The Sunday Oregonian., September 12, 1915, SECTION FOUR, Page 10, Image 56

lo
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER' 12, 1915.
AFTER 48 YEARS, COUNTY FARM IS AN
INSTITUTION CONDUCTED WITH PROFIT
Under Guidance of Oregon Agricultural College Professors Production bf.Land Is Increased With Stock, Chick
ens and Swine Receiving Best Care Possible.
(l A CiROU- OF HOLSTEIX YEARLINGS. (2) PART OF THE PIG FAMILY. (3) PRIZE FIELD CORX.
PO.Fl 48 years Multnomah County has
been in the farming business, and
now the county farm is a profit
Hole inKtitutlork. In the fiscal year
t-ndinpr July :il. 1915, the farm realized
a profit to the county of $0302.01 not
exactly in hard dollars for the treas
ury, but in tons of vegetables, pounds
rf butter and hundreds of eggs and
jrallona of milk for the &00 or more
inmates of the farm, the county hos
pital and the detention home.
-More than that, the county has a
model farm a place whore farmers
from every v here may come and learn
the latest approved wav of doine
thi
inns. They may learn a little more
aoout rotation of crops, or how to
tmild a hen house or how to increase
their milk production.
Most of these results have been at
tained in the last two years. In the 4ti
years previous the county farm, al
though a highly productive institu
tion, was not scientific.
Two years aso County t'nmmission
rs llolman. Uyhtner and Mart decid
ed to put the farm on a scientific basis.
They called on rr. James Withycombe.
Then he was a director of the Oregon
-Agricultural College. Now he is Gov
ernor of the state. They took him to
the farm, siiowfd him over the 193
acres, and asked him what was needed.
More Method Oct-lnrf d Xrrd.
"Von need more method." was the
tlictum of the future Governor.
lie looked over the dairy herd, picked
out several cows and said: " Sell them."
"When a cow doesn't produce enough
milk and butter to pay for itself, get
rid of it quick." This became the basis
for the operation of the dairy there
after. Dr. Withycombe talked to Professors
rryder and Bouquet, of the Agricul
tural College, and they agreed to help.
"Professor Pryden will show you
how your poultry should be handled.
Professor Bouquet will show you the
scientific way to run a truck garden,"
be said.
Already it had been decided that the
county would - go into these three
branches of the farming business only.
They must have eggs, milk and butter:
they must have lots of vegetables and
some pork for the inmates of tho coun
ty institutions.
"Get a foreman," Dr. Withycombe
aid to Commissioner Holman. "Get a
foreman who can do what we tell him
to do."
Some years ago Mr. Holman had a
farm of his own in Clackamas County.
John Denison managed the farm for
him. and John Denison remembered
Kufus C. Holman as a boy. Mr. Hol
man sent for his former farm man
ager and then conferred with the other
members of the Board.
ProfettHom Word la Law.
"You take charge of this farm and
flo what these professors tell you to do.
If they tell you to burn down the barn,
you do it." said Mr. Holman.
"All right, Kufus," replied Mr. Deni
son. The Commissioners told Mr. Denison
what they wanted. They said they
wanted to produce enough vegetables
- and other provisions on the farm to
supply the Inmates of the farm, the
county hospital and the detention honie.
If this could not be done, the county
might as well sell the farm and main
tain only a sort of indigent home, buy
ing1 provisions altogether.
"At that time." says Mr. Denison.
"there was a nice patch of carrots,
cabbage and one planting of swe?t
corn, about two acres of mixed vege
-fcT4-V ',
3V.
f a " rjs' - ; -e.
tables and 1800 bushels of potatoes.'
1 here were five dozen mixed chickens,
35 head of hogs, and the dairy herd
needed considerable weeding out and
some new blood."
"The soil was ideal for the purpose
of diversified farming," Mr. Denison
says. "The two big factors in agri
culture were in. easy reach cheap labor
and an ever-ready market.
"Now. at the end of two years, the
fprm is supplying itself with an
abundance of vegetables and sending
1S00 to 2300 pounds a week to the
County Hospital.
Increase in Crops Noted.
"The hoed crops have been increased
from IS to -75 acres. The dairy herd
now consists of 12 pure-biood Hoisteins,
IS high-grades and 15 common cattle,
making a total of 45 head. There are
ITS hogs on the farm, producing 20.
000 pounds of pork a year. The poul
try now consists of 500 Barred Rocks
from breeding stock, laying an average
of 200 eggs a year each.
"A year more should find the farm
Willi a ton-and-a-half auto truck, sup
plying the County Hospital and the De
tention Home daily wUli milk and vege
tables, besides caring for the needs of
its 300 or more inmates."
Now. Commissioner Holman has an
other idea for the farm. He wants to
see all the county highways lined with
shade trees which will arch themselves
over the roads. For this purpose it is
proposed to start a nursery on the farm
for shade trees, and next year probably
will see this project put Into effect.
Black walnut probably will be favored.
A big factor in increasing the pro
ductivity of the dairy herd is Hartog
II. If Hartog II wore all the gold
medals accumulated by himself and his
immediate ancestors he would look like
an Knglish Admiral on parade. And he
is little more than 2 years old at that.
His father is listed in the Holsteiti
l'riesian books as Pietertje Hartog But
ter King No. 52S67. In the same book
his beautiful black and white mother
is called Chloe Hechthilde II No. 56754.
Hartog himself bears the impressive
number of 116951.
Chteken Broodem Are Models. f
Hartog doesn't like to have his pic
ture taken. He won't hold up his head
properly, and he insists on pawing dirt
over his back and uttering low. terrify
ing gutturals. When the milker holds
him he hangs onto the rope and hooks
a stiff pole into the nose ring besides,
just to avoid any unpleasantness.
"While Hartog was having his picture
taken 13 of his children, pretty black
and white yearlings, were tunneling
tnto a strawstack back of their stable.
His many wives were browsing on the
hillside or chewing their cuds under a
spreading apple tree.
Next came the chickens.
John Denison lifted up some of the
roosters and held the polls up for in
spection. "See. not a louse in the whole place."
he pointed out.
The brooders, too. were pointed out
as models. They don't use incubators
at the County Farm. The hens hatch
their own eggs, just as they used to do
before little chicks came to know a
piece of machinery as their mother.
When a hen is setting, a. piece of wire
netting is placed over the brooder. She
has her eggs to attend to, she has a
five-foot space to exercise in and she
has a pile of dirt to dust her feathers in.
Chicks Placed In Model Coop.
"She has to tend to her knitting. No
monkey business goes here," explained
Mr. Denison.
When the eggs have batched the hen
3 In
W
and her chicks are placed
model
coop. The coop is a knockdown affair,
capable of many different adjustments.
The hen has plenty of air, is safe from
rats, weasels or other rodents: the
chicks can come and go as they please,
and, in fact, they have everything but
steam heat and electric lights to make
their coop a modern bungalow.
Down in the cornfield was a wagon
with a hayrack, loading some of the
field corn which may take a few prizes
at the fair. Many of the cornstalks are
12 feet high: some of them 14 feet.
. "They grew an inch and a half a day
on an average," said the farmer. "We
planted this corn early in June."
Mr. Denison made seven plantings of
sweet corn, so the county institutions
may serve corn on the cob practically
all Summer and Fall.
Two Acres Allotted Favorite.
Tn a little patch of his own. sur
rounded by a high fence, is Ferdinand
Ciresa. an inmate of the farm, but a
specially favored one. Some years ago
Ciresa, while ill. lost his own little
truck garden. He was such an adept
at producing vegetables that the county
allotted him two acres and gave him
complete charge. There he works, with
the atd of one old man, and produces
great quantities of prize vegetables.
Cucumbers a foot long, tomatoes round
and perfect and big as Ciresa's two
knotted fists: juicy celery and tons of
pungent onions come from this highly
intensified little patch to grace the
tables of the county institutions. Every
day Ciresa gathers 500 pounds of to
matoes for the farm.
So systematized has the management
of the farm become that on a certain
day each week two hogs are slaugh
tered, and there are always two hogs
to slaughter. More than that, Mr. Deni
son knows that the two hogs will dress
approximately 400 pounds. Next year
the pork production will be increased
to three hogs a week.
The pigs have an ideal home for
MOTOR TRUCK SAVES ORCHARDIST TIME AND MONEY.
, V"i'i "
Up
trick i
in the Hood River district
frettins? apples to the market quickly" and 'economically.
For instance.
in the Kdgewood orchard a Quad truck la employed
during the picking season to gather the apples from the ground and
convey them directly to the shipping point. This practice has proved
a great aid to orcbardists aa it avoids the necessity of handling the
fruit twice. ...
pigs, but for nobody else. The rats
liked it for a while, but one day the
Commissioners sent out a venerable
gentleman who makes a living killing
rats. He didn't tell just what be had
done, but he prowled around the place
several days, and when he went away
the rats 'were all gone. Some said he
was a Pled Piper, but this was disputed
when the bodies of several thousand
rats were found in a bole in one end of
the lot.
The pigs have a big pasture with un
derbrush for shade and a nice, muddy
liti.le creek running through the center
of It. Pigs don't object to having their
pictures taken. They don't object to
much of anything except leaving their
mud baths and being' picked up In the
arms of a man. While" his visitors
waited t the gate Mr. Denison disap
peared in the little gulch to drive the
pigs out for inspection. He was gone
a long time. Finally a chorus" of grunts
was heard, the grunts grew into a
steady roar mingled with a few squeals,
and several pudgy little red pigs trotted
up over the brow of the hill.
"Jersey Reds," said the photographer,
who knew something about the swine
business.
The grunts continued, mingled with
the calls of Mr.- Denison as he roused
the animals from their mud bath.
Photographer Driven Over Fence.
Finally a deep rumbling was heard
and a red swarm burst out of the under
brush, running like stampeded buffa
loes for the feeding ground. There
were pigs, hogs, shoats and every va
riety and size of the swine family. The
stampede was stopped suddenly by a
thin, almost invisible barricade. It was
only a thin line of oats and barley
sprinkled on the ground, but when they
reached this the herd consented to be
photographed.
Looming up above the rest as the
homeliest hog in the crowd was an old
Berkshire sow, ponderous of frame,
with a stubby nose, her head almost
buried in fat. She waddled rather than
walked, but she was of an investigat
ing turn of mind. The camera inter
ested her, and. without fear of the pho
tographer, she proceeded to nose
about it.
"She's courting publicity." said Mr.
Denison. The photographer edged
away. The sow followed.
"She looks too much like a super
dreadnought to suit me," said the cam
era man.
Then madame became interested in
the photographer's leg and he climbed
the fence. That ended the pig inter
view. Report for Fiscal Year Given.
Mr. Denison's report of production
for the entire farm during the fiscal
year ending July 31. 1913. shows that
the farm has produced $10,522.01 worth
of provisions and has disbursed $5220.
This last sum Includes $500 charged to
depreciation.
The vitlue of the different products
is figured by Mr. Denison as follows:
Vegetables, $2746.32; berries. $137.75;
milk. $2945.02: veal. $172.16; poultry,
$116.76: eggs. $896: pork. $1473; oats.
$675: straw. 15u: hay. $750; corn, $460.
Against this is charged $2220 for
labor and management, which includes
Mr. Denison's salary of $75 a month for
managing the 193-acre farm; $2300 for
feed. $200 for repairs and upkeep, $150
for seed and $500 for depreciation.
BOUNDARY TRIP IS AIM
FLORIDA TOURISTS ARRIVE OX LEG
OF LONG TRIP.
From Seattle Car Will Be Turned
Through Northernmost States and
South Alone Atlantic.
An automobile trip around the en
tire boundary of the United States,
from their home in Jacksonville.
Florida, west through the Southern
states to Southern California, north
through Portland to Seattle, east
through the northernmost states to
New York and south along the Atlan
tic seaboard to their home again is
the feat being attempted by Mr. and
Mrs. J. T. Mollard, Maynard Crane and
Arthur Perry, Jr., who halted their
dusty 1912 Chalmers at the II. L.
Keats store recently.
So far as known the Florida touring
party hailed from a more remote point
than any other motorists among the
droves that have driven in and out
of Portland every week since the
transcontinental touring season be
gan. "The dnive along the wonderful Co
lumbia Highway offered a considerable
contrast to our trip across the Mohave
desert where the temperature was a
full 126 degrees," said Mr. Mollard, as
an Oregonian photographer was aiming
his picture machine at the car. "We
came via Atlanta, Chattanooga, Mem
phis, Fort Worth, New Mexico, the
Grand Canyon. Los Angeles, San Diego,
Mexico and San Francisco en route to
Portland.
"From Portland we will travel to
Seattle and visit the Glacier and Yel
lowstone National Parks before pro
ceeding east over the Y'ellowstone
Trail to St Paul, Minneapolis, Mil
waukee, Chicago, Cleveland. Buffalo.
Syracuse. N. Y.; where we have a
Summer home. New Tork, Philadelphia.
Baltimore, Washington, D. C, and
Richmond. Va. To date we have
covered 5800 miles without having
any trouble "with our Chalmers.
Grays Harbor to Spend More on Road
ABERDEEN, Wash.. Sept. 11. (Spe
cial.) Many thousands of dollars
probably will be expended again by
Grays Harbor County during 1916 for
good roads. Requests that $376,000
be allowed for roads during that year
have been made to the Commissioners
and are being'considered. This is al
most $100,000 in excess to the money
allowed for good roads during the
present year. One feature of the
county budget is the allowance of
$7500 for tho enforcement of the dry
law in the country. Aberdeen has al
lowed $500 for the same purpose in the
city budget.
J
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the orchardists are using a new
t
CITY OFFICIALS FORGET DULL CARE
IN VARIOUS VACATION PASTIMES
Tastes Vary as to Diversions, but AH Are Unanimous in Desire to Leave Office as Far as Possible
Casts For Trout in Tillamook Streams.
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POLITICAL woes and cares arc as
easily drowned in the surf, the
trout stream, the forests or the
mountains as any other kind. And
there has been much of it disposed of
in these places during: the last Sum
mer, as snapshots of the city officials
on vacations show.
There is a certain degree of dignity,
poise and kindred accouterments natur
ally attached to the city jobs, but this
does not last lonj? when it comes in
contact with vacation haunts.
There are almost as many different
vacation tastes at the City Hall as
there are officials. Each one has taken
his outing during the Summer accord
ing to his own desires. Only on one
point has there been any general
unanimity of desire and that hus been
to get away from the office and the
275,000 masters.
The majority of officials have taken
full vacations while others have slip
ped away only over Sundays and holi
days to snatch a few hours of rest and
peace. Some have combined business
with pleasure.
Auditor Bar bar Turns An trier.
Down at Tillamook the landscape
was decorated for a few days with the
broad, imperishable smile and the huge
calabash pipe of Commissioner Baker.
Mr. Baker is at home when he gets
behind his 20 centimeter hod and gets
up to his waist in a trout stream. Dur
ing his stay at the beach he and Mrs.
Baker visited with' Paul Kelty and
family.
Auditor Barbur in years heretofore
has starred as a crab hunter but this
last Summer he shifted to salmon
trout fishing. In Summers before he
has proved his crabbing ability by
shipping a big box of his catch to the
employes of the City Hall. His shift
to trout fishing this year was not
accompanied by a shipment of salmon
trout, so it is expected next year he
will go back to something he knows
more about. He did most of his fish
ing on the Xecanicum River.
Commissioner IMeck is a horticul
turist in spirit at least. He has a
promising young orchard at Hood
River and this year during spare time
he has deserted the woes of engineer
ing and applied his energies to the hoe.
At least that is what he asserts.
Others sa he merely furnishes the
brains while somebody else furnishes
the muscle.
Mr. Kaiser Tours to Fair.
Commissioner Bigelow this Summer
took a whirl at the wonders of Cali
fornia. He saw what there was to be
seen of the Exposition and then lost
himself along the beaches and recrea
tion places of Southern California. He
was accompanied by Mrs. Bigelow and
the youngsters
Water Superintendent Kaiser and
family and some friends tackled the
auto touring game. They went to San
Francisco in a machine. The trip, they
reported, was full of thrills. .
City Treasurer Adams went to the
beach to drown the woes of handling
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Com m as-vSVO'? er- Z2a7zs
the city's millions. "It's great stuff
for what ails you." said he upon re
turn. He recommends it strongly to
others, for during his stay he hooked
on considerable weight to hi& 250
pounds normal.
Health Officer Marcellus had his at
the National Guard encampment and
out in the country. One' of the party
was the Marcellus bull pup which "doc"
says is about the wisest bull pup that
ever wore a muzzle.
Commissioner Daly took an idea that
he could fish. He even thought he
could catch fish out in the Columbia
near Columbia Beach. It didn't take
him long to find out that he had the
wrong hunch. But he had a good time
anyway, he says.
City Engineer Dater forgot his woes
for a time among the varied outing
pleasures at Yahaats, down the Oregon
coast. He reports having gone deer
hunting, fishing, swimming and hiking.
He didn't bring back any jerked
venisen or other samples except a
coat of tan that would befit a Mexican
ranger.
WOMEN END LONG DRIVE
EST AC ADA PARTY RETURNS FROM
TOIR OF CALIFORNIA.
Girl Guides Auto on 2780-Mile Trip- and
Entire Cost for Four Persons' Is
a . $75s Roads Found Good.
A trip to California costing but two
and three-quarters cents a mile for a
party of four persons is the record
made by Mrs. Maud E. Graham, of Es
tacada, who has but recently returned
from a Southern trip. Mrs. Graham
was accompanied by her daughter
Erma, who drove the car the entire
distance, Mrs. Lord, of British Colum
bia, and Alma Kent, of Clatskanie.
The four women started out on their
journey July 8 and returned August
18. The total mileage registered was
2780. and the cost pf the entire trip
was $75, Including a new tire and
garage rent in San Francisco.
The Pacific Highway was followed
to Ashiani, and there the party went
east to Klamath Falls. Crater Lake
was visited, and the women entered
California through Lakeview and Goose
Lake. They crossed the Sierra Ne
vadas and entered the Pacific Highway
again at Red Bluff. From there they
took Ahe tunnel route to .Oakland.
After four days at the Exposition.
Park, Monterey and Carmet-by-the-See,
were Included in their itinerary.
On the return the oil wells of Stock
-Mr. Baker
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ton were visited. Shasta Springs was
reached by the way of the Pacific
Highway, and a stop made at that
place. Mrs. Graham reported that the
roads were fail-, although in the moun
tains the grades were heavy.
"We had not a bit of engine trouble."
said Mrs. Graham. "We had five punc
tures and we used three new spark
plugs, but aside from those incidents
we had not a particle of trouble. Our
greatest difficulty lay in our endeavor
to ' keep from getting sunburned and
tanned," she added.
Mrs. Graham had had the car less
than a month, and her daughter was
barely able to handle it.
During the trip the women camped
and carried with them a small tent,
folding cots, oil stove, dishes and bed
ding. They said that all along the way
they found wrecked cars and they at
tributed the accidents not to inexpe
rience and the difficulty of the trip,
but to reckless driving.
Winlock Plana Road Paving.
CENTRALIA, Wash.. Sept. 11 (Spe
cial.) A resolution has been adopted
by the Winlock Town Council author
izing the improvement of the road
leading south from the Town of Veness.
It is proposed to construct a 16-foot
grade with an eight-foot paved strip,
the Improvement to cost about $1600.
The Council plans to have the town
stand half the expense ar.d the abut
ting property the other half. The
Lewis County Commissioners have also
been asked to help out on the cost.
September 14 has been set as the date
for hearing objections to the resolution.
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