The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-06-21
THE ASYLUM FARM.
Superintendent c. A. Hoover Speaks
of Crop Conditions.

A representative OF Inc hepuollcaf
called at the Office of the Idaho Asylum
situated Just east of Blackfoot this
week, and asked Superintendent c. A
Hoover for statement about crop con
ditions at the institution. He had been
very busy debating to his stenographer
but laid aside his work and said, "The
spring has been so cold and backward il
has kept things from developing as they
usually do. Grain has done we'll, and
the cool weather has caused it to stool
as much as could be desired. Potatoes
too, are making fine showing There
is "a large acreage in this locality, and
many people are contracting to sell at
A. cents per hundred. The sugar beet
crop is doing well, especially the second
planting. Some seed that was planted
early did not terminate. We are not
raising any beets on the state farm, but
we have leased 140 acres to the Snake
River Valley Sugar Company at a good
price, and their crop looks very promis
ing. Garden stuff had to be replanted
so much, it is going to be late. This re-
planting was due to the cold weather
rotting the seed. The first cutting of
alfalfa will be short, owing to the cold
weather. Pears are failure in some
orchards this season, but plums and
cherries are going to be abundant; also
the currants, gooseberries, and in fact
all small fruits, unless it is the straw
berries; they are making only an aver
age CROP
Continuing, he said, "If you will come
out to the garden l will show you some
nice cabbage that is beginning to head.
1t is the early express, and the heads
are forming nicely" When we reached
the twenty acre garden the long rows
of we'll kept plants of all kinds looked
very thrifty. The cabbage and other
plants which had been transplanted,
were all placed on the side of the ridge
instead of IN the middle. We asked why
this was done and the doctor continued,
"We can turn the water in the burrows,
and getsftt TO the roots in this way with
out having to puddle it. Then when we
cultivateSthe plants we bring the dirt
overfrom the other ridge and build up
to the plants, and after hoeing few
times they are in the middle of the
ridge. pfere are cabbage plants we
raised from the seed right whore they
stand. These are in the middle of the
ridge. Here we have tomato plants,
egg plants, 1900 celery plants in this
strip. We raise peppers, asparagus,
sweet corn for roasting ears, beans,
squash, all herbs such as sweet marjor
am, thyme, dill, sage and summer
savory, All hardy vegetables and hardy
fruits are very prolific. These are our
multiplying onions Crack one of the
pods and you will find bunch of young
onions in it. Later in the season we
will set them, and they make the very
early spring onions that are so good
with bread and butter, and they are so
easily raised wonder that every farm
er does not have lot of them. Here is
an experiment tried. When we thinned
our onions last year | hated to see the
little onions die after being pulled out
and had them heeled in by the humid
reds in a furrow, and some dirt drawn
to the roots. They grow to pretty good
size in this matted condition, and we
have been using out of them all spring.
They are just as sweet and crisp as can
be. Take this bunch home and try
them"
Speaking of the orchard, he said, "We
have sprayed our trees, but there has
been so much rain it will need to be
done over, and Immediately. | suggest
that you publish a formula for spraying.
You can get it from your horticultural
report, and it may be help to people
who are needing information. Our
early apples are failure. The Trans
parents are failure, the Duchess are
about third of crop, the Wealthys
and late fall apples are likely to be a
fair crop. All these leaves that are
curled are injured by the green aphis,
On each leaf you can see. a wound where
Mr.. Aphis has been sucking the vein of
the leaf"
AS we passed the new boiler room we
went in where the workmen were in
stalling the largest boiler in eastern
Idaho 1t is six feet in diameter and
eighteen feet over. 1t is designed to
take the place of three smaller boilers
and is guaranteed to heat the ipsttu
ton with one third the amount Of coal
used in the old system. A concrete
smoke stack four feet square and seven
ty feet high is being built.
Notice of Assessment.
The Watson Slough Irrigation Com