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THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1915
Published weekly by the extension
division of the Oregon Agricultural
College. R. D. Hetzel, director.
Exchange copies and communica­
tions should be addressed to'Editor of
Press Bulletins, 116 Agricultural Hall,
O. A. C.. Corvallis, Ore.
The Press Bulletin aims to keep
the state press informed in all mat­
ters o f interest and value related
to the work of the Oregon Agricul­
tural College. Editors are respect­
fully requested to publish for the
benefit of their readers such items as
they think seasonable and suited to
local use.
E X T E N SIO N
OREGON D A IR Y M E N P L A N
IN D IV ID U A L COW TE STIN G
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor­
vallis, Aug. 2.— A good many dairy­
men o f Oregon who are operating in
parts o f the state not yet developed
in this industry are planning to carry
on cow testing individually with the
aid of the public schools. This is in'
line with the policy advocated by Pro­
fessor E. B. Fitts, Extension Dairy­
man o f the Agricultural College, who
has just returned from a successful
tour through dairy districts o f this
kind.
“ My suggestion to these dairymen,”
says Professor Fitts, “ was that they
should join cow-testing associations
as soon as the number o f cows suf­
ficient for organization are secured in
their locality, but in the meantime not
to wait fo r organizing before begin­
ning the work o f testing. These dairy­
men were shown how they could get
a pair of scales and suitable record
blanks and weigh the milk o f each
cow at each milking and record the
result. In this way, a comparatively
exact record o f production will be
made.
“ As to testing fo r percentage of but­
ter fat, it is suggested that a Bab­
cock tester be secured by the local
school and that testing be done by
students under the direction o f the
teachers or other qualified persons. In
this way, the butter fat content of
the milk can be secured at a small
cost and when this is compared with
production records,
each dairyman
will know just what his cows are do­
ing. They were also advised in this
connection that unless the cow gives
at least 200 pounds o f butter fa t per
year she should be eliminated from
the herd and her place filled by a more
profitable animal.
“ With 200-pound cows dairying
should be profitable in the sections
visited. Cows can be kept on pasture
for six months o f the year at a cost
o f $3 for the entire time. For the
remaining six months, two tons of
hay at $10 a ton and a half ton of
grain at $30 per ton will keep the ani­
mals in good milking condition. Thus
the cost o f keeping the cow for one
year averages about $38. I f she pro­
duces 200 pounds o f butter fa t at 25c
a pound she is making a fair profit for
her owner when the value o f her milk
on the farm and her fertilizing value
are considered.
“ Women, as well as men, are deep­
ly interested in this phase o f the busi­
ness and some o f them assured me
that they would keep a record o f pro­
duction and if possible secure butter-
fat tests on the product o f each cow
during the coming year.”
POULTRY
N E W C OLLEGE B U L L E T IN
ON BREEDS OF CH IC KEN S
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor­
vallis, Aug. 2.— A new bulletin, Breed­
ing o f Chickens, has been added to the
reading course numbers as issued by
the Poultry department o f O. A. C.,
written by Professor James Dryden,
head o f that department. In this num­
ber o f the series the methods by which
the Oregon Agricultural College Poul­
try department has been able to ob­
tain such satisfactory results in de­
veloping egg-laying qualities o f chick­
ens is explained as fully as is con­
sistent with the character o f the pub­
lication. The information is conveyed
in a pleasing readable style, well
adapted to general reading work and
at the same time entirely plain in di­
rections fo r those who desire to make
a practical application o f its princi­
ples. The following paragraph will
give an indication o f the character
o f the contents and the style in which
the bulletin is written:
“ This reading-course will have to
do with fowls. I f you choose to call
them chickens, no harm will be done.
Fowls are chickens if you don’t spell
it with a “ u.” One hen doesn’t amount
to a great deal, but all the hens in the
United States produce so many eggs
and so much poultry each year that
the money value of the wheat crop
last year was less than the value o f
the products o f the hens. These pro­
ducts— eggs and poultry— were esti­
mated
by
government officials as
worth over $600,000,000 in 1908. Think
o f that! Then think o f this: the poul­
try products o f Oregon last year were
worth enough to pay all the appro­
priations made by the last legislature
fo r two years. And yet large quanti­
ties o f eggs and poultry are imported
into the state. Double the quantity
could be produced in this state with­
out overstocking the markets.”
COLLEGE NEW S
O. A. C. S C IE N T IS T S IN D E M AN D
The following scientists o f O. A. C.
have gone to San Francisco to attend
the meeting o f the American Associ­
ation for the Advancement o f Science,
August 2 to 7: Professor A. L. Peck,
landscape specialist; E. J. Kraus, asst,
in horticulture; H. S. Jackson, head of
Plant Pathology department; H. F.
Wilson, entomologist; Geo. F. Sikes,
professor o f Zoology; H. P. Barss,
plant pathologist; W. M. Atwood and
W. E. Lawrence, botanists; J. R. W in­
ston, pathologist; Leroy Childs, asst,
entomologist.
Most o f the members o f this group
will present scientific papers before
the societies affiliated with the main
association, Professors Jackson and
Barss appearing before the Phyto-
pathological, Winston and Childs be­
fore the Pacific
Biological society.
Professor Wilson will present papers
before several o f these societies.
FARM
D E M O N S T R A T IO N S
C HEESE T E S T OF COWS
A test to see which is the better
cheese breed, Jerseys or Holsteins,
was conducted by Tillamook County
dairymen assisted by R. C. Jones,
county agriculturist. The test showed
no difference, the average cow o f each
breed yielding 3.3 pounds. Mr. Jones
states that the test adds nothing new
to the knowledge o f this subject.
S T A T E L E A D E R OF F A R M
D E M O N S TR ATIO N RESIGNS
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor­
vallis, Aug. 2.— Professor H. T.
French, State Leader o f Farm Demon­
stration work has resigned his posi­
tion in the Oregon Agricultural Col­
lege staff and accepted the appoint­
ment as director o f extension and
leader o f county agricultural agents
at the Colorado Agricultural College,
his resignation to take effect Septem­
ber 1, 1915.
For a little more than a year Pro­
fessor French has held his present
position in the Oregon institution and
during this time has seen the county
agricultural advisor movement grow
from a small beginning until there
are now thirteen county agents, rep­
resenting twelve counties with an area
of more than one-half the area o f the
entire state. He says that he regrets
leaving this field, which seems so
much like home to him, but that be­
cause o f wider opportunities offered
in the new field, ne feels it to be his
duty to accept the new work.
Funds for carrying on his lines of
work in Colorado have been provided
by the legislature fo r a seven-year
period, beginning this fall. For the
first year $50,000 will be available for
this work alone and this sum will be
increased from year to year according
to the Smith-Lever plan until at the
end o f the seven-year period it will
amount to about $80,000. Professor
French will also have an assistant in
each o f the two departments o f his
administration.
ENTOM OLOGY
NEW TREE ENEM Y APPE A R S
The most serious pest o f the elm
tree, the elm leaf beetle, has made its
appearance in Oregon, having been
twice reported from Multnomah Coun­
ty. Professor Wilson says that in
New York this forest and street tree
pest causes more damage than any
other. The larva o f the beetle has
a black stripe down the center o f the
back with a yellow stripe on either
side. It is recommended that a speci­
men o f all insects found feeding on
elm leaves should be sent to the A g ­
ricultural College fo r identification
and control o f the pest.
D A IR Y
MORE TE S T IN G A S S O C IA T IO N S
Two more cow-testing associations
have been added to the list o f Oregon
dairy clubs, reports W. A. Barr, O. A.
C. and Federal field dairy specialist.
One of the new
associations was
formed at Monmouth, Polk County,
and the other in the neighborhood of
Carleton and McMinnville, Yamhill
County. These make a total o f four­
teen cow-testing associations in Ore­
gon. Some o f the Eastern states have
a larger number o f associations, ac­
cording to Professor Barr, but the as­
sociations are formed with few er
cows than in Oregon clubs, some o f
them having not more than 300. In
Oregon the number o f cows to the as­
sociation runs from 500 to 800, so that
it is quite likely that there are now
more cows under test in Oregon than
in any other state o f the Union.
M IS C E L L A N E O U S
POOR Q U A L IT Y PRODUCT
STOPS B U T TE R E XPO RTS
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor­
vallis, Aug. 2.-—The bad effects o f
handling a poor grade o f cream and
manufacturing inferior butter are
shown in the decline in butter-fat
prices which was in turn induced by
stopping butter exports from the Pa­
cific Northwest especially to certain
o f the English colonies, reports the
Oregon Journal. Market reports state
that the export demand fo r butter has
entirely subsided. Former advances
in prices had been due to indications
that trade export demands would con­
tinue strong and furnish an outlet
for surplus products and would steady
the market. This indication did not
materialize, due to the fact that the
poor quality of the product put an
end to the foreign demand. In refer­
ence to this matter the report states:
“ There is no doubt that the “ rotten”
deal that the Pacific coast creamery
interests gave the foreign butter buy­
ers recently, has killed the export de­
mand for butter so fa r as the English
colonies are concerned. Some of the
butter which went forward from the
coast was reported as rank when it
was shipped, therefore its condition
upon arrival in New Zealand can safe­
ly be imagined, i f New Zealand ever
enters the Pacific coast butter markets
fo r its requirements such action will
be a big surprise to the trade.”
M E R C H AN TS E ND O RSE M A R K E T
The public market to be established
at Eugene, Oregon, will have the sup­
port not merely ot the producers and
consumer o f that city and vicinity but
likewise of the Commercial Club and
tne merchants Credit Association,
says K. B. Coglan, county agricultur­
ist ot Lane County, who is cooper­
ating in the movement. Mr. Coglan
tnuiks that this is highly commend­
able and shows a broad business view
as well as fa r sighted business
acumen. ’1 he primary aim of the pub­
lic market is to afford selling booths
in which farmers and gardeners can
come and sell their produce directly
to consumers in the city, but another
important purpose is to provide means
of cooperative
marketing by ship­
ments.
this cooperative spirit has
leu to great success in the cannery
operations and it is the belief o f Mr.
coglan that it will be a powerful fac­
tor of success in the market enter­
prise.
OREGON F A R M M ETHODS
M A D E M A T T E R OF RECORD
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor­
vallis, Aug. 2 .— Farmers can con­
tribute much to the development of
improved agriculture by making rec­
ords o f their most successful farm
operations.
It is altogether likely
that i f all farm practices in Oregon
were as good as the best that has
been developed by some farmer, the
general level o f agriculture would be
materially raised. By making a de­
tailed record o f the various steps by
which the result was secured the
farmer would be able to repeat and
also to help others. The facts o f the
record could be published in the home
newspaper and if general interest in
agricultural papers and the A gricul­
tural College Press Bulletins.
This thought was made vivid by
examining a six-year record o f experi­
ments on the Umatilla Experiment
Farm. “ This report, ” explained P ro­
fessor C. I. Lewis, “ was prepared by
R. W. Allen, superintendent o f the
farm. It makes use o f the loose leaf
system so that records are progres­
sive by inserting a new leaf descrip­
tive o f each additidTT to the experi­
ment. When the experiments are com­
pleted there is an accurate and de­
tailed record o f each step with no
other matter mixed in with it.
A
glance will show whether the results
were good, and i f they were it is
easy to repeat them. I f not, they may
be thrown away.”
O f course this is more elaborate
record-making than is adapted to the
farm er’s use, but an account o f the
main steps, such as plowing, fe rtiliz­
ing, preparing seed bed, culture, har­
vesting and marketing or storing and
using, would not require much work
and would in many cases afford a
veritable mine o f valuable informa­
tion.
Farmers o f Southern Lane
County are invited to send in stories
o f success to the Cotage Grove Senti­
nel, which will give them wide publi­
city in that part o f the state. Doubt­
less other papers would also give
space to stones o f success and how
it was achieved, since the general wel­
fare o f an agricultural community de­
pends largely upon the progress o f
agriculture.