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

circumspectly TO keep out of the way
of the boss of the office and her
brood.
r. c. Kelley resides on a 4O-acre
ranch adjoining the townsite of Rock
lane on the north and is engaged in
dairying. This winter u cows are
being MIXED and from 10 to II gal
Ions of cream are marketed each week.
The dairy herd totals Is head, among
them grade Jerseys, Holsteins, and
Durhams, and two pure-bred Jerseys.
They are fed rations of alfalfa and
mangel beets, grown on the irrigated
tract, and are pastured on a 65-acre
tract on Rock Greek. During the win
ter the income from the dairy herd
per month averages $S5. while during
the summer it averaged better than
500 per mouth. Altogether Mr.. Kel-
ley has 36 head of cattle on the home
place. headed by a pure-bred Holstein
bull. This rancher has resided in
Rockland valley for a goodly number
of years, first coming here in 1888.
He has formed the opinion that dairy
ing is a W~ell-paying industry on his
farm and stands ready to prove the
correctness of his views by the entries
in his books. Mr.. Kelley related some
interesting incidents of early days in
the valley and on a later date they will
be printed in these columns.
j.. w. S|outhwell and his son Ezra
own $50 acres Of ranch land eight
miles southeast OF Rockland. This
ranch is located just northeast of the
mouth Of Big Canyon. Mr.. Southwell,
Sr., has leased another S0-acre tract
adjoining, all of the lands being dry
farm. Last year these ranchers had
in $50 acres Of wheat. so acres of it
spring wheat. The winter wheat.
Gold Coin. gave an average of 1872
bushels per acre, and the Bluestem
went Is bushels per acre. Mr.. South
well, Sr, accounts for this above the
average yield by the fact that his
lands lie we'll back in the foothills
and had plenty of moisture. The
spring grain had not suffered from
lack Of moisture when the late Au-
gust rains came. The hail storms
did not touch these ranches, but the
%precaution of insuring the crop had
been taken. The lands Of these
ranchers are almost free from weeds
and every effort is made to keep them
Benjamin and George Spillett ope-
rate a ranch two and a half miles up
the South Fork from Rockland. This
land is owned in part by the two broth
ers and in part by the estate of an
other brother. James E. Spillett, who
died last May. Wheat and alfalfa
growing is the principal aim of these
farmers. Fully 125 acres of the ranch
are under irrigation. Last year the
brothers had bad luck with the wheat
the late spring deferring the seeding
and then a late frost taking its toll
Last fall 80 acres were seeded to Tur-
key Red and it presents a fine stand
now; barring any untoward happen
ing it should yield a splendid croI
this year. From Is to 20 acres viii
be seeded to spring wheat. The alfal
ia fields total IS acres. irrigated from
the South Fork, and two annual crop:
averaging from four and a half to fiv,
tons per acre from the two cuttings
are harvested. During the summer
Mrs. Benjamin Spillett marketed 1.
pounds of butter from five cows. II
the latter part of the summer cream
was marketed. about five gallons pei
week. The 80 hens in the CHECKER
flock are good layers. keeping at il
all winter until the January storm
came along. From November unit
the middle of January they laid so in.
dustriously that the surplus was mar.
keted at so cents per dozen. Both the
Spillett brothers and their families re
side in ROckland during the winter tC
make it easier for the kiddies to get tC
school. Benjamin and his family re
side in the old Heber C. Wood cabin
the Oldest structure on the the town
site. 1t was erected in 1880 or 1888
by the pioneer of the valley and il
surrounded by a grove of splendiC
trees.