Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1915-05-21
PRAISES THE
PRAIRIE COUNTRY
Lewiston Banker Notes Great
Changes Here Within Past
Few Years--Farmers are All
Prosperous.

returned from a several days
visit to Camas prairie points and
reports the development in the
upper country during the past
three years is almost beyond
comprehension. Mr.. Shepherd
was for several years engaged in
the insurance business and dur
ing the period frequently visited
the prairie country and was we'll
acquainted with conditions in the
various sections. He has always
been much interested in agricult-
ural development and for several
years has been an advocate of
diversified farming for the CEN
trail Idaho country. The Empire
National bank, represented by
Mr.. Shepherd, is one of the lead
ing local factors in advancing
the cause of diversified farming
and more livestock on the farms
and upon his recent trip to the
prairie country, Mr.. Shepherd
was very pleasantly surprised to
see that such progress in stock
raising on the farms had been
made.
For number of years l was
we'll acquainted with the prairie
conditions and l believe | am
safe when l say the prairie farm
ers have advanced more in the
past three years than in the pre-
vious ten," said Mr.. Shepherd
yesterday.
"Ihe advancement relates to
better highways, better homes,
better barns and outbuilding,
better fences and more livestock.
| believe the increase in livestock
activity is responsible for the
other improvements. For many
years large sections of the upper
country were compelled to raise
livestock because of the absence
of railroad transportation. In
those days little attention was
given to the breeding and a hog
was a hog and cattle were cattle.
The farmers fed their grain to
hogs and cattle and during the
winter drove the fattened stock
to market.
During the past few years
the farmers have purchased the
best breeding animals to be Sc
cured and have found that live
stock still offers the most profit
able market for their crops. Of
course the recent high prices
would be an exception to this in
some respects but the farmers
are not deceived as to the future
and they are prepared
70 turn off as many hogs and
,attle this season as last.
"A trip through the prairies is
l revelation to the person who
has not visited the upper country
or the past two or three years.
logs and cattle fill the fields of
he entire upper country, the
and is we'll fenced and otherwise
improved and the homes are COM
ortable and we'll kept. Many
lew farm residences and manv
inc barns have been built in the
PIPER country during the past
wo or three years. Fine roads
re encountered in all commune
les and many of the farmers
ossess automobiles.
The roads are maintained bv
rags. Many of the famous King
drags are used and others
re of this type but constructed
rom plank because they are
ghter. The farmers work the
Dads and they have accomplished t
'onders.
In the towns the merchants E
nd bankers will tell you the
lrmers are in fine financial con- ,
tlon. They have bank accounts $
10 many are increasing their @
nd holdings but it is not with a +
ew OF combining their energies n
raising grain. 1t would be in 7
resting to know just how much a
e cattle and hogs sold from the o
rms of the prairie country n
ould amount to in a year. The h