American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-04-02
ALONG The HIGHWAYS
Gleanings by the Pilgrim In His
Wanderings Here and There.

deavor. The ranch embraces the orig
inal homestead of the owner, filed on
in 1909. Mr.. Sanders leases an ad-
joining 30-acre tract from DR.. V. G.
Logan of Rockland. OF this total of
go acres practically all is in cultiva-
ton. Last yea 100 acres were in
wheat, all but % acres of it Turkey
Red. Part of this wheat was winter
killed and while a portion of it gave a
yield of IL bushels per acre the gem
eral average was far below the nor
NAL. The spring wheat was cut for
hay. Last fall 80 acres were seeded
tc Turkey Red and this grain prom
Uses a good yield. 1t is planned to put
in 80 acres Of Bluestem this spring.
In 1914 from So acres of Turkey Red
wheat an acre average of 40 bushels
was threshed, showing that if drouth
and weeds do not get in their destruc-
tive work the land on this ranch is
capable of producing excellent yields.
Up to 1916 jackrabbits were a for
midable to the ranchers of this
section of the county, frequently de-
stroying Is to 20 acres of grain on a
ranch. In the late summer of 1915
these pests destroyed a 40-acre field
of wheat. In the winter of 1914-15 the
farmers joined forces and inaugarated
rabbit drives and killed around 5000
rabbits. and since that time the ranch
ers have been using poison and any
other means which prove efficient to
hold down the numbers of the destruc-
tive animals.
The ranch of Mr.. Sanders is reason
ably clear of Jimhill mustard, this be-
ing due to the fact that until recently
the adjoining lands on the west were
covered with sagebrush. The aim Of
the owner is to keep the weeds down
as much as possible and he is doing
that by ev~erlastingly fighting them in
every possible manne He has pull
ed thousands of the plants by hand
before they were in bloom. Russian
thistles are also sneaking in out that
way and if they are not fought from
the start they will give cause for re-
greet. Mr.. Sanders realizes that it will
take cooperation of all to exterminate
the weeds, and he is of the opinion
that the highways will have to be
looked after in the matter of weed
determination if the farm lands are
TO be kept clear.
In summer following this rancher
plows to a depth of six inches and
puts the harrow over the land several
times. Directly before drilling in the
wheat he goes over the and again
with the harrow, and that very useful
implement is again taken over the
grain in the spring when the stand is
three to four inches high. Mr.. Sand
ers is convinced that this helps in
killing weeds, but the harrow must
not be taken over the grain until the
crust caused by the disappearing
snow has decomposed. If the harrow
is taken over the ground too early in
the spring it will tear up whole sec
lions of the ground and destroy many
wheat plants.
Nearly four acres of this ranch were
devoted to garden, potatoes and bean
patches, and a tract on which sweet
corr was grown. All the products OF
the four acres gave fine yields and OF
sweet corn 3S quarts were canned.
The dairy herd consists of four cows,
two of them high grade Jerseys. Dur
ing the spring and summer months
butter is regularly marketed.
A few hogs are raised for market
each year. This rancher does not ad-
l vocate the raising of hogs for market
on a large scale under existing condi'
tons. The hogs on his ranch are the
O.. 1. c. COhio Improved Chester
White) kind.
The flock of chickens numbers
around So. They are White Leghorns
Just about the best rustler a rancho.
a keep on his place. They have on
~ awI chat fG fhnf Th91
are poor settlers and if a rancher o.
any one else wants to raise them OF
a large scale he will nave TO put Il
several i~ncubatOrs. But the whit
Leghorn atones for that little failing
by being a very industrious produce
Of eggs.
The w%orkbunch of horses number
five head. some fine grade Percheron
among them. On this ranch is a hig
grade English Draft horse, a stral
rather scarce in this part of the ives
Mr. Sanders is a native of Penn
~sylvania and came west in 1879, VINE
nine years of age, with his parents
His father went to farming in Nebras
ka, and after four years went to Sout
Dakota and engaged in farming theI
for thirteen years. In 1896 II. /
Sanders was married to Miss Ell
Hamill, a native of New York. In tn
same year they went to Kansas, whei
MIR. Sanders engaged in raising cor
on a large scale. In the spring c
- 1903 they went to Whitman count,
' Nashing ton, and remained there unit
1909, in which year they came
Rockland valley and located on thei
present farm. Their homestead wa
covered with %sagebrush and elearin
and breaking the land was the orde
of the day from the start. NeighboI
were few in that part of he valley.
productive farm has been made trol
the erstwhile sagebrush flat and tn
owner is not at all dismayed at n
failure of the crops of the past fe
seasons. He is convinced that 8