The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-12-03

due and fence it, provide buildings
and implements, make bitches and
provide meadows. He preferred the
cattle bushes and to that end he
planned and worked. Mrs. Cooper
had been engaged in school teaching
before her marriage and she taught
several terms at Springfield.
The Cooper lands lay partly on the
bottoms and partly on the bench. The
bottom lands were covered with a
tough sod, and the bench with sage
brush. The bottom lands were cold
and clammy during the spring
weather, and the presence of the sod
prolonged the period of cleanliness.
Alfalfa did not do very we'll on it
because the period of making the first
crop passed before it responded with
much growth. Mr.. Cooper came to
prefer the bench lands, and spent
considerable money to provide water
rights and build expensive bitches to
reclaim it. For a long time he had
to admit that he was land poor, and
as his range was cut off by new set
tiers and new fields he found less
profits in cattle. Like many others.
Mr.. Cooper proceeded with some ex-
plorations that led to discoveries. He
found that by subduing the sod on
the bottom lands and cultivating it.,
1T became wonderfully mellow and
responsive to the spring sunshine.
Black loan six or eight feet deep,
plowed and pulverized to good
depth, and carrying considerable
moisture, is an asset that Is just COM
ing to be appreciated in that locality.
Seventeen tons of beets to the acre
give a profit of $35 after paying all
expenses. and this has been done on
a couple of tracts by men inexperi-
Gnced with beets.
Alfalfa has proven its ability to ma
ture seed without irrigation, and sew
eral farmers are preparing to take
advantage of the excellent profits this
crop affords. Some of Mr.. Cooper's
land sub-irrigates and he finds grain
profitable on it. He is developing a
dairy herd and sells cream for ship
ment to the creamery. He Is plan
ming to install milking machine and
will handle larger herd with less
labor in that respect. He has a small
orchard and this year picked 80 boxes
of Bartlett pears for which he found
la ready market at his door at two
dollars box.
Mr.. Cooper will cut his farm up
and sell some of it in any sized
tracts desired by the purchasers. He
and his good wife have seen rather
strenuous 20 years, and would like
to enjoy the delight of building a
home just to suit them, installing all
the modern things in and about the
house and other buildings, and pre-
pare to raise good stock in comfort
and at a profit. They have been
reading our crop reports with much
interest, and are convinced that the
|labor-saving devices spoken of in
some of the articles are within their
reach and that they pay and pay well.
The Cooper ranch lies just south of
the Crystal Springs Trout ranch,
about four miles south of Springfield.
and he uses large part of the spring
water for irrigation after it leaves the
fish ponds
Mrs: Cooper, in particular, Is d
lover of flowers and shrubs, and the
things that beautify the home These
things have been neglected at so
many homes, and the effect is so
apparent in the lack of the tender
home associations and the home SEN
timent in Young people. she feels that
such things are good investment in
that light alone, saving nothing Of
the real JOY of having them. People
living in isolated places miss many
of the popular amusements that are
within the reach of those living in
or pears the towns. and sDecial eff
forts should be made, not only to sup
ply other things of interest, but as
many as possible, to make life sweet
for childhood and youth.