American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-09-21

herd. They think that the Shorthorn
is the best dual purpose COW for the
dry farm.
Four head of mixed Poland-China
and Duroc-Jersey hogs are IN the
place. At present they are raised for
home consumption only, but Mr.. Cab
bert believes that with proper fencing
and pasture arrangements hogs could
be successfully raised for market.
In sheep he has a small start, con-
sidering them the best weeders OBJ
.tainable, next to the harrow and the
hoe.
A flock of Rhode Island Red chick
ms provide the home with eggs and
give a surplus for market. Silverlaced
Wyandottes are the favorite breed of
chickens of both Mr.. and Mrs. Gabbert
and a flock of them will be established
on the ranch by another year. Coyotes
are a pest in this mountain country
and are shrewd in their methods of
getting at the chickens. Some of them
will engage the dogs in battle at one
side of the ranch while another bunch
will get around the other side and get
away with a chicken or two. On one
occasion not long ago seven chickens
were carried off by this strategic
maneuver. Mountain rats nov and
then get bothersOme, too.
The squirrels are another setback
to the ranchers here. The national
forest reserve is near, and while the
farmers do their utmost to destroy
them the forest reserve harbors more
than enough to replace those that are
trapped, shot and poisoned. 1t will be
impossible to get rid of them here I'M
less the rangers in the reserve cooper
ate with the farmers. This coopera-
ton, no doubt, can be brought about
by concerted action of the farmers in
laying the matter before the proper Of
ficials of the government.
Mr.. Gabbert believes in the develop
ment of the ~county's resources and is
doing his bit in this regard. He has
a farm with a wonderfully fertile soil
and Is employing progressive methods
to get the best results from his labors.
When he Pilgrim called at the farm
Mr.. Gabbert was busy at it with a
scythe; every swipe he made laid low
a bunch of weeds and he is determined
to get rid of all of them. But here
again the forest reserve comes into
the reckoning, for within it's limits
not much of a fight is made against
weeds and as a result much of the seed
drifts to the lands of the farmers. If
every farmer in the section adjoining
the reserve would get rid of every
single weed on their ranches they
Would still have to contend with seeds
coming from the reserve.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gabbert are natives of
west Virginia and came west to Col
orado in 1909. In the same year they
came to Idaho and took up their home
on the homestead which has been n
verted into a productive farm. For
several years Mr.. Gabbert worked
away from the ranch at times to get
the means to develop il while the
family resided on the place. For the
past year and a half, however. he has
devoted all his time to the develop
ment OF the ranch. A neat farm dwell
ling has been "a eeted and granaries
and other buildings provided.
The children go to a school near bv
erected on the acre given by their
Iather, and neighbOrs are not far dis
tant. The ranchers in these parts are
~nelghborly folks and exchange fire.
quent visits on Sundays and HOLIDAYS
and are not nearly as isolated as some
people Would be led to believe when
told that Crystal is 50 miles from
American Falls and more than 20 mile,
from Pocatello.