The Blackfoot optimist., 1916-02-17
Editor Optimist.

Dear Sir: It is with interest that
have read in the papers of Blackfoot
the ideals regarding farm life expert
ences. They are very valuable indeed
and are worthy Of emulation and com
mendation for the energy expended in
writing these beautiful letters so essen
tial for the development of the Gem
state.
They cause my mind to revert back
to the pioneer farm life in the year
1856 in the valleys of Utah, with its
numerous rivers and rivulets flowing
from the gigantic mountains with their
iife-giving properties to be spread over
the desert lands by the frugal farmer
to enable him to make happy and pros
porous and inviting homes. When the
pioneers first arrived III the valleys of
this great barren desert they thought
it almost impossible to raise large
fields of waving grain as the soil was
too dry, and their implements too crude
to work it. But though their tasks
were slow and tedious they overcame
the hardships and privations of the
sands of the desert and made it bios
som as the rose.
The plows the farmers used in those
days were made by the blacksmith from
tire iron that was left by the weary
gold hunters on their way to Califor-
MIA in the year 1S49, and the northwest
Oregon and Washington gold stampedes.
The farms of those days were small
and the teams were scarce to do the
blowing. The motive powers We're the
OK, mule and horse, and when they
were hitched to the plow and would
not get in the collar the consequence
was that the soil adhered to the plow
and rolled it up in large ridges that
were so lumpy and dry that an acre
per day was all the ground that could
be turned over.
The seed grain was sowed by the
farmers by the aid of bag tied with
rope and hung to their necks, from
which they planted as follows: Per
aere-wheat, one and half bushels;
oats and barley, two bushels. The grain
was narrowed in with wooden harrow,
the teeth of which were made of oak,
maple and birch wood.
In the pioneers early settlement the
farms were usually five, ten and seldom
over forty acres, and were planted to
wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and small
berries; just enough of the latter for
home consumption. In the course of
time the people began to realize that
these valleys, $500 above sea level
had ideal climatic advantages for the
production of many kinds of crops,
such as all cereals, vegetables, berries,
corn, hay, and all kinds of the hardy
fruits i'll abundance, but as the pioneers
with their wives and families were iso-
lated, being 1000 miles west of the
Missouri river, the articles for their
home had to be freighted, principally
by OK teams, which took them from
early spring until late fall, to accom-
modate the merchants SO as to supply
the farmers wives and families with
necessaries.
When the farmers harvested their
crops they went to Salt Lake City.
Utah, Idaho cities and the northwest to
market them, and would be offered
from fifty cents to two dollars per
bushel for wheat, oats and barley;
one to two dollars of which went to
Ben Holiday So stage line, the only.
market for farm products then.
In those days the merchants had for
a circulating medium store orders to
be honored at the stores, where the
formers received goods for their pro-
duce, as mo av was out of the ques-
tion, Should the farmer need a pound
of tea which cost $500 per pound, or
calico which cost twenty cents per
yard, women s shoes at $500 to SIS 90 !
pair, according to the quality, men S |
suits, which brought $4,000 to $500,
sugar at $l.00 per pound, door locks
$l00, powder $500 per pound, Charter