American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-08-24

Worthy Of Thoughtful Considera-
ton.
Ross McCarty was among the first
to file on a homestead in the country
between American Falls and Rockland.
That vas in the days before dry farm
ing had become fashionable. With lit
he experience to guide and few ac-
quaintences competent to counsel, his
early efforts were not rewarded by
the fullest success. He could not then
be classed as he is now, as among the
best farmers of the county. But he
was preserving. and quick to observe
and profit by the better methods of
others, improving his methods year
BY year, until in some respects he
stands out as a leader. At the annual
meeting of the Power County Farm
Bureau Mr.. McCarty was selected lead
err of weed determination. His energy
as we'll as his appreciation of the ne
cessity for united action in the cam
paign against weeds fit him for this
position.
An object lesson in moisture con-
servation was furnished by Mr.. Nc
Carly on June %, when the summer
AaAAOW CAtuA olOn nlOpDtu db his DAdN6.
The excursionists had stopped at a
number of places, and had seen clouds
of dust arising where plows were in
operation, the soil turning up cloddy.
At the McCarty place blowing was
under way, and the soil was in ideal
condition. He had double disced the
field in May, not only killing many
weeds, but keeping the soil ideally
~o0s-f rx.ooJ ow1urfh af uraadr haH
started, when blowing was begun, and
these were turned under. The field
is now not only free from weeds, but
there is abundant moisture to force
growth whenever seeding time comes.
The practice of discing before blowing
is followed by a number of the most
successful farmers of the county, the
merits claimed for it not only being
the destruction of weeds, but a hold
ing of the moisture deposited by snow
and the rains of early spring. thus per-
hitting blowing to be done at the
most convenient time after spring
seeding is finished. Mr.. McCarty has
made stepping stones of his earlier
mistakes.
Mr.. McCarty farms a total of $40
acres, all of which is dry farm land.
The home ranch, ten miles south of
American Falls. is the original 160-
acre homestead of Mr.. McCarty, filed
on in 1908. This is generally believed
to be the second parcel of government
land between American Falls and
Rockland to be homesteaded. The
first tract filed upon is just across the
road to the west of Mr.. McCarty's
homestead and was taken up as a des-
- III. h. IIAhA- HTnAI NnfhnP
of Mrs. McCarty. The intention of Mr..
Wood was to bring water from Little
creek to the desert claim, but this
proving not feasible the claim was re-
linduished and Mr.. Wood took up a
homestead neal the present site of the
town of Rockland. When Mr.. McCarty
settled on his homestead he had no
near neighbors, and the land was a
~sagebrush flat. The first year he
cleared and plowed 70 acres. He used
the steam pillow of the Meadows &
Walker ranch, exchanging labor for
the use of the pillow. The first wheat
harvested on the ranch was Cold Coin
yielded an average of 40 bushels
per acre.
AS he progressed in farming Mr..
McCarty acquired a half section by
pQANndoNs AnAS lIdCl Dtlik lOtdltu
about two miles to the east of the home
ranch. close up against the foothills.
Besides these tracts he farms a quar-
ter section of state land on Little
creek. His farming activities are
principally devoted to the raising OF
wheat, both spring and winter crops
being raised regularly each year. He
has hauled to this city 10000 bushels
of wheat as the yield of one years
crop. This year he has in wheat near
ly 400 acres, with the exception of sc
acres this being all winter wheat
During the past hard winter a part OF
his wheat was killed. and this com
bined with the drought will reduce the
yield of the ranch for the present year
Better MetOhdS will Increase Yields
Mr.. McCarty is optimistic and is con
fident that by the use of proper
methods Power county will from veal
to year increase the quantity of whea
raised and improve the quality. II
favorable years he has obtained
yield of so bushels of Turkey Red pc
acre and 80 bushels per acre of Blue
stem. He believes somewhere these re
cords can be made the normal yield b.
improved methods of farming. He i
convinced that deep blowing and tn.
extremely liberal use of disc and har
row are the principal features to brinI