The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-09-19
GETS $l75 An ACRE
RAISING CUCUMbERS
UNIVERSITY STUDENT GROWS
LARGE CROP DESPITE DRY
NESS OF THE YEAR

A OlF0TSlIl0Q IdTn crop JudC Will
net the growers around $175 an acre
and at the same time build up the
soil for other agricultural purposes,
cumbers and tomatoes, according to
the results of an experiment tried
this year by Regner w. Kullberg,
University of Idaho senior.
Although the year was exception
ally dry and the plants did not do
as well as they might, the yields on
properly prepared soil were very good
and compare most favorably with
crops raised in the lower sections
around Juliaetta and other places.
Mr. Kullberg raised ten acres of
cucumbers and about 1000 tomato
plants on a tract just east of town
and reports exceptional yield and
a good market. From the cucumber
plants he shipped five tons a week
to the Inland Produce company of
Spokane, with whom he had arranged
to take care of the crop. The to-
matoes he sold at 40 cents a box at
the patch.
The price paid for cucumbers vari-
ed from $25 to $45 ton depending on
the grade, but averaged at $35 a ton.
The average yield amounted to tons
an acre and some acres produced as
high as 10 tons. The average re-
turn an acre amounted to $175 or
$3.50 for the ten acres.
The tomatoes produced about 1000
peach boxes. At. 40c a box in the
field the returns will amount to $500.
The plants were all thrifty and bore
we'll despite the excessive dry spell
that threatened them for while. :
While the tomatoes were .practic-
ally all sold in the field with no
shipping expense attached the market
was good for both and the Gu
cumbers which found ready sale to
the Inland Produce company as dills
and sweets.
The dry season checked the growth
of the vines to some extent, said Mr..
Kullberg, and the yield under a nor
greatly the one for the present year.
However, he partially overcame on
this plot the effects of the dry season
by means of intensive and proper cul-
tivation.
The field was fall plowed and re-
plowed in the spring before planting
AS soon as possible the ground was
worked over and kept mulched so
that layer of dust prevented any
great amount of absorption of the
moisture. In August the damp soil
was within very few inches of the
surface.
The acreage was last year planted
to grain and produced good crop.
Tomatoes and cucumbers this year
not only yielded well but aided in
building up the soil for grain crops
later on. Mr.. Kullberg made sue
cess of the venture despite the Gala
matious season and believes that the
section is we'll adapted for the grow
ing of such staple crop.
The expense of handling the crop
was very light compared to many
other crops, said Mr.. Kullberg. Out
side of 5000 or $500 outlay for plow-
ing, rent and seeding and harvesting
the cost of production and harvest
was light. Most of the hired work
was done by high school students.
When questioned about the market
ing problem, he said. "There has
been no trouble at all in placing the
cucumbers and tomatoes on the mar
ket The local demand is sufficient
to take care of the tomato crop and
the Inland Produce company has
taken the entire cucumber yield to
manufacture up into sweet and dill
nickles at the company's factory in
Spokane
"The growing of cucumbers and
tomatoes is fine thing for the coun-
try Tt not only means money in
the pockets of the growers hut fur
nishes very profitable sideline for
crop rotation farming methods which
are essential to the replenishing of.
the soil on the farms
Mr.. Kullberg undertook the enter
prise last spring believing that he
could not only do something for him
self in financial way but that he
could demonstrate the possibilities of
the growing of good marketable
crop in this section that would en-
able the farmers to get awav from
the straight grain growing that