American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-03-01
BY THE PILGRIM"
Good Returns from Small Ranch

Good Returns from Small Ranch
r. c. Kelly, n Of the pioneers of
~Rockland valley, resides on a 40-acre
irrigated tract adjoining the Rockland
townsite on the north, and devotes his
energies to conducting a dairy, grow
ing fine garden produce, and raising
some stock cattle. The dairy herd
consists of Is COWS, among them two
pure bred Jerseys and high grade Hol-
stems, Durhams and Jerseys. This
winter IL COWS are being MIXED and
from 10 to IL gallons of cream are
marketed each week. During the
summer months both milk and cream
are sold, and the income per month
averages $40 form this source. The
average income per month during the
winter is S85. The ~provender for the
herd is grown or the 40-acre tract.
The alfalfa fields cover 20 acres and
give two annual crops and pasture.
The dairy COWS are fed, in addition to
alfalfa, rations of mangel beets and
what is known as sugar beet mangels.
of irrigated land Mr.. Kelly garnered
As tons of these beets and they are
proving excellent food for all the live
SUM- AhSAddih6 oCos Oh II y.
They are a great hay-saver and flesh
builder. The beets are fed in chopped
form and it is a noticeable fact that
all the stock sees to it that not the
least particle of the beets is wasted;
they eat it to the last little scrap. The
cattle herd of Mr.. Kelly totals SO in
numbers, and is headed by a pure
bred Holstein bull.
The cultivation of a garden and po-
tato patch is one of the principal en-
terprises on this irrigated tract. The
products of the garden are sold to the
t~ownspeople and to others living as
far south as Roy. Cabbage nearly al
ways gives a good yield and the rec
ords kept show that the heads weigh
from six to Is pounds. AS a rule the
cabbage is sold at 21 cents per pound
and in some years the income from this
source alone has exceeded $3.50. In
1916 the amount received from the
potatoes grown on this ranch and sold
in Rockland valley was $500. Last
year 500 pounds of Mexican Chill
beans were grown in this garden, and
Mrs. Kelly bottled 100 quarts for win
ter use. This variety of bean can be
Al4Al1Ch III q AuAlDCl VI 0a1oF 40 q
string bean, dried, or bottled. Mr..
Kelly is probably the pioneer grower
of this bean in the valley. In 1913 he
raised 1000 pounds of this bean on the
dry farm which he then owned On the
East Fork and sold the entire crop for
six cents per pound. Although sold at
so low a figure the enterprise yielded
a profit nevertheless. Mr.. Kelly advo-
Gates the growing of beans on summer
fallow on an extensive scale, for eXper-
fence has proven to him that this
method of crop rotation enriches the
soil and keeps down the weeds. He
considers the bean market as firm as
the meat market, and feels sure that
if beans are only grown in sufficient
quantity in Power county the estab-
lishment of a shipping market for the
product will follow as a matter of
course. The farmers of the county
who raised beans last year had no
trouble in selling the surplus at from
IA to Is cents per pound. Beans do
not require overly much attention
during the growing season; the main
thing needed is to keep out the weeds.
The orchard of 100 fruit trees, in
GLIDING apple, pear and plum trees,
gives good yields when the n enemy,
unreasonable frost-keeps away from
it. The same is true of the currant
and gooseberry bushes.
Last year Miss Kelly. the 16-year old
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Kelly. put
up a considerable quantity of wild
fruit. She is a member of the Girls
Canning Club of the Rockland public
school and her individual exhibit of
preserved wild fruit at the Power
county fair last year was awarded the
ribbon. Mr.. Kelly was awarded sec
ond prize at the fair on his exhibit of
mangel-beets.
From a flock of So chickens last
summer IN average of SIS per month
was taken in from the sale of eggs.
Each year Mr.. Kelly raises a small
acreage of wheat or some other grain,
utilizing it in part for hay and in part
for chicken feed. The portion allotted
the chickens is given to them in the
whole and they have to attend to the
Jhreshing themselves.
Mr.. Kelly is a native of Boxelder
county. Utah. His parents, Charles