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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1915)
IIOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION Winter Preparation of Ground for School Garden 'SlS' tlon often gives good results for a short time, but the continual use of gypsum will do the land more harm than good. Fertilizers. Applications of commercial fertil izers, if made just before planting or during the growing season, may in crease production considerably, but they are expensive and not as a rule needed on ground well manured and plowed In the Fall. Indeed, there is little danger that too much manure will be used if it is plowed before the first of January Forty tons to the acre is a good liberal dressing, and none too much for ground previously unfertilized. It should not be left lying on lop of the ground any longer than Is absolutely necessary, since much of the best of it will be washed away by the rains. In this bulletin, which has been written for the guidance of teachers of school gardening In the public schools of Oregon and recommended to the teachers as their guide in this work by Stato School Superintendent J. A. Churchill, many other timely features of the important subject ot school gardens receive attention. Among these are the influence of gardening on the health and general welfare of the pupils, the methods ot supervision, plans and arrangement, planting directions and reports ot successful work In the Portland school gardens. Copies of this bulle tin are being sent to all the teachers in the state. Others may receive copies by writing to the OregonAgrl cultural College for them. fl A Alfalfa Is Found Not to Be a Farm Cure-All ANY farmers have been led through the excitement pro duced by alfalfa trains, and other promotion methods, to plant alfalfa when they never should have at tempted it, according to specialists of the United States Department Of Agriculture. These specialists feel that there has been an unnecessary amount of talk about alfalfa and too little actual attempt to demonstrate the limitations that exist with refer ence to growing that crop. As a result the Department, while it is helping farmers to cultivate af falfa and other leguminous plants by preparing bacterial cultures, is also cautioning Us demonstration agents to teach the farmer to grow alfalfa where it is desirable to have it taught and where there is promise of success. These demonstration agents are particularly warned not to encourage individual farmers to grow alfalfa unless the climate and other conditions and the soli of the special farm fully warrant the ex periment which Involves an invest ment for seed and cultivation, and It the crop is not successful means a waste of the land over a growing season. The question of whether al falfa will grow Is not a simple prob lem, hut Involves frequently a com plicated group of problems which, have to be considered from several different angles and by several dif ferent groups of specialists. Mere examination of the soil will not show . . what is going to happen with alfalfa. Xsie &&m e?ri.Gtrc3e.-l. ci'7hiMf&' 21s2.t&t The only way to discover whether (Special to the Farm Magazine.) that in the preparation of soli to be plied at the rate of about three- " ensivclv!!! aTexnwImcnDlot" worked by children ot scdooi age me tourtns oi a ton to me acre. Air- . - . . , . . . ; -.ll v..lJ l. - Wto- ..la-bo,! limn nv crminrl ItmnslnnB 6M IPHHin gl nentl IHllS in minQ, SHU n rinrlv Inn nf th SoiI should be PUt lnt0 8 bettef COn- BlaCked "me 0r gr"nd lllllestone then and early preparation of the .... , 4 , ,., ,nu k..nii.ni.i.ntiiifi.it tnen ana eany preparation ui me .... , . ... - 4 , ,.- .i,i,i v. .im .Hhoi.n( Imni luc" . lu "i""1" lu AVood Ashes Valuable. Only recently the Department had strongly cultural Cnllpcre Rulletin No. 176. School and Home Gardening for Ele- ef' r A,nn for th, Terown Plots "sed continuously for garden requests for 50,000 to 60,000 pounds mentary Schools In Oregon, by M. O. be don,e ln p r?f . .l. w, need not be treated with lime oftener ot alfalfa seed for distribution to "About twice as much work should be expended on it as would ordinarily .,.!. i. . author of the. bulletin Evans, Jr home garden work in Portland for the years 1913 and 1914. In this school bulletin it is declared that all ground which is to be used for gar den purposes In 1915 should receive nerson s garden, says Mr. fcvans, author of the. bulletin. "Even then youngsters will have plenty of exer cise getting It In Bhape to plant." Neutralizing Acidity. than every third or fourth year. Lime some 50,000 or 60,000 farmers. It or quicklime or hard-slacked lime is the Department had acceded to this more quickly available than ground request, It. very easily might have limestone and may be applied at the encouraged the farmers ln that time of final harrowing or raking, region to spend additional money for Acidity In soils, which is caused by Ground limestone should be applied seed when they should not have un- a liberal dressing of manure and be decay of organic matter, is likely to somewhat earlier, dertaken the culture of alfalfa at plowed before January 10. An ex- be prevalent In most Western Oregon Wood ashes are also recommended all. ceptlon of this is made In soils that soils, with the possible exception of as valuable on the garden. They Tho mere furnishing of Beed Is have been liberally fertilized and cul- parts of Jackson and Josephine Coun- should be stored dry and spread upon only the first step, because its suc- tlvated for several years. Very few ties. Unless sufficient lime Is present the soil just-before the seeds are cessful cultivation calls for special vacant lots or other grounds avail- to neutralize this acidity it will ac- planted since many of their valuable methods of soil preparation, inocula- able for school gardens have had cumulate and produce a sour condl- constituents are easily leached out. tlon, and many other matters not such treatment as would justify the tlon ot soil. Mr. Evans does not hold The soft wood ashes, while not so commonly understood by those who omission of Winter fertilization and that it is impossible to produce a valuable as those from hard wood, have had no experience with this plowing. Attention is called to the good garden on unlimed soil, but that contain considerable qualities of plant forage and cover crop, fact that a few lots of good manure as a general thing much more satis- food and lime. According to the an- Alfalfa where it can grow properly at reasonable prices can be procured factory results can be had by apply- alyses of Professor II. V. Tartar, Is undoubtedly of much value to the In probably every town In the state, ing the lime. In addition to correct- chemist of the Oregon Station, soft farmer. In regions where It Is al- The source of this supply should be ing acidity the lime sweetens the soil, wood ashes, such as are obtained ready grown the farmer can gain ascertained at once without any delay liberates plant food and aids ma- from fuel wood ordinarily used in valuable advice by consulting those at all and the fertilizer hauled on to terlally in keeping down the Insect Oregon, contain approximately 30 per who are already growing it success- the field at the earliest possible time, and disease pests which are likely to cent lime, 5 per cent potash and 2 fully. If the ground to be used is sod It Infest the garden. . per cent phosphorus. IJefore becoming a pioneer in al- should be plowed or spaded in the The condition of the scnl as to acid- Ashes are especially valuable ln falfa raising ln his district, however, Fall, since it takes several months ity may easily be determined with a lightening heavy clay soils and may the farmer would do well to consult for sod ground properly to settle. In piece of blue litmus paper, which can be used in any amount up to two tons with his state experiment station and largo plots the sod should be well cut be obtained at drug stores. A hand- an acre. If approximately the latter bo gain all possible information that up with the disc before It is plowed, ful of moist soil may be squeezed amount is used, the lime treatment will help him to make a success, or A second discing and plowing early in about the paper and permitted to tc- may be reduced or entirely dispensed else obtain information that will the Spring followed by a third disc- main in contact with it for five or six with. Land plaster, gypsum or sul- show him fully the danger of at- ing and harrowing should put the minutes. If this turns the pajrer fate of lime has no power to correct tempting to raise alfalfa and make texture of the soil In good condition pink the soil Is acid and will prob- acidity. It Is regarded rather as a clear to him exactly the risk of for the work ot the children. Espe- ably be benefited by an application soil stimulant tending to ltberate money, time and use of land he la clal attention Is called to the fact of lime. Burnt lime should be ap- potash ln the toll. A small applica- taking In attempting the experiment
