American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-01-15
PLEASANT VALLEY RANCHER
KEEPS THE WEEDS DOWN

About twelve miles northwest of
American Falls, in Pleasant Valley,
August Gerber owns a 590-acre ranch,
embracing his original homestead of
800 acres, taken up as a squatter's
right in 1910 and filed OF as a home
stead in 1912. In 1911 he cleared and
broke 10 acres, seeded it to Turkey
Red wheat, and in the following year
harvested an acre average of % bush
els from it. This wheat brought him
form $1.10 to $1.15 per hundred
pounds. Practically all of his big
ranch is now in cultivation, with the
exception of a few rocky waste patch
es. In 1917 he threshed an average
of p bushels of Turkey Red from 200
acres, one field going to 15h. The
Bluestem gave an average of 10 bush
els per acre. The Turkey Red tested
from So to 60 pounds per bushel and
brought from 1902 to 1911 per 100
pounds. The Bulestem threshed is
being reserved for seed.
When Mr.. Gerber located on his
homestead he had to contend with an
extraordinary growth of ~sagebrush,
but he overcame the stuff. Many Of
the smaller rocky patches have been
redeemed by hauling the rocks away
and seeding the land thus gained to
wheat.
This rancher follows the usual pro-
cedure of the Pleasant Valley farmer
in summer following half his acreage
while the other half is in crop. For
his summer fallow blowing he goes
down to a depth of six inches at least.
The disc and the harrow are used
without stint to create the needed
mulch to hold the moisture. The
same implements are depended on to
keep the weeds down. Russian this
ties and Jimhill mustard are not so
very much in evidence on this ranch,
but no effort is spared to eradicate
what there is of the pests. Mr.. Gerber
takes the stand that it is far easier
TO get rid of a small weed growth than
of a larger one. He makes a practice
of going over his winter wheat each
spring with the harrow to break the
crust formed by the winters snow and
to kill the weeds as Don as they get
a fair start.
Like the rest of the ranch, the gar
den is dry farm and must have its
QuOld VI CulufdllOh " hdNO 5OC0 ~
suits. There is lever a lack of early
and late vegetables on this ranch.
Plenty of potatoes, beans, peas and
other vegetables for the household are
grown each season.
The work bunch of horses numbers
eight head, among them two grade
Percheron brood mares. This strain
of draft horses has a decided prefer
ence on this ranch.
A grade Holstein COW supplies the
household with butter and milk The
intention is to increase the dairy herd
to a number where butter or cream
can be regularly marketed.
Hogs are raised for home consump-
ton only at present, three head of
Duroc-Jerseys being on the place.
This breed of hogs is considered best
by this rancher, as they are more
easily fattened and have fine rustling
proclivities.
From a flock of 40 Rhode Island
Red and Plymouth Rock chickens
Iduring the summer months an average
' of IL dozen eggs was marketed weekly
From the beginning of his ranching
activities here Mr.. Gerber has always
relied on the chicken flock to do its
share of bringing in revenue and he
has never been disappointed. While
wheat growing will always be the