American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-02-26
StOckman and Farmer

DOuLAEdnI VI lNOAhlaAA0s LIN AReoN1 "
acres adjoining. The 6S0-acre ranch
embraces his original homestead Of
100 acres, filed on in 1903, and also the
original homesteads of w. Fl. Barnard
and John c.. Howard OF the total of
1850 acres farmed by Mr.. Barnard
about 740 acres are in cultivation.
Last year 315 acres we're in Turkey
Red and so acres in Bulestem. The
average of the former was eight bush
els per acre, while the latter went
1912 bushels to the acre. In the opin-
ion of Mr.. Barnard the sever winter
winds of the winter of 1916-1917 were
largely responsible for the reduced
yield Of the winter wheat. The winds
blew the snow off and the p%rotracted
cold weather stunted the grain. The
weeds overcame the grain and contrib
uted to the loss in acre average. Last
fall 200 acres were seeded to Turkey
Red and the stand of this grain prom
ises well for the crop of the coming
season. At the time this was writ
ten, February II, the fields were still
covered with snow. In the spring 100
acres will be seeded to Bluestem and
40 acres to barley.
In 1915 Mr.. Barnerd sold 1850 sacks
OF wheat threshed form 200 acres of
Gold Coin and Turkey Red, so acres OF
Bluestem. and two-fifths of the crop
Of another so acres. Besides the wheat
sold he retained some of the grain
grown on this acreage for seed. Fig
ures taken from the ledger of Mr.. Bar
nard show that the sacks of Turkey
Red that year weighed a shade better
thar 1873 pounds each. and the sacks
of Bluestem weighed better than 1872
pounds each. That veal the wheat
brought from $1.30 to $1.40 per 100
pounds delivered at American Falls.
In 1914 a field of so acres of Gold
Coin gave an acre average of a frac-
ton over So bushels. This crop was
handled with a combine and James E..
Ogden of Rockland was on the ma
chine and was a witness to the yield
harvested. Others than the owner of
this field have informed the Pilgrim
that the stand of wheat in this field
that year was Just about the finest
ever seen in the valley. Two wheat
growers from eastern Washington
in the valley that summer and stood
ready to buy that part of the ranch
including the field at the price quoted
by the owner (Which price was one
cent above $74.99 per acre. if the own
err had evinced any eagerness to let go
of the land ever at that figure. The
season of 1914 was just an ordinary
season, but the summer fallow on
which this crop was grown had been
thoroughly worked over and 40 acres
OF the field was new ground.
Comparing Varieties
The winter wheat seeded in the fall
of 1914, 100 acres to Turkey Red and
100 acres to Gold Coin, gave an all
round average Of 471a bushels per
acre; the Gold Coin had the best OF
it. giving an acre average of so bush
els. while the Turkey Red went only
As bushels per acre. Just to learn
something of the vagaries of of wheat,
Mr.. Barnard the following season
seeded an adjoining field of 200 acres
same kind of soil and prepared in
the same manner as the first field
to Gold Coin and Turkey Red GOO
acres to each variety and when the
record of the separator was examined
it was found that the Turkey Red beat
its rival a full seven bushels to the
acre.
The soil on this ranch is a black
mountain loan and the rule of hall
summer fallOw and half crop is fol-
lowed. The blowing is done from May
/ to July l, and the pillow is set to turn
the soil to a depth of from five TO
seven inches. Up to 1917 Mr.. Barn
and narrowed right behind the pillow.
In that year he began a new expert
ment by letting 200 acres OF summer
fallow remain in the rough until after
harvest and then double-discing II he
then narrowed the field and drilled In
the seed, and Immediately after drill
ing narrowed it again. In the spring
this grain will be narrowed as soon as
the ground is dry enough to raise a
little dust and two weeks later it viii
again be narrowed in the opposite di-
rection. Whatever weed seeds have
blown into the field will ave time &c
sprout during the two weeks inter
val and the second narrowing will
get them. The results of this new
venture in treating summer falloW
will be shown in the forthcoming croI
Of this season.
Until last year weeds had not beer
a tOrmldaDle menace Oh tHlo idhCI
During the past summer, however. pig
weed gained a foOthold with the late
rains and grew up very quickly. II
injured the stand OF wheat and inter.
fered with the operation of the com.
bine by ~clogging the machinery. The
weed is a heavy s~eed-bearer and if no
e~radicated will become a great danger
10 the wheat fields. Mr.. Barnard ha:
no idea where the seed came from, bu'
he Toes have a verw well-defined idea
that he must get rid of the stranger
in the ranks. The weed comes within
the scope of the weed law and he viii
seek every a~vainlable aid to secure
the determination of the pest.
Mr.. Barnard also owns a 4O-acr'
irrigated tract a mile and a quarter
east of Rockland and resides thereon