Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1914)
HOME AND -FARM MAGAZINE SECTION 15 Rape Successfully Grown in Oregon Dr. James B. Withycombe Tells How Plant Was Brought From Englmd In 1871. . Climate and Soil For Sugar Beets Conditions In the Northwest Far Superior to Those in Any Other Section. BY JAMES WITHYCOMBE. nAPE has been grown in Oregon for the past 30 years. Seed of the Dwarf Essex variety was brought here from England in 1871 by Thomas Withycombe, and the plant flourished from the start as the climatic onditions were suitable to its growth. Notwithstanding the practical demon stration of the value of the plant for bout 20 years in the locality in which it was first introduced, it did not at tain its popularity and prominence as a forage crop until within the past five r 10 years. There are three general methods em ployed in the growing of rape in West ern Oregon. For early summer feed, either for pasturing or for soiling, the teed is sown in drills about 2 to 3 feet apart early in the spring on well prepared ground. One and one-half pounds of seed per acre ire usually Sown, and as soon as the plants are well up they are cultivated with a sin gle or two horse cultivator. This opera tion is repeated about once a week dur ing the growing season. ' This diligent system of cultivating conserves moisture and insures a luxuiV aut and continuous growth. A good fall pasture is frequently secured by sowing from two to three pounds of rape seed per acre with the spring seedling of oats. The seed germinates and makes rather a vigorous growth at first, but as the season advances and the soii moisture grows less the plant withers and assumes an almost lifeless form. With the first fall rains, however, the Learn To Become An Expert Driver BY CLUTOBD E. DAVIS. EARN to become an expert driver, tm The experienced driver knows that the whip is the wrong thing to depend upon in a tight place, and the use of it invites disaster. In order to come through close shaves the driver must have the love and confidence of his team, and this can only be won by Kinoness, I have known men fiat claimed to be expert drivers in the woods who made a gTeat hullabaloo, cracking whips and yelling, and munaged to avoid acci dents, but put them out on a big road and they couldn't drive at all. I saw one driver who was noted as the "best driver who ever hauled bark." He had on a big load of bark and ?.ad to pull against a hillside sidewise, then make a sharp turn down a steep hill. A pine tree stood close to one fore wheel, and au oak close to the opposite hind wheel if he went on. I told J m, "You are going to strip every bit of your load off, for the wagon will slide." He did not use any whip, eyed the situation carefully, and then spoke softly to the team. Well, sir, he made the turn and came around safely, and the edge of the load merely brushed one of the trees. That is what an expert can do. To an expert driver the city jam has no terrors, but the ignorant, eareless, or ruttled driver is a terror to 811 team sters, just as a drunken engineer is a menace to all trainmen before and be hind him. Growing Legumes. When legumes,' such as clovers, al falfa, peas, beans, etc., are well sup plied with the necessary moisture, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other necessary elements, they are able to grow on soils extremely low in or ganic matter and by their growth and when turned uuder, are able to add to the vegetable matter of the soil and by leaving a supply of nitrogen they fit the soil for the growth of other crops not supplied by nature with this special method of securing their nitro gen. The growing of legumes, there fore, is the starting point in the im provement of windy soils and is the most important practice in the main tenance of their fertility. "The first steamboat to come up to Mc Ulnnville, Oro-on, for three yoars,1' says the JiewsKoporter, "was tho iCty of Eugene, Which landed here Wednesday with a bargo ktoded with grnvel to be used in the iuproTt saenti of the city street. plant takes on new life, as it were, and in a snort period makes an excellent pasture. Tor this system the land should be comparatively rich and in good physical condition. , Perhaps the most popularand gen eral method of growing rape in Oregon is broadcast seediue about the first of Juue. The land is usually -'lowed and worked 'down ii, the spring as soon as it is in condition, then allowed to lie until about the first of June, when from two to three pouuds uf Tape seed per acre are sown broadcast. The seed is covered with a cultivator or disk harrow, after which the land is worked down fine. Rape sown in this manner manes a luxuriant pasture about the first of August, when it ill carry from five to ten sheen per acre for" the greater part of the fall. A popular method with many pro gressive agriculturists is to sow clover and rape iogethcr about the middle of May. They invariably secure a good stand -of clover, and the two make a very satisfactory hoe and sheeD nasture through the autumn and early winter. Rape is sometimes sown on com ground just preceding the last cultiva tion, and with timely raits the rapj win rurnisn a great deal of pasture after the corn is harvested. The winters in Western Oregon are rarely severe enough to kill the plant; hencs fie opportunities here ae excep tionally favorable for growing npe seed. A yield of 1.0U0 pounds of seed per acr is nt unusual. Suggestions For BY MBS. B. FB-TJTPHEY. A 8 THE BTnmcr season, with its at tendant lingerie dresses. aud other tub froeks, is dnrwingifliOHi, per haps some ways of retrieving stains will prove helpful, for 1hovi went to a picnie or other outing. without getting her dress stained. '? . ;;".. . ' Wo all know grass detain is one of the hardest to remove, bat if vou will f'rst wet the sprtt .with cold wa.cr, then cover with cream of tartar and put in the sun you will he .pleased with the result. Use-alcohol goods that cannot be washed.1' ;&;' For iron rust, s cover -with lemon juice and salt, and mi $be sun. . Or make a paste of -cream? ef -(tartar and water and put in the sun. '; For mildew, wet jn strorigiuds, cover with paste made of salt -aud soap and put in the sun. Or the damaged gar ment may be put to sotk for several hours in a weak solution of chloride of lime. ' . Bub Out -Boot Spots. Soot spots should be carefully nibbed with dry corn meal before : wushiug. for the various fruit stains place the stained part over a vessel And pour boiling water througli. If the staiu is fresh this will do the work effectually, but if the garment has been washed with the stain, in, it will have to.be I soaked in a weak solution of oxalic acid. For coffee stains use the same meth od as for fresh fruit stains. For tea, soak first in cold, then in boiling water, then spread out while still damp and anoint the spots with glycerine, let stand for several hours, then wash with cold water and soap. hot chocolate stains, wash in cold Wider Use of Silage is Advised Dr. James B. Withycomhe Addresses Association of Dairymen on Construction and Type. THINK DAIHDYMEN should use moro ensilage hero in Ore gon," said Dr. Withycombe, un til recently director of the Oregon sta tion, in addressing an association of dairymen, "Our climate is moist in winter and dairy cows should not be made to stand out in the storms. Yet they should have their forage feed, and you will find the silo an economical means of supplying it. BY C. S. KNIGHT. f" XPERIENCE has shown that the sugar beet reaches its highest development m the north tern perate latitudes. Although the condi tions of temperature must bo taken into consideration in selecting localities for the growing of sugar beets, yet in addition to the thermal conditions must also be studied those of rainfall or water supply. The sugar beet requires a certain amount of moisture in oraer to produce its normal crop. This vater may be supplied by precipkation in the usual way, by irrigation, or else the soil must be of that particular quality which will, allow subterranean moisture o reach the roots of the plants. The porous and sandy soils adjacent to Avers some times furnish a sufficient amount of subterranean moisture to produce good crop in connection with the rain fall In general, beets require four or five months of growing weather for their successful production. In the West, where the moisture is applied by irri gation, the crop may be harvested at a certain stage, thus making the condi tions ideal. In the Eastern sections of the country, where the mofctur. is ap plied by rainfall a second growth may occur after maturity, caused by r.ai,n, which greatly reduces the sugar con tent of the beet. The sugar beet does Temarkably well at high elevations iron the fact that it is injured very little by froBt and hail stores unless they are too Severe Removing Stains water, afterwards pour boiling water through. If by chance you get machine oil on a garment while making, cover with lard and wash with soap and cold water, Finish with hot wtaer and soap. The same method may be used for axel grease. For Hood stains, soak in cold water and salt. Then use soap and water, or a paste mado of starch aud water. . ; tcorched Garment. Occasionally a garment gets scorched while being ironed. Of course if the scorch is bad, there is no help for it, but if only a slight one, dampen the spot slightly, rub with soap, and put in the sun. Sometimes when getting out our sum mer underwear and other white gar ments we find them yellowed. The best remedy for this is to soak them in buttermilk for a few days, wash in cold water and launder as usual. A quicker bleach is chloride of lime. Make a weak solution and soak gar ments for a half an hour before wash- An excellent bleaching fluid called javello water is made as follows: One pound sal soda, one-fourth pound chloride of lime and two quarts of cold water. Mix, let stand several hours, drain and bottle. Keep in a cool, dark place. Wet stains with soft cloth, or dip garment and rinso well with cold water, Repeat if necessary aud wash at last in a weak solution of ammonia water. Launder as usual. Faded luwns, dimities or other thin goods which in their present conditions are not presentable, may be bleached by some of these methods, aud finish out their days of usefulness as pure white rarinents. "As to silo construction, I would recommend tho stave type where lum ber is plentiful and cheap. It will prove satisfactory and cost much less, under these conditions. "The silo should be buil high but not too large arouud. If too much sur face of the ensilago is exposed it will spoil. The most satisfactory size does not exceed 10 feet in diameter, but for cowa it niayi be 12 feet. For more than or too early. Profitabii crops of sugar beets are, however, seldom produced above the elevation of 5,000 feet. Probably the best soil for sugar beets is a good, deep, clayey loam with sufficient sard cr silt to allow its be ing easily pulverized. Since the sugar beet is deep rootod it necessarily re quires a deep soil. The low, wet soils are poorly adapted to this crop, as -they are wet and prevent any rapid develop ment in tho early stages of growth, and the later growth continues beyond the time of maturity. Such soils produce a water beet of low quJity, resulting' in a low sugar content. Soils which have a hard-pan formation within 18 i ches of the surface should never be used for beets since they greatly interfere with root growth, and also have a tendency to lose moisture. Stony and gravely soils should L avoided, since they are incapable of holding water, and stony soils prevent the proper development in form of roots, which is essential for the high est quality of beets. Sandy soils which have a tendency to blow should never be need, as the young plants are fre quently destroyed by strong winds. The sugar beet requires a deep, mellow soil quite rich in available plant food aud free from weed growth. To -quench the thirst of the Eugene, Ore gon, Cof'ee Club,, patrons during the past 11 months more than 2,240 pounds of coffee have ' been used, and this reduced to liquid form has made 123,000 cups of the .steam ing brew. And this is but one of the many staples in the club's bill of fare. Common Sense Main Farming Need THERE is nothing mysterious about farming. Followed on the samo lines that would hi allotted to any other business it is practically sure meeting with success. Using good com mou sense is about the greatest Secret, The farmer who is muking a suc cess is a practical man. He has few theories to work out. He has learned what to do and how to do it. He reaps profit where men less practical find disappointment if not disaster. It is well to bo an enthusiastic farmer. An institute lecturer, some years ago, said: "1 believe farming, when con ducted with the same skill, economy aud enterprise which characterizes most other fields of industry, affords ample rem inevation, that it leads to a better physical development than almost any other vocation in life; that it, lessons and surroundings promote a higlicr moral and spiritual development than auy other calling, and, therefore, it pays." There is nothing more important to successful fanning thnr. a judicious ap plication of . time and an intelligent rotation of crops. Another important matter is the di vision of time. T1k man who wtiks from 15 to 38 hours a day is generally a man who is behind with his business. There js just as much need of good, soun 1 judgihcnt in farming as in any other .vocation. To use muscle inste ad of brains is but to court failure. Ten hours is sufficient for any man to work in one day, "u. d if the work is symtem atically a.rauged, it is surprising low much can be accomplished in that time. Furmers muct have more system iu their work. They must lie closer road era. 20 cows it is better to build another silo than to incur the risk of increas ing the diameter. It is cheaper as well as safer. "Oregon has many plants which will fill the silo profitably. Clover is a standard silage plant and makes a splendid product. Should it develop au odor, let it get a trifle ripe, passing the stage fir good hay. Don't cut it too soon, "Corn is an ideal silo filler, and may be grown for silage in many parts of Oregon. It must be well matured or the ensilage gets too sour. "But if you cannot grow corn suc cessfully never mind about it; there are other plant which will fill the tilo profitably."
