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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1950)
im MZDfORD (ORCaOW) MAIL triiuns iund.y. April II, 1116 Comprehensive Review of Agricultural Progress Given by Grange Nine Planning Committees Make Recommendations on Variety of Farm Products Ech spring tight or nine "program planning committtti" of tht Jaekion county Grangt't agricultural council mttt to draw up a uriei of rtportt that constitute tht moit comprthtniivt sum- mariti 01 int county agricultural ptctura that art availablt. Eltawhtrt on this pagt will bt found condtniatloni of rtports from tht land uit committtt, H. E. Congtr. chairman, horlicullurt committte, David B. Lowtry, chairman; small farmi committtt, Arthur Wimtr, chairman; farm cropi, Arnold Bohnari, chairman; poultry, Lawrtnct Luy, chairman; dairy committtt, undtr Victor P, Birdstyt, and tht livtitock committtt, undtr C, C. Hoovir. Each rtport aurvtya tht progrtia madt by tht various agricul tural anttrpriits during tht patt ytar, rtcommtndf what apptar to bt appropriatt projacti for tht futurt and gtntrally tummarliti tht condition of tht tntarprizt throughout tht county. All tht rt portt rtviewtd on thii pagt hart bttn accepted by the agricultural council. Horticulture Technological advancement in near production methods has re suited in an increased produC' tion of about 20 per cent in Jack son county. The horticulture committee feels that this equivalent to an increase in acreage of 20 per cent. In view of this, no increase in pear acreage is believed justified. The committee emphasized that caution should be used in planting new varieties such as red bartlett and packham's triumph. Increasing the acreage of minor varieties sucn as p barrv and seckel Is also caution ed against since markets for these are limited and could eas ily become oversupplied. Market Warning With current depressed mar ket conditions, growers were warned that there may be no market for pears below the grade of "fancy.'' Low produc inn blocks may also be unorofit- able. Additional experimental work ia urged as a means of utilizing pear culls as by products. The committee went on rec ord as discouraging additional plantings of apples, peaches, plums, sweet cherries, sour cher ries, walnuts, filberts and small fruits. Regarding applet, the commit tee said there should bt no addi tional planting in the county but present plantings should be maintained. The acreage of peaches has In creased rapidly in recent years both in Oregon and throughout the United States. Until further fresh market outlets are estab lished it is recommended that no more hale peaches bt planted. There Is a demand for elbertas for canning but this variety must meet California competition. There is no market for local consumption of plums, so, be fore planting, a market outlet should bt assured. Discourage Chtrrltt Due to the presence of albino cherry, a very destructive virus disease, cherry planting is dis couraged until a control Is found or a resistant variety developed. Walnut planting is not recom mended except in very favorable locations. Because of heavy over production, filbert planting is discouraged. Sufficient canning berries art now produced for local con sumption, the committee declar ed, and further exDansion in boy- senberries should be made only with the thought of aupplying processors. There may be some room for expansion in raspberries, provio ed shipment to out-of-state mar kets proces successful. A small increase in strawberry acreage will be Justified when a good disease resistant variety is developed. Could Increase Vegetables A small increase in vegetable acreage would be justified here for supply to local markets, and canneriea may also be an outlet for certain truck crops like to matoes and cabbage. Canneries should be contacted and a labor supply assured before any con siderable acreage is planted. One of the principal problems tackled by the committee was the lack of housing for seasonal labor. The lack of on-the-ranch and orchard housing In this county is a serious obstacle to securing enough of the better class of seasonal workers, they declared. Jackson county prob ably has less of these facilities than any fruit district on the Pacific- coast, it was claimed. In the past the fruit growers have maintained a transient labor camp and have Imported con tract labor. This year, and the future, these may not be available, adding to the serious ness of the labor problem. The committee recommended that growers provide quarters for seasonal workers In this or dtr of preference collages, tents with floors and frames, hnu.c trailer parks. is a slight increase in the beef enterprise In the county, partic ularly on the Irrigated farms. In reference to sheep, the com mittee believes the number of breeding stock have decreased but total numbers of sheep in the county have increased over last year. The increase should be encouraged. The swine population has in creased almost 100 per cent in two years. This enterprise may bt expanded so lung as grain prices are in line. The committee believes that stockmen should give more con sideration to the production and harvesting of silage crops. A large percentage of the hay crops of the valley are ruined or badly damaged each year by rain. If this were converted into grass suagc, losses would be cut It Is apparent that the dairy cow numbers in Jackson county have been on the increase. It is estimated that there are now nearly 13.000 dairy cattle in the county. The marketing situation has eased somewhat insofar as grade A milk is concerned and a considerable amount of market milk is being shipped out of this area and marketed in the Eugene area. The increase in the produc tion oi market milk u bringing greater interest to bear on cows of the lower testing breeds, par ticularly noistetns, in this area, and the trend of many dairymen ia toward keeping at least 30 per cent hnlsteins along with their nign test cows. should maintain their present size operations to the maximum of their equipment and financial resources, 4. Those contemplating start ing a commercial poultry enter- prize should study and analyze present economic conditions an arrange for buildings, equip ment, leej supplies and financ ing prior to embarking on poultry entcrprize. 9. Since three rats consume or waste a Quantity of feed equal to that required by two laying hens, all poultry producers should practice an intensive rodent control program. 8. Poultry men considering the production of broilers or capons should first investigate market outlets and probable costs of production. Those now producing broilers are advised to consider marketing their birds at two and one-half to three pounds instead of the usual three to four pounds. Land Use Dairy Control Batter In the 1948 report the com mittee was considerably con cerned with the fact that dis eases such as brucellosis were on the increase in this area. This was blamed on the lax program during the war, but with the new brucellosis law and better organization within the county setup, control is now much bet ter than before and the disease incidents is expected to decline rainer than increase. The dairy committee recom mends that because the profits in dairying are not large, new dairies be established only on farms wrere good pastures are available and where the owner can establish a silage program for economical production. All milk markets in Oregon are flush for the first time in seven years. This makes the establish ment of new quotas very un likely. The committee therefore recommends that all new dairies plan to produce factory milk. Poultry Livestock The liver fluke, ox warble, or heel fly, and general livestock disease problems were thorough ly discussed by the livestock committer. Suggestions were marie that the disease control committee study these problems, such as community treatment of wet snail Infested areas, certain ranalu and the heel fly menace, and develop a program for im proved control. In regard to the testing of animals for brucellosis and tu berculosis, a resolution was pre sented as follows: Resolved that this committee go on record as favoring the em ployment of any registered, prac ticing veterinarian by any live stock owner, and that county, slate and federal agencies accept the tests by such employed licensed veterinarians. Bttf Incrttst Tht committee believes there It is estimated that the dodu- lation of the Pacific coast states has increased approximately 60 per cent since 11)40. The shifting of population has not reached a stationary point an d present trends indicate a continued in crease in Jackson county. The poultry population has not kept pace with this increase and the coast states are, there fore, consuming a greater num ber of eggs than is produced in tne area. The per capita con sumption of eggs has increased from about 200 eggs per year before the war to approximately tl83 in 1949 Feed Price Differential The increased population to- geiner with the increased con sumption would normally indi cate a demand for increased numbers of laying hens. More eggs are now being imported from midwest slates which could be produced here. If other factors were equal. But midwest poultry producing areas are now enjoying a prire differential of about a dollar per hundred pounds on feed supplies. Jack son county producers have usually fed high percenlages of wheat and present federal sup port prtces on all wheal places this grain In an almost prohib itive class for feeding purposes. Nearly all feed supplies are plentiful here but the feed cost egg price ratio it too narrow. In view of present economic conditions and the relatively high feed costs In relation to the average price of eggs, the com mlttee marie a series of recom mendations: Six Recommendations 1. Ettorts should be made to secure lower feed costs to pro ducers by supporting the two price program for wheal as advocated by the Eastern Ore gon Wheat league. This provides for a support price for only that wheat used for human consump- iioii. an wneat oiner man this In be priced comparably with other feed grains. 2. Commercial flnrkt almnlri he maintained at minimum of 2.000 laing hens, a side line or part time poultry enterprise with S00 laying hens and a farm nock should be maintained at about 25 laying hens. . isitbiished producers Reporting on subsistence homesteads, the land use com mlttee said they believe the number of small farms (10 acres or less) is still increasing, ' but at a lesser rate in 1950 than in either 1948 or 1949. The expansion of these small non-economic farms, when pur chased by operators of independ ent income, present only the problems of less production When such farm units are ac quired by persons of limited in come and operators are depend ent upon the tarm income to pay a considerable part of the pur chase price and operating ex pense, as well as family subsis tence, then a real economic problem develops. When indus trial and nearby agricultural employment lags, these prob lems become more acute ana added burdens are thrust on the community. Councils Organized The extension service has made a start in attacking the small farm problems through community organization of small farm councils where oper ators in a community meet to gether locally once or twice a month to discuss common prob lems. The committee urged an immediate expansion of the program. r-rogresj nas been maae in plans for increased water sup plies through individual and co operative efforts. In addition io a review of tne progress maae thus far on Rogue basin develop ment, the committee commented on the increasing number of reservoirs. SDrings. suitids and wells that Ijave been developed in the county the past two years to supplement the irrigation water supply. Individual pump ing plants to provide sprinkler irrigation have been installed to conserve water supplies as'well to adequately irrigate steep or uneven land. Several hundred acres are now made more pro ductive and less water is allow ed to contribute to wet land or un off- to streams. Brush Elimination The transition from brush to grass has been started as a result of the recommendations of the committee. The many trial and demonstrational seeriings marie on various different soil na elevation types of range repre sent a start on a large program of development. These trials seem to point a way that may be successfully loliowcd by inch divuals and groups in larger scale efforts to increase feed supplies, reduce erosion and conserve soil in the uncultivated areas of the county. These trial seeding should be maintained and enlarged both through private and public ef forts, the committee said. JEEPSTER PHAETON HAS NEW POWER, STYLE Many engineering and styling advances have been Incorporated into the 1950 models of the Willys Jeep, now on display at Leever Motor company, 317 East Fifth street. The pictures above show the re styled and rugged-appearing grill, the snorts nhaetnn. inH the nw u-lll... Ui.inn- ' ' ' " Farm Crops The farm crops committee be lieves that while sub clover is satisfactory pasture crop on cer tain lands of the county, it does not have a general adaptation on all lands. The committee is aware of the wide publicity now being given lo the various strains and varie ties of lotus. Since the narrow leaf birrisfoot trefoil, lotus cor- niculalus. is a native of Jackson county and since all commercial plantings are of this strain, and since a seeci entcrprize has been well developed and market out lets built up for this particular variety and an outside demand has exceeded productive sup plies, the committee recom mends that growers consider only this variety for additional plantings. The introduction of other varieties would endanger the tnesent enterprlze In mixtures that would soon appear. Clover Imoortant The product inn of ladino clo ver has long been an important seed crop in the county. This clo ver has proven its superior value for pasture. Frequently farmers have used low grade seed or seea of unknown origin for planting purposes. The committer recom mended that only Oregon blue lag seed be used for either seed or forage plantings. Since alsikr clover plantings have destroyed the ladino clover seed enterprlze in several Ore gon communities by spreading to ladino clover fieiris with the consequent mixture of the seed crop, and since ladino is a su perior seed crop to produce for sale and is generally a better pasture or forage crop than al sike clover, it is recommended that alsike clover and dutch white clover not be used for oas- ture. forage or seed crop plant ings In the county. "Emergency" Crop Sudan grass must still hm can. sidered as an emergency crop t crop to fill a particular need I rather than a regular year to year crop. J he committee recommends that growers give due consider ation to an increase of alta fes cue, tualatin oat grass, smooth brome grass, harding grass. chewing lescue and red creeping fescue. Small Farms The subdivision of acreage is still being accomplished in Jack son county, resulting in more small or part-lime farms than in 1948. It is apparent that many people are beginning to depend little more on their small acre ages for Income and sustenance than they have previously. ucveiopmcnt of the Soutnern Oregon Rabbit Growers' asso ciation and the Jackson County Poultrymen's association will give the operators of small acre ages an opportunity to get the most out of these two enter prises. Outlets Found During the past year operators of small farms have found out lets for crops sueh as berries. fruits and vegetables to jobbers who are operating in this area and who market the fruit at the most advantageous points. Other specially crops have not come Into prominence in the county. With the population con- inuing to Increase in the west, the markets will probably im prove for the more intensive crops which have been raised in this area. News of 4-H CLUBS Gold Hill club met at the Eskew home on Sardine Creek for the regular meeting on April 12. A record attendance of 23 members and seven adults was present and in absence of Lead er Norman Gail the meeting was in cnarge oi veuie Biles. New record books for the cur rent year were passed out to the members for use in making re port on the various projects. Poultry records were not avail able and will be handed out later to those members interest ed in poultry projects. Next regular meeting will be April 26 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Newnham in Gold Hill. PROBABLY NOT MACON, Ga. (U.R) The state highway patrol never of ficially revealed whether Opal Gloss won her driver's license but pedetrians who saw her ram a bus while an inspector sat beside her doubled it. Three out of four traffic acci dents happen in clear weather, dry roads. 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