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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1957)
SIX MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE wm and Qmden Sheepman Remarks EVaefhods Different Dn New Zealand "There's a big difference!" is the way New Zealand sheepman Don Hopkirk, summed up the comparison between U. S. sheep production and that of his two island country of New Zealand. One of the main differences is New Zealanders do not give their sheep a supplementary grain ration. The animals feed entirely off the grasslands. The ruddy-faced and raw boned young man is from Ter ranaki on the West coast of North Island. He and seven other young fellow country men are visiting this country on a Rotary exchange program. Tuesday and Wednesday they were in Med ford. Main sheep raising center is the east coast of North Island where five to six sheep are raised to an acre. In the high country of North Island are the large sheep ranges of 30,000 to 40,000 acres supporting only one sheep per 20 acres. Pople Outnumbered "Raising animals is our largest industry in New Zealand. Sheep alone number 40 million com pared to the 2V2 million our ex port income comes from these sheep and also dairy animals. The young sheepman and his fellow travelers had visited the sheep ranges of Idaho and east ern Washington and wasn't too impressed. The dry country made his party thirst for the greener scenery on the coast. "Since we fatten our sheep on grass, we can put them on the market far cheaper than you can your grain-fed animals," the New Zealander said. 'We have no comparable range-land like your government reserves for grazing." 'Sheep raising is also vastly different from Australia," Hop kirk said. "There they graze sheep on large ranges while we graze ours in fenced off acreage called paddocks. They are grazed from one paddock to another." Main Breed Main breed used in the fertile grass-growing flat country is the Romney. This sheep requires better conditions but also pro duces a better grade of wool, it was explained. The Merino type is used in the high country. In New Zealand lambs are usually weaned fat off their mothers at 100 days. In the hill country lambs are sold to the flat country farmers for fatten ing. All stock is sold at auction as is the wool. These sales are hand led by stock firms, it was ex This Week's Town, Country This 953 square foot home keeps a practical eye on your budget, yet it is complete in every detail. The basically rectangular shape lends itself to the clean, low lines of Modern Ranch styl ing. Selected to play a dual role, the exterior materials com bine harmoniously, and at the same time help to keep building costs to a minimum. The gleaming rock roof is box ed at the eaves. Box-framed casement windows of standard size repeat' the horizontal lines against vertical siding. Painted concrete block masonry " trims the garage and extends to a long planter. A second spot for greenery is the planter well in set into the cement entry land ing. The foyer leads directly into the spacious living room, where double casement windows flank the broad fireplace. Sliding glass doors open from the din in,, alcove to the covered patio and rear garden. In both rooms unbroken wall areas afford a good background for large piec es of furniture or conversational groupings. Built-in appliances conserve space in the compact kitchen, which is accessible from both the front hall and service entry. Convenient to the work area, garage and play yard is the half bath off the service room. There is ample space in the service plained. The government does not sub sidize wool, meat or dairy pro ducts in the county "down under." However, a pool account is used to help cushion any large decline in prices. The funds are administered through the various farmer organization, Hopkirk said. Another big difference is that cattle are raised on the same ranch or farm with sheep. The cattle are used to halt the rapid growth of firm and scrub weeds through grazing and trampling the plants under foot. They are also used to 'sweaten" the sheep pastures through fertilization. The north coast of North Is land is the dairying center. As in the United States, New Zealand farmers rely on an ex tension service for expert ad vice. Also like the United States, farming is highly mechanized with equipment imported from both the United States and Great Britain. Producer Registration Delayed For Fryermen Salem Deadline for registra tion to participate in the pro ducer referendum on the pro posed Oregon Fryer Commis sion has been extended, accord ing to Paul T. Rowell, market development chief for the state department of agriculture. The .registration period or iginally was scheduled to close on Oct. 7, with the referendum scheduled for Oct. 28 to Nov. 7. Rowell stated that with the busy fall season, registrations to date include only about one third of the fryer producers in the state. Since only those reg istered at least 20 days prior to the referendum are eligible to vote, an expression for or against the proposed commission could not be obtained from fryer and broiler producers as a whole, on the basis of registra tions to date. Rowell, market development chief, urges all fryer and broil er producers who have not com pleted and returned their regis tration forms already to hurry. Additional blanks are available at the state department of ag riculture in Salem, and the of fices of the county extension agents. Closing of the registration period and rescheduling of the referendum will be announced as soon as possible. area for washing machine, dry er and a broom closet. A storage locker extends across the back of the garage, which could be enlarged to ac comodate two cars if desired. A side door to the garage opens near the service door of the home for convenience in unload ing supplies after shopping trips. A minimum-size hall leads to the two bedrooms. Both have large windows on two sides for cross ventilation, high-set for ease in arranging bedroom fur niture. Fixtures in the family bath are recessed, and the pullman lava tory has a storage cabinet under neath. The forced air furnace is 1 t5.- 1 I 202 Thursday, October 10, 1957 I New Class Added To Sheep Contest Corvallis Expansion of Ore gon's state-wide sheep production contest to permit entries of smaller flocks than in past years has been announced by the Ore gon Purebred Sheep Breeders association and Oregon State college, joint sponsors. The contest was started three years ago to encourage produc tion and marketing practices that enable farm flock operators to increase profits from lamb and wool sales. Awards go to farmers whose annual records show the highest gross income per ewe in production of lamb and wool. A new class for flocks of 20 to 50 ewes has been added for the 1958 contest. The minimum size flock was formerly 35 ewes. Other classes in the revised pro gram are flocks of 50 to 100 ev.es and flocks over 100, re ported S. A. Jackson, Benton county extension agent and sec retary of the purebred breeders association. Contest chairman C. M. Hub bard, Junction City sheep breed er, said the revised entry re quirements are more nearly tail ored to Oregon's sheep manage ment picture. Many Oregon counties, he says, have sizeable numbers of flocks with less than 35 ewes. Enrollment cards for the 1958 contest are now available at county extension offices, Jack son reports. All Oregon market lamb producers are eligible to enroll ewe flocks. The contest includes a study of major phases of flock management, such as breeding, feeding, and market ing, in an attempt to learn where management dollars are best spent for biggest net re turns. Contest results for the past few years have emphasized the value of getting Oregon lambs on the early May-June markets when competition from other areas is light, Hubbard says. Awards for farm flock opera tors whose 1957 records show the highest gross income per ewe in production of lamb and wool will be announced at the annual meeting of the purebred breeders association, Nov. 9 at Salem. Wheat Movements Drop In Foreign Shipments Salem Wheat movement to foreign ports from Oregon dur ing September dropped below the total exported in August, ac cording to the monthly report of T. Ralph Harry, grain division chief for the state department of agriculture. September wheat exports totalled more than 5.3 million bushels, compared with 5.7 million bushels in August. House Plan AO, lot PLAN MO 2 SO! J53 SQ. ft out of the way in the attic. Complete working drawings of the above plan can be obtain ed at a cost of S7.50 for the first set and $5 for each addition al set, when ordered at the same time. This plan will be avail able for a period of four months from this date. Please allow two weeks for delivery. If the above home does not entirely meet with your satisfaction, a new home plan book. TOWN and COUNTRY HOMES may be pur chased for SI. Send all orders for either plans or books to: Hiawatha Estes, PO Box 404-T, Northridge, Calif. Fire Prevention Rules Listed For Rural Area Corvallis Nearly half of Ore gon s 58 fire fatalities in 19o6 were children under 10 years of age. This grim reminder comes from the farm and home safety committee of the Oregon State college extension service for "1957 Fire Prevention Week," which ends October 12. Twenty-six Oregon youngsters under 10 years of age died in the state's 10,838 fires in dwell ings covered by insurance dur ing 1956, according to the recently-published Oregon state fire marshal report for 1956. Many additional fires occurred in non insured homes not included in the report, the OSC committee explains. While fire struck an average of 29 Oregon homes every day in 1956, the greatest loss came during winter months when heaters, furnaces, stoves, and el ectricity receive heaviest use. Twenty-two of the 26 children Farm Prices Decline To Last Year's Level Corvallis Farm prices in Ore go eased downward in Septemb er to the same level as a year ago, according to Mrs. Elvera Horrell, extension agricultural conomit at Oregon State college. Nationally, farm prices lost all summer gains as the farm price index dropped three points last month. In contrast to the Oregon situation, however, the national index remains about 4 per cent higher than September of last year, Mrs. Horrell said. Reviewing reports from the U. S. department of agriculture, Mrs. Horrell found that lower prices for meat animals and for most commercial vegetables were the major causes of the price declines. However, feed grains, oil-bearing crops, fruit, potatoes, and wool prices across the na tion were also lower. Higher prices were listed for hay, cot ton, tobacco, and dairy and poultry products. Meanwhile, farm costs as measured by the parity index the government s yardstick of what it costs a farmer to live and produce crops inched back up to the record high reached ear lier this year, Mrs. Horrell found. The index now stands three per cent above September, 1916. Prices paid by farmers for family living items reached a new all-time high in mid-Sep tember after holding steady for about three months. Sharply-up clothing prices, particularly for woolen and cotton clothing, led the price rise. Farm operation costs also climbed, as lower feed and seed prices only partially offset high er prices on motor supplies, farm machinery, fertilizer, and feeder livestock. Freight rate increases which were effective in late August, were partly responsible for the increase in farm opera tion costs, Mrs. Horrell found. The dropping prices and climb ing costs put some pressure on farm product buying power. The ratio of prices received to prices paid farmers stood at 83 at mid September one point below August, but one point above a year ago. Meat Parcel Markings Often Said Incorrect Salem Inspection in Co lumbia River and northeastern Oregon towns last week revealed mat meat packages in over half the markets inspected were not correct as far as net weight markings, according to O. K. Beals, foods and dairies, weights and measures chief for the state department of agriculture. Beals stressed that the dis crepancies were not large, but indicated the most common error found was that the full tare weight of the wrappings was not considered. Incorrect weight markings are of importance to tne consumer when it is real ized that a one ounce error amounts to five cents, on each pound of meat at 80 cents a pound. Merchandisers who h a ve incorrectly marked the net weights on meat packages are naoie ior prosecution. Meat counters in major mark ets throughout the state are be ing checked by the department Already inspected are the Wil lamette Vallev and north rnastal regions; in a recheck of the Wil lamette valley, most of the early errors iouna nave been correct ed. Apiary Inspector Named For State Department Salem Kenneth Goeden. Sal em, will serve as state aDiarv in spector for Oregon's department of agriculture, according Frank McKennon, plant industry chief. Goeden replaces A. Burr Black, Salem, who retired Sent. 30 after serving the department in this capacity since 1935. An entomologist with the de p-rtment's plant pest and disease surveys for three years, Goeden obtained two B.S. degrees, one in entomoglogy and one in hor ticulture, at Oregon State colleg in 1954. Lincoln, Neb. was called Lan caster until 1867. lost their lives during the six cold months from November through- April, a majority of them victims of heating equip ment fires. Charles Ross, OSC committee member, urges inspec tion and elimination of home fire hazards "to protect little ones who cannot protect them selves." Home fire drills to train children are also suggested. Fire safety in the home and on the farm can be achieved by anyone who takes the trou ble to learn and live by a simple set of rules, Ross says. He adds that fire prevention week ought to serve as a reminder to all Ore gon families to review the fol lowing rules: ' , 1. Be sure the heater or fur nace is in good condition. Look out for cracked stoves or other defects. 2. See that automatic mechan isms on heaters and furnaces op erate properly. 3. Be sure smoke pipes are tight at the joint, not rusted or worn through. Flues should be a safe distance from woodwork. 4. Never overwork or force a furnace or heater that is giv ing insufficient heat. 5. Never try to quicken a fire by using kerosene. 6. Always keep a metal screen in front of a burning fireplace. 7. Handle hot ashes with care, always deposit them in a metal container equipped with a cover. 8. Keep flammable materials and rubbish away from furnaces and heaters. Get rid of flam mable trash. The OSC specialist also advis es home check-ups of electrical hazards before starting the heavy winter season. An inspection by Portland firemen of more than 30,000 homes a few years ago showed that nearly one-fifth of all fuse boxes were overfused and nearly 10 percent of the homes had defective wiring. When in doubt as to whether wiring is safe, consult with a power company representative, Ross advises. No Sharp Drop Seen In Fed Cattle Price Corvallis Fed cattle prices in Oreeon are not expected to drop as sharply during the heavy October-November marketing sea son as they did a year ago, re port Oregon State college ag ricultural economists. Clattlp slaughter is now rising seasonally but prices may de cline only $2 to -3 a hundred weight comoared to a drop of $4 to $5 last fall when the 1956 drought forced fall slaughter to a record high, the economists say. A general downtrend in cattle slaughter is expected to continue in 1958, pointing to favorable prices for fed cattle in the year ahead. Large hay supplies and cheap feed grains are predicted also, but feeder's margins may be squeezed by the higher prices being paid for feeder animals. Meanwhile, hog production is responding to generally good prices with national increases expected in both this fall and next spring's pig crops. This dims hog price prospects for next fall, the economists report in the current issue of the OSC "Oregon Farm and Market Out look" circular. Copies of the cir cular are available from county entension offices. Good range conditions during the past summer brought mixed blessings to lamb producers. A larger than usual percentage of western lambs are ' ready for slaughter this fall. This is hold ing prices down for fat lambs. At the same time, the supply of feeder lambs is smaller and prices higher than last fall. Time To Spray Lilacs For Blight Disease Now is the time to spray lilac plants for blight, Clifford B. Cordy, county horticulture agent, said today. The blight, similar to that found on other trees and shrubs in the valley, should be controlled now in stead of waiting until spring. Black streaks will appear on the sides of the shoots with signs of wilting or dying leaves, Cordy said. The plant should be sprayed thoroughly with a solution of one-quarter pound of neutral copper in three gallons of water combined with a little spreader sticker, he said. He added that peaches and apricots should be sprayed be fore Oct. 20 for control of peach blight and peach leaf curl. Spray to be used is a solution of five pounds of fifty per cent or seven pounds of thirty-five per cent neutral copper per 100 gallons of water. For small quan tify combine one-quarter pound neutral Copper in three gallons of water. In places where leaf curl or peach blight have been a prob lem. Cordy said, repeat the spray in January. NAMED TO OFFICE Eugene James A. Perry, 105 Geneva ave, Medford, was rec ently named adjutant officer on the wing staff of the Air Force ROTC cadet wing, at the Uni versity of Oregon. Perry is a senior, majoring in liberal arts. Hearing Scheduled About Commission By Local Beef Men Need for creation of an Ore gon Beef commission will be the subject of a hearing at Gold Hill Grange hall on Friday, Oct. 18, it was announced. This will be one of a series of 17 hearings conducted by the state department of agri culture and held throughout the state from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1, Director Robert J. Steward an nounced this week. The Oregon Cattlemen's asso ciation filed the petition asking for hearings and referendum on the commission in July. The scheduled hearings will help de partment officials determine whether there is need for a self help program for the Oregon beef industry. If the department decides in favor of the petition ers, the proposed commission must still be approved by a producer vote. The commission proposal af fects all who are producing beef for market, including those who sell dairy cattle for meat. If the commission should be created, producers could be as sessed up to 10 cents per ani mal on all sales for slaughter or for shipment out of the state. These funds would be restricted to use on solving problems as sociated with marketing of beef. The petition also places other limitations upon the beef com mission. Director Steward said he hopes all interested persons will attend at least one of the hearings. The complete schedule of the hearings follows, all but two of which will be at 1:30 o'clock. Oct. 15 Portland, State Of fice building, hearing room 36. Oct. 16 Tillamook, court house, circuit court room. i Oct. 17 Coquille, county ex tension office, courthouse. Oct. 18 Gold Hill, grange hall. , Oct. 18 Roseburg, courthouse auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 Eugene, county ex tension office, 1170 Pearl st. Oct. 21 Klamath Falls, fair grounds lecture room. Oct. 22 Lakeview, court house. Oct. 23 Burns, courthouse. Oct. 24 Canyon City, court house. Oct. 25 Ontario, armory. Oct. 26 Prineville, court house. Oct. 29 Baker, courthouse. Oct. 30 Enterprise, court house. Oct. 31 Pendleton, court house. Nov. 1 The Dalles, Pacific Power and Light building. Nov. 1 Salem, 8 p.m., State Department of Agriculture build ing. Feed-Grain Condition Point To Carryover Corvallis Large supplies of feed grains and hay point to a heavy carryover in Oregon next year with little possibility of price increases, report Oregon State college agricultural econ omists. Nationally, the feed - grain buildup is expected to leave re cord carryovers on hand next fall. While the nation's corn acre age this year is 13 per cent small er than 10 years ago, the na tion's grain sorghum acreage is 2Vi times as large and the barley acreage is 37 percent larger. Ore gon's barley acreage has pract icallv doubled in the past 10 years, the economists report in the current issue of OSC s "Ore gon Farm and Market Outlook." Oregon hay supplies for the 1958 feeding season probably will be at least as large as this year, the economists say. Un less unusually harsh weather lengthens this winter's feeding summer is likely to increase again, according to the OSC out look report. The outlook circular also ex amines the 1958 picture for wheat, seed crops, livestock, and the soil bank. Copies of the cir cular are available from local county extension offices. Extra Eggs in Every TRIANGLE X-TRA EGG PRODUCER When it comes to producing more eggs per bird, our most successful customers say the answer is Triangle X-tra Egg Producer. They prove it with extra profits. This "famous formula" feed has the perfect balance of nutritive elements, minerals and vitamins for top con dition and extra egg production. We'll be glad to tell you more about this profit making feed see us soon. ' IN Pear Crop Short Of Record Year The 1957 pear crop in the Rogue River valley exceeded pre-harvest estimates but fell short of the record 1956 pro duction, a spokesman for the Medford Pear Shippers associa tion said today. An initial reported pack-out of 2,439,469 boxes of all varie ties coupled with about 10,400 tons of cannery pears will bring the total over the predicted 2, 850,000 boxes. With some can nery tonnage still unreported, thi total production in the Med ford district stands at 2,876,000 boxes. Not included in the pack ed box total are some pears that are being held in field lugs in cold storage for later packing or for inclusion in gift pack ages. Total Bartlett production fell below expectations, D'Anjou and Bosc figures were about as expected and the Cornice crop exceeded pre-harvest predic tions. Locai fruit men indicate that this production represents about 50 per cent of the total pear crop in Oregon. Shippers report that market ing of the crop is under way with Bartletts and Bosc moving out in good order. The market continues strong and most ship pers report good demand and satisfactory prices, due to the excellent quality of the fruit. The prospects of good movement of the crop are very favorable, spokesmen said. Weather Man Meets With Pear Shippers John Manning, field represent ative of the International Apple association and Paul Caubin, rep resenting' the Water Resources Development Corp., were guests jt a meeting of the Medford Pear Shippers Association, held re cently in Medford. Manning is on a field inspec tion tour of the major fruit dis tricts of the nation and while in this area conferred with Ray Ret er, Medford-grower and shipper, president of the International Apple Association. Caubin reported on the tech niques and engineering problems of weather modification and told of the research carried on by Water Resources Development Corp. to further this relatively new science. Caubin explained the methods employed in at tempting to suppress the hail po tential of storms in this area and described new equipment being developed for use here and else where in their world-wide opera tions. Caubin said he could forsee the day, in the next 1 to 20 years, when man could more accurately predict and control costly storms, with the aid of visual reports of weather in. the northern hem isphere transmitted from an earth satellite. Water Resources Development Corp. of Denver, Colorado, has just completed their fourth year of hail suppressiin work on be half of local fruit growers. Next years program will be expanded in an effort to effect even better control, Caubin said. Forty-Nine Licenses Issued Hay Dealers Salem To date, 49 licenses have been issued under the new hay dealer's licensing and bond ing law, according to Frank Mc Kennon, chief of the plant di vision ' of the state department of agriculture. Probably more dealers are subject to this law and the de aprtment is attempting to con tact them. Everyone, whether an individual or a business con cern, who buys hay from pro ducers for resale is required to be licensed and bonded under this act. Application blanks are avail able at the department head quarters in Salem, the branch office in Portland, and at ship ping point inspection offices in Milton-Freewater, Ontario, Red mond, Hood River, Klamath Falls and Medford. MASH OR PELLET FORM Livestock Meeting 1 Set Nov. 13-15 For West Oregon Corvallis Livestock pro ducers from throughout Western Oregon will gather Nov. 13 to 15 at Roseburg for the 22nd annual meeting of the Western Oregon Livestock association. Committee sessions on " six major phases of livestock pro duction and marketing will open the three-day meeting the after noon of November 13 at the Umpqua hotel, reports Harry Lindgren, Oregon State college livestock specialist and associa tion secretary. Association presi dent is Sam Dement, Myrtle Point rancher. Committee representatives will be from the 14 western Oregon county livestock associations comprising the regional associa tion, Lindgren says. Committee sessions are slated for markets and beef commission, legislation, wildlife, range and pasture, live stock diseases, and resolutions. Main speakers, a panel dis cussion on livestock "production testing,' and the annual evening banquet are scheduled the sec ond day. Gordon Dunham, First National Bank fieldman for the Corvallis area, will moderate the panel. Panel members will be Ken Knechtel, sheepman, and L. C. Perrine, Angus cattle breeder, both of Oakland; J. E. Oldfield, OSC animal nutritionist; and T. K. Johnson, OSC swine herds man. A business session including election of 1958 officers and ac tion on resolutions will close the convention Nov. 15. Assisting Lindgren with program planning is Joe B. Johnson, OSC animal husbandman. 'Local arrange ments are being handled by the Douglas county livestock associ ation headed by Elton Jackson, Winchester, president, and Wayne Mosher, Douglas county extension agent, secretary. Changes Explained In Reserve Program Corvallis Changes in the soil bank conservation reserve pro gram for 1958 will be of interest to part-time farmers as well as farmers in summer-fallow areas and marginal cropland, accord ing to M. D. Thomas, extension agricultural economist at Ore gon State college. Farmers are now being' en couraged to put whole farm units under the program, and to take part in more forestry and wild life practices, Thomas says. Dur ation of contracts under this pro gram now range from three to 10 years. Payments covering up to 80 per cent cost for establishing land in the conservation reserve, plus annual rental payments, are provided under 1958 Soil Bank contracts. Annual payments up to $500 per farm may now be received under the program. Signup for the 1958 conserva tion reserve will soon be under way at county ASC offices. And since there may be further changes in program provisions. Thomas recommends that inter ested farmers check with their county ASC office or county ex tension agent for more informa tion to help plan a program for their farm. FEEDS IT'S In The Bag When You BUY Your FEED From MORTON MILLING CO. Jackson St. en Railroad MORTON MILLING CO. 10 Wut Jackson StrMt 1 Bag of Sold Locally By! I 1 1 MORTON Milling Co. Medford, Oregon
