Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-05-11
A LETTER FROM IDAHO

Mr.. Cheeley Tells Of the
Conditions in the
West
PsZette, Idaho, April 20, 1905
Editor Herald: The winter past
will be remembered as . cold one in
Idaho. The oldest settlers claim it
was the coldest ever seen here. 1t. was
8 s-mething like Minnesota winter in
the way Of eteady cold, but was not
at any. time, colder than IL. below. A
cold winter is IN Indication of good
crops. both In the orchard and field.
The alfalfa crop is very fine at this
time being knee high. Winter wheat
10 ten inches high. Early vegetables
are being used which grow here. The
fr1it trees are in full bloom. some
having dropped the bloom and show.
ing young fruit.
Alfalfa and fruit are the farmers
reliance here. Sheep were taken to che
desert lands and wintered, the winter
ct 1904 and 1905, and the farm ers had
thousands of tons of hay, to carry over
the summer of 1906, but the winter
of 1905 and 'O6, sheep were again win.
tered in the valley, and 1t this time
hay is high and scarce.
Sugar beets are on trial in the Pay
ette valley the present summer. Hun
reds of acres Of alfalfa were plowed up
last fail and the. same has been
planted to the beet and if they have
the required sweetness in them, q
factory win be built mere One year
ago the company hat was to put in
the sugar factory baIgained with the
ranonmen in the valley for several
hun 3red acres of beets. to be raised
this season, pledging to build a fac
tory ard q railroad up the valley to
haul the beets. Tne ranchmen
plowed up their alfalfa. in. some
cases, and the company failed to
build, discouraging others of them,
and tbey refused to carry out their
part of the bargain. The company
is building the railroad AID. wants
the beets. They, the company.
vate. pull and load the beets On the
farmers wagons. They have the
papers here at this time to carry out
their part Of the program. These
bargains were drawn up in writing
between the company and each indi-
vidual farmer, and the company cay
they intend damages for each acre the
ranch man fails to have, that % bar.
gained. The ranchmen held meeting.
trying to work together as unit.
but as usual they could not agree and
the outcome is looked to with inter.
est.
It costs more to live in the west
44tthap il does in, the east. and get III
farmer can make an easier living ID
the west, for the reasons that the
summers are long and the winters ar<
short. Feed of ali kinds for stock il
higher in price here than in the east.
Stock does not have to be sheltered
here in the winter time, but would b<
better with it. If stock ID fed alfalfa,
it requires no grsin unless when do
ing heavy work. Stock looks better
here than in any place I have evel
teen. Pastures are relied on for feed
nine months in the year. Pasture!
that look a. though stock would starv<
on them, will fatten instead.
!. There is more and better opportun
ity here for the Door man than their
ia, in the east, and yet 1t IN land O
tramps. We have fed more hobo'
while living here two years. than VI
did in all our lives before comm,
west.
Horace 0reely's advise to the youn,
man is yet good, and will be until al
the land is occupied, which waite
can be. got to, and tie rivers hav
such fall, and that coupled Wit
man g resourceful nature, Will In tim
get 1t to every acre whose altitude j
not too great to grow even fur bearlnl
animals. The land in the west is YER
prolific and the crop quite sure, whic
gives the farmer confidence. Land
too high here ana speculation in /
will put it still higher, but tue to-
will sometime be reached, and the
the tendency will be towards sma]
farms and permanent settlements.
/ We own three acres of land here an,
we do not get any water on it, yet "
raise 6ne crops. Il is sure proposi
tion and works well.
There are more pests here in tn
west to twart the farmers hopes tina,
in the east, and but for them It woul'
be q paradise in which to farm. Crow
anu D1AC1O O1ru6 are oefo IN CLOUDS an
wolk early aud late and the shot gu,
is all that will discourage them
Gophers and ground squirrels are mum
troue, and unless trapped will destro
crops Of everv kind. Bugs and worm
are here In abundance, and are hsr,
to do anything with except to feed
Wages for labor are good and all ca
get employment this summer. Girl
to do housework get "a to e5 pc
week, and the demand for them
good.
The st. Cloud Sumner school
which this yesr includes Morriso
county teachers in its plan, viii ope
at st. Cloud June 20th for . six weel
session.