The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-01-28

than 100000 acres of land were taken
as homesteads or state land leases,
with good sprinkling of people al
most wholly without means, or who
would be before their lands were pro-
ductive, is no small item. Lumber for
buildings, seed, implements, horses,
and sometimes even groceries have to
be supplied with borrowed money. In
the earlier years of our development
one of our four implement houses
placed an order for three cars of inn
plements for it's years stock. 1t ship
ped in ten straight cars before the
season closed, and was often forced
to pay local freight on less than one
car lots, to supply the demand, and we
loaned the money for the cash pay
ment on many of these implements,
the dealer taking contract note for
the balance to make himself safe. The
first of last June we had ISL automo-
biles in the county and 100 combined
harvesters. This did not include the
combines ordered for 1915, which num-
bered thirty.
The financing of development like
this is a tremendous task. No coun-
try bank can supply more than very
small part of the money needed. The
losses and long deferred payments un-
der such circumstances are inevitable.
These factors make interest rates
higher than they should be. But if a
banker is to be of real service to such
I community he must take a chance
along with the rest The cooperation
of all classes, bankers, business men
and farmers, is essential to the fullest
success.
In order to meet the demands of our
locality few years ago, we shipped
in $50 work horess and $50 grade cows
and sold them to the farmers on time
We have received our money for all
the horses but are still carrying some
of the paper on cows, our debtors
income being used for other purposes
Several purchasers of cows tell me
that their cows reduced their grocery
bills from one-third to one-half. |
believe in helping the farmer to help
himself.
| am a firm believer in scientific
farming. We are just beginning to
learn the essential things about tilling
the soil. When we reflect that about
eighty-hve per cent of the elements
which go to produce crops can be con-
served or supplied to the soil, and
that only about fifteen per cent re-
mains for the soil itself to do, we be-
gin to understand how beneficial a
training of our young people in scien-
tihc agriculture may become. | am
glad to know that our normal schools
are adopting short courses to pre-
pare teachers for rural school work. |
believe every Idaho boy and girl
should receive such instructions as
will enable them to make a choice be-
tween country life and town life, and
give them knowledge that will en-
able them to look on field of grain
and tell what soil element is lacking
and how to supply it.
| have had the pleasure of visiting
the John Deere & Company's expert.
mental farm near Moline, Illinois. Il
| is marvellous what they are accom-
plishing in the way of increased grair
production. An interesting expert
ment was made by them in oats
where they used bacteria imported
from Germany on one half of the
field, while untreated seed was usee
on the other half all all other condi
tons being equal The difference il
yield was more than fifty bushels pc,
acre. Such increases in crop produc
ton will bring about increased live
stock and all other finished farm pro
ducts. Such an increased tonnag'
means greater transportation demand
which means increased demands TO
labor; increased labor means great
er consumption and better prices TO