American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-12-14
ARBON FARM SOLD WHEAT
FOR 30 CENTS A BUSHEL
Pioneers Got Scant Returns for Hard
Labor, But Conditions Have Chang
ed.


T. B. Evans resides just west of the
Arbon p~Ostoffice and is one OF the
pioneers of the valley, and has the
distinction of being the only pioneer
found SO far who has not used his
homestead right. His son, Joe, who
is.a partner of his father in the oper-
alton of a large acreage Of farm land,
likewise has never used his homestead
right. r. b. Evans is the owner OF
400 acres of land north and south OF
the Control school house, and his son.
Joe, ownes 800 acres adjoining his
fathers holdings. This total OF 7ZO
acres is farmed jointly by father and
son, and all of the land was acquired
by purchase. Mr.. Evans, ST., has re-
sided on this tract since 1899, coming
here from Ogden, Utah. When he first
came here the entire valley was prac-
tically open range and the settlers
were few in number and lived long
distances apart. The Anderson broth
ers, Ward brothers, ID. ]. Bowen, John
Gibbons, J.. r. Bailey, K. H. Davis,
Thomas Davis, and George and j. n.
Arbon all lived south of the tract on
which Mr.. Evans located. For a dis
lance of five miles to the north not a
single settler lived. In the early days
this rancher engaged in stockraising
and the growing of grain and hay. His
present ranch embraces the original
desert claim entry of his brother, L..
B. Evans, filed on in 1894. In 1895 T.
B. Evans raised his first crop of wheat
to be threshed and when he marketed
the grain he received so cents a bushel
for the major portion of it, some Of it
bringing only 80 cents. In 1912 he
raised a bumper crop of wheat, the
acre average going to % bushels. That
year 1000 bushels of wheat were
threshed and it was sold for so TO 80
cents per 100 pounds. This year Mr..
Evans and his son had in 300 acres of
wheat, all but 40 acres of il being
winter wheat. About 80 acres of this
was destroyed by a hail storm, the
balance of it yielding about IL bushels
per acre. The Turkey Red tested SO
pounds and brought from s1.6S to
J.74 per bushel. This fall 125 acres
Uave been seeded to Turkey Red wheat
ind in the spring $50 acres of sum
mer fallow will be seeded to wheat.
If Early Baart wheat seed can be OBJ
tanned this variety will be tried out
on a smaller acreage. Mr.. Evans be-
lieves that Turkey Red is deteriorating
in Arbon valley and his intention is
to try another variety of winter
wheat. Up to ten years ago he raised
Odessa winter wheat and obtained
better results than he does now from
Turkey Red wheat.
While the grain on this ranch is
grown by dry farm methods, 35 acres
Of alfalfa are irrigated from the Ban
mock Valley Irrigation company's ditch
and two cuttings per year are the
rule, although some years three cut
tings are obtained (this being the case
this year,. About three and and a
half ton per acre from two cuttings
is the usual annual average. From
10 acres across the road 10 the north
y tons of good alfalfa hay were cut
this year in the third cutting. This
rancher would under no circumstances
do without alfalfa hay for his horses
and COWS. Last winter during the
severe hay shortage he pulled through
without having to buy hay. The al