County Agent's Office
Farmers Take Keen Interest
In County Rural Fire Control
By N. C. ANDERSON
Morrow County Rural Fire Con
trol committee members meet
ing last week expressed a lot of
satisfaction with the interest that
Morrow county farmers are tak
ing in fire control. This interest
extends into being more fire con
scious, thereby preventing fires
as well as having equipment
available for quick control of
fires that do get started, as well
as cooperation in controlling
fires in their community.
The group agreed to continue
to encourage more communities
to develop a well-organized fire
control program and to spend
the remaining funds in their
1962-63 budget for two additional
tank-pump units for communi
ties lacking in fire control equip
ment. These units have proved
successful when placed In com
munities with an individual who
agrees to have it ready and on
call in case of a fire. The new
units will be added to four now
placed with Jerry Bros nan,
Buttercreck community; Don
Heliker, West lone community;
Harold Wright, Ruggs commun
ity; and Kenneth Peck, Clark's
Canyon, Social Ridge commun
ity. ' Repairs and Improvements
on equipment was authorized on
mobile units which consist of
a Jeep with pump, stationed at
the Roy Martin ranch in the
Norlh Lexington community;
another Jeep at the Bob Riet
mann ranch in the North lone
community and a large six
wheel drive pumper unit at the
Walter Jacobs ranch. Discussed
to some extent were ways of
improving communications re
lating to fires. Two main com
munication problems exist. First,
that of getting persons to route
calls for equipment through the
designated leader in each com
munity and second, a follow-up
report to these persons who have
been asked to provide equip
ment when the fire is controlled.
Many times lack of this latter
report will result in additional
equipment being sent to a fire
when it Is already under con
trol or completely out.
The committee asked the coun
ty agent to get out a news letter
urging individuals in areas
where fire control units were in
adequate to consider building
such units, and to stress having
available equipment ready when
the fire season arrives. They
further asked that everyone with
such equipment list it with the
county agent's office. A survey
was made three years ago but
other has been added. This, then,
can be added to the fire equip
ment mai located at (fiat uflice
which is used in calling out
needed equipment in an area.
Member Ralph Crum reported
iuu
CM;
1ARVEST
HAILSTONES
Hail can dVitroy your grain,
fruit, vegetables in minutes,
then disappear leaving
nothing to harvest. That's why
CROP-HAIL INSURANCE is
must. You get up to 100
crop damage coverage at low
cost. Call or write this agency
today.
It Costs No More
To Insure Now
So Don't Wait!
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
Heppner
Ph. 676-9625
utman
FLYING,
WEED SPRAYING
CALL
HOTEL HEPPNER
Ph. 676-5515
enmo pyrnllpnt units in the lone
area, among them individuals,
Verner Troeclson, sam Lrawioru,
Fmnklln T.indstrom and Sons.
Herb Ekstrom, Fred and Norman
Nelson, and D. O. Nelson, wno
annii firp fififhtine
equipment. He pointed out that
this was only a partial list and
thara wptp others that had
equally efficient equipment
ready in case ot a nre. i ne group
aarooA nn n $2511.00 hndcpt for
the new fiscal year which will
be used for maintenance of exist
ing equipment, feeling that most
communities were now quite
well served. Attending the meet
ing were Andy van scnoiacK,
Frank Anrlprsnn. Ron Currin.
Charles Ruggles, Ileppner; Roy
Martin, Lexington; Ralph Crum,
Walter Jacobs, and Don Heliker,
lone.
Room for Few More
On Cattle Day Junket
If you are interested in at
tending the Squaw Butte Exper
iment Station Beef Cattle Day
on Monday, March 25, there is
still room for a couple more in
a carload that are going over
early that morning and return
ing that evening. The morning
session starts at 10:00 a.m. and
will be held at the Poison Creek
Grange hall, two miles east of
Burns on Highway 78. The after
noon session is a tour ot re
search at the station. This is
seven miles south of Burns on
Highway 205. The program for
the day looks interesting, if you
didn't get one, we have extras
at the office. Those who plan to
pool transportation are Ebb
Hughes, Ralph Beamer, Terry
Thompson, and Dick Wilkinson.
Jerry Rood Reports
Taking Coyote Dens
Jerry Rood, genial Morrow
Umatilla trapper-hunter, reports
taking two dens of coyotes on
Wednesday and Thursday of last
week. Jerry reports that this is
quite early for finding new-born
coyote pups, in fact about two
weeks earlier than usual. The
past year was evidently a good
breeding season for coyotes, as
was the case for domestic live
stock as these first two dens con
tained litters of nine and 12.
The 12 pup litter was found un
der a tumble weed in a scooped -out
depression in the soil. Jerry
reported that the litter looked
iust like an old hen's nest when
he came across it. Jerry says
that hunters in neighboring
counties have reported taking
several litters ot bob cats, finding
litters of eight which is quite
unusual. Hunters, Jerry Kood
and Carl MeDanleJ, are keeping
coyole numbers down very well
arid few complaints of livestock
losses are received of late.
'Gopher Getter' Works;
Dftnft are Baffled
Knnnnth Pnlmpr Willow Creek
rancher and the second to use
the new "Gopher Getter' ma
chine purchased recently by the
Heppner Soil conservation uis
trict, was in the office last weel
and was quite happy with thi
results. He had Just finished irri
rrntlni the first field baited
Whiln h unis hiiiinv. he renorted
that his dogs were a bit baffled
as to where all the gophers had
gone, usually they kill a dozer
or two each day during irrigation
as they are drowned out. mi
war nflpr hnltini' onlv two wen
killed by the unhappy dogs. The
halting machine has been kent
quite busy the past couple of
weeks and at tills writing is now
being used by Harlan irawtora
at the Hermann Ranch near Jor
dan Elevator.
Booklet Tells Research
On Diverted Acres Crops
A new OSU bulletin, "The Po
tential of Oil Crops on Diverted
Wheat Acres," came to my desk
this week. It discusses research
at exueriment stations in the Col
umbia Basin in hopes of finding
a new crop that could be grown
on diverted wheat acres. Crops
that have been tried are seed
flax, Safflower, rape, castor bean,
sunflower, soy bean, Cape Man
gold, and Crambe.
Seed flax and Safflower have
been more promising for an
area such as ours. Ray Dolven,
Lexington, has a seeding of win
ter flax and is putting in some
spring flax varieties for com
parison. We are going to wntch these
nc.
for yield and adaptability. Ap
proximately 700 acres of Saf
flower have been contracted by
a half dozen ranchers, mostly in
the lone area. Safflower has been
grown on several occasions here
and has not been too favorable
as far as income per acre. How
ever, with the good soil moisture
conditions in the summerfallow
now, and with the 1963 feed
grain provision which allows
Safflower to be grown on divert
ed acres, income could be much
better. Figuring the average di
version payment which would
be lost by growing Safflower on
these acres, plus variable costs
of tillage, seed and seeding, and
harvest, we've estimated that tiic
investment would about be
$13.50 per acre.
At the Pendleton Station av
erage yields of Safflower unde;
a 12 inch rainfall showed an
average yield of 725 lbs. for
an estimated gross return per
acre of $27.00. This means then,
that it would be possible to net
$13. or 14. an acre in addition
to qualifying your remaining
barley production for the incen
tive payment. The only draw
back is that March 22 is the
final date for signing up for the
feed grain and wheat programs.
If you want further particulars
on these provisions see tho lo
cal ASC office. We have contracts
and particulars on safflower pn
duction.
Smouse's Soil Tests
Bear Out Research
Kenneth Smouse, lone, has for
many years, followed a program
of having soil tests taken per
iodically, at least twice a year,
to determine soil moisture and
nitrogen in both stubble and
summer fallow. It was interest
ing to see results of these tests
which were taken in February.
Of particular interest was the
difference in soil moisture in
the stubble, comparing a field
worked last fall with other fields
that had not been disturbed.
While there were 6Mi inches
available moisture in the tirst
three feet of the stubble land
which had not been disturbed,
there was three inches less in a
field that Kenny had worked
late last fall to get rid of a
thistle cover. This bears out re
search done at our experiment
stations that fall tillage opens up
the ground and is not a moisture
conserving practice.
Referendum 'No' Vote
Threat To Bank Loans
The Food and Agriculture Act
of 1962 offers wheat growers a
choice of two urograms in 14;
one with a limited acreage of
wheat, price support at a ?2.00
per bushel average tor mosi
wheat marketed, and payments
for reducing wheat acreage; the
other with almost no limits on
production or marketings, and
with virtually no effective price
support. The choice will be made
in a referendum to be held this
spring.
A "Yes" vote by two-thirds or
more of the growers voting in the
referendum would put the first
of these programs into effect,
and it would apply to all wheat
growers. A "No" vote by more
than one-third of the referendum
voters would put the second pro
gram into effect, with partici
pation voluntary.
The basic 1964 wheat program
includes a two-level system of
price support with a bushel limit
on marketings by any wheat
grower at the higher support
level; does away with the mini
mum national allotment; and
provides payments to farmers
for retiring part of their wheat
land.
The USDA estimates that there
will be 1.6 million allotments
concerned in the forthcoming
wheat referendum. In the 1962
referendum there were only 578,
000 allotments. The figures dif
fer because this year the 15-
acre grower is eligible to vote
in the referendum, winch was
not the cast last year. For every
allotment htere were one and
one-half eligible voters in 1962.
The fractional votes being those
of the farmer's wife, tenants and
operators who having interest
in the allotment were eligible.
This vear with the 1.6 million
allotments, 811,000 wives, oper
ators and tenants could be vot
ing one-third of the total numlei
of potential voters 2.4 million.
Morgan Beatty of Mil reported
on his ih'ws program Wednes
day evening, March 6, than an
official of the Independent Bank
ers Association, representing a
LIVESTOCK LOSSES
mount to ever $2 Billion annually,
(according IjoUDofi m i to )
LI I
USE OUR LIVESTOCK
SUPPLY DEPARTMENT
It li dilind to icrve vou in vovr
Livestock Dixist Prtvtntion Program,
Wl KATURI
VACCINES
and SUPPLIES
We Give SSH Green Stamps
HUMPHREYS
REXALL DRUGS
After Hours Call
676-9611 or 676-5542
HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES,
illlllMillliSS
OREGON'S Betty Crocker
Homemaker of Tomorrow is
Delores M. Overman of
Ontario high school, Ontario.
She will receive a $1,500
scholarship from General
Mills for gaining the highest
score in the state in a written
homemaking examination.
New OSU Bulletin
Discusses Farm
Cooperative Needs
Farmer cooperatives need to
grow in size, performance, and
in ability to meet changing
needs, reports an Oregon State
University agricultural econo
mist. Dr. Gerald E. Korzan says he
believes that formation of new
cooperatives in years ahead will
be tew and far between not
only because the cost of start
ing a new cooperative is so high,
but also because cooperatives al
ready exist in most lines and
in most areas. He says the need
for cooperative enterprise may be
greater than ever, but it must
be met by existing rather than
new cooperatives.
His statements summarize re
search findings reported in a,
new bulletin available to Ore
gon residents. Copies of "Farmer
Cooperative Performance in a
Changing Economy" are avail
able at county extension offices
or from the OSU bulletin clerk,
Corvallis.
The bulletin includes reports
from research projects in several
Western states.
Among the conclusions reach
ed is that many cooperatives in
the west are ioo small to be
efficient. Inability of small co
operatives to measure up to the
members' expectations results in
Ifarmers taking their business
elsewhere.
The study shows that mergers
could solve some problems by
reducing unit costs and improv
ing service. For example, an Ore
gon study shows how five farmer
cooperatives in a 20-mile area,
doing a volume of business of
from $950,000 to $1,700,000 an
nually, could merge and save
$15,500 each year in centralized
bookkeeping alone.
Another problem but without
a simple solutionis that farm
density is too small in some
fcpareely settled areas to support
a cooperative.
large segment of American
bankers, warned wheat farmers
that a "no", vote in the 1964
wheat referendum threatened to
shut off future farm loans for
needed farm purchases. The as
sociation is seriously concerned
that a rejection of the '64 pro
gram would slice the '64 income
in half and leave him without
the means to repay his bank
loans.
Perk up your
fnr Knrtnnl
Thursday, March 21, 1963
FAiKM news
Crop Forecasting
Advance Noted
By Meteorologist
OREGON STATE UNIVERS
ITY Highly accurate forecasts
of crop maturity and yield are
now possible and crop quality
forecasts will come in the near
future, according to a nationally
known agricultural meteorologist
who is a visiting professor at
Oregon State University.
The forecasts will be possible
early in the season perhaps as
early as 12 to 20 days after plant
ing, says Dr. Jen Yu (David)
Wang.
Revised yield forecasts have to
be issued later in the season de
pending on the current weather
but maturity and quality tore
casts can be made quite accur
ately without using long-range
weather forecasts, he insists.
Wang has been in charge of
crop forecast research at Uni
versity of Wisconsin since 1957.
Crop maturity date forecasts
made 12 to 20 days after plant
ing in 1961 proved to be 85 to
95 per cent accurate for sweet
corn and peas.
Last year, his forecasts cov
ered yields as well as maturity
date. For peas, the accuracy of
these forecasts ranged from 75
to 99 per cent at various test
sites and from 89 to 97 per cent
for sweet corn.
He expects to add quality fore
casts to maturity and yield out
look within five years. There
aren't many crops that can't be
forecast, he says.
Such forecasts are of tremen
dous value to the canning in
dustry and to other agricultural
interests, Wang pointed out.
Wang's methods combine the
ancient science of phenology
with the latest electronic meas
uring and recording instruments
to give almost m i n u t e-by-minute
information on the crop
and environment.
Phenology, a science dating
back to ancient China, is the
use of plants or animals as indi
cators of weather conditions, he
explains. More formally, it is a
study of the relationships be
tween various physical environ
mental factors and periodic
changes in growth and develop
ment during the life cycles of
plants and animals.
A basic concept is that all
plants have a certain minimum
air temperature necessary for
growth depending upon the en
vironmental conditions. A cer
tain number of these temper
ature "units" are required for
crop maturity, depending upon
species and varieties.
Air and soil temperatures and
a number of other factors are
(considered the significant ele
ments, Wang says, and the
planting-to-seedling stage as the
significant period.
Eight years of work at Uni
versity of Wisconsin indicate
that soil temperature at the
early stage is the predetermin
ing factor for maturity of sweet
corn. Similarly, night tempera
ture is the significant element
at the reproductive stage of
sweet corn, according to Wang.
Wang uses electronic record
ing devices to keep an "eye"
on soil and air temperature,
evaporation, precipitation, etc.
Findings are plotted, predicting
equations developed and work
ed out on computers.
Wang came to OSU to conduct
a special series of seminars on
agricultural meteorology. He
was earlier a Weather Bureau
Meteorologist and teacher in
China and Formosa before com
ing to this country for graduate
work at University of Chicago
and Wisconsin.
Two books by Wang have been
published the past year. One is
home
PAINT-BRUSHES
PLY PANELS
ARMSTRONG CEILING TILE
Everything but the
Elbow Grease!
Tum-A-Lum
HEPPNER "MATERIALLY YOURS"
IRRIGON NEWS
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Gasser and
family drove to The Dalles Fri
day to spend the week-end with
Gasser's folks, Mr, and Mrs. Fred
Gasser, and Mrs. Gasser's aunt
and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. George
Lewis. The Bob Gassers returned
to Irrigon Sunday.
The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. John
Kenney, Mrs. Myrtle Markham,
Mrs. Eugene McCorkle and
Barbara, attended the all-day
District Fellowship meeting of
the Assemblies of God churches
held in Milton-Freewater Mon
day. Mr. and Mrs. Chet Collins went
to Springfield, Ore., Friday and
visited Mrs. Collins' three sons
and their families, Mr. and Mrs.
Richard Knights and family, Mr.
and Mrs.. Harold Knights and
family and Mr. and Mrs. Elgin
Knights and family. They re
turned to Irrigon Tuesday, after
stopping in Redmond to visit
friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Morgan of
La Grande, were week -end
guests at the home of Morgan's
brother and sister-in-law, Mr.
and Mrs. Rees Morgan.
Mrs. Helen Mulkey is conval
escing at her home, after spend
ing 10 days as a patient In Good
Shepherd hospital, folio wing
surgery on ner iooi.
Mrs. Jessie Cosner's grand
daughter, Miss Nancy Lee Ray
born of La Grande, was recently
chosen as Union County Dairy
Princess.
Golden-Age Club members
from Irrigon attending the Tues
a 700-page "Bibliography of Ag
ricultural Meteorolo p v :" the
other is titled "Agricultural Met
eorology.
Notice of Sale of State Farm Lands
Sealed bids will be received by the Oregon State Board
of Control Mental Health Division at its office, Room 20, State
Capitol Building, Salem, Oregon, until 9:30 a.m., April 9,
1963, and then publicly opened for the sale of nine hundred
twenty (920) acres of land, more or less, being a part of the
Eastern Oregon State Hospital, Reith Ranch, situated in
Umatilla County, Oregon, including certain water rights on
Birch Creek, Umatilla River and McKay Reservoir.
Minimum price to be considered for the property is
$103,500.
Bid forms and further information may be obtained from
Dr. E. I. Silk, Superintendent of Eastern Oregon State Hospital,
Pendleton, Oregon, or C. D. Conrad, Board of Control Farms
Administrator, Room 20, State Capitol, Salem, Oregon.
STATE OF OREGON, acting by and through
the Oregon State Board of Control Mental
Health Division
RANCHERS
Ranch Aero
Airplane Spraying Co.
Owned and Operated by
PAUL N. HANSEN
Available For Assistance With Your
Weed Spraying Problems.
14 Years Weed Spraying in This
Area.
Call
Heppner Hotel - 676-5515
"LET US SPRAY"
Lumber Co,
PHONE 676-9212
day meeting at the C. R, C.
building in Hermiston were: Mr.
and Mrs. C. A. Miller, Mrs. Reej
Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Smawley, Mrs. Mar g u e r i t e
Houghton, Mrs. Mary Adams and
Mrs. Sedelia Dexter. Mr. and Mis.
Roy Penney showed colored
slides of their trans-continental
trip through Canada, Washing,
ton, D. C, and the New England
states. The Methodist ladies of
Hermiston served a free lunch
eon to the group.
Looking for mimeograph sten
cils? The Gazette-Times has
them for sale, including special
church bulletin style.
We Will
Deliver Your
Processed Meat
Lexington
lone.
WHOLESALE MEATS
CUSTOM SLAUGHTERING
SCHEDULE:
Hogs Tuesday
Cattle Wed., Thurs.
Sheep Any Day
Follett Meat Co.
Hermiston, Oregon
Ph. JO 7-6651
On Hermiston-McNary
Highway
VuL 0' Charge
Dv-JcLl I Heppner,
Make it shine!
I V Iff ?a T