The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-09-07
JOHN SCHROEDER

Some Wisdom About Trees and
Fowls and how to Treat Them.
Value of Grading Land for Irriga-
ton.
John Schroeder is an elderly man
who has some farms southwest of
Aberdeen, and has been on the tract
since the days of the early settlers
He is careful farmer and close
student of everything that might
lead to better farming in his locality.
He reads great deal and studies
nature as he finds it. He says he
feels annoyed sometimes at the way
people treat trees they are trying
to raise. To set out trees and then
leave them exposed to the wind and
sun till the ground is baked and
burned lifeless around them, Is not
giving the trees a fair chance and
1t is not surprising that so many
trees die. Before people make the
assertions, which so many of them
do, to the effect that it is no use
trying to raise trees, they should
consider the feelings Of the trees and
their needs in order to make them
grow and survive. All forms of
plant life have feelings and a tree
does not like to have its roots in a
dry, hard, sun-parched soil. People
who set trees on the dry farm should
be CAREFUL to mulch them in the
spring before the ground begins to
dry out. coat of manure or trash
of any kind that will hold the mois-
ture and keep off the wind and hot
sun, will improve the comfort and
growing conditions for the trees.
Where the hardpan is near the sur
face the hole should be dug large
enough and deep enough to break
thru the hardpan and then should
be filled in with rich, moist top SOIL
When this is done and the tree prop
erly protected with a mulch people
will get very different results with
their trees Trees about the place
are great comfort to the people
and much greater comfort to the
fowls and animals that are permit
ted to rest in their shade. 1t Is cruel
to let a tree die from sun-burning
and a greater cruelty to have fowls
and animals suffering all summer
from the heat, when it costs so little
effort to have trees for shade which |
they can enjoy. If a man is selfish
enough to care for the comfort of |
his fowls and aniamls he should then
consider it from a selfish standpoint |
and remember that the fowls and |
animals will yield him greater re-
turns when they are kept comfort
abel and happy. 1t is idle to expect |
them to yield him returns and good |
product when they are in distress
so much Of the time. Mr.. Schroeder
has some cherry trees on his dry
farm that he has been caring for
as directed above and he received
something about SO quarts of nice
fruit from them this year. He says
that down in Kansas where he came
from there was a period when they
raised potatoes by mulching and usu-
ally failed to harvest any from fields
where they did not mulch. While
people are studying dry farming in
this locality they should not forget
the great advantage of mulching.
Mr.. Sch rOeder also operates on irri-
gated land and remarked that he
learned one lesson last spring and
realized more than ever before that
it is question of having land per-
fectly graded for irrigation. He had
a chance to rent tract of alfalfa
for year, and being con-
vinced that hay would be worth SIS
per ton, he concluded that it would
be prof table for him and his sons to
handle the land. He did not know
that the land did not irrigate well,
out he found this out when they put
The water on the first time. 1t kept ,
.hree Of them busy steering and {
,oaxing the water over the land and
~ the time they had the water on 6
he little tract once they found that :
hey had expended $40 worth of
abor, and by reason of it's not hav-
ng been well watered in former (
ears it had died out in spots and i
hey would only be able to harvest a
rom part of it even after the water I
ng. They estimated the cost of \
the piece several times in \
he season at $40 each time and G
ound that the crop at SIS per ton
would not be profitable so they ask @
ID to be released from the lease =
fter donating $40 worth of work
nd learning again the Importance
( having land properly graded for L