The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-02-24
Want MONEY FOR
EXPERIMENT FARM
AN INTERESTING SERIES OF
LAND EXPERIMENTS WILL
BE CARRIED ON HERE

Professors Carlyle and Farrell De-
eide to Experiment at Caldwell
They Lay Plans Before Leglsla-
ture in Hopes tina. Money May Be
Forthcoming.
AT conference held Monday at
Boise between Professor ". l.. Car
lyle of the agricultural college and
Professor Farrell of the state eXper-
iment station, a plan of work mciud-
ing several new experiments was
mapped out for the coming year to
be carried on at the Caldwell and
Gooding substauons. Discussing the
plans Tor 1911, Prof. Farrell sand
1t was decided that at Caldwell a
new series of experiments will be
carried on to determine the most
profitable method of improving the
physical conditions of the Idaho soils
where spots of adobe prevail. This
experiment will include fields in
which green manuring crops are to
be grown and plowed under.
Experiments will be also conduct
ed to determine the effects of ap-
plying varied amounts of barnyard
manure, with the idea OF soil improve
ment in view. An experiment is also
planned for finding a method of so
changing the physical texture of the
soil as to make it more rapidly abb
sorb irrigation water and to render it
more suitable for plants.
In the soil improvement tests we
expect to put each variety of sol
found in the state through a series
of 20 different tests, each to be car.
ried through series of years. We
will observe from time to time the eff,
fects of the various tests. both i'm.
mediate and cumulative.
AT the Gooding station the ma
jority of the 236 tests commenced in
1910 will be continued during the
coming season and new experiments
will be added. The new tests will
include experiments to determine the
efficiency of winter irrigation, apply
ing various amounts of water IN the
early fall and winter in an attempt to
reduce the amount necessary for the
following season.
Another experiment will be the
planting of clover with differen,
grains in the same fed to determine
the feasibility of growing gram and
green manuring crops at the same
time. If this proves practicable ii
will provide a method of maintaining
the fertility of the soil which had
been depleted by grain growing with
out the necessity of putting the field
to alfalfa for three or four seasons,
as is now done.
A number of other experiments will
be carried on at Gooding regarding
the application of water. Chief of
these will be to determine the most
effective stage of the season in which
to irrigate growing grains.
"The season of 1910 produced sat
isfactory results at both of the exper-
iment stations, but it is believed that
1911 will prove an even better sea
son, and that more useful work will
be done. A recent experiment with
new method of lamb feeding, which
was carried on at the Caldwell sta
ton, has proved entirely satisfactory,
and the new method will be published
in detail by the station within a few
days. We purchased 800 lambs from
the range in October and fitted them
for market by Feb i. They have al
ready been sold for a good price.
Whether or not the work which
Professor Carlyle and myself have
planned for the coming season will be
carried on or not depends on the size
of the appropriation made by the
legislature.
There should be a larger appro-
priation for the work this year than
there has been in the past Com
paratively little money has been ex-
pended in Idaho in this line of work.
Two years ago Idaho appropriated
$4,000 for the agricultural college
and experiment work while Utah ap-
propriated S2O7,5OO This year we
shall ask for $ll3,5OO, while Utah will
ask for $259,5O0 more than twice the
amount asked for in Idaho. Although
there has been some good work done