American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-10-28
FIVE ACRES THAT PAY A PROFIT

Jos. Meyer. of Whitesides Observation-Disclosures
and teacher-has. since 1894, been principal Of
the ward school. He has been teaching boys and
girls for thirty years. From the classroom he
goes every day to his little farm Of five acres
near the center of the town.
Nine years ago he undertook to rejuvenate the
place and make It a home for his family of four.
The place was impoverished by poor tiliage and
gross neglect. An old building had to be re-
moved, stumps Of trees had to be ,aken out to
make room for new paintings. fences had to be
rebullt-it was a work OF reconstruction.
Today the reconstruction Is complete. He owns
the well-tilled, productive land. the barns and the
nome. And the farm pays well. Here is the
simple. unvarnished story of his success:
"Since from the soil come our profits, we look
we'll 20 It's fertility and cultivation. Upon examina-
lion I found my soil acid, and during the past year
I applied fifteen tons OF ground limestone to It.
w keep four cows. These are fed alfalfa hay
and some grain. Manure from cows fed as ours
are is worth, according TO a bulletin issued by
Cornell. $2.02 a ton. During the past year we
have put on our land more than fifty large loads
Of this sort OF fertilizer. During 1913 and 1914
va had one acre In alfalfa. After cacn crop or
cutting. what manure was In the yard at the time
was scattered on the alfalfa stubble. This one
acre Of alfalfa provided tho four cows with all
he hay they needed until December first the fol-
lowing winter.
~We cut three crops Of hay; the fourth crop was
pastured off by the COWS. Thon the land was
plowed and this spring was planted to onions.
Last summer we had enc and one-half acres
of onions. After the onions were sold. the land
was plowed and seeded to alfalfa the middle week
u September. On this area we sowed thirty
pounds Of seed. 1t made but scanty growth before
Il froxe up for the winter, But this spring It came
out fine ana we have a perfect stand, some Of
which Is two feet high. We have raised alfalfa
Tor five years and have never failed to secure a
,ood stand. and a yield OF at least five tons to the
aurA
"The acre and a half OF onions yielded $40
bushels. These were sold to a nearby grocer at
one dollar to one dollar and twenty cents a
oushel, In lots OF ten TO twenty-five bushels. For
ne crop l received 5000 In cash, although some
" the small onions we're sold for fifty cents a
oushel. l kept two bushels Of bulbs for seed,
soid the entire crop from samples In n small
basket, and in every instance the merchants were
voll satisfied when delivery was made,
~our young fruit has not come into bearing yet
8ut most Of our old cherries. when they come In
arc often sold at three dollars a bushel. We hav,
not been able to supply the demand for these. Fol
wo years we have shipped them to Fargo. Nortl
Dakota. and the persons who bought them wer'
% we'll pleased that In remitting they paid lift,
cents . crate more than we had asked.
-Our goosberries have found ready sales In GU
ow ntown and In Morrison and Clinton. The
bring us a. high AZ t2y50 . crate. The grocerymel
who buys one year always bring new customer
the next year.
-One OF the milkmen of Fulton comes to GU
house with bottles and takes our milk at fou
cents . quart Between October tist and Ma