The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-01-25

OIlaIllS IeSGiFC1f OF wealth., upon
/ which the hust andman can draw with
little fear CT protest or overdrafts.
| Professor Buffum, some years ago
at the Wyoming Experiment Station,
made 4 test showing the gain on ALTA
lfa ground for small grain and potatoes
over the same type of soila where alta
ifa was rot grown. His results obtain
ed are Eere given:
Crop Gain Bushel Gain in Acre
per Acre Value
Wheat - $1,000
Oats Al $500
Potatoes 20 SIG 90
Therefore get the land into legume
pea, as soon as you can that it may
be better prepared for successful and
profitable after cropsI
In case the farmer is in doubt just
what crop to put in, he will make no
mistake to seed down to alfalfa while
he is planning out the crop rotation
that his environment would seem to in
dictate best for him to adopt,
ROTATION DESTROYS WEEDS
The elimination of weeds is effectual
ly accomplished by the introduction of
cultivated crops like potatoes, stock
roots, sugar beets, field beans and
truck gardening crops. The irrigation
ditch is even a greater carrier of
weeds than the winds Where an en-
tire irrigation district adopts the prac-
tice of crop rotation and cutting ditch
annd canal bank weeds, they can be,
and are, exterminated. Most of our
worst weed pests are annual and when
all users Of given ditch practice
good crop rotation the weedd question
is solved.
GET STATION BULLETINS
Because weed and insect pests as
well as fungus diseaes are fully dis
cussed in Station bulletins which can
be had by addressing the Director of
your State Experiment Station, shall
pass up any discussion of them.
ROTATION FUNDAMENTALS
Let us now consider the fundament- |
als which we should concern ourselves
with, in adopting a rotation for our
irrigated lands, where we cannot af
ford to grow many cheap forage or
grass crops, unless upon said farm
We can convert these cheaper crops
into more remunerative meat, dairy
Or poultry products.
l. All plants tend to exhaust the
,oil. They abstract some one or more
ood elements to the full amount of
availability.
2. All plants do not exhaust the sc l
il the same way and manner equally.
3. Plants grown constantly Of con-
on the same field favor the
pread of insect pests and certain
liant diseases. !
4. Some plants, by methods of till !
ge, are favorable to weed growth,
While others are not.
5. Plants differ in habits of root
roWth. {
g. All legumes are soil builders and
oil renovators. l
T. Some form of stock raising, COM
ined with crop growing, will furnish {
narMre for making humus and build G
ng up the soil The old English adafs i
No grass no cattle; no cattle no man a
re; no manure, no grass is true S
t
ROTATION ON IRRIGATED LANDS 1
Every rotation on the irrigated lands t
l this region should contain I
!. At least one money or cash croI i d
2. At least one cultivated crop; It
3. At least one legume crop; c
1. At least one live stock or feed a
lg crop; c
5. These should be so grouped as
, most economically distribute farm n
dor throughout the year. t.
q. So arrange the rotation that the e
urn can turn cheap and bulky feeds Il
ITO milk. poultry or meat products. Z
Z. Thus make factory methods on t.
le farm, turn ordinary waste pro- il
lets into profits Il
The meat packer SO utilities the calf f;
NIB and pig that now Their is nothing 81
st but the blat and the squeal p
The adoption Of definite crop ro- d.
'icll and the practice of factory meth re
Is on the farm will stop the leaks q
hirh now reduce the profits and ire II
endously improve the quality while a
increases the quality of the output d.
every farm in this district ii
] know an irrigated farm In the til
ock'es where the suggested method W
lmed above is followed and the re-
rms fer the period of their crop ro- +
ton of six years, which checked up +
st year, averaged 500 gross per acre +