388 THE POTATO 



ress. It is about 400 miles east of the Pacific 

 Ocean, 1,320 miles west of Lake Michigan, 432 

 miles south of the Canadian line, and 700 miles 

 due north of the mouth of the Colorado River 

 at the Gulf of California. Three mountain ranges 

 separate the Snake River Valley from the Pacific 

 Ocean. The main range of the Rockies protects 

 it on the north and east from the moisture-laden 

 winds of the Japan current and from the fury 

 of winds and blizzards that are common in the 

 plains country of the eastern slope. This makes 

 the air dry, and while not free from winds or from 

 some rain and snow, destructive wind is not known. 

 The freedom from blizzards and excessive changes, 

 and the perfect altitude, make possible the greatest 

 perfection in all crops. 



The growing season is comparatively long and 

 the combination of cloudless, hot days, rich soil, and 

 irrigation water in the growing season matures 

 crops of quality and great quantity. The annual 

 precipitation is about fourteen inches; the number 

 of clear sunny days average annually 300; the 

 highest temperature 101 degrees; and the lowest 

 12 to 20 degrees below zero. The dry climate 

 makes prostrations from heat unknown. There 

 are some snowstorms in winter, as everywhere in 

 this zone, and in the transformation of the desert 

 wind and dust storms occasionally occur. Almost 

 all of the rainfall is in winter and spring, making 

 the growing and harvesting season practically free 

 from profit losing storms. The last killing frost in 

 the spring is about May 15th, and the first in the 

 fall about September 25th. 



Southern Idaho soil has demonstrated that it 

 contains the elements required to make deliciously 

 flavored potatoes, especially where the quality of 



