American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-06-19

Method OF Drying seed Corn.
$1,05O in cash. He harvested 1870 loads
from &c acres in three cuttings and
z acres cut the fourth time. He baled
and sold at SIG to SIT at home, or SIS
to $40 delivered. Mr.. Lau tried alfalfa
repeatedly for 25 years but had no sue
cess until he applied some lime eight
years ago. Since then he has found al
falfa a very profitable crop. In 1914
a strip a rod wide through his field left
unlimed produced practically nothing.
Iron and Concrete.
Mr.. Lau declares that this is an age
of steel. iron and concrete, and, where
ever possible, these should be substi-
tuted for wood in farm construction.
lie has concreted his entire ~barnyard
this year and will keep straw in the
COW yard to catch all the liquid ma
nure as well as the solids. The cost
was z l-3 cents per square foot.
Mr.. Lau's barn is 40 by 80 by "a feet
and contains so tons of hay and straw
for bedding. He has an elevated tank
supplying 10 hydrants, including 3
faucets in the house. He has shelter
for 40 head of cattle and Z horses.
His h%oghouse is provided with self
waterers and ~self-feeders, the latter
for hogs on full feed. Thus the hogs
eat and drink at qeisure. there is no
sudden exposure and no wrangling.
no rubbish to clean of but clean cobs
for tho tank heater or kitchen stove.
Item Of Chores.
In doing the work on the farm where
there is lots OF stock. the chores be-
come a considerable item. Mr.. Lau
has a two-horsepOwer gasoline engine
mounted on a truck sufficiently light
for one man to easily pull around and
he makes this the chore boy for a null
titude Of jobs. He regards gasoline
as cheaper than hired help. He is
careful that no feed shall be hauled or
carried in baskets TO live stock and
puts the hay in a place overhead with
the feed hunks below for the cattle
and has a feeding place for hogs adj
Joining the corn crib. Water Is also
piped TO the slop Barrel and the table
is set before the hogs are invited to
their dinner. In this way no feed is
dragged through the snow or mud but
the animals come to their dinner them
selves.
Another important point in the man
agement OF this farm is the dividing
and subdividing OF the place with
fences WHICH are hog and cattle tight.
In this uunV unnrv wraAIa ra,fr.,H.,w
grains and shattered kernels OF corn,
oats and barley which otherwise
would be wasted. can be utilized in
producing mutton, pork and beef. In
his experience a thrifty lot of hogs
with such a range will return from 50
to 80 cents per bushel for corn when
fattened.
Vineyard and Orchard.
This discussion would not be com
plete without "a statement in regard
TO Mr.. Lau's fruit. He has a vine
yard exoelled by hat OF very few
farmers. Il contains many choice vari-
cites Of grapes. He has apples. pears.
plums, cherries and plenty OF small
fruit as we'll as a good garden. The
orchard OF one-half acre has been
sprayed each year for four or Eve
seasons and has always produced
fruit since the spraying was started.
In 1918 he sold s247 worth OF fruit.
Mr.. Lau has raised a family OF five
boys and one girl. He thinks the farm.
er has an opportunity OF having some
thing more than a farm. He a have
an attractive home and Il should be
the ambition OF every farmer to make
his homestead beautiful as we'll as his
farm profitable. To render farm life
more attractive he has installed a
carbide plant outside the house to light
all his buildings, has transformed an
old we'll into a cold storage place for
cream and y~ictuals.