6 BULLETIN 1421, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
TasBLE 1.—Climatic conditions, Twin Falls, Idaho, 1913-1922 
9 Average 
Item 1919 1920 1921, 1922 1913-1932 
Maximumi\tempenraturesssen 2 sos ane ee a Dee 101 100 98 101 100 
MinimMUMMteM peratwre ss. = = a eee ee =15 —5 —1 =30 —9 
Mean annual temperature__.__-.2.----.=-=:-=-=-° Fez 47.4 47.3 48.7 45.8) - 46.0 
Mean temperature, Apr. 1 to Sept. 80____------- a De 61.6 59.3 59. 0 60. 8 60. 6 
Last killing frost in spring !.__.-------.-----+--.------| June 1]|Jume 1] May 12| May 27| June 2 
First killing frost in fall 9... .__.2-2-222.2.-+.-12.-22s.| Oct. 10+) Oct. 16) Sept. 12;| Sept: 29°) Sept..13 
Days free of killing frost-__.___--------_---_number-- 131 137 123 125 
Rain ys ays 2 hel Geek eee ee eee eee do._.-- 79 89 8i 88 76 
IPFeciplianoneA piel svorO Ch roles eee inches-_- 3 63} 5. 99 5. 95 4, 87 5. 03 
Precipitation’ totalvannuale a5 = ee doses 8. 53 9. 93 11. 29 9. 41 10. 83 
1 No frosts occurred later in the spring than June 2 during 8 of the 10 years. 
2 No frosts occurred earlier in the fall than Sept. 13 during 8 of the 10 years. 
Compiled fron U. 8. Weather Bureau, Climatological Data, Idaho Section. 
The elevation where the weather observations were made is 3,825 feet. 
There is a very wide range of productive enterprises admirably 
adapted to the district. The principal crops grown are wheat, 
alfalfa, red and alsike clover, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, and, during 
recent years, corn. Barley and oats are grown in limited quantities 
for feed. Many of the small fruits do well, and considerable quanti- 
ties of apples and other tree fruits are grown commercially. Head 
lettuce was grown in commercial quantities for shipment during 1922 
and 1923. Pastures that are properly seeded and managed have a 
carrying capacity of at least two cows per acre for five to six months 
of the year. The excellent pasturage that may be provided and the 
high yields of alfalfa and wheat, and of corn, both for grain and for 
silage, make it possible to produce livestock and livestock products 
economically. 
The whole of southern Idaho tends strongly to crop and livestock 
production, but there are no large cities and manufacturing centers 
to be fed and farmers must depend largely on distant markets. 
Transportation charges therefore play a very important part in deter- 
mining what enterprises may be conducted with profit. When the 
price of potatoes or of apples is very low, for example, the potato or 
apple freight rate differential between Twin Falls and producing 
areas located near consuming centers may be sufficient to make it 
impossible to market the crop with profit. This was the condition in 
1922, when approximately one-third of the potato crop and a con- 
siderable portion of the apple crop were never harvested. 
All of southern Idaho is served by a single railroad (the Oregon 
Short Line) and its branch-line feeders. One of these branches serves 
the Twin Falls south side project. It leaves the main road of the 
Oregon Short Line at Minidoka, enters the project at its eastern border 
and has its terminal at Buhl, near the western border of the project. 
Another branch line leaves the Minidoka-Buhl line at Twin Falls and 
runs south to Wells, Nev., a distance of 119 miles, thus connecting 
with the Southern Pacific Railroad. This gives a direct outlet from 
the Twin Falls south side project to the California markets. 
