The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-04-11
The Enlarged Homestead.


has yielded to the promoters of the proposed 800
acre dry farm law and consented to the admission of
Idaho into the scheme. He has been proptated by
proposed amendment that will provide that no one
farm shall be more than mile long, having in view
possibly the more equitable distribution of water
fronts
But that is not the only wrong thing about the bill
The radical defect is imminent change in the farm
unit in the wrong direction If any change is to be
made it should be in the interest of smaller farms
instead of larger farms. The BILL if enacted, will
reduce the possible future population of Idaho one
half something that the builders of state might
reasonably repudiate.
It was only few months ago that a large conven-
of the practical dry farming of the semi-arid
west was held at Salt Lake City and it was the
general testimony of the experts there assembled that
intensive farming applied to such land exists in
n-irrigable portions of Idaho will it to yield
abundant crops from several varieties of food plants.
It is therefore made conclusive that quarter
ton of Idaho land will support family and that is
all the government has everundertakento do through
the practically free distribution of its lands. Any
thing over that quantity that is bestowed upon
individual by the hocus pocus of legislation is in
vation to speculation, instead of utilization, the
state being deprived of the benefits of production that
the small farmer assures
In a recent issue of the Weiser Signal the never
tEreadbare subject of the small farmer was intelli-
gently discussed and in the course of its remarks
that paper said
The future of his country is for the small farmer,
and success will depend large extent the abl
y and energy of the settlers in cuvating tracts OF
from five to ten acres.
The difficulty of procuring labor to carry on oper-
atoms on large farms has taught many the necessity
of undertaking no than they can accomplish
with the help of their own families and one or two
hired hands in the rush season. And small farm
properly cultivated with every square foot OF ground
Utilized will yield far better returns than larger
tract which cannot be cared for as it should be-
The small farm plan brings settlers closer to-
gether creates desirable social conditions, enables
better schools to be maintained and in many other
ways works to the advantage of the people While
there is tendency on the part of some persons to
extend their farm holdings, the prevailing movement
is toward the other p1an and it should be en-
cOuraged.
This is matter of such extreme Importance to the
state that ought to be kept alive until the last hope
departs that the scheme of Senator Smoot may be
defeated. If Idaho's law makers in the National
Legislature are so completely under the control OF
the power behind this bill that they compelled to
sacrifice the future interests of their constituents
the deporab1e fact should be well known that they
will never again be elected under mlsapprehens1on'
A few years ago bill enacted by Congress
that increased the size of the Government nome
stead in Western Nebraska to $40 acres. Within
year, Western Nebraska land had passed into the
ownership of cattle owning corporations ana II IS
doomed in perpetuity to the maintenance OF roam
ing herds and will never be occupied by gram pro-
ducing, tax-paying population
During the year following attempt was MADE 10
1egalize the 64O-acre homestead in Western South
Dakota. then vacant cattle grazing region. The
effort was defeated by the people of South Dakota
and the land is now being occupied by family
TO each quarter section A Pierre (South Dako-