American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-03-12
: BY THE PILGRIM

". NJ. Estes owns a 30-acre irrigat-
ed tract, located a mile and one-half
miles north of Aberdeen. The alfalfa
fields cover q acres of the farm and
gives three annual crops. Every spring
the fields are cultivated with the
springtooth harrow. The soil on this
ranch is fertile to a high degree. Two
years ago from a small field of oats
the yield was 1875 bushels per acre.
This oat field had been fortified with
manure and the owner gives due cred
it for the big yield to this fact. Last
year a fine crop of potatoes was rails
ed on this same field. This rancher
believes in rotation of crops in order
II preserve the fertility of the soil.
The garden on this ranch never fails
to give fine yields of vegetables, receiv-
ing a thorough cultivation each sea-
son. Beans of various varieties gave
an especially good yield last year.
The orchard is coming into bearing.
There are 125 fruit trees in the or
chard and in another year or two it
will add its share to the revenue of
the ranch. Apples, pears, crab apples
LAa PA 0AAC o4O tAC al lCllCO VI L 1 UT
grown. The currant, raspberry and
gooseberry bushes are giving excel
lent yields. Last year a great amount
of berries were sold and more than
100 quarts put up for winter use. Both
the orchard and the berry patches are
irrigated.
Formerly Mr.. Estes had ten COWS in
the dairy herd, but he has reduced the
herd by half that number. One of the
dairy COWS is a pure bred Jersey of
the fawn type, and the others are mix
ed stock. The monthly income from
the sale of cream to dealers in Aber-
deem averages SIS. The home is sup
piled besides, and some neighbors as
well. Mrs. G. w. Estes, mother of the
owner of the ranch, also makes home
made cheese.
Up to two years ago Mr.. Estes rails
ed hogs for market shipment and he
will do so again this year. He has
kept some brood stock and will hence
forth raise some for the market each
year.
He has about 80 head of grown
sheep on the place and a bunch of
lambs that are just about as frisky as
they are grown anywhere. He will
fence in a pasture for his sheep and
keep them on the home ranch this
year. Last rear he pastured the
flock on the range, but the losses
come so easy there that it pays far
better to keep a small bunch at home.
They are not expensive to keep and
are a sure money-maker. Last year
he rnanfuoH E0 aonfC nor Mound Gov
his wool clip; it is a certainty that the
price will be higher this year. Some
wool growers last fall refused to con-
tract their 1918 clip for rs cents per
pound, preferring to take a gamble
that the market will be higher.
The ranch of Mr.. Estes has been en-
croached upon by Jimhill mustard to
a point where it looked as if it had
been ruined. Just across the road is
a tract of land which was filed on as
a homestead by one of the pests who
abandon the land as soon as a far
too lenient government issues title to
the homestead. AS a result of aban-
doning the ranch it grew into a weed
ranch and contaminated the entire
neighborhood. However, a progress
sive man has purchased the place and
will see to it that the weeds are de-
stroyed and not allowed to come to
life again. Every farmer endangered
by the pest of weed ranchers" hopes
to see one or two of them made ex-
amples of by having the penalties at
tached to a violation of the weed law
applied. 1t seems that this will be
the only way to get. rid of such peo-
pie and their evil practices.
Mr.. Estes is a native of Missouri,
and came to Idaho from Kansas. He
has been on his ranch the past II
years and has always conducted the
ranch on diversified lines. Not a load
of barnyard Il is allowed to go
to waste, but it is all taken out to the
land and used as fertilizer. He be-
lieves in applying up to date methods
to raising his crops and does not trust
to chance. Since 1909 his parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. G. W. Estes, have resided
on the ranch with their son. Mr..
Estes, Sr., is in his SEVENTEEN year.
but despite his age still attends to
many of the daily duties of the little
ranch. The dairy part of it is under
his especial care. Mrs. Estes attends
to the household and the garden and
berry patch. Mr.. Estes is a pioneer
Of the west, leaving Missouri in 1878
for Texas. In later years Mr.. Estes
farmed in Oklahoma, Montana, North
Dakota and other states. finally COM
ing to Idaho to reside with his SON.
He has no dOubt Whafavar that This