The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-05
Upper Snake River Valley
Boosters Met in Pocatello
Continued from page -

the methods used to obtain them,
through the medium of the Dry
Farming congress bulletin and the
reports of the various annual con-
yentions.
"Since the convention at Denver
in 1907, there have been held three
conventions, the second at Salt Lake
City, Utah, January 22nd to 25th,
1908; the third at Cheyenne, Wyo.,
Feb. 23rd to 25th, 1909;. and the
fourth at Billings, Mont, Oct. 26th
to 2Sth, 1909. The fifth congress
will be held in Spokane, Wash, Oct.
3rd to 9Th, 1910, and trip to any
of these convention will pay well any
one interested in the industry. The
dry farming movement having be-
come international the ,name was
changed at the Cheyenne meeting to
the Dry Farming congress, and we
now have branch organizations in
Canada, Turkey, Australia, Brazil
and other foreign countries and many
of the states have affiliated organiza-
tions.
There is in the upper Snake river
valley about 10000 acres of arid
land (by this I mean land that can
not be irrigated) taken up for the
purpose of dry farming, there is
about 10000 acres in crop this year
and about $4,000 acres ready for
seeding for crop of 1911.
81 estimate that there is from one
half to three quarters of million
acres of land in Bingham and FIRE.
mont counties susceptible of this kind
of cultivation, and which if cultivated
scientifically by the Campbell, Duffam
or Cooke methods will bring results
that will pay better than any other
class of farming.
"The Idaho Dry Farm association
has 1000 acres, 400 acres of Tur-
key Red winter wheat just harvested
averaged 20 bushels to the acre, and
this year as you know is the dryes1
we have had for many years. Part OF
| this 400 acres was plowed in the
fall of 1908, it was all narrowed
three times during 1909 and seeded
the week of August 18th, 1909, that
plowed in the fall of 1908 yielded
"a bushels to the acre and that plow'
ed in the spring of 1909 yielded II
bushels to the acre, the above dem
onstrates that profitable crops car
be raised upder the most adverse
conditions if ground is properly cult
waited.
"This association has 1900 acres
plowed in the fall of 1909 ready fol
seed this fall and will experiment
with 800 acres plowed narrowed and
seeded this fall
II have been unable to get figures
from any of the other large operators
nor will l go into detail as to thu
manner in which the ground should
be prepared for various crops or thu
kind of crops that can be raised II
this valley as there are many goot
authorities that can be studied OF
these subjects.
i DRY Farming is certainly not
poor mans proposition as 1t require
two years from the time of com
J mencing operations to get results,
: ia not the proposition for man o
slipshop methods, and there is
| great deal to much of these method
: used in this valley, with the resul
/ that the industry is retarded becaus
, some one had hard luck, in othe
words he forgot that God helps thos
that help themselves and trusted l
t God for rain and did not get 1t, wit
+ the result that he had hard luck
what we need is an experimer
;. station in the valley to experime1
and learn the best seeds to be used
: our soil, the crops that can be grow
n with the best results, and, gentlemen
i a station of this kind will do moi
n to develop the industry than all otl
= err efforts put together.
e 1.-THE key to dry farming is II
e conservation of moisture and makir
} 1t available to the growing of crop
All the operations of soil culture an
e plant cultivation are carried out Wi
e the object of storing moisture in II
), soil and making use, through the ere
|. of all that can be saved.
Is "The principle then, upon whit
ic dry farming depends for its succe
N is the catching, storing and savil
+. of enough moisture in the soil to s
g cure a crop. The method by whit
e. this is done includes some special a
Is tention to all the factors of tillag
y as blowing, planting, narrowing al
n | e..1ayv,%;,~ Co tho drv formpr m II