teaoti 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$tt See This Sign, You're There AUMSVILLE SHAY y T - m Vt 'V I' A I fBARTEliSl iiFARM NER lxl Aumsvlll. yJ PRCB f ,,11 ' ivSS Did you know that a genuine Maytg,wW Ha I T i 1 1 " . ESt"! 1amay superior features, coats acarcIy more 1 j I Mian the lowest-priced washer on the marktt? I . ' '"-' til vVHh a liberal trade-in on your present I v - i i t' V?"- ' ' Vl washer, and low monthly payment, Wi I fx VSN' fylS downriht own Msytagl I I m 5l L1 Vll pBRFORAtAC I - I SV" v y''000 y I V n Kach of these famous Maytag washers gives 1 -ksirZZZ I J0" estra-ckan waabinf action. 1 "... I - y -f ' , '.-j"". I - I jfvl Uahter work and more lWure time lor yoo. I bi r' 1 I DSPEAfMBfury I Tow can eoont on your Maytag tor years ml y! 1 l ' " -- " I trouble-free service-exactly the kind that : . . 1 has aairDad Vfaytac ita anrUble reputation. - - 1 1 , ' ' . , 1 Tnere are many more reasons for choosing Maytag . I - j - Jr " Sl mOI,"0n W r he The Meytaa Meseer finest May. tag ever I Huge, square aluminum tub has eitra-large capacityi keeps water hot konger. Innedlale Delivery 111 HACLEAY -l tl-v H5AY FARM - j7 J i jr v- J ! 7 i f . " t X t In - j , v. 4 i ' S , i i '-' '. it for cfioosffg M$efag v 1 E-iaylag M89" 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