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."