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About St. Helens mist. (St. Helens, Or.) 1913-1933 | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1915)
nOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION The Agricultural College Is a Friend to the Farmer lage 0f News Notes and Interesting Articles Written by College Experts. r : " : ' 1 V1KW Of ORHIOX AllKHTI Tt KAI. IOI.I.KUK AT I OKVAM.IS, OK. Ill MUM AIH lf TO All) AUKII I'l.TIIIUMTH. Now Is Time for Sweet Pea Grower to Hustle iflT Is timo now to consider tUo 1 planting of sweet peas," says Professor A. L. Peek, landscape Rar dener of Oregon Agricultural Col lege. "The sowing of this crop can be carried on either In the Tall of the year, or at this time In early Spring. The peas should be sown In good garden soil, providing this ground is not subject to heavy Boak Ing of water from now on. It should be planted In such situation that no trouble from over-shading can occur. A row running north and south, right out In full sunlight, is to be preferred. It is true that sweet peas often do wpII even planted along tho north side of a house, but speaking of av erage conditions, the open Is to bo preferred. "The soil should be carefully pre pared, spading to a depth of at least a foot, and turning in, iu the lower six inches of this soil, u liberal amount of well-decomposed barn yard manure. It is best to prepare the soil In this manner during tho Full, and, if possible, to plant the seed at that time. Should planting not prove feasible, and In case It Is delayed until Spring, the top six inches of tho soil should be stirred over again with a spado before plant ing. "As soon as the soil Is In good working conditiou, the sweet peas can bo set out, or sown. For sowing the seed, dig a small trench or furrow, about 4 or 5 inches deep, smooth the surface of the soil In the bollom of this trench and sow the seed evenly, using about one ounce of seed to 15 or 18 feet of the row. Then cover with two inches of soil. When the seedlings are four or five Inches high, one can thin out so that the plums will remain about six inches apart In the row." At this time one should have cata logues from the various seedsmen at hand, and he will he able to use these publications to aid him In selecting his varieties of sweet pea. Many people prefer to plant sweet peas In mixtures. In this case some of the most satisfactory varieties can be ob tained, and at that somewhat more cheaply than could the named va rieties in separate packetB. There are several place in town where sweet pea seed can be pur chased, and the prices run from 5 cents a packet, for a liberal amount of seed, up to much higher prices for the newer varieties, which are offered for sale for tho plantings of the Bweet pea fancier. Stump Pulling Demonstrated. (Special.) A land clearing demonstration was added to the numerous attractive events scheduled for farmers' week at the Oregon Agricultural College, February 1 to 6. The demonstration included stump burning, stump pull ing and stump blasting. Each proc ess was handled by experts who showed six different processes. The demonstration took place on a farm a short distance from Corvullls at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, Febru ary C. Carryalls left tho college campus at 1:30 so that all who were interested in the demonstrations could be taken to the ground with out charge. Tho demonstrations were under the immediate charge of Professor H. D. Scnddcr, of the agronomy department. A page af InK-rr.lIng KrilK from tho Orrgon Agricultural Collrgo at f'orvallla will allrrnato la the farm wr.kly with a paga of until aolra from Iba Wadilnglnn stain (ollrga at Pullman. Ihla will afford an Id. 1'rrhaiiE of tint! from I he ina l( agricultural collar of tho X.irlli. in anviild prove of brnflt to ' tho rrailtr, for llio Innlltiitlotia arml t with tlmilar prol,lin. t ... Umatilla Sub-Station Issue Report of Work C OH, and climatic conditions pre O vailing ou tho Umatilla reclam ation project were considered by the reclamation service to be better adapted to the production of fruit than to other crops. As a result of this early decision, the land was di vided Into small units with a view to the development of small Intensively farmed fruit and garden tracts." The foregoing Is n quotation from the re port of tho Umatilla branch experi ment station, made by Superintendent Ralph W. Allen and Issued by the Oregon Agricultural College eiperl nieut station under the direction of Director A. B. t'ordley. The report tells further how and for what pur poso the branch stution.was estab lished, how it Is maintained and man aged, how It views the leading feat ures of Us activities slnco Its estab lishment. The report says further: "Tho predominating soil type on the Umatilla project, upon which the station Is located, Is sand, ranging In texture from coarse to flue. Approx imately half of this nrea Is of coarse sand and tho remainder ranges in chnrncter from medium to flue. The higher land that lies back from the Columbia River Is mostly of finer texture. The soils are murkedly de ficient in organic matter and nitro gen. Tho physical character of this lund renders tho duty of irrigation water very low. From a soil stand point, tho correction of these two dif ficulties, which are among the prin cipal factors Influencing crop pro duction, is of tho utmost Importance. "Climatic conditions of this district are very congenial for crop growth. They aro a rare combination of dry atmosphere and dry weather. The effect Is comparatively long growing seasons and mild, open Winters." Conditions on this tract are such as render necessary scientific Investi gation in eradication of alkali, secur ing stands of crops, crop rotations, and the economical use of water und Increasing soil fertility. Reports of experiments with trurk crops, strawberries, cane fruits and tree fruits ns carried on In field plats are given In the new bulletin, free copies of which may be bad by all In terested persons upon request ad dressed to the Oregon Agricultural College. Students Give Book Fund. With Instructions to select a small library of books suitable to the farm home and covering is wide a ranee of practical subjects as possible, the urcgon Agricultural College short course stnuents nr ibis hiva r. quested the colleen anthnrlf lo in . cept tho special fund raised for this purpose, mis action by tho Bhort course students was taken for the purpose of expressing the r Dmr.ln tlon of the courtesies shown them by the college and of tho vnliinMa infor mation and training which they se amen uuring meir snort course work This action vim In linn tl!h nn.xn dents established by other short course classes at the college While the booka niirrhimo.l mis special iuna are designed primar ily for the use of short enurcA fit it. dents, they ore also accessible to the degree and the vocational students and to the college faculties. The list win De sciecien ana purchased by Dean A. B. Cordley, of the school of agriculture, and Mrs. Ida Kidder, li brarian. The class of 1915 elected J. II. Gllnes, of Waldport, president, "be cause," said the members, "he has uttonded two short courses before and knows tho 'ropes,' '. Mrs. J. M. Waldrlp, who owns and manages a farm on San Juan Island In Puget Sound, was elected secretary, and II F. Hawkins, of Salem, was elected treasurer. Mr. Hawkins Is now man aging the dairy end of a IGOO-acrn ranch near Dallas. P. C. Burt of Itond. was chosen to solicit tho spe cial funds for the library donation. Report of John Jacob Astor Branch Station IN 1913 an agricultural experiment atatiou ws established In Clatsop Oouuty for tho purpose of Investigat ing and demonstrating agricultural possibilities of reclaimed swamp laud and logged off land. The biennial re port of this station, known as tho John Jacob Astor branch experiment station, bus been Issued by tho Agri cultural College Kxpcrlmcut Stutlon under tho direction of Director A. U. t'ordley. In this report, Issued us an experiment station bulletin, io summed up the principal facts of es tablishment and maintenance of the statlou and ibe result of its operation during the last two years. i The John Jacob Astor branch sta tion Is situated four miles from Asto ria on Young's Hlver. Of the 70 acres comprising tho farm, 50 ncres are tide land and 20 acres logged off hill luud. This represents tho aver age t les of land In Clatsop County and tho methods and results secured In Its management-and use will prove of much Interest to owners of similar types, Methods of draining and clearing tho tide lunds of their denso growth of rushes, reeds and swamp grasses are summarised in the report. Home of theso methods were quite differ ent from those generally followed In clearing these lunds and some very excellent results have been secured by them. In uildltlon to this the bill let in describes the cropping systems that were employed successfully In connection wltn the clearing methods. I'll io of Spring launtm. 'Tho Spring of the year Is tho shepherd's harvest. After the long Inter of ceaseless toll und care the lambing time Is the Joy and the fruit of the shepherd's labors. To him It Is the greatest pleasure to welcome each new-born babe, whether It be single, twin or triplet. Hut like tho grain harvest, lambing time Is not a time of ease. Tim successful shep herd Is very skillful at this time and uses bis best Judgment In feeding and caring for the flock." , So say Professor O. M. Nelson, specialist at the Oregon Agricultural College in sheen production. He be lieves that a little grain should be given tho ewes a month or so before lambing. Small amounts should be used in beginning the feed, which may consist of one and ono-balf parts of oats to one part bran fed with roots, silage, alfalfa or vetch and clover. The ewes should havo the run of a good pasture and access to a Hhed. As soon as the lambs como tho ewes should bo tagged and taught to own their lambs, lly tagging, that Is cupping tho wool away from the udder, tbe lamb la given a rood chance In his first claim to life. Munv lambs have been killed by sucking locks of wool Instead of tha nipple Intended for them. Neglect to see that tbe lamb takes all tho milk pro duced by tho mother may lead lo cased and mriamed udders. Iilinortnncn of Mitrkeiliio- "Tho wholo Industry of vegetable inuuucnon rests upon marketing, yet this phase of the subject has been given oui Beam aitentlun while mcth ods of production have engaged tht serious consideration nf rirrrnn irmtu ers for many years," says Professor . vr. iiijiiiiuei, ueau ot vegetable gur denlng at the Aerieuitiimi rnii,. "Every plan and all tho activities of growers are based upon their ef fects on tho sale of hla products. Since success In marketing each product uf m.j luuiu mai urmgs tuo nilgbest net returns to thn irnnnu- - - wMimin upon having the kind and quality of luuuui.i uemaniieti iy ucccsslblo mar kefs, the successful market gardene win uiways inso uis market deinun iuio consideration in planning garden and selecting hla em.,, r what ho markets not wlmr im that determines tbo success of th tiiurin.-r. r s his I s, e Time Now to Set Hens to Get Winter Layer. THIO latter part ot March or first of April Is tha best tlmo that Kustern Oregon poultry raiser cu select for hatching uoxt Winter's lay. ers, according to Professor A. C. Lunn, of the Oregon Agricultural Co), lege poultry department. Kggg for theso hatching would, of course, n sot from tho first to- tho middle of Murch, "A difficulty In producing pullets that will lay during tho Winter mouths Is tha problem of preventing them from beginning to lay before cold weather," continued .Mr. I.unn. ir they mature and begin laying curlier than this they will likely molt wnen iney mould be producing egga, When cold weather catche the pul lets In molt they need all their Dow ers to maintain bodily vigor and usu ally will stop laying mull the warm day of Spring come. "If pullet molt In Winter It Is probably because they urn hutched too early In the season. 1 hey reach maturity while It Is still warm. be. gin laying and then go Into tho molt. This Is whero onn of tho grcateat troubles lies. "It Is a mistake also to think that pullets hatched In Winter will make the best Winter layers. "A leghorn hen require on the uvcrago seven mouth lo mature to 'he point whero It will beglu to lay. Ilouvy breeds of chickens require one or two mouths additional. Leghorn chickens hutched soon after tho mid dle of Murch, If they make normal development, should begin to lay In October when their rliam-e of molt ing will bo reduced to thn minimum. thicks thut are hatched In late Spring or early Hummer are not apt to turivo well on account of the scarc ity of proper forage and because of other Influences that tend to keep them from growing Into vigorous and healthy fowl and good layers." Iturnl IJfe Hu)MH I'rlwn. "Out of the aKrlcultura! colleccs must corns tha solution ot the great and serious problem of building a rural life t Rf a ml tho at rain nt Ing for the congested cities of the ruiur. suit Walter M. Pierce, of the Oregon Agricultural Collego Hoard of ivgeni. "More than that. It will be the peculiar mission nt tha aaH,iiiin-i COtlOffe tn maka) farm ttm r. -,. f 1 1 able and attractive that rural settle ment will keep pace with city growth far more nearly than It has In the past. Why, when I was a boy on a farm near Chicago, that city nom- uitkh urn sue, uoo people. Its pop ulation ha since swelled to about 3.000.000. Wlllln tho rural (.nmmii.llv ill which I lived ha acarcely In creased at all. "Hern In nitr nmn riroAn 1 1 a nn illation of Portland Is fast mounting toward tho million mark, which It will ronnli In duo lime, nut whot about thn Wlllanwtllo Vu1lm confidently look to our own Agricul tural i.oiiego to solve tho problem of building a rural life hero that will support the crowded city." Hog Ilree.1 Smt.ll Factor. In starting hog rslslne srowers need not be concerned very seriously, about the breed of lings they select, according to the O. A. C. animal hus bandry department. Kach of the three principal breeds In Oregon i uihiiu i.ninn, jiurksnira and Duroe Jersey, has It point of superiority and Inferiority, and there is said to lie about as much dlffereucn In Indi vidual a between breeds. Borne run more to the fat hog and lard type and others more to the ha -All rvnn vhlto somo aro rather earlier maturing than omers. uut tno main consideration In selecting the breed Is to choose tbe one thut suits tho breeder's Ideas and purposes best, and then stick to It and build It up by careful (election and proper management. 1
