The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-12-03
OUR ARID LANDS MAY
PRODUCE BIG CROPS
GOVERNOR M'CONNELL ASKS EX-
PERTINENT STATIONS TO IN
VESTIGATE THIS

That there is a. crop, native TO the
arid lands of the western half of the
United States, that can be made to
produce millions of tons of feed for
| stock every year with little effort is
the statement of w. j. Mcconnell, ex-
governor and eX-United States SEN
ator OF Idaho, who has lived in the
territory and state of Idaho for 81
years and knows the state as few men
know. Governor Mcconnell has just
prepared a statement calling attention
to this plant, and will send a copy to
the experiment stations of Idaho,
Washington, Montana, Oregon, Cali
fornia, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Color
ado and Wyoming, asking that these
stations take up the work of expert
mentation to ascertain il 1T is practical
to produce this crop for feed for stock
Governor McConnells statement, pre-
pared for the experiment stations OF
western states, follows:
Has Providence endeavored to point
out a way by which the arid lands
west of the Missouri river, such as are
not susceptible of irrigation, may be
made to contribute directly or lndi-
rectly to the support of the human
family? | am impressed with the be-
lief that such an endeavor has been
plainly in evidence for more than 50
years; and yet we have, each and all
of us, pursued our respective calllngs
and blindly ignored the writing on
thousand hillsides which he who runs
may read.
1t will be 81 years next April since
L located on a tributary of the Pay
cite river in Boise county, Idaho, and
began farming operations, having as
sociated with me young man named
j ohm Porter, after whom the stream
let upon which we located derived its
name and is still known. Our VEN
ture was successful, although we
were handicapped by crickets which |
increased each year in numbers un-
til in the summer of 1866 the coun-
try on the east side of the Payette RI
yer for several miles above Horse Shoe
Bend, including the Porter creek
neighborhood was literally devastated
by them. We suffered the loss of all |
our wheat, oats and barley; and
among our garden products field OF
set onions; and as we had no seed OF
any kind to replant the ground it was
permitted to grow such products as
are native to that locality, which prov
I'd to be sunflowerS of the tall and
variety. They volunteered
n great profusion, and although they /
we're not irrigated, and there was no
ain during the entire summer they
made a rank growth and in due time
we're laden with blossoms which ey-
were transformed into ripen-
ID sunflower seed which was consid-
,red a luxury by our poultry as well
is our horses. We had no use for any
quantity of the seed, and
here being no market for it we did not
harvest it but allowed it to go to
waste; although we estimated that the
1ield if it had been garnered would
ave approximated rs bushels per
ere.
We were young then, and like young
nen of the present day gave but lit
lie thought to future possibilities;
ence the incident passed from my
lind as it doubtless did from the {
linds of those who were associated
nth me. Old age has it's compensa-
ions; not the least of which is to live
yer again in memory the adventures
nd pleasures of former days. A few 6
lights since while courting sleep in I
ain, fell into reminiscent mood, III t
rhich passed in review my experience c
s a farmer in Boise county, Idaho, 3
lore than fifty years ago; again | {
lrveyed with triangle our irrigating Z
itch; again l saw the first water +
owing through it; again l saw the I
romise of bountiful yield of all +
inds of garden truck" and while :
ranking God for the blessing of mem N
ry, my mind reverted to the crickets, +
I'D the fact that they ate off the tops n
, our onions and then stood on their \
aads and devoured the pith; thus
wing nature an opportunity to dem
lstrate that even the arid plains with
1T the use of water, where it is not
may be made to produce L
bountiful harvest
The manifold uses to which sunflow t
seed may be devoted can best be a
,termined by those in charge of the \
CtafinnC POnnnatp0 with I'll