Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-02-15


farm of the State College of Washing
ton. Mr.. Sparks is an expert in hi.
line and his article will be found
well worth while-Editor)
Any country within whose bounda
ries there is bountiful supply Of
water for the soil and temperate eli
matte conditions obtain will see in the
near future the greatest development
in the home building ever seen on
this earth. Perhaps there will be
some who read this article who will
question my judgment in this state
ment and l will plead that | am an
optimist by nature but have been
schooled by experience to believe that
any one who has well-founded the
Dry can Justify his confidence in the
accuracy Of that theory by substan-
tial evidence.
Proceeding thus, we ask: What are
the factors for home buildingq And
we. answer: First, the man; second,
climatic conditions; third, the soil,
and, fourth, natural diversified re-
sources, which we will consider in re-
verse order here named. Strictly
speaking, the first three factors are
resources, and the chief resources, but
as they are to some degree common
with all inhabited countries, we want
to call attention to those that are
not common, and they are many and
valuable.
believe the time will justify us in
the statement that the means of
transportation, which will include the
many transcontinental and local rail
roads, urban, interurban and electric
lines; the splendid system of water
ways; the natural grades; limitless
supply Of the best material for road
building, together with the bound-to-
Observation-Disclosures spirit Of our PEG.
rle, is a resource of inestimable worth
to commercial interests, as permanent
commerce always travels along the
lines of least resistance and easiest
grades, and to the home builders on
the banks and terraced benches of
the inland sea, lake or river; or back
on the plateaus or mountain. sides
Then, the water power-endless,
boundless and "going on forever
Manufacturing is always prosperous
where there is cheap power and ade-
quate transportation facilities, and
when we remember that we have
within reach mines Of the precious
metals, vast deposits Of iron, coal,
manufacturing coal, ornamental and
building stone, forests of timber, is
there any one who can correctly esti-
mate the possibilities of any place
where nature has been more lavish in
bestowing her giftss
II we were to judge the soils by
the amount of mineral elements nee
essary for crop production they con
tain as shown by chemical analyses
we would say that there are many
places where there is much more uni
formly good soil. We have on the
Pacific Coast thousands Of acres
which can be correctly classed as
good, and considerable that is poor
when judged by the soil chemist s
standard. Indeed, we think we can
say that the soils are more varied
here than are most of our agricul-
tural soils. We have found as many
as four distinct types Of soil on one
acre, justifying us in using the gen
eral term "spotted in Places" but
all these types have special valna
when we know how to select and
adapt crops and methods Of produc-
tion best suited to our soil. But
there is second factor that asserts
itself here, upsets and completely
routs some of our preconceived notions
Of soil fertility. / refer to climatic
conditions, which have not always been
fully appreciated. The most fertile
soil in the world would be valueess
without water to transfer the ele-
ments Of the soils fertility to the
growing plant. Temperature of soil
and air, together with sunshine in
season to assist in celebrating and !
assimilating these elements. Any com ,
bination of soil and climatic condi- s
lions that has produced vast for {
est Of mammoth trees will produce |
bountifully Of other and more valu. s
able crops with our cooperation. 1t s
would be very difficult to compute |
the full value Of the annual rainfall
OF this country, coming as it does in I
greatest quantities in the dormant Q
season in gentle, falling rain, without I
severe winds and later sunshine and c
showers blended There is untold mil. S
lions in them. II is no wonder the {
Egyptians Of old while working with J
their parched fields would shout and
cry with joy, when they saw it com c
ing, "Water! Water! Great is wa 7
teri Water is breadl" 1t is true v
that the steady downpour of rain is t
at times trying, but we believe that a
the agonies of webfeet and mossbacks b
are not so killing as the despair that 7
oouoa fvoru coaiun ouv oynno Irv q