American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-04-09

steaders to the west of the Toevs
ranch have abandoned their ranches
for the reason that the surrounding
state lands have degenerated into weed
ranches pure and simple. Mr.. Toevs
had no means when he located on his
homestead and ne has truly had an
uphill pull of il making a farm of the
desert tract. In former years he has
obtained from Is to Is bushels of win
ter wheat per acre, but in late years
weeds. drouth and rodents have re-
duced the yields. This rancher has
not by any means given up the struggle
but he does feel that the state is in
juring him by letting it's land become
a menace TO ~neighboring ranchers.
Squirrels and gophers lind these neg
lected tracts excellent breeding
places and annually invade the grain
fields of the ranchers. and destroy
thousands of bushels of grain. Sole
reliance is not placed on the raising
of grain on this ranch. Mrs. Toevs
derives a good income from the sale
of eggs from a flock Of 100 %purebred
Plymouth Rock chickens. The flock
is always kept up to the highest stan
dard and no strangers in the ranks
are tolerated. Mr.. Toevs believes in
raising hogs for the market and al
ways has some porkers ready for the
December market. He pins his faith
to grade Duroc-Jerseys and brings
them through the winter in fine shape
on rations of potatoes and alfalfa hay.
Met two kiddies down Neeley way
the other day who had varying opin-
ions as to spending their pennies. One
of them was a~nnihilating a stick of
licorice and in the process had smear
ed his face up in good style. The
other little fellow said he was not
buying candy these days but instead
was buying thrift stamps, and he had
a cardful to display as evidence Of
good faith. The stamp-buying little
man is doing his bit in smearing de-
feat all over the face Of the kaiser
and his minions.
S. NJ. Johnston, residing on an ir-
rigated tract of 100 acres two and
one-half miles southeast of Aberdeen,
has half of his ranch in alfalfa. This
raneher requires a good deal of hay
to feed his livestock, but every year he
raises some alfalfa seed. He has al
ways conducted a dairy since first To-
eating on the project in 1906. In 1914
from seven COWS of mixed stock 1000
pounds of butter were marketed from
this ranch at an average price of 2S
cents per pound. This is considered
the best record made in any one veal
by any ranch on the project with q
dairy herd of equal number. The
dairy herd was reduced in numbers
last fall with a view of establishing q
larger herd composed of grade Rec
Durham COWS exclusively and sellins
of cream will then be the aim. Las
year more than 900 bushels of pota.
toes were raised on this farm, the
Idaho Rural variety. BY extremely
hard work Mr.. Johnston has succeed
ed in keeping his ranch reasonably
free from weeds. He bBrns off tn,
weeds on the banks of the %irrigatin,
ditch ~traversing his land and does no
disdain going into the fields and pull
ling up weed plants by hand. To tn,
] west of his farm is located a tract o
land which until last spring was own
: ed by an Ogden. Utah. banker; thi
tract was never cultivated by tina
owner while it was in his possessio,
and the % acres on it which wer
e cleared have for years produced un
n limited quantities of weed seeds t
contaminate the lands of adjoinin
farmers. The new owners of tn
tract are clearing it and intend to az
ply intensive cultivation to it, 70
which the %neighbors are truly thank
full. Mr.. and Mrs. Johnston came [
Is Idaho from Pennsylvania. In tn
20 Keystone state Mr.. Johnston had bee
engaged in the lumber business an
he followed that for several year
after coming to the Gem state. Mr.
Johnston taught school in her natiV
" state and after coming to Idaho taugl
Je school at Yale, down the river fro
~ Bonanza Bar, two terms. Miss Theln
Johnston, a daughter. teaches II
sixth and seventh grades in the Abe.
I'd deem public schools. She is a gra,
nt uate of the Albion normal school an
last summer attended the Universit
m OF Washington at Seattle.