TEW MEPFORD (ORESOK) MAIL TRIBUNE
Wednesday, AprtI 17, 1937
Coyimfty IFanrmm Crops Umidleirg Leosft Chsunige
Category Includes
Cereal, Seed Crops
(Editor's note: How is agriculture doing in Jackson
county? What is its future? How does it stack up as com
pared to the past? What are the major items of income?
(The following is one of a series of six articles, prepared
by the Mail Tribune in cooperation with the county agricul
tural extension office and others, in an attempt to answer
these questions.)
Of all phases f agriculture in
Jackson county, farm crops seem
to have undergone the least
overall change through the
years.
Included in this category are
forage (alfalfa, grain hay, oats
and vetch, clover, grass and corn
ensilage), cereal (wheat, barley,
oats, rye, corn) and seed crops
(alfalfa, clover, lotus, merion
bluegrass, pennlawn fescue, su
gar beet seed).
Annually, farm crops repre
sent about 7.5 per cent of the
total agricultural income for
the county. Last year, which was
considered an average year,
estimated gross income from
these crops totaled $3,787,351. '
Farm Crops Acreage
During 1956, estimated total
farm crops acreage was 52,
763. W. B. Tucker, county ag
riculture agent, states there has
been little change in total acre
age, though there has been some
deviation in production.
Production of farm crops is
largel:' dependent upon weather
conditions, status of the local
livestock industry, markets and
production costs, according to
Tucker.
This years, a major change in
the farm crops picture is ex
pected to take place. This is be
cause excessive spring rains de-J
layed planting of gram, pasture
seed, forage and cereal crops.
Tucker said farmers will probab
ly make up for the reduced acre
age of these crops by planting
more than the usual amount of
corn and sudan grass. These can
be planted in late April or May
when the ground is usually
warm and relatively dry.
Feed for Livestock
Most of the forage and cereal
crops raised in Jackson county
are also used here as feed for
livestock. Thus, when the live
stock industry is strong, forage
and cereal crop acreage climbs
ir accordance.
- Breeds of cattle also vary in
consumption of these crops. For
instance, Tucker pointed out,
Holstein and Guernsey cattle
consume more than some other
breeds. Holsteins are currently
popular in Jackson county.
Talent alfalfa seed is the only
farm crop raised here that is be
ing exported on a significantly
large scale at the present time.
Most of this is being sold to
Greece. But Tucker says the
Greek market appears to be a
temporary one. .
Farm Seed to Cereal ,
Most of the farm crops pro
duction changes in Jackson
county have come as a shift
from seed crops to cereal and
forage crop production. Follow
ing is a comparison of wheat
acreage harvested for grain in
the past 37 years:
YR. ACGE. YR. ACGE.
1919 7,239 1950 2,500
1946 2,900 1955 1,500
1947 2,800 1956 1,200
Tucker said the steady de
crease in wheat acreage has re
sulted from two factors. One has
been past surpluses and acreage
restrictions by the government.
The other is that Jackson county
soil is better adapted to pro
duction of barley than wheat.
Tucker noted that most com
mercially ground grains now
contain barley. As a result, bar
ley is considered a premium
grain hee.
Acreage figures for barley
have shown a steady increase
since 1919, except for a period
between 1950 and 1955. Follow
ing is a comparison of acreage
totals.
YR. ACGE. YR. ACGE.
1919 1.704 1955 5,500
1946 4.300 1956 5,600
1950 5.800
' Tucker said he could not def
initely account for the 300-acre
decrease from 1950 to 1955, but
suggested there might have been
unfavorable weather conditions
for growing.
Increase of Oats
Even though use of oats is no
longer universal, and the clim
ate in Jackson county is too
warm for production of high
quality oats, there has been a
large increase in acreage since
1919. In that year, there were
665 acres. In 1956, acreage total
ed 3,200.
Tucker pointed out, however,
that about 2,000 acres of land in
the county have recently been
brought under cultivation for
the first time. This is because
additional privately bu" reser
voirs have expanded irrigation
capacities, particularly in the
Sams Valley, Beagle and Lake
Creek areas.
Much of this land has been de
voted to oats because they are
considered a good temporary
:crop to plant until the land can
;be "firmed down."
Rye Minor Crop
i Rye has always been a minor
'xop in Jackson county, Tucker
said. In 1919, there were 127
acres. In 1956, there were about
100 acres. He explained that the
per acre yield for rye is low
here. Also, rye is a voluntary
crop and tends to interfere with
other crops, especially grain.
Corn acreage in Jackson coun
ty has always been low. In 1956,
there were 332 acres raised as
a cereal crop and 1,980 acres for
ensilage. Tucker indicated acre
age has remained more or less
stable through the years, with
slight increases when spring has
been especially wet.
Corn raised in Jackson
county has a high moisture con
tent, Tucker said," and must be
dried artificially. This has made
large scale production inadvis
able. The county agent pointed
out corn moisture content should
be about 15 per cent for success
ful storage, but it varies from
44 to 28Vfe per cent in corn
raised here. He said there is
some discussion of obtaining a
portable dehrydrator in the
county, which would make ex
panded corn production a pos
sibility. However, he empha
sized, the move is only in the
talking stage at this time.
Important Forage Crop
Alfalfa is considered the most
important forage crop raised in
Jackson county. There were
about-9,714 acres in 1919, about
11,200 acres in 1950 and 13,000
acres in 1946. There has been
no acreage change since then.
Alfalfa acreage doesn't in
crease much, Tucker said, be
cause the crop is not tolerant
of acid soil, of which there is
much in Jackson county. Also
it is not tolerant of wet soil, but
must have a sandy type ground
with good drainage. Most of the
locally grown alfalfa is either
fed to the grower's own stock
or sold to livestock owners in
the county.
Grain hay production has de
creased steadily here, and Tuck
er attributes the change to the
increased production of alfalfa.
He noted that the two crops are
closely associated and when pro
duction of one is high, produc
tion of the other tends to be
low. There were 10,211 acres of
grain hay in 1919; about 8,000
in 1946; about 7,500 in 1950;
and about 3.500 in 1956.
Production Flucljales
Production of oats and vetch
as forage crops fluctuates ac
cording to corn acreage. Total
acreage of oats and vetch in
1919 was 192. Acreage climbed
to 7,000 in 1946, then decreased
to 5,500 in 1955 and 4,000 in
1956. Tucker noted that oats
and vetch make good ensilage
crops and can be grown on
about any type of soil. He pre
dicts that farmers in Jackson
county will- continue raising
oats and vetch until corn yields
increase.
Production of jlover has in
creased in the last 10 years, but
it has probably been at the ex
pense of other grass hays, Tuck
er stated. In 1956, there were
13,000 acres of clover and 4,000
acres of other grass hays. In
1946, there were 4,800 acres of
clover and 6,700 acres of other
grass hays. Clover has also been
planted on additional soil re
cently brought into use.
"Seed crops in general are in
a precarious position, and there
is not much future for any of
them," the county agent said.
This is largely because of poor
markets. There ii some markets
for sugar beet seed, he said, but
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There are now only about 84
acres of sugar beet seed being
raised here.
Talent Alfalfa
Production of Talent alfalfa
climbed from 200 acres in 1955
to about 621 acres in 1956. Jhis
step-up resulted from opening of
the market to Greece, Tucker
stated. But, considering the un
certainty of thii market, the
county agent says no expansion
in production is recommended.
Ranger alfalfa was publicized
several years ago as being resis
tant to alfalfa wilt. But it was
discovered locally that the re
port was not entirely true.
Prices dropped from about 80
cents a pound to 20 cents a
pound in just one year. There
are 40 acres being grown in the
county now, and no increase in
acreage is recommended.
Ladino clover has been a maj
or part of Jackson county seed
production, but acreage has
dropped from 2,300 acres in
1946 to 133 acres in 1Q56. Even
less acreage is expected this
year because sale price is now
less than 50 cents a pound and
other crops can be raised for
better per acre income.
Kenland Red Clover
Kenland red clover has fol
lowed r. similar reduced acreage
pattern. In 1955, there were 30
acres, and in 1956, there were 18
acres. Kenland red clover is not
a high paying crop, Tucker said,
and is also susceptible to mil
dew. It is a biennial crop , and
must be plowed up every two
years.
Lotus acreage has dropped
from about 2,000 in 1949 to
about 16 in 1956. This is be
cause market price has dropped
from about $1.50 a pound to 50
cents a pound and the price does
not justify the amount of labor
involved in raising this crop.
Three new varieties of seed
crops being raised here are me
rion bluegrass, pennlawn fescue
and polycr,oss bentgrass. All
three were developed in the last
five years by Pennsylvania State
college. There has been some
local interest in these crops,
Tucker said, but there does not
seem to be much future In them.
In 1956, there were about 74
acres of merion bluegrass and
this acreage is being maintained
There were about nine acres of
pennlawn fescue in 1956, and a
reduction in acreage will be ap
parent this year, Tucker said.
Production of polycross bent
grass has also been limited here.
The county agent pointed out
this crop is expensive to raise,
and the price is now., coming
down. No acreage' expansion is
recommended.
Tom Gail Is fleeted
Vice President ofBTP
Salem Tom Gail, junior , at
Willamette university from Med
ford, -was elected vice president
of the campus chapter of Beta
Theta Pi this week.
A biology major, Gail has ser
ved as vice president of the class
and a member of the varsity
track team. Active in the univer
sity drama department, he is the
son oi ivir. ana ivirs. is. w. uail,
1 1569-Biddle rd.
Rickers Plan Trip
To Wood, Wisconsin
Camp White Manager and
Mrs.' Eugene K. Ricker plan to
will leave Saturday for a con
ference with the manager at the
Veterans Administration Center,
Wood, Wis., he has announced.
Assistant Manager H. Jaffrey
will be acting manager during
Ricker's absence for a three
week period.
' Jaffrey has-been attending an
area management and fiscal con
ference at Portland this week,
accompained by Mrs. Sue Vin
cent, fiance officer, and R. H.
Ruffin, domiciliary officer.
Registrar L. L. Dover and
Personnel Officer John W. Sind
ers will attend an area confer
ence Thursday and Friday this
week.
Bolivia, the third largest of
the South American republics,
embraces an area of about 510,
000' square miles.
New England Fish Company
has acquired tie operating assets of
Alaska Pacific Salmon Company
Negotiations leading to the purchase
were conducted by
Pacific Northwest Company
Investment Securities
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