American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-01-29
SUCCESS WITH DRY LAND
ALFALFA.

Seven or eight years ago NJ. L. Adolf,
a rancher residing ten miles north
west of American Falls, in Pleasant
Valley, noticed that here and there a
stray plant of alfalfa grew in the
roads and along the fences in the vic
unity of his ranch. Taking the tip
that Mother Nature offered him, he
went to trying out alfalfa IN his dry
land ranch, and he is now enabled to
say that he has met with signal sue
cess in the growing of dry land alfal-
ia. This ranch is the pioneer grower
of this plant in Pleasant Valley and
at the present time % acres of his
farm are in Grimm dry land alfalfa
that being the variety to which he has
pinned his faith. Six years ago he
planted four acres as a beginning, and
so well did the forage do on his ranch
that from year to year he has in
creased the acreage. The spring of
1918 will see so additional acres seed
ed to Grimm dry land alfalfa, and as
far as hay is concerned the alfalfa
fields will be relied upon to furnish
it. In 1917 Mr.. Adolf utilized his al
falfa fields as pasture and figures that
ny 81 JULIE lit OdNtu at ltd0b pow
that amount being the cost of hay he
would have been obliged to purchase
otherwise to feed II head of husky
horses, two COWS and from Is to 20
hogs. All this livestock subsisted on
the pasture during the year, with the
exception that the horses received an
extra ration during the harvesting
season. For the benefit of the COWS,
however, two tons of hay were cut
from the fields. The % acres now in
alfalfa are non-irrigated and the seed
ing was done with a drill, six pounds
of seed to the acre. Every spring the
fields are thoroughly cultivated with
a springtooth harrow, the heads of the
plants being literally cut to pieces.
Up to two years ago a disc was used
in the cultivation, but he first named
implement was substituted for the rea-
son that the disc too often separates
he head of the plant completely, thus
retarding the growth too much. The
intention of Mr.. Adolf is to plant the
alfalfa in the so acres to be seeded
next spring in rows p inches apart,
the hills in the rows to be CORES
pondingly thin. 1t will be e~ndeavored
to seed only two pounds to the acre if
the drill can be adjusted to that mini
mum. The idea in adopting this meth
cd is that sufficient space will be CIV
en- to cultivate the plants, give them
plenty of air, and prevent extremely
hot weather from drying out the fields.
This new acreage will be raised for
seed, for Mr.. Adolf is assured that the
seed will mature, and he will need it
for this total of 70 acres of alfalfa
will not be the limit of the alfalfa
acreage on his ranch.
Mr.. Adolf owns GAO acres of Pleas
ant Valley farm land, all in n par
eel, embracing his own original home
stead of 100 acres and that of John
Deeg, filed on in 1910. This rancher
first located on his place as a squat
ter in 1909 and in 1912 filed on it as
a homestead. In 1914 he purchased
an additional half section of adjoin-
ing farm land, the original homesteads
of Ben Adolf and Joseph Cobb. He
began his farming operations on vir-
gin soil, the first year clearing and
breaking "a acres and harvesting 10
sacks of Gold Coin wheat from the in
itial crop. This was all used for seed
and feed. In 1910 he cleared and
broke a total of 80 acres on the home
ranch, and in partnership with his
brother Ben had 100 acres in cultiva-
ton on a school section two miles to
the west. In that year the two
brothers had a good crop of Turkey
Red wheat, t%hreshing an average Of
p bushels per acre. Up to the fall
of 1916 Mr.. Adolf farmed a section and
a half, but now has reduced this to a
cotton and a n RIO r-1aac in a 1R0-
acre tract adjoining the home ranch.
Ben Adolf has retired from the farm
ing game, now residing in American
Falls.
Early Flowing Yields Best.
In 1917 Mr.. Adolf had in $50 acres
20 T,,rLnr pod 81 nnrns of Cold Coin