The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-03-07
F arm Bureau Activities
BY r. KENNETH EVANS

the supervision of this organization
! The farmers of the county saved
SIS, 5,073.41. A total of $77,O73.13
was handled thru this project. One
hundred and eighty-nine farmers
participated.
& Farm Economics
Several of the livestock feeders
kept records Of the feeding operations
last winter and with hay at $40 per
ton, corn at SO per hundred, beet
pulp at $1.25 per ton and syrup at
$40 per ton twas accurately figured
and shown that it cost $50 to get
steer fat and ready for market,
from the time it was placed in the
feed lot until it was fat and ready
to ship out. Or in other words a
steer weighing 1000 pounds and cost
ing s cents, must sell for more than
$3.50 per head in order for the
feeder to make any money on his
operations.
Insect Control
The alfalfa weevil is developing to
be quite a pest in the county and in
order to show the weevil infested
districts the proper method of con-
troll, spraying demonstrations were
held during the summer at a time
when the weevil was at it's highest
stage Of development, by Claud
Wakefield, state entomologist.
AS a result of these demonstrations
the weevil infested districts will be
divided this winter and spring into
areas of three or four hundred acres
and the farmers Of these districts will
cooperate in buying community
spray outfits so that there will be one
machine wor each of these areas.
Fairs and Exhibits
The Bingham county fairs was
hel dat Blackfoot September FL to "a
under. the auspices of the farm
bureau. This was the first fair held
in the county since 1916. Consider
able time was spent by the county
agent in encouraging farmers to ex-
hibit at the fair and in helping them
to select their exhibits.
Sixty different men made entries
in the live stock department and over
100 men in the agricultural depart
ment, with total of more than $50
entries in all departments. About
$4,000 in prizes were given to the ex-
hibitors.
The best exhibits at the county fair
were taken to the state fair at Boise,
where Bingham county won four
prizes in the agricultural department.
A great deal of interest was shown
not only by the farmers, but by the
business men of the county and an
endeavOr will be made to have a bet
ter and larger fair next year.
Labor Project
A labor bureau was carried on
thruout the summer at the farm
bureau office. The farmers desiring
help left request at the office and
an effort was made to get men for
these places.
During the first part of the season
men were plentiful and practically
no difficulty was experienced in FILL
ing the calls. During the second
haying period they became more
scarce and 1t was necessary to make
several calls for men outside the
county. BY getting in these outside
men, however, the work was handled
with very good results. a@'tft
During the latter part of the sea-
son 1t was impossible to get enough
men to fill the calls. The local high
school allowed some of the boys to
work on the farms for week or two
and make their school work up after
the crops were harvested, but even
with their aid help was scarce especi-
ally during beet topping and potato
picking season.
During the entire summer many
men of an inferior type called at the
Office for work. Sometimes it was
impossible to get them to take work
of any kind Others would take the
work and stay only day or so.
A total of 30s calls for help were
registered in the farm bureal office.
Two hundred sixty-six of these calls
we're filed. Three hundred fifty farm
laborers were placed. Over 500 Of
flee and telephone calls were an
Continued on page five