HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
The Agricultural College
VIEW OP OREGON
Poisonous Plants Are
Numerous in Northwest
(Special.)
SOMEWHAT contrary to the gen
eral belief poisonous plants are
fairly numerous In the Northwest.
One hundred and thirty-three differ
ent specimens, poisonous or under
grave suspicion, have been listed by
the Oregon Agricultural College bot
any and plant pathology department.
The long list of plants regarded as
poisonous at some time of year or
other and to some form of animal
life, includes bacteria, fungi, ferns,
and both monocotyledinous and di
coyledinous plants. Some are grasses,
some generally regarded as weeds,
some are shrubs and some water
plants. The reasons for their poison
ous actions, as related to their meth
ods of growth and other vital proc
esses, are described by Mr. Lawrence
as follows:
Among the several differences be
tween plants and animals, the ability
to manufacture organic food from
inorganic food materials is perhaps
the most important. Upon this one
physiological process depends the life
of all plants and animals. This is
the chief characteristic of the com
monly cultivated plants.
Plant Poisons.
Another important difference lies
in the retention of the by-products
of plant metabolism. The construc
tion of plant food and its incorpora
tion into the protoplasm are both
building-up processes, in which there
is a storing of energy chiefly obtained
from the sun. These up-building
processes are followed by the partial
or complete release of the energy
thus Btored. If the release of energy
Is only partial, Intermediate decom
position products will be formed, such
as tissues, temporary food substances
and permanent by-products. To the
latter class belong most of the medi
cinal substances, perfumes, flavors,
spices and poisonous substances,
formed in plants.
Plant poisons may be grouped as
those affecting the skin by contact,
causing chemical and mechanical irri
tation; digestion and urinary organs;
and the blood and nervous systems of
animals.
Virulent Stages,
A few of the more important poi
sonous plants found In this region
are the water hemlock (Clcuta), and
larkspur (Delphinium). These are
perhaps the most serious on account
of causing a rapid death. Other ones
are loco (Astragalus), digitalis and
lobelia (the latter when found in
hay). In general, stock do not eat
poisonous plants when plenty of good
grass or other edible plants are at
band. If animals are hungry they
may eat almost anything, not making
any distinction between poisonous
and nonpoisonous plants. It Is at
the time when such plants as lobelia
and fern are found In the hay that
poisoning Is most likely to occur.
It is perhaps only just to emphasize
that many plants are poisonous only
in certain seasons at certain stages
of their development or in certain
conditions (as wilted, mouldy or
frozen plants after thawing). Gen
erally the poison is found only in
ceratn parts of plants, as tuber, leaf,
seed or fruit The deadly poison of
the Clcutas is found chiefly in the
root; in the leaves of the larkspur;
in the bulb of the death camas; in
the seed of the lupine; In the bark,
leaves and flowers of black locust,
etc.
A pa ice of Interesting Items from
Ihe Oregon Agricultural College at
Corvallla will alternate In the (arm
weeklj with pace of newt note
from the Washington State College
at Pullman. This will afford an In
terchange of vlewe from the two 111
agricultural college! of the North
west that should prove of benefit to
the reader, far the institutions deal
with similar problems.
Page of News Notes and Interesting
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT C0KVA1XIS, OR. ITS iOLB AIM IS TO AID
Aiding Old Prune Trees to Bear
BY C. I. LEWIS,
Chief Division of Horticulture Oregon
- . Agricultural College.
(Special.)
AN increasing number of Oregon
prune growers find that as
their trees age the fruits fails
to grow so large as when the trees
were younger and more vigorous,
and are inquiring bow the old trees,
25 years old or more, can be im
proved. It is only by the best
of care that the old trees can be
kept vigorous enough to maintain
fruit as large as that of the young
trees. Good pruning and the best
cultural methods 'with soil fertility
maintained are necessary in a special
degree after the trees enter upon the
later stages of their life. The size
of the prunes depends upon several
factors, but the leading factors are
good tillage, plenty of plant food,
aud annual pruning.
You have already noticed, prob
ably, that the large fruit is borne on
the vigorous young wood, and it is
only by having a large amount of
young, vigorous wood coming on each
year that you can hope to maintain
the vigor of your trees and at the
same time produce Urge crops of
good-sized fruit. I would encourage
you especially in tne annual pruning.
If these trees have been abandoned
in their pruning, or you have neg
lected it to a certain extent, there are
one of two things you could do. One
thing would be to cut them back
heavily and force out practically a
new top. I know one orchard in the
Willamette Valley that is 18 years of
age, that was cut back heavily, new
tops have been Duut on me trees,
and the trees after two or three
years are now bearing heavy crops
of extra large prunes.
Pruning.
If the trees, however, are in fair
shape, I wouldn't advise such severe
cutting, but would suggest that you
thin out some of the spurs. The
chances are that you have a great
many weak spurs. You can take lit
tle hand shears and reduce the num
ber of these spurs on your trees, and
get splendid results. The tendenty
for the older trees is to bear too
many specimens and of course this
reduces the size. This same principle
pertains to apples, pears and other
fruits. Often by reducing the num
ber of fruits to the tree, you increase
the average size. With the apples.
It is generally a matter of thinning
out some of the branches. With old
pears we find that thinning out some
of the spurs often gives splendid re
sults. The first suggestion I would make
with regard to fertilizers would be
along the line of cover crops and
shade crops. For Western Oregon I
recommend cover crops, sown in late
August or early September. For your
section, if you have irrigation water,
you can practice growing shade crops.
This is, grow clover or alfalfa among
your trees and Irrigate both the trees
and the shade crop. This will cause
your trees to pick up if you are care
ful in your irrigation and use suf
ficient amounts of water. If you
don't have sufficient amounts of
water, I wouldn't advise the use of
clover and alfalfa among tne trees.
. Fertilizing.
If you can get a good, abundant
supply of barnyard manure there
would be nothing better, to Increase
the vitality of your trees. Your wood
ashes, especially hardwood ashes, Is
very valuable, and should be saved,
as should also hen manure, which is
splendid for building up the soil Id
our prune orchards.
We are conducting a number of ex
perlments in this state in prune or
chards, to determine the value of
commercial fertilizers for such fruit,
and until we have had a chance to
carry this work a season or iwo far
mer along, l wouiu urge me prune
Is a Friend to
Articles Written by College Experts
growers of the 6tate to be somewhat
conservative. If you feel, however,
that you would like to try under
your individual conditions to deter
mine what your trees need, I could
suggest for you a simple experiment
which should determine this point.
While the chemist can tell you If
certain plant foods are missing, or If
certain injurious salts are present,
he couldn't tell you the exact avail
ability of the plant food in your soil.
You will have to test that out your
self. Commercial Plant Foods.
Take from a dozen or two dozer
trees. Have them in rectangular
blocks, tor each plot. On the first
plot apply nitrate of soda at the rate
of 100 to 150 pounds per acre. On
the second plot apply sulphate or
muriate of potash, in about the same
amount. On the third plot apply
high-grade superphosphate at the
rate of 100 to 200 pounds per acre,
or acid phosphate, at the rate of
about 600 pounds per acre. Then
take additional plots for the combin
ation of two. On one plot use nitrate
and potash; then nitrate and phos
phoric acid; then potash and phos
phoric acid; then all three. Then If
jou would like to try out something
along the line of lime, take and try
a little lime at the rate of about 2000
pounds per acre, on a small plot. j
Have the fertilizers applied early
in March, sowing it in under the
branches of the trees and harrowing
it thoroughly.
l. very much doubt whether lime
and phosphate in themselves would
cause any Increased color in the
fruit. If you have too much nitro
gen In the soil It will delay the ma
turity and probably the taking on
of color. Phosphoric acid Is sup
posed to De beneficial in neiping iorm
the seed of the fruit, and In that
way would perhaps help early ma
turity. Perhaps early maturity would
mean better color. It would prob
ably be due to the early maturity,
rather than any direct effect oi
either lime or fertilizer. The lime
sets certain plant foods free and
might have Influence on the cell
structure of the plant.
How Poisons Form In Plants.
The forming of poisonous elements
In plants, explained by W. B." Law
rence, of the O. A. C. botany depart
ment, Is a result of the natural proc
esses of growth, from which in some
plants it is inseparable. The con
struction of plant food from Inor
ganic substances and its transforma
tion into protoplasm are both building-up
processes In which the stored
energy is largely obtained from the
sun. , In these organizing and Building-up
processes there is a partial or
complete release of energy thus
stored. If the release of energy Is
only partial intermediate decomuosi
tlon products are formed, such as
plant tissues, temporary food sub
stances, and permanent Dy-products.
It Is certain of these by-products that
constitute the poisonous substances
in the poisonous plants. In other
plants the by-products may form me
dicinal substances, perfumes, flavors
and spices.
Customer Always Right.
The Latin maxim that means let
the buyer beware has as little place
in the mercantile business of the
world today as the language in which
it was spoken, according to Dean J. A.
Bexell, of the O. A. C. school of com
merce, who believes that it Is the
seller that should beware. It thus
becomes the duty of the seller to sell
the customer what he wants, not
what he can be made to take. The
Wanamaker theory of selling, "the
customer Is always right," Is a much
safer and more profitable attitude
that should be assumed by sellers of
farm produce as well as of any other
commodity.
the Farmer
1
AUKICULTUH I8TS.,
Many Students Borrow
From O. A. C. Loan Fund
ONE hundred and forty-eight stu
dents have borrowed from the O.
A. C. student loan fund since it was
established about three years ago.
Many others have sought loans but
could not be accommodated because
the fund was exhausted. The loans
were too small to make for the high
est efficiency, having averaged hut
$38. In view of the need of more
loans and larger the necessity of in
creasing the fund is apparent.
The purpose of the fund Is to aid
worthy yonng people to complete
their college work by lending them
small sums of cash on suitable terms
or interest and repayment. It was
started by friends of the college, Hon.
orable R. A. Booth being the largest
contributor with a $1000 gift. The
Pierce fund of $500 was also sub
scribed and Mrs. Clara H. Waldo
added another hundred in cash. The
faculty contributed $855 and student
organizations, notably the Barometer
and Oregon Countryman, made up the
bulk of the remainder. The short
course class of 1914 gave $144 and
the whole fund now totals $3853.38.
Although the fund is growing, it
has not nearly reached the point
where It can supply the demand for
legitimate and much-needed loans,
and friends of the college hope to see
It brought to the $10,000 mark.
Growing Own Vegetables.
Although no state in the Union af
fords better climatic or soil condi
tions for market gardening or truck
farming than Oregon, yet it has al
ways been a vegetable importing
stafe. "Carloads of produce come to
our markets annually from outside
sources," says Professor A. G. Bou
quet, the O. A. C. garden specialist,
"although a large share of It could
just as well as not be grown in this
state. The smaller markets are the
ones most neglected, the average
grower directing his attention mors
toward such markets as Portland, al
ways liable to market troubles, due
to heedless consigning and to the
marketing of poor produce. Oregon
markets are in a somewhat crude con
dition but are now undergoing rapid
development, and there are big op
portunities in the vegetable business
when rightly managed."
Lung Worms Trouble Calves.
Serious lung worm trouble of
calves has arisen In some parts of the
state where the calves are pastured
on low lands during wet weather.
These trouble are treated by J. L.
Smith, county agricultural agent of.
Coos County, by hypodermic injeo
tions of turpentine Into the tracheae
of the affected animal, or by causing
the animal to Inhale sulphur fumes by
putting its head into a sack and hold
ing It over a sulphur smudge. He
also recommends that farmers remove
calves suffering with lung worms to
higher ground and give them more
protection from the rough weather.
More Loam Required.
The compost recommended for
potted plants in a recent issue of the
O. A. C. Bulletin should have read
two measures of loam soil, Instead
of one. The other components were
correctly given as follows: One-halt
measure of sand and one measure
each of well rotted manure and leaf
mold. The double portion of loam
is required to prevent acidity, which
is very likely to develop when the
compost is kept too wet. This danger
of acidity can be eliminated by add
ing about one per cent of air-slacked
lime to the compost.
Absolutely Free
A beautiful 42-plcce Bet of tllshea
given to our direct cream xhlppers tnia
year. Wilts for particulars.
T. S. T0WNSEND CREAMERY CO.
I. O. Box 285, Portland, Or.
Creamery li Seventh and iiverctt Sta,