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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1928)
THE OREGON STATESMAN FARMING AND INDUS TRIAL MAGAZINE SECTION GR1MN1 ALFALFA ACREAGE ITJ LATJE If PROBABLY 1200 IS YEAR It Has Been Increasing Fast Since 1925 Creamery People and Seed Dealers Have Helped It Has Proved of High Value in That County The Average Yield There Is About Four Tons to the Acre, Though Six Tons in Three Cuttings Is Not Uncommon rains ob the fertile, wtU drained lands of Lane county and is past the trial stag on such lands. This year sU farmers purchased more than 100 pounds of teed each in the creamery pool, the largest order being for 200 pounds. Dealers report several sales of more than 100 pounds to individual farmers. We estimate that there were 800 acres of al falfa in the county en January 1. 1828. It is certain that the acre age will be Increased more than fifty per cent this year. The acreage yield of alfalfa in Lane county Is about four tons per sere, although yields of six tons in three cuttings are not un common. l Editor Statesman: In response to your letter of April 5 I am herewith sending you a sketch in regard to alfalfa in Lane county. This has not been prepared as copy for a story for yeu, but is a cepy of material 1 hare prepared to sketch the high points in the development of al falfa growing in Lane county. You are at liberty to work the mater ial into a story if you so desire. I am sorry that I do not have the time to prepare a story ready for yov linotype operator. The acreage of Hungarian vetch is increasing each year in Lane county. Farmer are growing it principally as a hay crop. They are growing it in place of other vetches because it withstands ad verse winters and because it is not subject to injury by aphids. We de not have much sweet clov er in this county. Ladino clover as a pasture crop is spreading rapidly in this coun ty. We grow it without irriga tion west of the Coast Range and with irrigation in the Willamette valley part of the county. O. S. FLETCHER. County Agent. Eogene, Ore., April 9. 1928. ( Following is the material as sent by Mr. Fletcher:) Alfalfa in Lsae Coimty Clarence Koon, who formerly lived abont two miles south of Junction City on what Is now the Pacific highway; J. N. Hill. Thurston; and W. A. Ayres. of Eugene, all tried 'common alfalfa about twenty yars ago with fair success. Mr. Koon died a few years ago. but Mr. Hill and Mr. Ayres have continued to grow al falfa at intervals since they first tried it. All their recent plant ings have been Grimm alfalfa. Mr. Ayres sowed about four acres of Grimm alfalfa In 1924 and has added to his planting since that time. He will sow about four acres this year. Mr. Hill sowed about eight acres of Grimm alfal fa in 1925. about six acres in 1926. and ten or twelve aeres in 1927. Surrey Made rn 1025 During the spring and summer of 1925 the county agent made a survey to determine how much Grimm alfalfa was growing in the county at .that time. He obtained records from twenty farmers who had about 4 8 acres of Grimm al falfa planted prior to ,1925. Thirteen of these plots or fields ' with a total of 32 acres were sowed in 1924. One wasJ sowed in 1917 or 1918, and most of the others were sowed In 1922 or 1923. Practically all of the farm ers who sowed Grimm alfalfa in 1924 followed the recommends tions of the Oregon Agricultural college in regard to preparation of seed bed. fertilizers. Inocula tion, and time of sowing. During and Since 1925 When the present county agent was notified, early In January 1925. of his appointment as coun ty agent of Lane county he was told that there was a strong de mand for demonstrations on the growing of alfalfa and that pro motion of this crop would be one of his leading projects. When the county agent arrived in Lane county the first of February, 1925. he found much interest in alfalfa and in demonstrations to show how to grow the crop. M. M. Boney, manager of the Eugene Farmers' creamery, reported that he and the officers of the cream ery had been considering the ad- j visibility of financing a number I of alfalfa demonstrations and trials and asked if the county NT WITH 6 NI agent would be willing to cooper ate with them if they decided to carry on the project. On Febru ary 16. 1925, the county agent and E. R. Jackman, who was at that time extension crops special ist for the Oregon Agricultural college, met with the directors and manager of the creamery and discussed the preposition. The directors voted to purchase Grimm alfalfa seed and lime and sell these to farmers at one-halt cost for twenty-five one-acre dem onstrations. Details of the dem onstrations and the selection of demonstrators were left over to the county agent. The creamery purchased an es pecially fine lot of pedigreed Grimm alfalfa seed that was pro duced in Montana. The county agent received requests for more demonstrations than could be fi nanced on the cooperative cream ery plan. He was given the privi lege of selecting a limited number of additional demonstrators. Thirty-one farmers living in twenty-five communities planted approximately twenty-eeven aeres of alfalfa in cooperation with the Eugene Farmers' creamery and the county agent. While the or iginal plan was to purchase and HQU TO GET AS ALFALFA, BY COLLEGE AUTHORITY Proper Soils, Seed Bed Preparation, Inoculation, Amount to Sow, How and When to Sow, and All the Other Questions of One Contemplating Growing This Legume Answered The College Will Furnish the Necessary Culture for Starting The Oregon Agricultural college ally it may do some damage to the exneriment station has a bulletin ! alfalfa, although usually not kill- entitled, "Circular of Information j ing out the Grimm alfalfa as 6: Directions for Starting Alfalfa tensiveiy as it injures ci.. in the Willamette Valley," by G. R. Hyslop. agronomist, that furnish- ! es very complete directions for the man beginning with Grimm alfal fa; The circular, in full, follows: The Proper Soils The soils best suited to alfalfa are those that are mellow, warm, well drained, fertile, sweet snd deep. Alfalfa grows on heavier soil types that are well drained and sweet, but in the past many failures have been recorded with the crop on sonr soils that are un limed and on heavy, run-down and poorly drained soils- On soils that are at all sonr an application of ground lime stone at from one to four tons an acre is probably Bed Preparation The object is to make a ex- seed distribute just enough seed for necessary to make the crop sue; the cooperative demonstrations, .ceasfuL. so many farmers asked to be al lowed to purchase seed at cost in the creamery pool that the cream ery accepted additional orders pooled by the county agent and sold a total of 14 60 pounds of Grimm alfalfa seed to approxi mately 82 farmers during 192 S. The Eugene Farmers' creamery has continued to sell alfalfa seed at cost to farmers of Lane county each year since 1925. The coun ty agent has pooled orders for seed and has assisted toe man ager of the creamery in locating best quality certified Grimm al falfa seed by the creamery coop erating with the county agent for the last four seasons: Number Approxi of mate pur- Pounds No. chasers seed of aeres Tear 1925 1926 1927 1928 Totals S2 90 65 100 .XXX 1460 2226 2163 3700 9549 122 18S 180 308 79S Seed Dealers Helped Seed dealers in Lane county have rendered a real service in helping to establish Grimm alfal fa in Lane county by selling seed at a very small margin of profit. The amount of seed sold by deal ers has increased each year, and it is estimated that dealers sold nearly a ton of seed in 1927. Be cause the creamery closed its 1928 pool about the middle of Febru ary and before some farmers had decided whether or not to sow al falfa this season, it is expected that dealers will sell almost as much seed this year as is sold by the creamery. Grimm alfalfa has proved its For some conditions, as where heavy lime applications are need ed and where the crop serves no special purpose, this may be too expensive. For poultry men or dairymen who need green feed badly during the dry season, the expense of even a heavy applica tion of the ground lime stone may be justified. There will probably be less dis ease if the alfalfa can follow a cul tivated crop or a grain crop rather than clover or vetch, especially if there has been any stemrot in either of those crops. Stemrot has been present in a good deal of the clover and some of the vetch during recent years, and occasion- bed free from weeds, firm enough to assure moisture and prevent too deep planting, and level enough that the permanent meadow may be handled satisfactorily. The land should be plowed early. Any disking or deep working should be made as earlv as possible. If the land needs leveling, this can usu ally be best done with a float. If the floatings are made between workings and while the ground is loose, it usually is pretty success ful in scraping off the high places and filling up the low places. Sub sequent rains settle it and show if re-floating is necessary. The seed bed should be firm and fine. In many cases rolling is a good practice, on loose soils. The later workings of the alfalfa seed bed should be light surface harrewjngs to kill young weeds without dig ging up a lot of new weed seed from below. Wlten to Sow The alfalfa should be sowed as is warm enough for fairly prompt germination. . It the seed bed Is weedy it may be better to barrow the land a few more times and sow a little later. Seedina- ahonld L&k Place preferably from about April j 15 to May is, although successful stands have been secured with. later sowing, eves as late as June 15. Fall sowing is unsafe. Early ..sowing is preferable on clean land, ia sooj tilth. Fertilisers Usually it is a good plan to put on 50 to 75 pounds of land plaster per acre previous to sowing the al falfa seed. This may be done any Mme during March or early April. It appears to give the alfalfa plant a better start. t are of Yoang- Alfalfa Simply let it grow. Do not mow U unless weeds begin to crowd it out. Let it grow to a good bloom stage, if it will, without weed in jury, and then cut it and make hay of it. Too early cutting tends to weaken the plants. Summary: ' Use only goo4 Grimm seed. Sow plenty of seed on a fine. firm, well prepared seed, bed, alone and rather early. Order choice dahlias and gladi oli early. They sell out fast. Cooperation is not sentiment it is an economic necessity. Charles Steinmets. We resent any truth that threat ens our mental, social, or finan cial condition. Elbert Hubbard. Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom. Thorn Jefferson. Little Girl: What do yr think, auntie? There's something" without legs running across the bathroom floor." Auntie: "Good gracious, ehildt What is it?" Little Girl: "Water. aratiO The Tath finder. If milk is kept in a large aal low basin instead of a deep one. it early. as possible after the weather will remain sweet much longer. D. A. WHITE & SONS Carry DR. KORINEK7S Veterinary Remedies and Minerals ANGORA RUG CO. 1230 Ferry St. Salem, Ore. Makaa op rw far for ftrmtaU; aakea 6tr aad rayaira far fanaaata tf a!l kiads. Tana TTf kind of skin er hide. Btira Angora goat and other (kins. Oldaat eenearn ia tiki aaetioa doing thia claat of work. OIUO-MATIC WHAT IS IT? SEE THEO. M. BARR Phone 192 1te Tocr Voaa; la Orfo Buy Moocmaati Had at Si lam. Oreae c ax rr ax MOKxnoarTAZ, woxks . 3. C. Janaa k Co., Propria r All Kindt of Monument! Work factory aad Offica: 2210 8. Com'!. Opaoaita I. O. O. T. Cemetery, Boa 21 Phone 689 Salem, Oregoa Oakland Pontine Sales and Service VICK BROS. High Street at Trade cau?n fertiliser Lawn crass is a heavy feeder, and the constant mm ing of the lawn removes the plant food which must be replaced with a complete, balanced fertilizer that dees the work without introducing- any weeds. A lawn will respond to yearly applications of fertilizer very notice ably. Invariably such treatment causes the grasses to grow so vigorously as to crowd out undesirable weeds and causes them to disappear, .. moss grows only on soil that is starving. 0SQS MORCROP A COMPLtm f UkllLLuK A sack of Morcrop Fertiliser applied to the lawn will result ia an immediate improvement in color aad growth. A 10O-lb. sack will answer for the nnlsssi j city lot, and it is desirable that this be applied at two different periods during the season; once carry in the Spring as soon as the grass shows signs of growth, egaai late in the Fall. It is easy to apply has no objectionable odor and the result of a healthy, weu-fed lawn will be to crowd oat weeds and mass. Beneficial results from the ate of Morcrop are guaranteed. Aa. A I . r i . SLa SEEDS CHARLES R. ARCHERD IMPLEMENT CO. 210 State Street SALEM, OREGON