The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1915-02-25
A Comparison of Possibilities


article published in the Sunset Magazine for February
The story tells of the success of farmer in the Boise Val
ley section with higher altitude than the Snake River
Valley, and consequently with not favorable.
The nature of the soil is claimed to be better in this Sec
tion and taken all in ALL the farmer of the Snake River
Valley works under favorable natural conditions,
than his neghbor in the Boise Valley. The article follows
The Plant Wizard of Idaho
Upn sunny southern Idaho theis who with the assist
his wife, doing work for the real and lasting benefit
OF humanity that second only that of the Luther Bur-
bank Thomas A. Allen is his appears his bank
check-just plain "Tom" to his friends
Tom Allen a farmer, but farmer who different from
the average day from night He not content buy
old seeds that may be offered him. and them after planting them
take OF them in hormss fashion In respects his
is ordinary story in others wonderful as modern Arabian
Nights but through all moral that il will be we'll for
every farmer to heed.
II begins just little twelve years ago when Allen
cekng behind the OF his general merchandise in
the little OF Godfed Colorado just he had done day
after day for years In the OF his daily merchandising he
had occasion buy and sell quantities of farm poducts
good bad but mostly the latter He knew what it
for the producer well the merchant to eneavo sell poor
ineor ungraded products and oIeseeng the possible profit
to be derived from furnishing customers with the excellence
in farm products that they demand in manufactured articles he
then and there made his mind quit merchandising and try
the game Of the producers end
With the proceeds from the sale OF his business Tom Allen
purchased small badly rundown farm the Boise valley in
Idaho which, with his industry and disregard for
the old order of farming he has made veable wonderland
Beginning with small capital and unpromsng acreage he
has made produce farm beautiful home and acquired
Portable competence besides national fame plant breeder and
exhibitor He has accomplished many wonderful things ag-
ricuuray and among numerous improvements nature
might be mentioned his seveheaded beardess rye Through
Allen making possible to increase the maxi
yield OF given field of rye seven.fod but he isn't stop
ping there he is engaged in making his headed rye
beardes and those farmers who have and tehed
rye easily appreciate the benefit to be derived from this
latest effort of the humble Burbank of southern Idaho With
infinite patience Allen has gone year after year breeding the
babs from his rye heads and when he harvested the crop
from his experimental plot last fall grased to find that the
boards had practically disappeared jusfyng his hope
the world the existence OF absolutely beadess
with heads instead OF At the time he expert
monng with wheat and is about to bring bearde
variety with grains the head and heads the
stalk.
Corn another OF the many grains Allen has experimental
with and he has bred number OF varieties His Ada
County Yellow Dent which produces l25 bushels the
fitted for corngrowing account OF the cool nights
his greatest achievement this variety OF grain. Old
established preudces farmers the ntermonane country
have been assed and shattered the agricultural wizard
strongly than that cannot be grown
merca basis in that section of the United States For years he
has been continually preaching that the the ntremon
region should grow and demonstrated by his efforts
that profitable commercial crop that section practced
in wide contest nauguraed in Idaho by of the
papers several Allen first hono and surprised
the natives by producing lS0 bushels OF high quality the
acreconsdeed phenomenal record for Idaho that time
but which has been exceeded
Tom Allen believes work. and practices what he breaches
This will be believed when becomes known that the Allen farm
cared by Mr. and Mrs. Allen with the help
only man, except in harvesting Their industry will bel
better appreciated when it realized that they have had
600 vares fruits and vegetables and 400 varieties OF grains
and grasses growing and under experimentation onher farm
time. One of Mr. Aliens hobbies is he has