Thursday, November 27. 1941
Heppner Gazette Times, Heppner, Oregon
Union County
'Cashes In' Raising
Small Seed Crops
By Mr. Schaad
In delving through the records in
the Union county agenf s office, we
find that the production of legume
and forage seeds has been carried
on in a small way in Union county
for twenty years or longer.
In 1915, county agent Paul Spill
man first introduced such hardy
varieties of alfalfa as Grimm, Baltic
and Cossack for forage crops. By
1920 about 3000 pounds of alfalfa
seed was imported to the county
annually for hay crop plantings. In
1918, E. D. Jasper of Alicel began
growing seed of the Grimm, Baltic
and Cossack varieties, and C. W.
Bond of Island City began growing
seed the following year. By 1925
seven growers were producing seed
of the above mentioned varieties and
also the Utah common. One year
later Union county became an ex
porter of Grimm alfalfa seed, ship
ping around 15,000 pounds from the
county. This was also the year that
alfalfa seed certification was begun
by the O. S. C. farm crops specialist
in Union county, the only important
alfalfa seed producing section in
Oregon. Alfalfa seed certification
was conducted on a county-wide
basis in 1929 and 50 acres passed
field inspection.
In 1930, spring cultivation of al
falfa grown for seed in attempt to
secure a larger yield was tried on
a 25-acre field by Gilbert Court
right, results of this particular trial
had no effect on seed yield. C. C.
Conrad who has been pasturing his
alfalfa in the spring for the past
three years, 1927-29, reports slightly
over 200 pounds of seed per acre.
The yield reported each year has
been larger than that of other grow
ers. Such yields increased interest
in seed production.
Ladak alfalfa, was introduced in
plot trs in comparison with
Grimm, the standard variety, in 1930.
In 1931, B. D. Hug, Elgin, now
vice-preident of the Oregon Seed
Growers League, and director of the
Blue Mountain Seed Growers Asso
ciation, planted the first large field
planting of 25 acres of Ladak alfalfa
seed in rows, three feet apart. In the
first year of harvest ,this field pro
duced 1250 pounds of clean seed. The
following year J. B. Weaver, Union,
planted a total of 42 acres of Grimm,
and Ladak alfalfa in rows.
Increased yields of alfalfa from
wide rows were immediately appar
ent and the resultant yields were
marketed at a profitable price.
Crested wheatgrass was then planted
in rows for seed on the advice of
H. G. Avery, county agent. Thus,
1933 marks the beginning of grass
seed production in Union county
when six farmers followed the coun
ty agent's advice and planted 43
acres for seed. Gross returns from
seed production averaged slightly
over $50 per acre for Ladak in 1934
and over $60 per acre for crested
wheatgrass. Alfalfa seed yields ran
ged from 100 to 300 pounds and
DIVERTED ACRES TURNED TO PROFIT
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numbered 209. Crested wheatgrass
acreage amounted to 400 acres by
1939.
Sweet clover seed production be
gan in 1929 on the farms of Gilbert
Courtright near Holt Lake, and B.
D. Hug, Elgin, in trials conducted
under the direction of the county
agent.
Varieties of seed grown in the
county at the present time include
850 acres of common alfalfa, 250
acres of Grimm alfalfa, 600 acres of
Ladak alfalfa, 300 acres of Orestan
alfalfa, 100 acres of crested wheat
grass, 50 acres of sweet clover, 100
acres of red clover, 50 acres of Alsike
clover, 2911 acres of Austrian peas
36 acres of timothy, 50 acres of or
chard grass, 127 acres of tall fescue,
250 acres of Chewings fescue, 55
acres of winter bluegrass, 8 acres of
big bluegrass, 20 acres of rough
stock meadow bluegrass, 13 acres
of creeping red fescue, 320 acres of
garden peas, 10 acres of Canadian
field peas, 10 acres of purple vetch,
with a substantial increase in new
plantings in 1941 of many grasses
and legumes, especially Austrian
winter peas with an indicated 16,
530 acres for 1942 harvest.
In recent years the development
of the small seed business fostered
by the Extension Service has re
ceived considerable attention. The
activity of the Blue Mountain Seed
Growers Association provides a mar
ket for seed produced and encourages
additional plantings. Union county
land use committee has recommend-
Acreage taken from wheat production under the Agricultural Con
servation Program is being turned to profit as in the instance pictured
above, by the raising of small seed crops. A minimum of manpower is1
seen to be required.
crested wheat from 100 to over 500
pounds in 1935.
By this time winter hardiness of
Ladak has been demonstrated. Deal
ers in 1932, 1933 and 1934 provided
a ready market for seed. Market
outlets became a problem in the fall
of 1935, when local production of
seeds became larger than dealers
were willing to purchase and offers
dropped to below 60 of the amount
paid for the previous year's crop.
Under the direction of H G. Avery,
county agent, the Blue Mountain
Seed Growers Association was or
ganized in December, 1935, to pro
mote the sales and advertise seed
as well as to sponsor increased
acreage. Buyers were attracted and
the association was incorporated as
a cooperative marketing association
in March, 1936.
The county agent has acted as
secretary of the organization and
assisted its development since or
ganized. Association sales were sli
ghtly under $10,000 in 1936, but had
grown to more than $57,000 in 1937.
Acreage in Union county on recom
mendation of the county agent and
county economic conference, reached
3740 acres in 1938. Membership in the
marketing association spread to nei
ghboring counties until in 1940 it
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ed transfer of crop acreage to seed
production purposes in 1938, 1939 and
1940. At a meeting it was pointed
out that land producing seed, if in
alfalfa, would have produced 12,000
tons of hay. At that time a neigh
boring county had 25,000 tons of sur
plus alfalfa hay which was offered
as low as $4.00 per ton. Union county
seed crops were sold at profitable
pi-ices.
The total value of the small seed
crops sold from Union county in
1940 amounted to $121,544.50. This
same acreage in wheat at an average
of 35 bushels per acre would mean
a total of 176,785 bushels, or if sold
at 60 cents per bushel, a total gross
sale of $106,071.00 over a two-year
period.
BEEKEEPERS CONFUSED
In order to clear up an apparent
misunderstanding on the part of
beekeepers in connection with re
cent modifications of the vetch seed
quarantines in California, the plant
division of the Oregon department
of agriculture has this to say:
The .California officials recently
allowed use of methyl bromide as
one of its approved methods of treat
ment of vetch seed before shipment
into that state. However, the methyl
bromide is to be used only as a
fumigant inside a fumigation cham
ber and not as a spray.
This will relieve some beekeepers
who were afraid the dosage was to
be sprayed on the vetch seed, there
by possibly killing bees.
GREETINGS . . .
WHEAT LEAGUE MEMBERS
One-Day Service if Desired, at
CITY CLEANERS
AT Heppner Laundry
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The cream cheek is the
farmer's best friend1
Diverted acres in Morrow County
turned to cream production are
reaping a rich harvest.
MORROW COUNTY
CREAMERY
Makers of
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WELCOMES WHEATGROWERS