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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (June 11, 1914)
15 Caring For Cheap and Waste Products New College Bulletin Tells Plans for Establishing and Operating . By-Products Plants. Kinds of Soil for Fruit Described Theory That Trees Will Grow Anywhere Disproved by Writer of This Article. , HOME AND FARMM V" ZINE SECTION TAKING the view that it is easy to depone tf first ratts products but tliat the profit of tho fruit and vegetable business depends very largely upon a utilization of tlie second and third class products, Professors CI. Lewis and W. 8. Brown, of Oregon Agri eultural College, have issued a new col lege, bulletin tailed "Fruit and Vege table By-Products, " in which they ex plain the conditions and processes of organizing and running by product!) fac tories. The highly important questions of the amount of money necessary, the quan tity of products raised within the pro posed by-products territory, and what kinds of plants to establish, are treated intimately from the point of view of tho grower. "The question of what kind of plant should be put in cannery, vinegar works, evaporator, or jelly factory cannot be auswered off hand," says Professor Lewis. "There is undoubtedly a splen diif field for all those manufacturing plants. It would be unwise, however, to try working all our low grades into any one of these forms. If we were to at tempt to work all valuable produce into vinegar we should easily over stock the market. We must remember that there are only certain types of products that are adapted to each of the special uses. The ideal to which everv association should work is first to handle as large a percentage of the product as is feasi ble in the fresh state, to establish a van ning factory that can handle large quan tities of both vegetables and fruits, and to install an evaporator for the handling of all classce. Finally the vinegar works should be added. In other words we should aim to have a plant so organized that nothing would- go to waste, each plant supplementing the others." As an example of this method it is shown now peelings and tores from the cannery could be used in vinegar worka, or if more profitable, how the peelings could bo driex. to excellent advantage and later worked into jams and jellies. By a combination of plants losses in all lines would be reduced to a mininimn. Because the success of the associa tion for hanuJing these products would depend very largely ujion the character of the contract entered into by the growers this question is treated quite fully in the new bulletin and sample contracts are presented in the appendix Methods of organization are also treated quite fully, sc that the bulletin is of the greatest practical value to all producers who must face the profit and loss situa tion in their industry. . Those desiring copies may secure them by writing to K. 1). Hetzel, Director, Corvallis, Oregon, for Kxtcnsion Series 2, No. 21. Guard Against Hog Cholera Advised Methods of Handling Dread Swine Disease Are Told by 0. A. C. Veterinarian, Dr. B. T. Simms. ; HKi cholera has not as yet gained n strong foot hold in' Oregon, and by obsorviug a few easily-followed rules the dread seourags may be held at a distance. Inquiries have reached the office of the Oregon Agricultural Col lege veterinarian indicating that swine growers are face to face with the prob lem in some sections of the state. While these inquiries have been an swered locully, Dr. H. T. Sinnns, assist ant professor of Veterinary Science, wishes to have'all growers throughout the state on their guurd against the in troduction and spread of the disease. "To handle the disease successfully, " says Dr. Simms, "one must know some thing of its cause nnd the common meth ods of spread. "Hog cholera is caused by a micro scopic germ that is present in the blood, flesh and droppings of hogs that are suf fering with the disease. Some hogs, even after recovery, continue to pass germs in their droppings. These, hogs spread the disease-just: as human car riers spread typhoid- ' "Under ordinary lot conditions tb germs will die out in four "months. On the other hand they ..will-resist the or dinnry methods employed in curing meat in the big packing houses." Extensive experiments have proven that the disease is not usually trans mitted through the air. Among the more common methods of spread are the following: Contact with cholera hogs, humans who have been in contact with cholera hogs, dogs, buzzards, etc, that have fed on diseased hogs' carcasses, stock cars infected with cholera germs, infected water, infected swill, slop and garbage containing bacon rinds or bones of diseased hogs.. By care in guarding against contami nation from these sources individual growers and the entire state may keep, the disease away from Oregon hogs, ; BY C. I. LEWIS. THE opinion is quite prevalent that fruit trees will gTOW and flourish in almost any kind of soil. "This theory however, appears to be wrong, for frnit trees, to put forth tbeir best efforts, require a soil of good quality, as much so as do the smaller crops, sueh as graius, corn, potatoes, etc. Where such crops thrive, some fruits are found to do equally well. Good soils vary in many particulars, but they snouia oe fertile: that is, contain the necessary elements for plant growth. The soil should be deep and mellow if best re sults are desired. Depth is indeed a very important factor in successful fruit growing, beeausc the root systems of the trees require plenty of room for good development. Young trees will thrive for a time on shallow roils, but sooner or later they will become unprofitable, as it is impossible for them .to obtain the maximum development in such soils. The question is sometimes asked: "What is meant by good soil!" From the chemical point of view, we would make the following classification: Poor soils contain about .15 per cent of pot ash, .03 per cent phosphoric acid, .2 per cent lime, .05 per cent nitrogen. Pro ductive soils: .25 per cent potash, .1 per cent phosphoric acid, .5 per cent Jime, .1 per cent nitrogen. Excellent soils: ,3o per cent potash, .25 per cent phosphoric acid, 1.0 per cent lime, .2 per cent ni trogen. . . . ' it . : Best Soil Discussed. ' ' From the physical point of view, itiis harder to say what constitutes the best soil, but tlfere are. certain properties that we find desirable. " First, it should be deep, the deeper the better. It .should contain enough sand and gravel to allow one to till it easily. It should have good drainage. It should contain enough clay to make, it a good moisture and plant food retainer, and should contain at least 2 per cent humus. ';-...- Z Nitrogen is an element whieh leaejies very easily from the soil, and this ex plains to a large degree the small per centage found in some soils. Each grow er must, to a certain degree, stHdy his own soil from a chemical standpoint by experimenting on a small scale with commercial fertilizers, cover crops, etc. The fact that a soil rune deficient in a certain element, after all, is not a very, great drawback, as it is comparatively; easy, in the majority of cases, to supply toe lacking element; but the physical condition of the soil is indeed very im portant, aj it is hard to change it ma terially. While a heavy soil can be mads lighter by the addition of humus and eareful methods of handling, and a light soil made more compact by the addition of humus, aside from this, the physical condition cannot be changed. Where ir rigation is practiced, by growing eover crops and supplying artificial moisture, many commonly supposed poor soil can be made to give good returns. Good Cultivation Needed. To no small degree, the success of- or charding depends upon good cultivation and proper handling of the soil. To have healthy plant growth a eertain amount of oxygen must be in the soil. This oxy gen is formed in the air. Again, good preparation should deepen the soil, in creasing the feeding surface, all the more encouraging roots to strike deeply and bringing the moisture up from the water table. By having the soil particles small the water is enabled to rise., Thus, in the feeding area of the soil we have set more plant food free, and we also have plenty of moisture. These two points arc very essential, as the only way plant food can enter the roots, is in the form of a solution. Water must be present. This solution entering the roots rises to the leaves, where the food is retained for future use and the water is given off. The more moisture that enters the plant, the more food is de posited.' . In summer our object is to pulverize, two or three inches, on the surface, as finely as -possible to prevent the mois ture, from evaporating from the soil. , The nearer we bring the top soil to the condition of road dust the, better-will be our results. The fine soil prevents the water from passing through it. If we stopped' with the spring cultivation,., tho soil, after , each rain, .would bake the crust, and it would crack open, let ting out the moisture. Summer culti vation also keeps down the weeds, and this is well worth while, as weeds pump out an enormous amount of water from the soil. ' Winter Plowing is Now Favored THERE is a diversity of opinion as to the advisability of plowing in the winter time. It is generally conceded, however, that sod lands should be plowed in the winter season. The freezing md thaw ing of the soil puts it in much better condition than it can be put by the plow and harrow after the spring has opened. Winter plowing also destroys many insects that would damage crops if they were allowed to live. There will be much more moisture laid up in the soil and saved for the use of the growing crop the next year if the plowing is done during the win ter season than there would be if it wore left until spring. The capillary connection with the Subsoil will have time to be renewed if tho plowing is done early. This is an important item that is not often considered. I havo made a practice for several years of getting as nearly all of my sod land as I can turned before it quits freezing. Lebanon, Oregon, citisens have decided to bold, on June and 6, tho strawberry fair Which has become an annual festive event. "Thene are some times in Josephine County," says the Grant's Pass, Oregon, Cour ier, "with the railroad bond ease finally determined in favor, of the city, irritation seemingly taking definito shape, the mines re suming a volume of wealth and the Aimed Uburiing $20,000 to its creditors," Final Plans For Cold Storage. The Yakima Valley Fruit. Growers' Association has completed arrangements for the construction of a 500-carload capacity cold storage plant at Zillah, Wash. The plant will coBt about $75,000 and will be owned by a corporation, all of the stock being held by members of the frnit growers' association. The plans call for a building 140 by 140 feet, three stories in height and with a basement for the storage of ice. Work will be commenced immediately. Pine Manufacturers Show Gain. According to figures submitted to the quarterly meeting of the Western Tine Manufacturers' Association by Secre tary Cooper, tho lumber shipments from the mills of the association during the first three months of 1914 totaled 214, 000,000 feet, an increaso of 10j000,0O0 feet over the same period last year. Creamery Now Being Enlarged. The Oak Harbor, Wash., Co-operative Creamery Co. has enlarged its plant by providing an office room, cold storage room and salt room. If patronage in creases as it has in the past few months, the churning capacity will have to be increased. The splendid quality of Oak Harbor butter is rapidly becoming known in all of the larger cities, and tho company has discovered the advan tage of dealing direct with the mer chant instead of allowing the butter to pass through the hands of the commis sion men. Hie stringent requirement of the forit service that all sheep be dipped before (al tering the national forests has prataoslry eradicated seabies en those areas, Farmers To Convene at St. Joseph r 0ER a year ago the largest attend ance of farmers at an agricultural . - convention took place at the first Interstate Agricultural and Industrial Congress in St. Joseph, Mo., when 3,665 farmers registered. The second meet ing of this eongress is announced for December 9, 10, 11 and 12, 1914, in the Auditorium at St. Joseph. This congress, according to the plans which are beginning to take shape, will be even better than th last, as it will profit by the experience of the other, and arrangements will be made for the educational addresses to reach those who are most directly' interested in them. Provisions will be made also for the exhibiting of appliances in which farmers and their families are interest ed. It is expected that one of the exhibit features will be a herd of ten cows to be cared for and milked under the supervision of United States dairy of ficials, and a daily record posted in front of each cow, . the feed being Arrangements are being perfected for displays by the state agricultural col leges of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa. W. C. iJrown, president of the New York Central railway and one of tho foremost men in the United States in the advocation of better farming, will act as permanent chairman of the con gress. The executive committee is B. M. Bacheller, F. W. Faurot, E. L. Piatt, II. W. Sandusky, S. 8. Connett, 0. M. Betts and E. E. Slater, Sheep require abont the same pas t ur age acreage, Wei ghl for weight, as do cattle; sheep Urive a a aiwftsr bit Eggs For Hatching Should Be Fresh ALL EGGS" intended for hatching ' purposes, "whether under hens' or in incubators, should be as fresh as possible when set. These ee-irs should be from sound, vigorous, healthy breed ing stock only. Choose medium-sized eggs that are well formed and that have Bmootb, normal appearing shells. Thin or rough shelled eggs should not be set, neither should egjs be used on which there are anv little warty-like? excrecences of lime, as these will be sure to ehip off in turniug and leave holes in the egg shell which will nre- veot further development of the em bryo, hggs intended for hatching should be kept in a cool. drv. clean place and Bhould not be turned while oeing so Kept, me temperature of the room in. which they are kept should not fall below 40 decrees or so above 00 degrees F. Prolonged exposure of egg9 to a temperature ot vu degrees or above will injure the vitality of the germ and be almost certain to result in dead germs or fully-formed chicks dead in tne shell. Flies Are Dodging Eugene. "It is after tho middle of May and I can find scarcely a fly in Eugene," said Dr. F. W. Comings, city health officer, who has taken consistent part in the Eugene, Oregon, anti-fly campaign. "The campaign has mado Eugene almost wholly clean from a sanitary point of view." The special poliee officer appointed to see that sanitary ordinances were en forced says a city-wide sentiment favor able to cleaning up fly-breeding places has been developed. Dr. Comings hopes to see Us sity assrlj fljlss this must