The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-02-03
Meridian TO Grow
Head L6ttu66
LOCAL ORGANIZATION FORMED AND rs SIGN
FOR LETTUCE SEASON

is The Ada County Farm Bureau of
which w. G. Mesersmith, of Boise,
is the president, and A. G. Saxon of
Eagle secretary, aims to fulfill its
mission by furthering any porject of
possible, benefit to the farmers. The
growing of head Lettuce is a new
industry which bids fair to become q
permanent and lucrative one and the
farm bureau has arranged for cam
paign In Ada county, with meetings
to be held this week in Meridian,
Eagle and Ustick, and this will be
preliminary to the big meeting to be-
held at the House of Representatives
chamber in Boise this Friday, at 10i
o'clock. The local meetings are in
charge and sponstered by the Ada
county farm bureau and as the let
tuce growers will need to have CO.
operative organization for marketing
their product it is the aim to secure
their membership in the farm bur-
eau, as this organization will make
special efforts to further the lettuce
industry in the county.
The Meridian Meeting Wednesday.
There were several experienced let
tuce growers among the speakers in
Meridian Wednesday, including H.G.
Peckham. of Wilder, who is not only
lettuce expert but a prominent
member of the executive committee
of the farmers wool pool, and vice.
president of the Canyon county farm
bureu; Walter Mitchell of Parma, a
member of the executive committee
of the state farm bureau; and Harry
l.. Yost, of Meridian, one of the
boosters for the new industry.
MIR. Messersmith is Enthusiastic. !
President Messersmith says these
meetings will result in organizations
in Meridian, Eagle, Ustick and Boise
with officers and directors, and these
locals will affiliate with the county
organization, Lettuce says Mr..
Messersmith, must, be marketed by
the car load, at a certain time, and
it is useless for the small grower to
try to handle it himself" He says
the lettuce industy will pull the
farmer out of the present hard times
and will put him on his feet again,
and that the extent of the lettuce
growing industry here is unlimited as
the market cannot be oyerstoeked,
this for the reason that like the fine
purple prune of the Boise valley, the
extent of territory where it can be
grown to perfection in the United
States is very limited.
Mr.. Messersmith says he regrets
that w. S. Shearer, the father of the
industry in Idaho, cannot be with us,
as he is now out of the state. He
raised 80 acres of lettuce at Lewis
ton last year, and the shipments net
ted him $3.50 to $4 crate. of 20
pounds.
Harry Yost thinks We Have the Best
Harry Yost thinks we have better
soil for lettuce growing than even the
Lewiston country, and he further
more thinks the bench country adjac-
ent to Meridian, Nampa and Boise
has the best lettuce soil in the world.
This is mainly due to the excess of
potash in the soil, which not only is
/ good for the growth, but furnishes
plant that resists the freezing
weather, so that the leaves are un-
harmed by the cold What is known
as dobe or alkili ground is the best
for lettuce but of course extensive
cultivation of the hard ground is nee
essary Mr.. Yost thinks the alkili
places that have been a menace to
the bench farmer can now be used to
turn out the best lettuce.
Lots OF Manure and Then More!
Mr. Yost says manuring the ground
is one of the requisites and the more
the better. Il am now shipping man
ure and fertilizer for my ground, and
40 tons to the acre will not be too
much" The fresh manure is best, as
the well-rotted manure has lost much
of the ammonia needed for the plant
growth / expect to grow two crops
of lettuce this year, and the first will
be put in as soon as / can get the
gound ready. FAN sowing is all
right but this winter has been a little
severe, but like for fall wheat, the
average winter is all right. The snow
is good, but to much cold freezing
weather is not"
Three Hundred People Present.
Not less than 800 people attended
the Meridian meeting and the talks
were all interesting, ,-and among these
was a chart talk by HI. c. Peckham,
who told of the farm bureau oper-
ations and of the efforts to make the
trade of farming more profitable.
Meridian Vegetable Growers Union.
The Meridian Vegetable Growers
Union was organized, and the exec
utive committee will consist of VIM.
Moralaud nresident. Don A Whittig