The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-04-28

assimilate them. Until these ele-
ments work on the soil, it is in an
undioested condition so far as plant
life is concerned. He thinks the aver
age irrigator keeps the ground so
soggy that this plant food is not re-
leased and the crops are dwarfed
by it. He finds the spots of hard
pan become more friable by being
plowed and exposed to the air.
Mr.. Geyer has SO acres of wheat
on his own place and is caring for
100 acres for Christ & Kiefer, 80 for
Jacobs, five for Miller and 80 on an
other place. These neighbors whose
places he is caring for are making
the improvements required to acquire
title and after this year Mr.. Geyer
expects to devote all his time to
farming his own place. He is get
ting his whole 100 acres in condition
for seeding in season. What he did
not seed last fall he is disking now
and will pillow 1t as soon as the weeds
have started growing. Then he will
harrow and drag it to create the dust
mulch to hold the rain and the
sweat of the earth for fall seeding
and fall ~rowth. He is narrowing
his winter wheat. He has small
garden and is laying out large front
yard for planting something.
Joseph Etewart, of Taber, is re-
ported to have 400 acres of wheat
that is a good stand. We did not
learn what treatment he is giving it.
H. F. Scissor, of Taber, began
farming in 1913. He raised wheat,
barley and buckwheat successfully
on the same ground, the buckwheat
being frosted while in the bloom or
bowls. He leased his land in 1915
and it was put in to grain without
being plowed. It made about six
bushels per acre and the lessee has
drilled in grain again on considerable
of it. 1t has not been narrowed and
the surface is full of cracks. 1t is
crusted to a depth of an inch or more
and is already rather hard and dry.
The comparison of moisture stored in
this ground and other ground near
by that has been plowed and worked
is marked. The mellow cultivated
ground is full of moisture up to with
in an inch or less of the surface and
each little stalk of grain is large and
vigorous, with long root system. On
the other ground the conditions are
the reverse and millions of weeds
have already started. It was pointed
out to the writer by Mr.. Scissor that
where the grain is drilled and the
ground is not narrowed or worked,
the ground cracks right along the
line of the drill and the row Of
grain, thus leaving a place for the
moisture to escape at the exact point
where it should be conserved for the
plants. He thinks narrowing across
the drills should be done early to
fill these cracks or to prevent crack
ing and to kill the weeds. The
necessity for dragging or floating the
field to make the, surface smooth be-
fore drilling and dragging is shown
by the fact that every spot that is
an inch or two below the general
level is too low to be cut by the
harrow when it passes over and since
It is not treated either by it or the
roller and points of evaporation are
furnished.
Mr.. Scissor sowed small dry
patch on top of a hill to alfalfa last
spring, and has thin stand OF
healthy looking alfalfa now, enough
% draw all the moisture out of the
ground and make it into hay. We
will report upon it as the summer
A field adjoining has
lust been drilled to oats, the ground
,eing in very good condition but not
worked as much as Campbell's Dry
Farmer would advise.
II. A. Ahrens, who lives north OF
raber, has $40 acres of wheat sowed
asst fall. The rabbits took consider
bile of it and he is narrowing 1t to
,old moisture and to kill weeds. Mr.
Ahrens came from Illinois in l9l4,
,uilt a fine large house in 1915 with