HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Oregon Agricultural College is the Friend of the Fanner
Page of News Notes and Interesting Articles Specially Written by College Experts For This Newspaper.
View of Oregon Agnculturi;! Collepe. Corvallis, Oregon, the Sola Aim of Which Is to Aid Agriculturists.
LIMING CERTAIN SOILS IN
CREASES THE BACTERIA.
THAT liming acid soils will greatly
jicrease the number of soil bacteria
that they 'contain has been defi
nitely shown in a series of experiments
Teported in Experiment Station bulle
tin No. 118, just issued by the Agri
cultural College. The experiments were
conducted by T. D. Beckwith, bacteriol
ogist, and show tho effect of lime on
six widely different types of Oregon
soils.
In general it was found that in acid
soils with a high eontent of hrmns and
other organic matter the number of
bacteria was greatly increased by lim
ing at the rate of two tons of lime per
aere-foot In soils carrying an excess of
lime and deficiency of organic matter
the number of bacteria was decreased
by liming. Soils that were neutral were
not affected by liming.
It was sIbo found that the amount of
plant food prepared by the action of
the bacteria increased with the increase
in the number of the bacteria. This,
of course, is the important point, since
the amount of available nitrogenous
plant food in the soils is the main fac
tor in the soil fertility problem.
Liming the acid soUb has been shown
by the Department of Chemistry to
sweeten them and release unavailable
plant food. It has been shown by the
Agronomy Department that liming the
compacted soils flocculates the finer
portions, makes the soil granular and
porous, and renders cultivation easier.
And now comes the Department of
Bacteriology showing that liming those
aeid soils increases the number of bac
teria, thus releasing the nitrogen eon-
tent of tho soils and making the supply
immediately available for plant food.
In the meantime, the Extension
workers have secured a bountiful sup
ply of lime, which will be delivered at
any station in the Willamette Valley
at $3 per ton.
a better pedigree than any other known
flock of pullets. Their sires were half
brothers to the world champion hen that
laid 303 eggs in ono year. Their moth
ers are half sisters to the earlier cham
pion that laid 291 eggs in a year.
Another ancestor of these pullets
made a record of 257, another of 218 and
another of 204 eggs per year. Their
grandmothers and great-grandmothers
each laid more than 200 eggs per year.
Their fathers, grandfathers and great
grandfathers were from hens that were
more than 200-egg layers. If blood tells,
these you. (; hens ought to fill the egg
basket
"They should average 400 eggs each
in the next two years, ' said Professor
Dryden, whose breeding methods pro
duced tho world's best layers. "They
were hatched a little early for securing
high egg records, about the middle of
Varch, but with good care on a two
year basis they will no doubt average
400 eggs each."
The flock will be kept in a separate
yard and their individual ricords will
be secured by trap-nesting. They will
be managed by C. M. Wilcox, an O. A.
C. graduate of this year's class, who is
manager of the poultry work at the
asylum.
POISONED BRAN MASH STOPS
GRASSHOPPERS.
fOISONED bran mash is the most
f satisfactory remedy under Central
county on the other. It goes far to as
sure close co-operation in carrying on
the work. 1
The newly appointed pathologist is a
graduate of the Utah University and
took his doctor's degree in plant path
ology at the University of Wisconsin
last June, lie is a native of Idaho and
has had extended experience in orchard
work under western conditions.
R
ffWAT.T. LAWNS FOB FARMS AND
FEW ANNUAL PLANTS.
SMALL lawns with but few annuals
is the recommondation for farms
made by Professor W. S. Brown,
extension horticulturist at the Oregon
Agricultural Collego, in addressing the
Monmouth grango recently. His subject
was farm buildings and grounds, and
the recommendation is a part of the
general plan of simplicity and tasto ad
vocated. .
"One reason for few annuals is the
fact that farmers often havo no time to
bother with them in the spring, when
they must havo attention if they are
made attractive," said ho. "But they
do not fit in so well with tho general
plan as do tho perennials and shrub
bery, which soon eoine to have a defi
nite and characteristic effect in giving
each farm Lome its distinctive features.
"Clipped lawns should be small since
small lawns require less time for their
care and are almost sure to be better
eared for than the large ones. Also,
they release more land for other pur
poses, and if it is thought best to have
a larger tract of meadow land it should
be located outside of the yard fences
where it may be mowed by horse power
as often as necessary."
Oregon conditions, . for grasshop
pers, according to Professor H. t. Wil
son, who has just returned from a sue
ceBBful campaign against grasshoppers
in Klamath county. Its materials are
cheap, easily put togother, easily ap
plied and the poison is quite effective.
The only exceptions to the success of
the treatment is with the hoppers that
are in the moulting stage and refuse to
eat much of anything.
As most successfully used in the re
cent raid, the mash was prepared as
follows: Bran, 50 wunds; pans green
or white arsenic, 2 pounds; salt, 1
pound: syrup, 1 quart; lemon extract, 1
. . i. . ii
ounee; water to mane a uioruugmy
soaked mixture.
The mixture is best applied by broad
casting, walking in tho center of a 20
or 30-foot strip and sowing both to the
right and to the left. This should be
done early in the morning, since the
bran retains the moisture longer tben
and the young hoppers on beginning to
feed eat tho poisoned bp.it greedily.
After the bran loses its moisture and
after the young insects have eaten well
of the plant food, the bran has less at
traction for the insects. It takes sev
eral hours for the pois6n to complete its
work, but within a :ay or two after it
has been eaten the grasshoppers arc
dead. Only a flako or so is required to
kill the young hopper when hungry
TEACHERS CONDUCT SURVEY.
URAL teachers can best shape
their work after making a pre
liminary survey of the school and
school conditions," said T. P. Harring
ton, state organizer of girls' and boys'
ndustrial clubs in Oregon, addressing
the summer school students at the Ag
ricultural College. Buildings, repairs
and equipments are inventoried in these
survevs, and further needs noted. But
moro important than all these, the
product of the school the number and
character of its pupils and kind of
work accomplished by them should be
noted and listed for future reference.
With a distinctive knowledge of what
the school has done and what it has
failed to uo, and of what it can and
should be made to do, the competent
teacher is able to shape his work to the
needs of the district. The teacher should
tben adopt a definite and continuous
policy whoBC aim should be the best
school possible and the best education
possible for its girls and boys. Indi
cations of the success with which this
is done are the asking of questions and
advice by tho pupils, their hearty co
operation in school work and other re
lated work, and the interest of parents
and sehool boards.
horticultural expert in the Hood River
district during the summer U inspect
the orchards and observe methods of
handling fruit. The purpose of the visit
is announced by the University ot Wis
consin Press Bulletin as follows:
"To learn what or'tjard methods are
followed by western orchardists which
might be adapted by Wisconsin fruit
men, R. F. Howard, agricultural experi
ment station, University of Wisconsin,
will this summer visit many of the fruit
farms in the Hood River Valley (Ore
gon). Many of the young men attend
ing the collego of agriculture are inter
ested in orcharding and desire informa
tion on the western plan of handling
and marketing of fruit."
TEN O. O. A. C. PULLETS SENT TO
STATE HOSPITAL.
A FLOCK of 100 pullets of tho most
famous laying strain in the world
has been sent iy the Agricultural
Collego Poultry Department to the
State Insane Asylum, to be usea partly
NEW PLANT PATHOLOGIST FOR
MEDFORD DISTR-JT,
H SPECIALIST in plant pathology,
f Dr. M. T. Henderson, University of
Wisconsin, has been appointed by
the Oregon Agricultural College as
nathologist and assistant county a'
viser of Jaekson county, with hcadquar
tors at Medford. Under the provisions
of the county farm adviser law Jackson
county maintains a county adviser co
operatively with the Extension division
of the college. This office is filled by
Professor F. C. Reimer, superintendent
of the Southern Oregon Experiment
Station at Talent
The new arrangement was secured
through co-operation between the t,x
periment Station, tho branch Station
fn rtnmnnst.rat.ion -UrDOSeS. 1 heS6 PUl
let have been bred from many gen- and tho Extension division on the one
rations of extra good layers and have hand and the county court of Jaeksou
PANAMA POULTRY SHOW BY
O. A. C. DEPARTMENT.
HE educational poultry exhibit of
tho United States Government at
the Panama-Pacifie Exposition
will be furnished by the Poultry De
partment of the Oregon Agricultural
College. "The striking results obtained
at your station indicates yor ability
to put on an excellent exhibit," writes
Dr, A. C. True, who is directing the Gov
ernment s agricultural display at the
Exposition. Tho invitation to provido
and arrange the material for this ex
hibit has been accepted by Professor
Dryden, but definjto plans for the dis
play lave not yet been decided upon.
In outlining tho general character of
the exhibit Director True suggested that
it should include research, teaching and
extension features of poultry husbandry.
This plan will bo followed by the local
poultry department in selecting and ar
ranging tho display, although the limit
ed space available makes necessary n
close concentration of exhibit mate
rial.
DRAINAGE OF CAMPUS.
RAINAGE results have proved to be
JtJF very satisfactory on the Oregon
Agricultural Collego campus. Wot
only were tne aramon areas entirely
free from surfacec water during the wet
season, but they aro less affected by
tho revere dronght of the present sum
mer. By lowering the water tablo in
the wet seasor drainage permitted bet
ter aeration and 'ess compaction, so
that capilarity is much more perfectly
performed during the summer. A wide
use of tiling draining systems is thus
i- dicatcd for farm lawns and stock
grounds.
HOWARD WILL INSPECT NORTH
WESTERN ORCHARDS.
REGON methods of orchard prac
tice havo attracted the attention
of mid-west fruit growers, and
the University of Wisconsin will have a
FEEDING FOR EGGS.
THE FOURTH edition of Professor
James Dryden 's bulletin, Feeding
for Eggs, has just been issued by the
Extension division and may be had
upon request. Each of tho thrco for
mer editions was exhausted, showing
the sustained demand for reliablo data
on tho subject of feeding poultry to se
cure a good egg supply. Tho material
of this bulletin was secured by Iho au
thor in experiments covering many-
years and has been revised to date.
From the table on composition of fooda
the ponltryman can readily determine
which food stuffs ean be bought most
profitably in the different sections of
tl a state. Feeding is regarded by lre
fesaor Dryden aa one of tho four prin
cipal factors in filling the egg basket.
TOM LAWSON, FARMER.
SCIENTIFIC farming methods appeal
i to Hon. Tom Lawson, the noted
M economist arid journalist. Ml.
Lawson, who made the Wall street mag
nates bunt tall timber, is visiting at
the farm of his son-in-law, Henry Me
oall, of Crook county, Oregon. On thia
farm a specialty is made of high class
pure-bred cattle and swine. Holste.ins
and Jerseys and many breeds of swine,
are carried as part of the farm stock.
The owner is co-operating with the Ag
ricultural College in many lines, and
finds that tho scientific methods pay
best Bacterial cultures for the legumes
has been found to be especially profitable.
HUNTING LIME SUPPLY.
LIME, so much needed in many sec
tions of the Willamette Valley to
sweeten sour soils, is the object of
special search by two county ngrieul-t-.rists,
Floyd W. Rader, of Lane
county, and Luther J. (hapin, of Ma
rion. A suitablo source of lime is be
lieved to be found in quarries near Med
ford of good quality and largo extent.
Grinding is necessary t make it fit to
apply to the field, and the two spec.al
ists hope 10 lear the exact details of
operation and cost of product, and to ax
range for tho installation of necessary
machinery Its great "alue to the farm
has been worked out by 1 rofessor H. D.
Scndder, agronomist at the Agricultural
College.
0'
GRASSHOPPER SPRAYS.
Arsenical sprays are beneficial in the
control of grasshoppers on trees, fruit
bushes and shrubby plants, according
to A. L. Lovett, assistant entomologist
at the Oregon Agricultural College. A
spray made of one and one-half to five
pounds of leaS arsenate in fifty gallon
of water may be used, depending upon
the nature of the foliage to be sprayed.
The solution should be as strong as caa
be used without injury to the plant,
since it acts rather slowly at times, The
hopper dozer and the poison brnn mash
are standard treatments when suited to
conditions. The ideal time for fight
ing this pest is early spring and in the
full.