The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-12-19
TRADE AND FINANCE.LETTER

a regrettble and serious error in the
practice of the farmers of this terri
tory. If there were no other reasons
for this letter, there would be one in
the fact that the farmers in large
part of the Intermountain Empire
are at present able to pay their bills
only once year. Crop landing ex-
penses, store bills and interest usu-
ally wait until December before their
payment is possible. 1t Is obvious
that if some sort of husbandry were
adopted which would allow the far
nier to secure a continuous income
throughout the year, he would cut
short his slavery to the circumstance
which oftimes compels him to act at
the dictation of others. He would
become his own master.
But there is only one farm product
that is capable of supplying con-
slant flow of income. /. e, live stock
and not all live stock at. that.
Sheep ranged and handled in the
usual way will afford returns to the
owner twice year, and something
similar is true of range cattle, tho
cattle may be fed upon a. farm in
such a way as to provide marketable
stuff at any month in the year. Or
the farmer may commence the rails
ing of hogs, and many install :. dairy.
In these last two items are found, we
believe, the maximum Of profit.
Particularly in these last few years
when the price of beet cattle has
swung upward to about twice what
it, was, and the price of pork las
done likewise, it is profitable IT, de-
velop this industry. The increase in
meat prices is due almost entirely TO
an increased demand, for both the
amount of live stock produced in the
United States, and the exponse of
producing it, have remained at fi!s-
ures not far from those of ten years
ago. But in that time our .onrula-
tion has cumulatively increased.
growing the rate Of about 295 each
year. Furthermore, large share of
that increase-too large a share
has been in the population of cities
and towns, which is a population that
cannot produce food, though it must
consume it. Tt is no wonder that
the prices meats have scared. They
have a scarcity value 4
Even at the lower prices of ten
years ago, it used to be proverbial
among the farmers of the middle
west that the richest of them were
those who, even with high-priced
lands, devoted their energies to beef
and dairy cattle, and to hogs. It is
now more true than ever.
This same condition holds in the
1ntermountain Empire, and certainly
to an even greater extent. If there
is a natural hog and dairy country in
the United States, this is the place.
Pure water, clear dry air, and cool
nights are valuable assets in this
business, and no where else are they
possessed in an equal degree. Add
ing to this the richness of the inter-
mountain soils, with their remark
able accumulations of natural ferti-
lizers, and their no less remarkable
physical conditions, plus the proxim-
1ty OF hungry, expanding markets one
has the situation under which the
failure to develop dairying and hog
raising seems the grossest negligence.
There is not single logical reason
why this Intermountain Empire, so
highly favored of nature, should i'm
port dressed meats by the trainload
from Omaha and Chicago, should buy
butter and cheese by the carload from
Wisconsin, and even import it from
New Zealand. Yet all of these it
does. 1t is ridiculous that those
places sould be supplying us. when
we ought to be supplying both our
selves and them. We could do it so
much better
In spite of these facts there is so
far developed in this territory only
one really notable dairying district,
/. e., Cache valley in northern Utah.
In this valley of relatively small ex-
tent, the creameries and the condens-
ed milk factories paid to the farmers
$1,50O,0O0 for this one product alone
The money comes into the hands of
the farmers in monthly installments,
and, more than any other industry,
not even excepting the sugar factor
les, has established the credit of the
valley. The conditions are so favor
able as to attract the attention of ev-
en- such company as Bor,le Con-
densed Milk company, which has re-
Gently established plant here.
1t is true that in central and lower
Snake valleys in Idaho, as we'll as in