American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-30
DRY LAND ALFALFA
GROWN WITH SUCCESS
Favorable Conditions and Good Gull
tiyatiOn Produce Fine Crops.

over on the east side of ArbOn val
ley. three and a half miles southeast
Of Arbon postoffice, d. P. Ripley owns
and conducts a ranch of 500 acres,
all in one parcel, a public road trav-
ersing the east end of it. This ranch
embraces the original homestead OF
Mr.. Ripley, filed on in 1903, and also
embraces the original homesteads OF
John A. Gibbons, filed on in 1899, and
of Thomas Gibbons, filed on in the
same The balance of the
holdings was acquired by purchase OF
smaller parcels. When Mr.. Ripley
filed on his homestead he had plenty
Of ~sagebrush to work on, and of the
W tracts bought from the pioneer
homesteaders mentioned only about
115 acres were in cultivation. On his
own homestead Mr.. Ripley cleared
and plowed about 40 acres the first
year, seeding it to wheat the following
season and clearing and breaking an
other 40 acres the same year. The
first years crop yielded sufficient
wheat to give a start for the growing
of that cereal; and enough oats and
wild hay was cut for hay to TAX care
of the livestock. The fourth year a
total of $500 bushels of grain vas
t%hreshed, the barley averaging bet
ter than 80 bushels per acre and some
of the wheat going above 80 bushels
per acre. From 35 acres of Turkey
Red that year more than $50 bushels
were threshed. This year more than
10 acres were in Turkey Red and a
fair average was harvested, bringing
1.81 at the switch in Michaud. Of bar
ley 80 acres were harvested with a
S1.S1 at the switch in Michaud. Of bar
This fall 65 acres have been seeded to
Turkey Red and in the spring about
So acres will be seeded to Bluestem
wheat and barley. The wheat acre
age has been slightly increased in
compliance with the request of the
federal government and when the
plans of this rancher have been fully
carried out $50 acres of his holdings
will be in wheat each year. Owing
to the encroachment of weeds, es-
pecially Jimhill mustard, Mr.. Ripley
will resort to spring seeding in the
main for a period of at least two
years, believing this to be the most
effective method to eradicate the stuff
He believes that summer following
and fall blowing with intensive cul-
~tjvation by disc and harrow in the
spring will get rid of the weeds, com.
bined with the impartial enforcement
of the weed law and cooperation o
all farmers-with the emphasis OF
all"
Mr.. Ripley is one of the farmers o
Power county who make the growing
of alfalfa his principal e%ndeavor, ant
i'll this effort he has achieved success
in the highest degree. At present h
has 49 acres seeded to this most ex
cellent forage plant, IA acres of whicl
were planted last spring. The bal
ance of the alfalfa fields have bee
giving two annual cuttings for iron
four to six years, yielding from tire
to three and a half tons per acre fror
the two cuttings. All of the alfalf
is raised without surface irrigation a
, an altitude of 5000 feet. Mr.. RIPPLE
, feels that he has been successful [
an extraordinary degree in raisin
dry land alfalfa, engaging in the en-
terpise in the face of discouragemen'
and he is the first rancher to try DIR
land alfalfa raising in the bottoms c
Arbon valley. While Bannock cree
winds through the bottom lands o
this ranch, it usually goes dry abou
the middle of June; thus sub-irriga
ton fails the alfalfa fields precisel
at the time when it is most needed
The alfalfa fields on this ranch al
not overlooked when it comes to Gu
tivation. In the spring of each yea
they are gone over with the sprini
tooth c~ultivator, followed by the hai
row, and again after the first cuttin
This is undoubtedly the best methc
to stimulote the growth of this plal
and to keep it from deteriorating an