The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1913-07-25
SOUTHERN IDAHO
DAIRY SECTION
Twin Falls County Said to be
Best in the United States
CLIMATE UNEQUALED FOR THE
cow AS A PRODUCER,
Alfalfa Makes the Best Milk Pro.
ducer-Abundance of Water Another
Feature.

TO the man who has lived in the
dairy section of the Mississippi valley
1t is apparent that southern Idaho Is
destined to become the greatest dairy
section of the United States, and Twin
Falls is the logical center
Illinois, Indiana Wisconsin, Iowa,
Minnesota and In fact all the states
east OF the Rocky mountains and
north of the Ohio river have developed
wonderfully in the production of but
ter and cheese during the past decade.
Not entirely because dairying is the
most pleasant branch of agriculture,
but because of the fact that long con
tinued grain raising and soil robbing
had SO impoverished thousands of
farms that it was no longer possible
TO harvest satisfactory yields and
their owners realized the necessity of
adopting methods that would return a
greater cash income and at the same
time restore to the soil those elements
of plant life of which it had been so
ruthlessly denuded
That it is possible to restore to the
soil its ability to produce equally as
we'll as when first put in cultivation
mas been demonstrated times without
number, but not more decidedly than
! IN the case OF Jos. E. Wing of Ohio.
His farm (Which has been in use 100
years. produced In 1889 $500 worth of
product, in 1912 about $4,000 worth
Ihls great improvement was due en-
tlfely to better methods of cultivation
and the very liberal use of alfalfa
clover and manure. Wing is only one
! or thousands of men who have shown
| OBJECT lessons which should be OBJ
| served by the farmers of Idaho that
Will enable them to avoid the necessity
| OF rebuilding their soils from the very
low ebb that will surely follow long
continued grain raising and indiffer-
ent cultivation.
1t is only about 80 years since the
| flrst cooperative creamery was put in
operation. At that time the refrigera-
| tor car service and the cold storage
plant as we have them today were un-
known; the Babcock test-the most
important discovery in the art of
dairying-had not been evolved and
the many labor saving devices and
Cow comforts" of today were not to
be had. 1t is not surprising that pre-
vious to that time dairying had re-
ceived but very little attention. But
with the advent of the creamery all
| this was changed. Today we have the
Babcock test the centrifugal separa-
tor, the combined churn and worker
the refrigerator car, the cold storage
plant the silo and experimental
farms supported by general taxation)
in every direction where. there are
constantly being worked out the prob
lens that confront the would-be sue
cessful dairyman, and the results may
be obtained in bulletin form for the
asking. Do we realize the advantages
OF today over those of 80 years ago?
| But this is in a degree foreign to
the statement made in the first para
graph of this article, viz: southern
Idaho is destined to become the great
est dairy section of the United States
Some may ask the foundation for
such a statement. Let me give it. A
mild climate. An abundance of water
Alfalfa hay equal in quality to that
produced anywhere in the world And
last, but by no means least, climatic
conditions that are entirely favorable
to the production of corn silage of AL
quality.
That mild temperature is condu-
Give to the comfort of the COW is ap-
| parent and the necessary shelter less
expensive to provide.
| Cold wet" rains are comparatively
few. The chilly, damp days in Idaho
are not to be compared in number
with those of any section boasting a
rain fall equal to their needs.
If the dairy COW is to return a pro-
| fit satisfactory to her owner it is i'm
perative that she be supplied with an
| abundance of water. We have it.
Alfalfa hay which is produced in
perfection in Idaho and can be bought
for Sc to $S per ton contains about the
| same proportion of protein as wheat
bran, for which the dairymen of the
middle and eastern states pay 500 to
$50.
The eastern dairymen Except over
small areas that will produce alfalfa)
buy oil meal, gluten feed, cottonseed
meal and other feeds of high protein
| content with which to balance their
home grown feeds containing a super
abundance of carbohydrates. The
question constantly before them is,
How can we get cheap protein?"
In Idaho we have it in abundance in
alfalfa hay, and it only remains for
US to provide the feed that is rich in
carbohydrates: this we can get most
economically in corn silage.