The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-05-11

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drilling. Mr.. Christoffserson lives
near the foot hills east of Firth. |
John Tolmie is blowing up ID
acres of alfalfa and sowing 1t to
wheat, some to oats and barley and
planting Il acres of potatoes.
Roy Shikishi is operating the
Enoch Hansen ranch where he has
IS acres planted to sugar beets.
George D. Hansen hauled lot
of pine logs and poles from the
mountains during the winter. He
is intending to move saw mill
down from the canyon and saw the
logs into lumber at the ranch. The
mill is located at Wolverine canyon
and is said to be for sale.
Richard Dye lives east of Basalt
and has 25 acres of beets, 10 acres
in potatoes, 10 in wheat, 8 in oats
and 20 acres of hay.
Donald Tolmie is one of the
Tolmie brothers operating a large
farm near the foot hills east of Ba-
salt. There are three brothers and
a cousin working together and they
have dry farms in the Mud Lake
country amounting in all to $40
acres. The boys are studying mod
ern methods Of farming and one OF
the things they do not agree on is
the prospect of motor traction We
hicles taking the place of horses for
farm work. They argue the ques-
ton in all phases, watch the expert
ments that are being made, figure on
the cost of maintenance for 81 900
worth of horses and harness and
$1,000 worth of tractors and con-
tinue to hold different views. On
the irrigated farm they have land
where the burrows are half mile
in length and when blowing and har-
rowing it they have a fine demon
stration of the weakness OF horses
as compared with the gasoline power
drawing the pillow and harrow. Don
aid Tolmie is an advocate of using
gasoline power and makes strong
argument in favor. of 1t when ne
points out the damage done by the
horses in tramping some parts OF
the field down harder than the rest
of it while the gasoline pillow, with
harrow attached, leaves 1t all in uni
form condition He says the similar
arguement that clinches conclusions
with him is a few days narrowing
walking in the soft earth when 1t
isn't necessary. Donald is very much
in favor of the tractor and predicts
that very few years will witness
a. change in most of the farms from
horses to tractors and great i'm
provement in soil and crop condi-
lions. The Tolmie brothers have
been feeding Is work horses all
winter and Donald says the actual
cost of feeding them for the winter
and the depreciation on the STOCK
and harnesses as we'll as the natural
loss on the animals makes a sum
nearly equal to the price of trac-
tor. When man spends most OF
the winter feeding horses and caring
for them and keeps considering all
the time that If he had a similar
amount of capital invested in trac-
tors he could put them In the ma
chine shed in the fall and give them
no further attention until spring and
there would be no expense, on them
unless perhaps the fire insurance and
he could put in the winter working
on something productive, consldera-
lions like this go far toward driving
thoughtful men hunting for tractor
to take the place of the horses.
r. w. Hansen has gone to the
hills with a band of sheep and left
few weak ones and lambs at home.
He reports to Mrs. Hansen that the
cattle in the hills are starving, but
that the sheep are surviving on the
old grass. Mrs Hansen has been
working under difficulties caring for
the part of the flock that was left
home Mr.. Hansen Is one or those
energetic fellows who has worked
up a lot of stove wood during the
winter for the summer use.
R. H. Teeples is one of the older
settlers near the hills east of Basalt
and when the writer visited his
place his horses were being bedded
in very fine bright timothy hay
worth $40 per ton or more. He
said he had no straw and that after
the horses have bedded on the hay
he throws it out of the stable and
the COWS eat it all so he could not
see any loss. Onr inquiry as to
whether the COWS liked the hay in
that condition or whether they ate
such damaged food because OF their
great need, is still unanswered. Cows
or other animals may eat great
amount of unfit matter mixed with
their food if they cannot separate
it. Mr. Teeples says he is going to
destroy most of his orchard because
he does not find it profitable to raise
apples for sale altho he will raise
enough for his own use. He had
little dairy herd last summer and
made considerable cheese. Mr..
Teeples has just built a fine wagon
shed and granary.
Anton Anderson has just complet-
ed a machine shed and work shop.
He has fine lot of stove wood chop
ped up for summer use. He has a
pressure tank and water system. Mr..
Anderson is planting rs acres OF
beets, rs acres of potatoes, 80 OF
grain and 70 of alfalfa. He also