American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-10-12
WORKS THREE ACRES
pennsylvania Makes Livlnu on
Small Farm.
c ls Mostly Due to the rrrIoa-
zion system Which Has Been In
stalled on PIace-WaterH 10 Of
Utmost Importance.


Utmost Importance.
Working three acres or less to thei
!uiiest capacity, Fred w. Richie. VIII,
l n'es within the limits OF an easter,
, Fennsylvani town, is able to max,
an excellent living. Mr.. Richie con
mes himself mostly to crops that ex
perience has shown him pay best II
MS locality and sells the greater par,
VI MS roduc In the market houses
OF MS home town. where regular Gus
toners are eager for his vegetables a,
sooo prices, writes E. Harrington II
the Country Gentleman. The plan OF
taking a stall at a 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 ifsone has private Gus.
toners. During the season when bust.
ness Is dull Mr.. Richie Is able to SUP.
PIGMENT 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
ilperally. The fact that he a city
water on tap makes this possible. In
deed, he says there would be little
possibility of making a success in his
line OF work unless water could be
used without stint.
Within the last year or two an irrf-
cation system has been installed on
the little plant. Several lines of pipe
extend the length of the field. running
parallel 20 each other, and are SO ar
ranged that the streams which they
throw cover the entire area. The diff
terent ines of pipe are governed by
levers near the house, SO that in a
Few moments time 1t is possible to
have water playing over the entire
field. The pipes are raised on wooden
supports. perhaps a foot and a half
above the ground. Mr.. Ritchie's land
is divided into two fields. on opposite
sides of the street. The Irrigation
system proved 80 satisfactory in the
held nearest the house that 1t 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 moi 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 quaint
ties are grown. The market price for
lettuce varies, but sometimes it runs
as high as ten cents. On several &C.
casions Mr.. Richie has had large
crops growing which he estimated as
worth eight cents in the field. For q
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
having found a variety
which proved a particularly good crop
per, as well as producing well-formed
and attractive heads. Mr.. Richie con-
lettuce-or salad, as 1t Is more
known In Pennsylvania
best crop for market gardeners of
areas, especially in parts of
the country where the mme are
very hot, because the farmers cannot
raise 1t, owing to the lack OF sufi cient
water. A large part of the produce
an sale at the market house Is brought
IN by farmers, and the successful
market gardener grows the crops they
cannot well mature instead of trying
10 compete with them in producing
such vegetables as cabbage and toma-
toes. Everything depends upon taking
Of circumstances. Some
in Pennsylvania, isolated
from good retail markets, have found
cabbage a highly profitable crop.
Mr.. Richie sometimes uses artifi-
,ial shade during the hottest weather,
arranging a canvas covering over a
part of his crop, and finds the plan
worth while. Parsley and red beets
have proved excellent crops, although
The demand for the former is not 50
great that 1t can be grown in large
quantities. Radishes, celery and on
!ons are also grown to some extent,
me radishes finding a ready market
very early in the season.
Manure is relied upon for fertilizing
he crops and all the cultivation is
by hand, wheel hoes being en-
to a large extent, though con-
siderable work in wedding is done on
the hands and knees by the five or six
who are employed during the
busy season. The manure Is hauled
rom n~eighboring stables. The hired
help is secured wherever possible and
constitutes one OF the greatest prob
lens Mr.. Richie has to meet. In an
attempt to solve this question OF Ia
bor, Mr.. Richie has recently largely
increased his greenhouse area and
has 10000 square feet OF glass,
heat being provided by two modern I
water boilers. The greenhouses |
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