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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1944)
Tie CZIGOU CTAfCMAIL Cdezi Oregon. Thursday Morning. July 27 1341 Lambs to Slaughter ( Meat Buyer Discusses Lamb, Sheep Situation in Willamette Valley . , By LUXXE L. MADSEJf . . " Grdea and rna Editor They may be all wool and a yard wide, these stories of Chi world being chock full of fierce. But, says, Claud Steusloff, Willamette valley shouldn't worry' too much, After alL for every dollar, of wool there la three dollars of mutton in a lamb. Ia other words mutton value is three-fourth of the lamb value. Mr. Steusloff ia an author ity. As president of the Valley Packing plant, he handles as ma ny, if not more, market lambs each year as anyone else In the valley. Already this season, thousands of head of sheep have Cone through his bands. There has been some restless ness among fanners who have brought their lambs to the markets and have had to return home with them again. While he can't make a beauty parlor appointment for lamb market day, the 'farmer should know bis lambs are sold before he brings them to market That's where a telephone comes in handy. Appointments for hog de livery may be made somewhat in advance, but buyers for fat lambs do not dare risk this. There is too much danger from shrinkage. May Be Rejected : ; - r There are at least two reasons, Mr. Steusloff says, why lambs can not always be taken at the time they are brought in. One reason belongs to the farmer's end of the Job. The other is controlled by slaughter house conditions. ; The farmer must have his lambs in condition for slaughtering. The packing plants are. not going to fatten lambs. Before the war and the government's heavy buying, fat lambs had to be from 60 to 100 pounds undressed, with the prefer ence weight at 90. There was a deduction for lambs over 100 pounds or if they were too light Government orders have let down the bars to some extent. The army takes undressed lambs up to 115 pounds. Lambs dress down about 50 per cent,, Lambs must be fat "Skinny", ones are sent home again to be fattened. v I . As to the packing plants rea--son for the return of tha lambs: lack of help covers it. Slaughter ers are in the army, the ship yards, and the harvest fields. While the local plants are hand ling many more lambs than usual, it is being done by strenuous over time work. The buyers at packing plants cannot take en lots of lambs and hold them until the slaughter ers have time to take care of them. Crazing and feeding facilities just are not at the plants, and lambs shrink rapidly when neglected even for a few days. If Stock Is Good ;Having good mutton lambs is something that can be arranged for, if breeding stock is good. Mr. Steusloff just doesn't talk of breeders whose, stock isn't good. That type of stock is a loss every day it is kept - - So far this season, buyers state, lambs have been in excellent con dition. Weather has been just right Too frequently heavy rains leach out the protein of lush spring grass growths. Weather this spring has been such that grass has had tendency to go to seed. When .this happens the grass retains its protein content Therefore, feed conditions have been excellent Shrinkage of lambs, which is beginning now, is due to grasses . and other green forage crops be ing gone. Most of this shrinkage, in Mr. Steusloff s opku'on, can be avoided. Those who can turn their late lambs into a clover aftermath, or who have rape or Sudan grass, will do all right The others will have to use grain as a condition er. ' :-.. There is at present quite a bit of trade in feeder lambs. Fanners with 'ladino clover, sudan grass or rape are buying up the early spring "skinnies" and feeding them for autumn markets. This is done at- the present lull between the heavy spring and autumn market periods.. ' : Winter Lambs Heavy 1 Early lambs in the Willamette valley market come from the hea vy clay soils, with a big share coming from Folk and Yamhill counties and the lower sections of Marion. The lambs are born In late December, January and Feb ruary. They feed on early sown ' fall grains and some of the new fall grasses. The long wool and bigger breeds," with such as Lin- colns and Cots wolds form the bas is. They are, if properly cared for. ready for the market at Easter time 90 to 100 days after dropped. On the edges of the valley and ' the hill sections the short wool breeds, which are better rustlers, form the basis of the stock. The late lambs are a welt established industry, buyers say, in the Tur ner, Silverton and Waldo Hills areas. From these sections - they " go to market in 'September and October after fattening on stubble fields. i The so-called early spring lambs, , killed in February and early March, are like strawberries at Christmas time: very much out of season. They are autumn, born lambs and in no true sensed spring ' lambs.-' - v- a"7 f ' v r , At present lambs are quoted by local buyers at 10ft to 11 cents for tops. This is admittedly a good ' time, from the "sheepman's point of view, to clean up the flock, and while the old ewes bring only three '. cents, more are being marketed than commonly. More ewe lambs are also being sold. Euyeri Are Optimistic But stock buyers, we found, were very optimistic about . the V j' ??? business. In their mfnds, tl.? future of the fat lamb indus try In tha Willamette valley is anything but dark. Meat rationing has taught lots of folks who used to say "I can't eat mutton not only to eat it but to like it Sur veys show that lamb bas always been THE MEAT for people m the higher wage brackets. There are more of these now. . '" I The better hotels and restau rants are the chief purchasers. San Francisco has the highest con sumption of mutton of any city in the United States, and even our local buyers state that the south ern purchasers claim they can get no better leg of lamb than that which has first walked in the Wil lamette valley rape fields.: IIteiTfefifa I galley Farmer, Neivs and iFietcs of Farm and Garden Ranch Ramblings By Rural Reporter - How green is my valley? Pretty green In June; very; golden now. jSome of the country's largest seed grass fields are In Marion county. There ;arei other counties that produce more of all the fes cues and. rye grasses, than does Marion county; but Marion coun ty is by far the leading one in the production of I Highland bent grass . seed -k-- f .-3 : W. G. Nlbler'told jus that there was a big demand for an Increase of subterranean clover seed. He hopes the acreage will increase in Marion county. The farmers want the seed for seeding down pas tures. ' 'K : ; if! -jTl v V::'-' Oscar Lee, Silverton, who be gan raising grass seed about ten years ago, has 609 acres of grass seed this yeari He has a great va riety of grasses. Including chew- ings fescue, creeping fescue, tall oat grass and other experimental Experiment Stations are. trying it -on I almost jevery conceivable "WeeTil Damage to Be at Minimum If Care Is Taken Since It is nearly impossible to fumigate weevil in the average farm grain bin, a few precaution ary, warnings may save serious damage later on, according to J. J. v Inskeep, Clackamas county agent A thorough cleanup prior to harvest is very helpful. All old grain should be swept up and re moved for immediate feeding, winta. But hi : lareest acreaee Is via sacxs ana other aeons nar-1 0f Alta fescue.! i lj boring weevil should be removed! . We found other growers with and destroyed. Uninfested gram, rather large fields of-the Alta placed in small piles on the fescue also, including Clay Porter, clean floor, attract remaining silverton: Ceorirei Doran. out on ' . o 1 olivet mil, ucvigc; vviwi, vu out i m f T-l 'IT weevil, which may then be swept route 3; Zeno Schwab at Gervais Uscar Mlgat DOUDle im and hnrrrA . - I 1 .t a uWa I 1 . r ! I Inse'ctiride i May . , Prove Great Boon , If if b half as good as reported, the new D.D.T. insecticide, at present used mostly by the army for control of cooties! on our solj diers smd civilians I in- foreign countries, may j be the solution to control of many farm pests' which have been very difficult to overt come in the past I ' I' .' : Nobody knos much about this new material, but many are talki ing about it because jof its sensai- tional I performance in a few V: type Of pest, ;and will .be pre pared! to make recommendations for its? use on (the ranch its soon as it ia available. ; , j D.D.T. is made from crude oil. Incidentally,! the ) government released enough of this material to care for the raspberry fnMt worm in the Gresham area this spring; Remember how picking -was stopped there a jrear ago ber ceuse -of the Worm? iNonei of the standard insecticid fective, but DJb.T. spray, gave or even when used in tities.1 up and burned. . ' , I and N. A. ReUinc of Hubbard. Several spray materials may be I Chewings - fescue fields looked used to destroy weevil in the good this yeaf, both in the green esi 4. periect rnmu 1 proved ef,- euher dust control, te quan; nooks and crannies, but all pre sent more or less of a fire hazard and it has been found that a dash of hot water does the trick. Grain thoroughly dried before placing in the bin; will not sup port grain insects, f stage apd now in the ripe stage. The largest fields 1 were at the Floyd Fox and ft Robert Riches As a' Garter Snake 1 ALEXANDRIA ARMY AIR FIELD, LaJ-WCpl. !Johnhy Stillman of Normal, Okla.J doesn't worry about mates borrowing his farms in Ihe Waldo Hills; the H. j jewelry or his shoes whijle "Os- H. Peters and Stanley Hitchcock at Sublimity, and W. P. Emery on a Salem route. We also found some nice fields j at the Helllck Fonrne and Elmer Xorence farms at Silverton; I Henry Hanson at Sublimity; Robert Harper, Ger vais, and Heary lorn and Smith Brothers in the ! Aurora mailing district ... fl v.'" We found more 1 perennial "rye In charge of thelrrass than we had exnected to. valley purebred with larger J plantings of very good stands at the ranches of Ei sner Lorenee, Clay Porter, Key Brown. H. ' E.' DttYal and J. H. Uanlding at Silverton; Andy Jfrg CCC Wheat Purchase Reaction Favorable: -Purchased by Commodity Cre dit Corporation of cash wheat in terminal and subterminal markets which had a favoraoe reaction on market prices prior to the announ cement , of the 7 cents-a-bushel advance in government loan rates to farmers was part of CCCTs reg ular livestock feed purchasing pro gram to replenish dwindling re serves. " ' ! : r The CCC' points out that the favorable reaction on market prices of their purchases Which had the effect of bringing returns at or near the parity directed by the new price control act was an incidental result from their rate, CCC started to buy iat 6 cents over the old loan rate, which resulted in heavy buying of futures. CCC purchases totaled xinly abouVl, 600,000 bushelsi "v WFA has boosted the loan rate on 1944 wheat seven cents per bushel, to a national average of $1.35 a bushel on the farm, which represents 80 per cent of parity instead of the 85 level of the last three years. With government loans available through the county AAA office, there lis no reason why farmers need to dispose of their wheat at less than parity at this time .. "j ' car" i stands guard, by his bunk. "Oscar" is a pet three-foot south ern King snake, sometimes worn by Cpl. Stillman as a necklace or a bracelet "Oscar! has a fancy for sleeping in GI shoes. Farm Cleanliness,' Sunlight, Important Importance of ordinary clean liness In the care of farm animals cannot be overemphasized. Pro per cleaning removes most of the germs and the remaining germs axe .often so weakened or so few In cumber, that they are incapa ble of producing disease under or dinary conditions. When animals are kept clean and the surround ings are dean there Is ordinarily little use for disinfectants. If, however, disease breaks out there is need for disinfectants and agents used in cleaning. Sick ani mals are the usual source of dis ease germs, hence they should al ways be kept away from the well animals. To -prevent the spread of ' infection, the . disinfectants should be used freely about the vicinity in which the sick animal is being housed or harbored. Sunlight is a good disinfectant as is also a drying temperature. When possible to use, heat is very effective; burning, baking, boil ing or steaming are - best means. Except against germs of tubercu losis, lime and lye are; effective and very cheap. j . .Lye is caustic, keep It away from the eyes or skin.; Solutions should be' disposed of to prevent injury to livestock. Silage Good for Ctrick Chickens like silage and, while a good quality of green feed is better, for them, silage has proved satisfactory for vitamin; and sue- gtm Fireblight attacks frnlt trees, occasionally firethorn. This should be cut out well below; the point of the injury during August Burn all diseased branches, j : ' " To some of you the woodchuck may be the groundhog. - To me, at the present time, it is St Johns- wort This Is a rather; attractive plant when it stays within bounds.' -But it doesn't Some of you who have ; been! worrying about -not getting -a groundcover to grow, might try this. Nicotine sulphate Is one of the best controls for plant aphis and is used, in the ratio of two tea spoonsful to one gallon of warm soapy water. A 3 per cent nico tine dust may be used In place of me spray. Thrips will be attacking the gladiolus. They are small black insects " 118 of an inch long. Check during - the Season by spraying with' nicotine, pyre th rum, rotenone, or what you can get There are some sprays under trade names which will also con trol thrips. j- ;": San JOse scale may be appear ing on your lilacs and cotoneaster, Best control, , dormant winter spray of oQ, but summer nico tine spray may kill some of the several summer hatchings. culence supply when green feed is not accessible. It is Important that ' no spoiled silage be used. - New Winter Pasture Plantings ?,Iade . Plantings " of 'abruzzl rye , by August Bernklaur of Beavercreek and Y. CJJoppleb of Liberal are expected to furnish seed for an entirely new 'and Improved win ter pasture, aocording to Clacka mas County Agent J. J. Inskeep,' who bas arranged for purcbasa of certified seed of this new pasture grain from D. D. Hill of the Ore gon experiment station. ,,Y. Seed secured by tnese sarmers this fall will be used for-repro-, auction and as a source of pasture seed for 1943 planting. , Inskeep reports ; that experi ments with! abruzzi rye at the Oregon station Indicate abundant pasture during January, February and March, (especially when fer tilized during cold weather with nitrogen-bearing ' fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate. Growers Report on Hop Conditions The hop " market remains very firm. No new transactions in Oregon hops were reported lately as supplies of spot hops are prac- tically depleted. As the growers have contracted most all of . their 1944 prospective, crop, contracting of new crop hops also has been generally lacking. Considerable quantities of 194S and 194 crop, hops have been placed under contract in three year deals. A few five-year deals have been made In recent weeks. Growers report the recent hot weather has lessened the damage from lice. Some report shortage of fluting material is still causing apprehension regarding damage. Should the lice return after the first "shot" growers are worrying for fear there will be no more spray material. Weather develop ments during the next few weeks will be important to the growing hop crop in the valley. Ram Sale,, Albany To Attract Out Of State Buyers Mall bids will be accepted by the committee fourth annual ram sale to be held at Albany on August 15, when sheepmen from Oregon, northern California and southern Washington will rather. The mail bids should be sent O j at Gervais, Kaafmsa. Brothers at H. A. Lindgren, at Oregon State 1st Paul: Edwin Keeck at Salem. college or to O. Z. Mikesell, sale secretary, at Albany. The sale is scheduled to start at 930 a.m. at Bryant park. Buyers will have 125 head of registered stud and range rams from which to choose. Breeds of fered are Romney, Lincoln, Ox ford, Corridale, Shropshire, Southdown, Suffolk and Hamp shire. The rams are being con signed by 31 different breeders, many of whom have been breed ing purebred sheep for more than 25 years. ; , Lunch will be served on grounds " by the women of Riverside Community club. Good Clover Stand To Be Expected Smaller plantings were noted at ranches of Jo W Oases and J. A. Brawn of Hubbard; K. C. Hon saeher. Loaise Heaales and Join PetersM at ; Turner, and Fred Hersch at Salem : Just in case I someone might ttiink we had gone all to grass this week, we will mention that we found some very early tomatoes already ripe! 'out at the George ! Asher farm In the Grand Island district The family reported that they had gathered their first crop ! on July 13. We thought this was gte I awfully early until we heard from th. 1 relatives in Brown county, wis., that tney, too, were picxing ripe tomatoes, and we recall they were having snow flurries In late April or early May. They cer tainly have speed in the midwest anyway. Serious thrip damage to the lo ganberry and boysenberry crop in the southern' part of Clacka mas county West of Hubbard was noted. Many infested berries have been entirely destroyed and hang mummified on ;the vines, while others are mutilated and mal formed. J. f' J. Inskeep, county agent up there, is busy issuing directions for spray controL . Down around Albany we found the second cutting of alfalfa in progress and pastures drying rapidly. Rye grass and fescue seed were being threshed. Binders were just beginning to run also with a few combines out in Polk county, Prospects were good, -but it was still too early to give out any 1 definite yields, ranchers reported. Good stand of ladino clover on suitable land and properly han died should produce Well for four to eight years although it is al most Impossible' to keep the stands from getting grassy as they get older. , As . soon , as the percentage of grass gets larger than that of clover It may be ad viseable to break up the sod and plant to ' other crops unless the quality and quantity of "the re maining combination Is such that it can be profitably utilized for forage. , The use of ladino clover in stead of white clover in pasture mixtures on land reasonably well supplied with summer moisture usually results in Increased amounts of -pasture. This is es pecially true in the coast districts or where , Irrigation is practiced. Common white clover probably will be, snore productive on poor. dry soils because little forage can be expected from the ladino plant J In "Wearin Helmets Cultivation to destroy weeds and grass ' is not successful be cause of the heavy loss of stems and plants due to the shallow rooting system. Stands , of ladino clover on sour soils frequently are stimulated by applications of Women Have Uriusual Reasons and Excuses SOUTH PORTLAND, Me. -(fl3) One lady shipbuilder said she al ways wore her protective helmet in stormy weather because she "loves to hear the sound of rain on a tin roof. - , " A campaign at the big New one to two tons of lime per acre. J England Shipbuilding Corp. plant Many good stands have been ob-Jto get workers to wear the sturdy j tained however, without the use hard hats on the job also brought of lime because ladino appears a promise from another woman to better suited to slightly' acid soQ wear hers regularly as soon as conditions than some other clov-lshe found another clothespin con-1 ers, . - I tamer at home. I -. ..il l Jr: V I V ' 111 11m- i I ' . r4m' ' t'' ' i i ' i f I ....... i x I s . 1- , . . , . . .. , - , - ' -1. m . V IE A L T IH1 OF THE 17 IE S, "?M ,m nmn'aac':,'"t " . " l.l Ilew.Fcr Famers ; ; 'Bean Grewers - Nat Growers- Orchardists - General Farming Just available through Higgin -office a SpedaT Farmer's - Blanket Liability covering in one policy ALL ihe operations of your farm, including liability to your employees, both reg ular farm help and seasonal harvest hands. '. . ;j Rates cm employees from $1 to 120 per S100 of payroll In cludes medical and hospital. - .: ; - I 1 lJinnnnltTinT!A irisunAHCE Oregon's Largest Upstate Agency? Salem and Marsh&eld : 123 N. Commercial Salem - 4400 SPIDTHE VIC70rtUY WX tONDS In the green TaHeys ol thia boonful West dedry hards .. I . ..- ; . ....... . . t r i " - ; i nJoT Ideal prodncuon conditions. Ifo Industry Is mora Ixzsic them thai of doirylng and fine dedrr Sarma and modal mSk processing planls make up one of fh pennanent and urowlua asaets of this region. During fh dors the dairy Industry ol the West la one ol the 'great sources ol supply ol era porafed and powdered sn2s and ol cheese and bvSer for our armed forces and cwcdlies. Throu tr"-" stock fcreedlttg, rrmffnnrrt zesearch to' develop Lrrovod production and processing intSiods, cad firou arssslre bcrkeg rocjrcsnav dedrymen ol the V7st have achieved trade leadersLIp for their brands and hold the key' to world-wide dlrtrlbtrSon for their products when peace retarna, i SICICS' DUEVING COMPANY Ukm at aahr eaels ! Skks SUd 1ms Is twrwlw aecaptod as aeadacl af i atollacflea fa lta BaldL .1 A" - . . - ' SkkiTQamlHr y fWirci : ' V- i I :,)? f