The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-03-29


of the Moscow chamber of commerce
Wednesday noon dealt largely with
the Importance of diversified farming
to Moscow and the surrounding coun-
try It had been announced that F.
L. Kennard, of the Washburn & Will
son Seed company would talk on the
Importance of the seed potato indus
try in the Palouse country, and E. ].
Gddings, dean of the college of agri-
culture at the University of Idaho,
supplemented Mr.. Kennard's talk with
some interesting information on di-
versified farming. The discussion was
listened to attentively by one of the
largest assemblages that has been
present at chamber of commerce
meeting in some weeks.
Demand for Moscow Seed Potatoes
Mr.. Kennard stated that. the Wash
burn & Wilson Seed company is in
terested primarily in summer fallow
crops, such as peas, beans, grasses
and forage crops, and said that the
growing of these. crops means, of
course, diversified farming. He said
the development of the seed potato in
dustry in Latah county and the Pa
louise country is just in it's infancy
Much of his time the past winter, he
said had been spent in the Yakima
valley, and while there he contracted
to deliver to the farmers of that dis
trict, through their farm bureau, from
eight hundred to one thousand tons
of seed potatoes. He called attention
to the fact that seed potatoes cannot
be grown successfully in the irri-
gated districts and said that the best
seed is produced in the higher alti-
tude With the knowledge of this fact,
he said, there will be a wonderful de-
mand for seed potatoes from northern
Idaho
By using good seed, Mr. Kennard
said, the yield in this district can be
increased materially as the conditions
are ideal here for producing seed po-
Latoes. While the potatoes grown here
are, as a rule, hardly large enough
for the eastern market, they are large
enough for ideal seed potatoes. The
potatoes are grown on summer fallow
land, which means diversification, ro-
tatiOn and improvement Of the soil
He said the seed potato crop would
prove one of the dependable sources
Of income for the Latah county farmer
in the future.
Mr.. Kennard, in referring to the in
creased tendency toward diversified
said that his company had re-
3eived a carload of alfalfa and sweet
clover seed few days ago, and that
he seed had practically all bee bought
BY local farmers. He said this indi-
Gated an improvement in farming con-
litions and an increase in the live
stock
Diversity of Products Necessary
Dean E. j. Iddings, of the college of
agriculture, said that the future of
Moscow and of Latah county is bound
1p in the program of diversified farm
ng outlined by Mr.. Kennard. He |
said that agriculture must be pros
)erous if the community is to be i
and that the farmer could
,nly prosper permanently through di-
There must be several |
ources of income There must be
)eas and beans grown on. the farm,
S well as wheat, and each farm should |
lave it's band of sheep and its herd |
# beef cattle and a few dairy COWS. |
The livestock on the farm became de-
,leted during the war, but Dean Id
ngs said that the herds are now
lowly, but surely, being built up |
gain. He said that he noticed that
he districts which came through the |
oppression of the past 18 months in
he best condition were the districts
With diversity of products on the
arms, from which there was d con-
inuous income.
Dean Iddings said that there is
trong reaction in favor Of the horse
8 the source of power on the farm,
nd that we must get back to a nor
nal production Of horses. The supply |
low he said, is extremely low. 1'he |
orse Is raised on the farm and eats
he products of the farm, and this, he
aid, is the real reason why he will
gain take his place as the source of
,ower on the farm.
President Hagan expressed the be-
ief that the matter of diversified ag
iculture is of SO great Importance
hat the agricultural committee might
veil take some action on the sugges-
ions made by Mr.. Kennard and Dean
ddings, and referred the matter to
he committee.
c. B. Green, who has land holdings