The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980, September 16, 1949, Page 25, Image 25

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FridaySept 16, 1949
Largest Soil Conservation
Show in Nortlrest Set for
f I
Bartels' Farm Tomorrow
100 Pieces of Equipment Really for
Public Ileinoiistratioii on Land Use
With crowds of "dirt" farmers and townspeople expected from all
over the Willamette valley, the Pacific N rthwest's biggest soil con
servation show is set to go tomorrow. i
The day-long event will get under way on the Irvih Bartels farm,
one mile north of Shaw, at 10:30 a.m. and will continue well into late
afternoon.
"Willamette Valley Conservation
Day," co-sponsored by the Oregon
state grange and Santiam soil con
servation district, will feature
something brand-new to Oregon.
In a single day Bartels will round
out all the soil conservation work
and good land-use practires need
ed on his farm.
To do approximately two year's
work in a day, the field day com
mittee has mustered more than
; 100 pieces of farm equipment, sup
I plied by farm implement compan
( ies; obtained the aid of a corps of
-' volunteer workers, and the assist
ance of the U. S. Soil Conservation
and Oregon State Extension serv
ice. In addition, many Marion coun
ty farm and civic groups are co
operating and have been assigned
duties ranging from food conces-5
sions to traffic control.
Governor to Speak
Oregon's governor Douglas Mc-.i-Kay,
a long-time advocate of soil
''conservation, will be the feature
speaker on the noon-time program.
Other speakers include J. H. Christ,
regional conservator of the U. S.
Soil - Conservation Service, with
headquarters in Portland: William
L. Teutsch, assistant director of
the Oregon state extension service
and a member of the state soil con
servation committee, and Morton
-Tompkins, master of the Oregon
grange. Master of ceremonies will
be Wallace Kadderly of Portland
Those attending the field dav of
better farming methods may find
It will be a good deal like trying
to see all the rings of a three-ring
circus at the same time. Ten events
are scheduled simultaneously Sat
urday .morning. These include con
tour strip-cropping, cultivation of
strips, terracing, pasture cultiva
tion, pond construction andretfwe
of Chinese pheasants by the Ore
gon game commission.
Tattern Shown
Each of the more than 20 dem
onstrations of good land use prac
tices fits Into the pattern of Bar
tels farm conservation plan. The
s contour strips, diversion terraces
and grass waterways, laid out on
his sloping lands, for example, will
cut downt soil losses that have
been occuring the last few years,
the soil conservation service says.
Up to now, each runoff, thaw and
'flash rain" took a layer of top
soil off his land.
New i open and tile drainage
ditches, completed by day's end,
will properly drain his wet bot
tomlands, while his new pond will
be used both rfor stock water and
sport fishing, it is declared.
Field day visitors will see the
reason for cross-slope tillage op
erations and the pitfalls from fol
lowing what is declared the all
too-common "up-and-down-hill"
method They will be shown, a
mong oiher things, the best ways
to get rid of noxious weeds, black
berries and brush. Technicians
and. soil specialists will he on hand
to explain each step in the appli
catlonfand use of such practices,
over a mobile public address sys
tem, t
Boost Productiveness " '
The farm "face lifting'' work,
soil conservationists say, will in
crease the crop productiveness of
Bartels' farm by at least 25 per
cent. Additional gains from the
practices will be forthcoming, they
point out, as soil saving and crop
building practices become better
established.
Most significant from a soil con
servation standpoint, will be the
near total erosion protection which
the hillside practices will afford.
Instead of losing many tons of soil
off the slopes by the gullying ef
fects of runoff, as occured during
the record 1948 Willamette Valley
erosion year, most of Bartels' farm
will be relatively free from soil
. losses next winterjnd spring.
By the end of the day, the field
day committee says Bartels' place
will be very close to a "model"
conservation-planned farm. All
the conservation work will have
been completed in line with the
land capabilities of his farm. These
capabilities indicate what each
acre, each field and parcel of land
Is best adapted to produce.
"Land Facts" Assembled
The "land facts", setting forth
the conservation needs of his farm,
and the use to which each piece of
land can befcprpfitably put, were
gathered by iou conservation ser
vice technicians, this year.
The technicians went over Bar
tels' place and worked out land use
and capability maps, tested soil
depth, texture and fertility, and
helped him outline the farm con
servation plan that forms the basis
of practices applied during the
field day. Bartels is one of 46 San
tiam soil conservation district far
mers having such a plan.
Bob Schmidt, of Albany, field
, day general chairman, says ample
parking space is available for cars.
Food stands and concessions will
be In charge of Marion county
grange women.
"I hope every Willamette Val-
ley farmer will come to the field
day, Saturday," he said. "I be
lieve they will see one of the moat
; dramatic and spectacular demon
strations of soil conservation ever
Tomorrow's
Program. J.
Here is the program for the
conducted tour of demonstra
tions on "Willamette Valley Soil
Conservation D a y," f Saturday,
September 17, at' the Irvin Bar
tels farm a mile north of Shaw:
10:30 Strip - cropping of
246 acres.
10:45 Sub-soiling. ;
1 1 :00 Terracing, . 1 mile.
11:15 Grass waterways, 1
mife. l
1 1 :45 Permanent pasture
seeding;
12:00-Rodent control.
12:15 Pheasant rejease &
M u 1 1 if I o r a rose
planting : State
Game commission.
12:30-Progranri. 1
1:45 Tile drainage.
2:30 Open dfainage ditch
construction
2:45-Post treating.
3:00-Weed control.
3:1 5 Farm pond.
3:30 Side hill row crop
cultivation.
special; PAGES
Information In these special
pages on soil conservation was
prepared by Herb Boddy, mem
ber of the regional information
staff, of the U. S. soil conserva
tion '' service, Portland, and Is
presented herewith as an aid to
the soil - conscious farmers of
the Willamette valley.
Governor Commends Effort at
Furtliering Soil Conservation
Gov. Douglas-' McKay said
Thursday he believed demonstra
tions -of good land use practices
on the Irvin Bartels farm near
Aumsville Saturday "will long be
remembered as a milestone in Ore
gon's accelerating campaign to
save her soil by methods that will
check the ravages of wind and
water."
The state's conservation - mind
ed chief executive, ticketed for
a place on the speakers' program
Saturday noon, made that observ
ation in a statement issued for the'
fire g.on Statesman s special soil
-conservation pages. The text, in
full, follows:
"The first major soil conserva
tion field day ever held In the
Willamette vallev Is : ' -'d
Saturday in the Aumsville area.
"It is my earnest hope that the
event will attract the interest It
properly deserves. The Statesman
is to be commended for its extra I
effort toward emphasizing the sig
nificance of this, occasion, for in
terpreting its meaning in terms of
our obligation to tare for this heri
tage of future generations.
"The obligation, simply, is that
we hold the fertility of lands that
have given Oregon its vital agri
cultural industry; Without agricul
ture, this state might never have
become a state at all certainly, it
would never have attained a sta
ture such as to attract the largest
population increase In the union
during the recent war and the ear
ly postwar period.
"The influx of new citizens
should serve as a living lesson as
to the dire consequence of letting
good soil lose its vigor. For it was
to get away from exhausted lands
and settle on resh, productive
tracts that many came to Oregon.
As history goef, Oregon's soils
have not been used by men for
long. Already, however, millions
upon millions of tons of valuable
earth' have departed with the wind,
the flood and the rain. And some
of the land that has stayed has
been robbed of its richness through
improper tillage; and. the continu
ous growing of crops with exor
bitant demands jon the beneficial
foods nature put in the soil.
"May all those present for Sat
urday's demonstration mark well
what they see and hear. May they
become ardent disciples of thetmen
whose scientific approach to the
soil problems holds the answer to
the building of an 'even greater
Oregon. 'If they; can but do that,
s; j
seen In the Far West
"Conservation farming la the on
common ground In which every
one farmers and city folks alike
can work for the good of all. The
soil conservation movement will
take a long stride forward Sa fur
tatesmau
SECTION TWO
Land Divided
Into Several-
Classifications
Eight land classifications are
used by the U. S. Soil Conserva
tion Service technicians in deter
mining the capabilities of lands.
Lands aren't just labeled "good,"
"fair" or "bad," as town and
country folks often grade them.
Soil technicians need far more in
formation than that in their good
land use program. Classifying
lands according to their capabili
ties is part and parcel of the ser
vice's program of giving - techni
cal assistance to cooperatori of
soil conservation districts.
CLASS I
Very good land that can be cul
tivated safely with ordinary good
farming methods. It is nearly lev
el and shows little or no erosion.
CLASS II
Good land that can be culti
vated safely with easily applied
soil conservation practices, such
as rotations and fertilization. Mo
derate erosion.
CLASS III
Moderately good land hat can
be cultivated safely with such in
tensive treatments as terracing
and strip - cropping. Usually there
is moderate to severe erosion.
CLASS IV
Fairly good land that is best
suited for pasture and hay. It can
be cultivated occasionally usual
ly not more than one year in six.
When plowed careful erosion pre
vention practices must be used.
Land classes that can't be cul
tivated follow:
CLASS V
Suited for grazing or forestry
with slight or no limitations.
Needs only good management.
CLASS VI
Suited for grazing or forestry
with minor limitations. Needs pro
tective measures.
CLASS VII
Suited for grazing or forestry
with major limitations. Needs ex
treme care to prevent erosion, or
destructive burning, or to over
come other land hazards.
CLASS VIII
Suited only for wildlife or re
creation. This type land usually
is steep, rough, stony, sandy,
wet or highly erodible.
this day will long be remembered
as a milestone In Oregon's accel
erating campaign to save her soil
by methods that will check the
ravages of wind and water."
Anolher IHIabii
-
Of Conservation
Don't take chancti Buy from an
established local concern whose prices
end services are right.
I
e Tht t cry iifety and itcorirj of your bomt diptad oo yotu
roof. That's why, la considering roof repairs, or reroong,
it is so important to deal only with reliable established
concern. j
We have been selected by Johns-Manvllle as their dealer
la this vicinity. Consult with s. W offer you complete
service, quality Johns-Maonlle roofing or siding materials,
tht right price. J
IIATHIS BROS.
nOOFEIG CO.
1M So. ComsMrdal
When You
I .1
.- ' "V 0 i
J- ' aB . .
,r ff
' ' (A-
' JL - t ' f t
This sign Is at the Irvin Bartels farm where thousands of Willamette valley folk will congregate today
for soil conservation demonstrations. At left Is Bob Schmidt of Albany, general field day chairman,
end at the right la the host, Irvin Bartels.
Ronte to
SOIL. CONSERVATION
A.
SALEM
N
Much of Crop
Land Injured
Around a fourth of the crop
land in the United States is being
damaged at a critically rapid rate
by erosion. This is an area estimat
ed at something like 110 to 115
million acres of highly vulnerable
cropland, much of which will be
permanently damaged and some of
ruined for further cultivation ev
ery year it' Is cropped without
protection.
Phon S4$tt
See This Sign, You're There
AUMSVILLE
SHAY y T
- m Vt
'V
I' A
I
fBARTEliSl iiFARM
NER lxl Aumsvlll.
yJ PRCB
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111
HACLEAY
-l tl-v
H5AY FARM
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for cfioosffg M$efag
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D1UAHITTE TillEI'X IM01KC iPFlUHCI t HOME rOHHUHIEl
salem Oregon city
Soa2h CcaxuBcrdal Ctrt
64,000 Acres Are Included in I p
Boundaries; Crop Needs Cited j
The Santiam soil conservation district in which the IrVin Bartria J
field day site is located, is one of three such farmer-voted districts la
the Willamette valley. Including the recent addition to its bounds !
ies, the district totals 64.000 acres and 847 farms. f .
One of Oregon's top farming counties. Marion county has a diver j
sified agriculture. Its main crops are fruit, cannery crops of all kinds, ;
nutspasture, dairying, grain and
hay.
The hill-side and flat valley
lands produce the best crops, but
they also are the scene of some of
the county's most critical land pro
blems. The rampaging Santiam
river is the .cause of seasonal
floods and river bank erosion. Un
protected hill-side farms are
pressed by soil losses, low fertil
ity and drainage problems. Farm
drainage and irrigation are the
two chief soil conservation needs
of flat valley lands.
Erosion Measures Cited
To combat the varied land pro
blems of Santiam district cooper
ators, the Stayton staff of the U.S.
Soil Conservation Service is rec
ommending a wide range of good
land use and erosion control mea
sures to f farmers. The practices
outlined in the farm conservation
plans the technicians are working
out with farmers do not fit a com
mon pattern. No set of practices.
they say, will meet needs of all
farms, or even adjacent farms.
That is why the service follows
the policy of treating lands ac
cording to their land capability.
Here are some of the major prac
tices needed in Santiam district:
open ana ciosea iuie arains to
take surplus water off lowlands,
irrigation, fertilization, c o n t o ur
strip cropping, diversion terraces.
Improved pasture programs, stock
water and sports fishing ponds and
crop rotations. Many of these
practices will be demonstrated on
the Irvin Bartels place on the oc
casion of "Willamette Valley Soil
Conservation Day," Saturday.
Much Work Done
In two years, Santiam soil con
servation district farmers have put
broad strokes of conservation
work on their lands. Here is a
sample of some of the work that
has been accomplished to date:
contour farming. 103 acres; pas
ture improvement, 222 acres; wild
life area development, 103 acres;
woodland management, 72 acres;
farm drainage 669 acres, tile
drains, approximately one mile
and nine miles of open ditches.
In addition, farmers have seeded
grass and legumes on 1003 acres,
fertilized 1132 acres of croplands,
put cross-slope cultivation on 469
acres and sub-irrigated 299 acrfes.
WANTS WAR DAMAGE PAY
RANGOON -iV Rangoon's first
postwar mayor, U Tun Tin, is like
ly to seek compensation from the
British Government through the
Government of Burma for damage
to municipal property during the concern to conservationists of the
war. coast area.
Other Ilcdelx As Low As
$13195
HAVE YOU CZZN THZ NTW
Automatic Uasher
i
-XT BZALLY OZTS CLOTKCS CLEAJT
ZXcd
Valley Lands jj
Are Suffering
From Erosion
' i
A top government soil conser-
vationist, Sam Sloan, in charge of
the Oregon state office of the U.
S. soil conservation service, with,
headquarters in Corvallis, sums up .
the need for conserving Oregon's;
soil resources In this way.
"Expanding world and domestic
markets are opening up Vast newj
outlets for Oregon's food, timber
and fibre. The out look ; for con-
tinued prosperity for the state's!
farmers seems bright in the light
of the increasing call for the pro
ducts of the soil.
But, Sloan makes it clear that
the measure of the farmers' future,
gains depend on how well they
care for their lands.
Because Oregon's lands hay
been farmed a shorter time than;
those of older states, they are more
fertile and productive. But, even
so. Sloan explains,' they have suf
fered especially in the, Oregon
breadbasket and the sloping lands
of the Willamette valley. Forty-
two per cent of the grain-growing
acres of the Columbia basin have
been deprived of up to 25 per cent !.
of their topsoil, nearly 52 per cent
of these acres have had from 23
to 75 per cent .of their precious
surface removed and about 6 per
cent have lost more than three
quarters of their topsoil.
Wheat Counties
Are Hardest Hit
Oregon's "wheat counties"
stitute the state's most pressing
soil erosion area, but the problem
of wind and water vs. soil has te
be fought throughout the state. In
addition to Oregon's wheat lands
there are 1.500.000 acres of Creole
and river - bottom lands and hill
lands of the Willamette vallf-j
and 1.00.000 acres of irrigated lam
and 42.000.000 acres of range and
pasture lands stretching from the
Columbia river to California and
Nevada. Shifting sands and in-
adequate drainaec are of primary
s J
Open
Til
C:C3 P.
! 1
III
Friday
M1U