Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-06-14

tnar can De grown IN any OcC1QuOuS
climate, and with an abundance of
yield that is simply astonishing.
They can grow more corn to the acre
in Idaho on the irrigated lands than
any other state in the Union. The
wheat production is also enormous,
and in the raising of sugar beets,
which is becoming a great industry
in the state, the profits are amaz-
ing. For fruit no better country
exists in the states, and the display
at the ST. Louis exposition was
revelation to every beholder, and
has served to attract great deal of
attention to the states possibilities
in this line.
All root crops grow with aston
fishing results in Idaho. Take po-
tatocs, for an illustration. Utah
and Colorado have been famous for
years for the quality of their tubers,
and they have always commanded in
the markets of the east a little
higher price than those from any
other section. But Idaho grows
just as fine a potato, only out there
the yield is anywhere from 200 to
500 bushels to the acre. These
figures seem incredible, but they
are facts, just the same. Farming
in Idaho is not generally conducted
on vast tracts of land, as in many
of the states, but is carried on in
comparatively small tracts, say
from 40 to 90 acres. Every foot Of
this ground is utilized, and, as the
farmer is able to regulate his water
supply at will, big crops are Ger
tainty
The figures / have quoted are
common yields. The potatoes are
large, smooth, dry, and mealy; in
word, they are ideal potatoes.
According to the condition of the
market, the growers obtain any
where from 80 cents to $3.50 per
bushel, and potato raising is there
a safe and profitable business.
All other vegetables produce. on
the same liberal scale, but the
demand is always greater than the
supply, because the art of gardening
is just beginning to be known in
Idaho, the farmers as a rule having
; hitherto devoted their attention to
crops that did not need such assidu-
Gus attention.
, Take the subject of wheat rails
, ing, tor instance, wnich is and
4 always will be the farmer S favorite
5 crop, simply because it requires the
minimum of labor, and is always
z salabie and a cash product. In any
of the great wheat growing states
1 an average of 40 bushels to the
a acre would be bonanza yield,
and land that would produce such {
f mand fancy price. In Idaho thai
would not be counted so much.
n saw one farm out there, the ownei
n of which last year had 80 acres il
I wheat, and his crop was IS bushels
o to the acre. Irrigation again. 4
!. good farmer with the aid of irriga
!, ton is practically the ruler of hi
I. are concerned.
g Stop a moment and think wha
Il such figures mean. The whea
S crop of the United States for 100
e averaged about eleven bushels t
d the acre Out in Idaho 90 bushels
e was a common yield, and the aver
n age for the state was little over 8
d bushels. Such figures mean that
i vast amount of money is pourin
into the state, and are q sufficien
e explanation for the high degree c
IS prosperity that is apparent on ever
d hand there.
IS The raising of sugar beets i
is Idaho, while already a large indus
lie try, is yet in its infancy. There
IS something in the soil that makes
lie peculiarly adapted to this crop, an
lie the enormous yields that are obtair
a. ed on the irrigated tracts make
SIS an extremely profitable one to tn
* farmer. The state has some yer
er large sugar beet factories and nun
n Der of others are under constructio
t and contemplated, so that an imm'
er diate market is afforded the farm,
ut for his crop. A fair average of r.
nd suits so Jar shown m the cultivate
~ of beets is from $40 TO $50 net pro
as it per acre. With a tract of say
.ir acres this means a neat profit
the grower of about $500 to $500
o? per year. Even better results thu
cit this are predicted, as the farme
Oh become better posted on grown
n this crop.
he l have spoken of the superiori