American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-13
FARMING AT 5000 FEET.

The first ranch seen as one goes over
the top Of Mink creek divide and enters
the confines of Power county is the
16O-acre homestead of J. \. Williams,
and of this farm 12O acres are in the
national forest reserve, the govern
ment issuing a special permit to MT.
Williams to farm it. The l2O-acre
tract is within the Pocatello water
shed and is given free to the home
steader under the condition that
haymakes the regulation improve
mSnts governing homesteads else
where. This ranch is at an altitude
of 5000 feet and is all dry farming,
with the exception of a few acres lr-
rigated from a spring. Mr.. Williams
filed on the ranch in September, 1913,
and the first crop consisted Of eight
acres of wheat and oats, all Of 1t be-
ing cut for hay. This year 16 acres
we're seeded to wheat and oats, some
of the latter having obtained a growth
of more than four feet early in Sep
TENDER. The halls of the fore part of
September injured the grain stand on
the ranch to a great extent, u the
field of Sonora escaped entirely and
will give close to 80 bushels per acre.
Clearing and %grubbing of quaker as
pen and other brush is progressing all
the time and next spring will see more
than 40 acres in wheat and other
grains. The soil on this ranch is the
same dark mountain loan characters
tic of this section of the county, and
if anything is just a little more fertile
and a little more full of m~Oisture-re-
tanning qualities han in any other
parts of the district. 1t is admitted by
all who have been on this ranch that
the owner has one of the choicest
quarter sections in the district and
that he is fully aware of it and deyel-
oping it as rapidly as possible.
The garden covers nearly an acre
and is irrigated from a spring which
has such an abundant flow of water
that it supplies the household and
livestock and the irrigation needs OF
two acres of ground. In the garden
Mrs. Williams has raised Early Six
Weeks and Melted Gem potatoes that
will give fully 120 sacks from a quar-
er acre patch. All early and late veg
etables gave abundant yields, the
three varieties Of cabbage all headins
out to perfection. The garden re.
quired very little cultivation, the en-
tire ranch being free from weeds; no
a single plant of the detested Jimhil
mustard has invaded this favored
tract so far and it is hoped that it will
stay away forever and a day. Th'
Golden Bantam sweet corn grew eigh
feet high and every stalk gave from
two to three ears. This corn wal
planted the latter part of June, an
besides plenty of of ears furnished
good amount of fodder. More than
bushel of the corr was sliced from tn,
cobs and dried for the winter months
Dewberries, strawberries and rasp
berries grew plentifully. Nothing i
permitted to go to waste from thi
garden and ever the pumpkins ar
preserved. Mrs. Williams boils ther
down to a pulp and then bottles tn
pulp, and on this ranch pumpkin pie /
a Regular feature of the family tabl
whenever wanted. Pumpkins can b
preserved thus whether quite rip
or not. But while this garden raise
many varieties of products ordinaril
found in every ranch garden, it yield
one article not found anywhere in
garden. Peanuts are being grown t
maturity at an altitude of 5000 fee
and if that is not out of the ordinar
il is difficult to name anything tha
is. The peanuts are set out in Ion
rows and the root of the vines is car
fully kept covered with pulverize