American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1910-10-22
FALLS
DRY FARM CROPS
Surprise Director Of Govern
ment Experiment Station.
Exhibits From American Falls At
tract Attention and Praise
From Experts at the Dry
Farming Congress

\ Spokane dispatch of October
18th says. -Four thousand acres
Of Turkey Red wheat. running IL
to 20 bushels to the acre. was pro-
duced this year by dry farming meth
DDS on desert land across the river
from American Falls. by w. H..
Philbrick. who is executive commit
teeman of the Dry Farming congress
Professor J.. D. Farrell, director
of extension work for the southern
Idaho experiment station at Cald-
wen, maryels at Mr.. Philbrlck's sue
cess, and asked him to make ex-
hihits Of his grains at the Dry Farm
ing exposition and Interstate fair at
Spokane. October 3 to 9.
'"rhe spirit of bigness and energy
which is manifest on the large irri-
cation projects of Idaho seems to
have also gotten into the blood
Of the dry farmers comments Prof
lessor Farrell in a report to the Dry
Farming congress of his inspection
of the Philbrick farm. A cleaner
crop could not be produced than was
grown this year by Mr.. Philbrick
on practically desert land. There
were no weeds, no variety mixtures.
no smut-nothing but clean. uni
form, well-fiIled Turkey wheat, and
1000 acres of it,
" Last year Mr.. Philbrick sold
almost all of his wheat to the Den
YER mills, obtaining from : to 20
cents a bushel more than was paid
for any other variety. His yield
this year varied because of the diff
ference in treatment. Some parts of
the land We're better prepared than
others Some were narrowed last
spring and some were not: and
some planted last fall was seeded
too thick. The cost of producing
an acre was less than S6 and this
will leave a very neal profit on land
that did not cost to exceed SIS an
acre"
The statements of Mr.. Farrell
contained in the foregoing dispatch
are well known to residence of this
locality. 1t is not generally known.
however, that the success which
has attended dry farming here I'M
der adverse circumstances attract
ed the attention of such authorities
as Professor Farrell and others
throughout the northwest. Mr..
Philbrick has just returned from a
trip through the apple country
in Washington following the ad-
journment of the Dry Farming con-
gress and makes some interesting
comments on his trip.
At the congress the exhibit of
Gold Coin wheat taken by Mr..
Thilbrick from the Meadows farm.
was pronounced by the judges to
be the best there, and he was told
that if the quantity had been suf-
ficient he would have beer awarded
taken for competitive purposes
however. but at the request of Prof
Cssor Farrell, to show what was bein
done here. Mr.. Philbrick took about
a dozen samples of grain and pota-
tocs, and as they were taken as hand
baggage the quantity was necessi-
arily small.
At Wenatchee, where he spent
solne time. he says he found con-
dirions very similar to those at
banana Bar. Raw LAND at Wena-
tchee, with water right, is selling
from $500 per acre up, because of
the reputation the country has
gained for the production of apples.
Many sections in the Snake river
valley present equally favorably con-
d%itions, apparently, but prices are
low compared to those of Wenatchee
Nowhere, Mr.. Philbrick states,
did he find conditions for dry farm
Ing better than here, in any local
'ty equalling this in area, and he
rfturns with a greater faith than
in American Falls.