The gazette-times., May 13, 1915, HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 5, Image 11

nOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION'
5
Farming Strips Along Highways
BY E. H. BROWN.
NOT infrequently in driving along
the country roads, one comes
upon a strip that has been
broken up and planted to a crop. A
little further along, pei-haps, one sees
the road all grown up to ragweed,
quack grass, Buinach, or the like, and
wonders why there are not more
farmers wlio farm clear out to the
road.
Why not, to be sure? Probably
the principal reason is that there are
too many shade trees, fences or other
obstructions in the way. I,ocal con
ditions must determine whether or
not it will be wise to attempt the
, cropping of the strips along the roads
and lanes. Our purpose, however, is
to tell of cases in which such a ven
ture bag been tried and the results
accomplished thereby.
Of all places for raising root crops,
the last that ovould suggest itweir to
a sober minded person would prob
ably be the lane down which the
dairy herd is driven to pasture dally.
Mr. L. C. Cornell, of. Michigan, has
such a lane. He plowed it up this
year, and by running the back fur
row in the center of the road, made
it so that it shed water. The fur
rows looked so nice and straight that
he conld not resist the temptation to
try some rutabegas, and so he sowed
a quarter of a pound of the seed
about July 10, and dragged it in.
On September 29 the writer drove
down the lane and found that thera
were rutabagas growing, among some
weeds to be sure, and promising a
yield of 150 bushels. The lane is
about 80 rods long, and there can
not be much more than one-fourth
of an acre Into the roots. Mr. Cor
nell thinks he can turn them off at
45 cents a bushel without much trou
ble. Several years ago, Mr. J. Fred
Smith, a Holsteln breeder at Byron,
Mich., had a roadside that was full
of brush. There being no fence to
hinder, he ptowed clear out to the
road, and put the field into sugar
beets. That Summer there were Bel
gians who looked after the weeding,
that being part of the contract with
the sugar factory. Perhaps it was
rather hard on .the Belgians, but Mr.
Smith took a great deal of satisfac
tion in telling how he was Biiiooih
ing down the roadside, and getting
it In shape so that he could seed it
down later and have it free from
, brush or wends.
Mr. J. J. Seel is a fruit grower and
since n'o stock is running loose, he
needs no fencing on his farm. The
roadside was all grown up to June
grass. Two years ago the whole
length of the road, which divides the
farm in two, was broken up. To get
rid of the sod, Mr. Seel -forked it into
wagons and hauled It off to certain
parts of his sloping orchard, where
gullies and washouts had formed.
These sods, together with corn stalks
and other refuse, made splendid ma'
terial to soak up the rain and pie
vent further erosion in treacherous
places.
After working the roadside down
with the drag until the sods were not
much in evidence, Mr. Seel planted
Beauty of Hebron potatoes, and took
good care as to spraying, using bor
deaux and Paris green, The roadside
potato patch was an object lessen
to all the passers by. The foliage
was so luxuriant, and the weeds so
well subdued, that one would think
tfc land had been cropped for all it
was worth. At harvest time Mr.
Seel dug 225 bushels of marketable
potatoes along his roadside patch,
comprising some one and a half acres.
This year he repeated the perform
ance. Perhaps these examples are suffi
cient to show what may be doue by
anyone who crops the roadside. As a
usual thing, he may expect a good
yield of potatoes or corn, at least so
far as the fertility of decaying sod
will contribute to the welfare of
these crops. There are Beveral ad
vantages to be gained, aside from the
use of the land free from taxes or
rental, when the roadBide Is used for
cropping purposes.
The fact that the crop lg being
watched by all the passers-by is an
advantage in that one feels spurred
on to make as good a showing as pos
sible for the public inspection. The
long, narrow rows are much easier of
cultivation than numerous short
j-ows; less time is required in turn
ing the horse at the ends. The nest
ing places of mice, gophers, grass
hoppers, cutworms, June beetles,
clover-root borers, and other farmer's
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foes are destroyed. Frequently, too,
the roadside harbors Hessian fly in
the volunteer wheat, rust in the bar
berry, woolly aphis in the elm
sprouts, burdock, beggar ticks, and
other stick-tight seeds that get into
clothing and wool; these are gotten
rid of by cropping the roadside.
The only objection to such work
from a utility standpoint is that if
the roadside is grown up to brush
and hedgerows, the birds will be
found to make their nests in such
places. By all means the farmer
should encourage the birds to nest
around him, for they are his best
friends In destroying insects. From
the aesthetic standpoint; too, most of
us agree that there is nothing pret
tier than a change of scenery along
the road, and so a bit of thicket looks
all the more attractive by contrast to
a cropped strip parallel to the road.
When potatoes are grown along
the highway, and poison used to con
trol the bugs, it is required by law
that a sign of warning, "Poison," be
posted up for the benefit of those
who might drive stock along the
road.
If it is necessary for teams to pass
and turn out outo the cropped land,
the owner of the crop must be liable
for all damages. We have been told
of a case, however, in which an ob
stinate neighbor declared that no one
had a right to plow and crop the
highway, and to prove it wilfully
and without cause, drove over the
cropped strip. The case being ca'rried
into court, a decision was reached in
favor of the farmer who planted the
crop, and the obstinate neighbor paid
damages. As a rule, however, there
will be no trouble whatever . from
traffic on the cropped land.
Frozen Beets as Feed.
Kellner, a German authority on
feed and feed values, says that frozen
sugar beets can be utilized to good
advantage by cutting them up with a
shovel and siloing them with the
tops. The frozen beets turned down
at the dumps can be taken back
home and used to the best of ad
vantage In this way.
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Fine Willamette Valley Farm
3G0 acres, 10 miles from Lebanon, on Santiam River; 1 mile to school and sawmill. ISO acres rich bottom
Kind. 180 acres hill land all in pasture; fenced and cross-fenced. 10(1 acres in cultivation. Fine creeks
and springs. 300 prune trees, family orchard, all kinds of berries. 12 acres in clover. 6-room house, large
barn and all outbuilding's. On R. F. D. and cream route. Hood roads in thickly settled section. Will ex
change this for smaller place in Willamette Valley.
This Man Wants a Willamette Valley Farm
Has 920 acres, 9 miles from Matlow, Eastern Oregon. 1 mile to school. 400 acres sowed to wheat. 400
acres more ready to plow. 120 acres bunch grass. Rollins, but lies fine. All under fence. 5-room house,
large barn for 24 horses, and other outbuildings. Good well and pump. Good roads and R. F. D. With
place -go 14 horses, 1 cow and calf, 40 hogs, 7 sets harness, 4 new wagons, 3 header bo:.es, 3 gangplows,
i harrows, all other implements and some grain. $30 per acre. This is a going place and now is the time
to go Into the wheat Business.
To Exchange
rrr. 's'ern O'e&on or Washington Slock Ranch. 850 acres In Alberta. 100 miles northeast of Calgary
In Red River District. 135 acres broken. Balance in prairie. All A-l laud. Wheat runs 40 bushels to
the acre. 800 rods of hog-tight fence, f 30 per acre.
The Poor Man's Chance
1 nSver,8','ra' ,trac,V from 6 t0 Bcr" riht at the town of Mlddleton, Oregon, IS miles from Portland
?,n B. J", fcleetrle. Can be purchased for $176 per acre, 10 per cent down, balance in five years or a longer
time if desired at (i per cent interest These tracts lie fine, no rock or gravel; soil of great depth and
very rich.
tntin L Howard, 309 Chamber ot Commerce, Portland, Oregon