The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-02-27
FUND SHORTAGE
BIC DRAWBACK
FOR LIVESTOCK
Writer Points Out that
Finances Prevent Pur-
chase of Cows; Advo-
Gates Clover Seed.
Editor The Tribune

/
ley papers carries an article relative to
more cattle. hogs and dairy cows on
the farm.
No doubt it is true that the farms
in southern Idaho are minus the stock
that should be on them The fact is
the governments report covering the
whole United States shows a great
shortage OF cattle.
The writer of this article thinks our
farmers should have more dairy COWS.
hogs. and the like, but the difficulty
that confronts the farmer is how the
deuce is he going to get them. as
most OF the farmers are up against it
| financially.
II every farmer who wants cattle
at this time had the money to get out
and buy. there would not be enough
cattle to go around So the farmer
is confronted with the two problems
in connection with the dairying bust
ness.
A dairy herd cannot be built in a
week or two as some of the recent
articles appearing in our local papers
would lead one to believe. II takes
time to get a herd of dairy cattle on
paying basis, and there is consider
able expense connected with it. all OF
which makes it impossible for a great
many OF our farmers to get into the
dairy business in the near future.
The thing that is confronting our
farmers to-day is: How are they go
ing to make living and little money
besides a living in the next year or
two coming?
Experience has plainly shown our
local farmers that raising one crop
only is not a safe bet. We are too
far from the country's best markets
for potatoes to be a reliable paying
crop. The same is true of wheat rails
ing to a certain extent, although
wheat is sure money and a mighty
good film and nurse crop, but we
are too far from the terminals to raise
wheat altogether. Therefore IT would
seem that diversified farming and the
raising OF more condensed crops is
the right thing to do.
In connection with diversified farm
ing, no one ever mentions the raising
of clover seed, yet it is one OF south
ern Idaho's best paying crops. The
fluctuaton OF freight rates does not
affect the Idaho farmer very much
because it is a condensed crop. The
southern part OF Idaho seems especial
" adapted to the raising OF clover
seed. and it would seem that IT should
have a place on every farm for two
reasons. First, it is one OF the very
best conditioners of the soil as well
as a hay crop. Second, the raising OF
clover seed itself is profitable.
1t is true that some farmers have
never made any money out OF raising
clover seed and it is also probably
true that such farmers never have
made any money out OF anything they
tackled.
There are farmers, however, and
lot of them, that have made money
year after year raising clover seed and
these farmers are to-day still in the
clover seed game Such farmers al
ways make il a point to have few
acres OF clover every year and by so
doing they are making little money
out OF the seed as well as rotating
crops and keeping the soil IN con-
dition.
The writer OF this article believes
that most Of the farmers who had clo-
yer seed last fall will tell you that it is
the most profitable crop they produced
last year.
The raising of seed in southern Ida
no is not an experiment. Clover seed
has been produced in this section Tor
ten or twelve years, and has proven
itself a good yielder and money get
ter.
Now, then, it would seem that our
farmers organizations should lay OIL
the head lettuce and spuds and the
get rich quick crops and start IN di-
rccting our farmers along tried and
proven lines.
The raising OF clover seed is a given
factor while raising lettuce, spuds and
the like is an unknown quantity.
A Reader.