American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-23

ed stock on a ranch-for neither horse,
COW, sheep or hog will await the time
when il is fed to them, but will go az
ter it at every opportunity and eat It
cIeat down 10 the ground.
PlOws and HarrOws at One Operation.
Mr.. Dawson has been an observer
OF condition on his dry farm from
the very beginning and has adopted
certain methods which he e~ndeavors
10 follow each year in accordance with
changing conditions as they may ar
rise. For summer fallOw he plOws
six to eight inches deep, increasing
the depth one inch each year accor-
ding 70 the condition of the ground.
He always plows when the ground is
moist and drags the harrow behind
the pillow, thus getting two workings
Of the soil with one operation. Some
years ago Mr.. Kjosness, the efficient
county agent, happened to be on this
farm when Mr.. Dawson was operating
the two implements in this manne
and obtained a photograph OF the Op-
Grafton which has been widely used
IN demonstrating the method 10 other
farmers. II is found that the method
of dragging the harrow behind the
plOw is very effective in killing weeds,
especially June grass, a weed more
than ordinarily hard to kill. In sum
mer fallOw ground the harrow and
roller are used as often as possible,
in order TO create the mulch necessary
to the conservation of moisture, the
roller packing the ground acting as
a l%eyeler. Immediately before drill
ing in the seed the harrow is again
taken owe the land, and after the fall
grain is seeded the ground is left
alone. In the spring, experience has
taught this rancher, it is best 70
leave the grain alone until il has a
fine footing and a good stand before
going over it with the harrow-but
the harrow is always taken over it
each year.
Harrow Kills Weeds.
Fall blowing for spring seeding is
from " to eight inches deep and
the land is left in the rough until
spring. As soon as the ground is dry
enough and the weeds have a good
start the indispensable harrow is
brought from its winter quarters and
the ground intensively cultivated be-
fore drilling in the seed, and the roll
Ter and weeder follow the harrow.
Care is taken 10 be sure that the
ground is thoroughly warm before the
seed is drilled in, and Mr.. Dawson is
a firm advocate of the practice of al
ways dragging a chain behind the
drill in spring seeding, getting Level
ground and an even stand OF grain by
this method.
Spring blowing for immediate seed
ing has heretofore not been practiceC
on the Valley View ranch.
On a 20-acre parcel OF this ranch
badly infested with Jim Hill mustard
fall blowing with intensive spring cul-
t~ivation was tried out and the method
! proved very effective in eradicatins
the stuff; a rank growth OF thistles
however. appeared after the spring
wheat had been headed, but it is be
! lieved that this weed can be eradicateC
by spring blowing and spring seeding
Mr.. Dawson believes that spring seed
ing on either fall or spring plowed Ian,
; for a period of severay years is the on
~ effective way to get rid of noxiOu.
weeds. In order to bring about thi
very desirable state of affairs the co
e operation of all farmers must be had
He is emphatic in saying that tn.
weeds be exterminated or tn.
farmer must move out. In his opin
- ion il will be for the best Of all if ad
joining farmers will summer fallov
or grow crops simultaneously rattle
than have one field in summer falloy
and al adjoining field in crop. Anoth
er practice which needs a%bolishing il
a hurry is that of throwing mustarl
plants out of the headerbox 10 lie
them ripen and roll over to anothe
farmers field and infest it with a mil
hon-more or less. mostly more
weed plants the following year. Bet
ter keep them in your own headerbo
and thus keep them from harmin
your |neighbOr.
The work bunch of horses on thi
ranch numbers nine head. five of theI
of good weight and four of lighte
stock. The P~ercheron breed has th
preference on this ranch, the entir
bunch being Percherou grades, and I'll
intention is TO reach the perfect star
dard of this fine breed of draft horse
At present only one COW. a Jerse,
Durham. is being MIXED. \ bunch
. young cattle are growing up. and pa.
ture is being seeded with a view {,
ward charging the dairy herd. tt
owner of the ranch realizes that
dairy herd is one of the principal fe;
lures of any we'll conducted farm an
that the revenue derived therefrom wi
invariably more han defray all u
expense of the larder of the hous.
hold.
Prize Winning Dur0c-JerSeys.
Four head Of pure bred Duroc-Je
sey brood stock and a number of his
grades of the same breed are repr
scented in the hog pen. Up 10 Nv
years ago from 10 TO so hogs Wei
raised each year for the market.
good income being derived from tn
source. In 1916 MIR. Dawson W;
awarded two blue and one red ribbC