American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1908-12-26
FEWER ACRES AND
BETTER RETURNS
The Great Value Of Intensive
Culture.
Not How Many Acres but How Much
From Each Acre--Less Water and
More Cultivation Less Hobby"
and More Thought.

The following article taken from the
Twin Falls News is from the pen of
Frank E. Beatty, the president and gen.
eral manager of the R. NJ. Kellogg Co.,
of Three Rivers, Michigan, the greatest
and most successful growers of straw
berries and strawberry vines in Amer
lea. Mr. Beatty is generally known as
the Strawberry King"
was greatly interested in an article
written by Alex. Mcpherson which ap-
peared in the Nov. 9th issue of the
News. His sentiments regarding the
methods followed by many of the farm
ers and fruit growers in the Twin Falls
district coincide with my own. Alto
gether too many of the farmers are de-
pending entirely upon water. Water is
one of the essentials TO plant growth,
but plants do not depend wholly upon
water. We cannot and must not de-
pend upon water alone. No one thing
can possibly perfect plant development
but a complete combination of work,
from soil preparation clear through to
the marketing of the produce is what
brings results. No one hobby viii in
sure success in any business.
II / were to name the most essential
I features to successful farming in the
order of their Importance, the thorough
preparation of the soil and perfectly
/ fine seed bed would get first place.
/ Next would be well developed and
thoroughly matured seeds, plants or
trees. Much care and thought should
/ be given to the selection Of seeds and
plants.
I Then we come to intensive cultivation,
the greatest and most effective moisture
retainer known TO the science of agri-
culture.
Next in order is water, and this should
be applied through burrows. allowing
the water to seep TO the roots of the
plants and trees. Flooding is surely in
furious to the soil. Cultivation should
follow each watering as soon as the soil
is in condition, and ! should say culti-
vate at least once each week between
waterings. Surely such cultural meth
DDS as these would hold moisture in the
| Twin Falls soil for six to eight weeks.
Then, if necessary, water again and
continue cultivation as before. But
never give water until the plants ask
forit. They have their way of show
ing when they want drink. The soil
itself viii indicate when moisture is
needed. We often have eight weeks
here in Michigan without rain when the
+ thermometer registers 9S degrees in the
shade, but by cultivating shallow every
week and keeping the soil loose with
hoes in the row around the plants we
experience no difficulty in retaining
sufficient moisture in the soil to keep
the plants in vigorously growing con-
dition; and you must remember that
our soil has a loose, grayelly subsoil,
while the Twin Falls land has the most
ideal subsoil for holding moisture that |
have ever seen.
Inever follow bobby, but if I did it
would be cultivation and not water. |
am enthusiastic on cultivation because
experience has taught ne that eontin-
uous, vigorous growth Is obtained in the
plant only when the digestive or
gans are in a healthy condition, and
( TO keep the digestive organs in
healthy condition We must keep
bacteria active. Tx az eria active
We must supply them with an abundance
of air and to supply air We must cult
vate Cultivation for rs a dust mulch.
A dust mulch ret n moisture. Mois-
ture dissolves plant food. Plant food
makes active roots. Active roots build
up big foliage. a Zig healthy foliage
makes perfect dig st.oa, and perfect
digestion keeps up q aconunuous, vigorous
growth.
4 Our 1909 edition of Great Crops of
I Strawberries and How TO Grow Them"
has been rewritten, and is now ready to
be mailed free 70 anyone who would
/ like to know the intensive methods of
strawberry growing. The object of
I this book is TO enthuse, as we'll as to
teach, the grower the correct way TO in
sure big success.
/ This article is not intended SIS a criti-
eism. 1t simply epitoulizes the results
of many years practical experience in
intensive horticulture; and if the tillers
of the soil will work fewer acres and
/ follow intensive methods from soil
preparation up TO harvesting, and will
take particular pains in preparing their
produce for market, every year will be
a banner year.