to the bushel, the stand
era being 60 pounds, and the yield 50
to 10 bushels to the acre. A bundle
of alfalfa hay, second crop of 1904,
brought from southern Idaho, is as
tall as a man, a six-footer. Five to
seven tons to the acre are grown each
season, it being cut usually three times.
All over southern Idaho, which for
the most part is vast desert, are
cases that have been made fruitful by
irrigation. The liberal provisions of
the Cary Act of Congress have made
possible the reclamation of these |
lands, the state taking over the lands
and disposing of them to settlers at so |
cents an acre. The water right is an
extra cost, in some cases as low as |
$25 an acre for perpetual right, the |
first one or two crops often paying the |
entire cost of fine property. Only
a few days ago the state land board of
Idaho threw open to settlement 100000
acres of land under one canal atTwin
Falls, on the south side of Snake
river. 1t is in Cassia county one of
The counties that touch the Nevada
border. In this instance the total cost
per acre is $3.50, and unoer the liberal
terms of the Cary Act entry may be
made through another person. The
payment is in easy installments.
Many of the exhibits in the Idaho
display are from along the Snake river,
which is SO named because of its sinu-
rus course, and not because of any
makes. The water for the Twin Falls
ract, which embraces 100000 acres, is
lom the Snake, and the cost of the
1000 foot dam and the 100 miles of
main canals is about $2,5OO,OOO. A
'ailroad is being constructed from
'linidoka southwark to cross the tract,
which is expected to repeat the history
# the Wood River Country, the Boise
Ind Payette Valleys, and become a
part of the state.
Idaho has the honor of showing in
Ter agricultural display something
hat very few farmers have ever seen,
lamely, white fax seed. This variety
Il flax originated in Idaho, and is
aid to possess great commercial pos
Utilities, because it is richer in oil
nd produces grade of very light
olored oil that is far more desirable
or white paint than the darker
rade.
Idaho is trying to do what other
aountain states are attempting, that
5. to supply the home market with
ruits, vegetables, meats, grains and
airy products. The mountains con-
ain hundreds of mining camps and
ettlements where everything now pro-
uced finds ready market, while the
emand increases with each new min
ng district opened.
Corn is about the only thing that
oes not grow well in the irrigated
eserts of southern Idaho, because the
nmmer nights are cool, but a kind of
rain is raised called corn wheat that
akes the place of corn, and produces
yer 100 bushels to the acre. It is
orth any farmers time to take a
ood look at the odd things in the
iaho display, where there are AZ va
eties of wheat, Al varieties of oats,
varieties of barley, and "a varieties
grasses, to say nothing of vege-
lbles. beans. peas, honey and other
rings worth having.