Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-10-12
WORKS THREE ACRES
Pennsylvania Makes Living on
Small Farm.
Success is Mostly Due to the Irriga-
ton System Which Has Been In
stalled On PIace-Water is Of
Utmost Importance.

iuheSl capacity, FRED w. Ritch1e, who
lives within the limits OF an eastern
pennsylvania town. is able to make
an excellent living. Mr.. Richie con-
lines himself mostly to crops that ex-
perience has shown him pay best in
his locality and sells the greater part
or his produce In the market houses
OF his home town, where regular Gus
toners are eager for his vegetables at
good prices. writes e. Harrington In
the Country Gentleman. The plan of
taking stall at market house is one
that has many advantages over the
practice OF selling from house to
house, which must be followed in more
northern cities II one has private GUS
toners. During the season when bust
ness is dull Mr.. Richie is able to sup
plement his income by buying some
produce to be retailed at market
prices
His three acres, however, together
with two greenhouses, keep him busy
most of the time. He practices the
most intensive culture and uses water
literally. The fact that he has city
water on tap makes this possible In
possibility OF making a success In his
line of work unless water could be
used without stint.
Within the last year or two an irri-
cation system has been installed on
the little plant Several lines OF pipe
extend the length of the field, running
parallel to each other, and are so ar
ranged that the streams which they
throw cover the entire area. The diff
ferent lines OF pipe are governed by
levers near the house, SO that in a
few moments time II is possible to
have water playing over the entire
field. The pipes are raised on wooden
supports. perhaps a foot and half
above the ground. Mr.. Ritchie's land
Is divided into two fields, on opposite
sides of the street. The irrigation
system proved so satisfactory in the
field nearest the house that it has now
been installed in the second field.
In addition to this plan of outside
irrigation, Mr.. Richie also waters his
greenhouse crops in the same way. the
pipes being so arranged that the turn
ing of a lever will cause sprays of wa
ter to reach the whole surface OF the
beds, drenching them with a gentle
shower that does not wash out the
smallest plants. Mr. Richie has found
this method of applying water a great
convenience as well as a time-saver.
The leading crop on this little plant
Is lettuce. OF which enormous quanti-
ties are grown. The market price for
lettuce varies. but sometimes 1t runs
as high as ten cents. On several oc-
casions Mr.. Richie has had large
crops growing which he estimated as
worth eight cents in the field. For "a
long time he considered Big Boston
the best variety for his purpose. but
for the last two or three seasons has
been importing much of his seed from
Germany. having found a variety
which proved a particularly good crop
per- as we'll as producing well-formed
and attractive heads. Mr.. Richie con.
siders lettuce-or salad. as 1t is more
commonly known In Pennsylvania
the best crop for market gardeners OF
limited areas. especially in parts OF
the country where the summers are
! very hot because the farmers cannot
! raise IL, owing to the lack of suffi cienl
water. large part of the produce
on sale at the market house is brought
y in by farmers, and the successful
y market gardener grows the crops they
J. cannot well mature instead of trying
= to compete with them in producing
!. such vegetables as cabbage and toma
toes. Everything depends upon taking
advantage of circumstances. Some
7 farmers in Pennsylvania. isolated
from good retail markets, have founC
r. cabbage a highly profitable crop.
a. Mr.. Richie sometimes uses artifi
: cial shade during the hottest weather
arranging a canvas covering over
@ part of his crop. and finds the plal
> worth while. Parsley and red beet
have proved excellent crops. although
-, the demand for the former is not 81
great that 1t can be grown In larg
quantities. Radishes, celery and on
: ions are also grown to some extent
the radishes finding ready marke
very early In the season.
Manure is relied upon for fertilizin
the crops and all the cultivation
'u done by hand, wheel hoes being en-
er ployed to large extent, though COZ
siderable WORK IN WeeulhS 10 uoho "
'i- the hands and knees by the five or 81
ID helpers who are employed during tn
a busy season. The manure is haule
from neighboring stables. The hire
help is secured wherever possible an
constitutes one of the greatest prol
Mt lens Mr.. Richie has to meet. In a
he attempt to solve this question OF Il
Dor. Mr.. Richie has recently Target
p. increased his greenhouse area an
40 now has 10000 square feet Of glas
> heat being provided by two moder
hot water boilers. The greenhouse
are devoted entirely to growing sc
IN aniums for cuttings.
This work gives employment to nv
men throughout the winter, and M
nd Richie is now able to engage his me
no axpaRtC that this MIA