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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1959)
8 MA ft. TRIBUNE, Medford. Oregon, TtiunJay, Janugry 7, 1959 CHIT CHAT By JOE COWLEY Mail Tribune Farm Editor Barbershop comments should be taken always, as a friend of ours says - "with a large box of salt." And we like to hear barber shop talk regardless of the truth of it. One such comment was. "If a feller wants to really get ahead he should go to Alaska and get himself a homestead. Wouldn't pay for old fellers like us to do it though. Takes someone who is in his 20"s. Yup, that's a young man's deal!" Farm & Garden ! We don't agree with that kind of talk. Life for an Alaskan farmer is plenty rugged and requires the strength and tough ness noted in the young. However, such pioneering isn't only for the young. Recently, we finished reading a story in "The Farm," a quarterly publication on agriculture. This article was about a young stockman from Nebraska and his family's exper iences in founding a stock ranch near the Mt. McKinley National park and not far from Nenana. The "young ex-Nebraskan figured that to become a suc cessful beef grower he had to develop a breed of cattle par ticularly suited to stand both Alaska's 40 below zero weather and the swarms of large, fierce biting mosquitoes. He pur chased from South Dakota 54 head, 11 purebred Scotch Highlanders, and 43 crosses, Highlander-Longhorn, Highlander-Hereford and Highlander-Shorthorn. The herd made it through the winter without severe losses and most of it survived the fatal attraction of the railroad tracks, bone-freezing winters and hungry Eskimos. The purebred Scotch Highlanders seemed best suited to Alaska. They were good foragers and had long shaggy hair to withstand both the cold and mosquitoes. The young farmer quickly discovered his stock burned up a lot of hay in fighting the 40 below cold. During such cold weather he had to provide four times as much hay as he would during mjlder weather. He also discovered those feeding on wild cranberry and other native plants get their vitamins and did better. Oat-vetch-pea hay provided the best nourishment during the winter when the stock couldn't reach the wild plant life, the Alaskan discovered. To pull through financially, the young rancher's wife had to take a job in Fairbanks. The young farmer advises anyone interested in this frontier farming to give Alaska a trial before definitely deciding to farm there. This Alaskan rancher has a 20-year lease. He must run 50 cattle the first year, 150 the third year and 500 the fifth year. Lease costs the first three years will cost him $400 total. After that he will be charged 60 cents a head a year. Under the lease terms, he can grow anything on the land, but can only beef off of it. According to the revised home stead regulations no homesteads can be established on leased land. Also, he cannot purchase land vithin the lease, and cannot homestead himself. Although Alaska only pro duces about 5 per cent of the food it eats, many Alaskans believe that the new state can be self-sustaining only in bef. ' This pioneering isn't limited to Alaska nor to young men. The other day we dug out a clipping of a feature story we had written some time ago. This was about how a 60-year-old man and his family dug and scraped a farm out of rugged timber country in the Pacific Northwest. When he was through he had a total of 716 acres of farm land and was grazing an average of 300 head of "feeder" cattle. To do it he and his two sons put in from 14 to 16 hours a day. They started in 1947 with 320 acres. Three dulldozers running from dawn to dark cleared 160 acres that first year of 1947. Approximately 120 acres produced flax that first year. The farmer and his wife lived in a little granery shack then. In the fall of the same year they moved into the ramshackle farm house which they bought with the land. They redecorated it inside and out and moved in. Gradually more land was added. This pioneering rancher firmly believes in the basic practices of crop rotation and proper fertilization. His thick stand of clover is proof of his practices. Those in the busi ness who know, say that without this practice the clover will completely disappear in 10 years - unless phosphorous Is added. This spry old farmer was housing his cattle in open sided sheds made of peeled poles covered with aluminum when last visited. "Yknow a man gets pretty lazy when he gets old like me, then he just has to sit down and figure a little before he starts workin'. Sometimes it saves a lot of work. Like I peeled all of those poles by using my tractor. Took me just an hour," the veteran farmer said. To feed the wintering cattle two 600 ton capacity ensilage pits were used. Corn ensilage was preferred. To supplement silage, cattle were fed two pounds per head a day of sup plement "G," which is a mixed feed containing dehydrated grass, molasses and minerals. Besides the beef, from 90-100 acres of cannery corn was raised on the ranch, plus 30 acres of field corn. This pro duced about 10 tons of corn an acre. Believing that diversification of crops also pays off, the veteran farmer had a 200 acre tree farm, also. The trees were thinned according to recommendations of the forester attached to the U. S. Soil Conservation Service. The far-seeing farmer believer this is the future of forestry. This farmer had many rich accomplishments in his past but never liked to talk of it. "Don't .think about the past-sign's a man is getting old," the veteran farmer remarked, a grin creasing his ruddy, Pre-lnventory WHOLESALE PRICES VV CADMIUM $469 VA-U Battery Additive I NATIONALLY ADVERTISED S2.98 IMMEDIATE DELIVERY PALM LOOM RUG MAKER $1.19 Nationally Advertised $2.00 Does Beautiful Work WAXIE SPRA-SHINE Large 75 to 100 shine size BLAZE OUT FIRE EXTINGUISHER Replaced Free if used on fire in 60 days. Nationally advertised $1.98. $1.50 $1.00 All Items Fully Guaranteed Free Information Immediate Delivery Check or Money Order P. & E. ENTERPRISES MANUFACTURERS P.O. Box 1285, Medford, Ore., Distributors DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED weather beaten face. "It's the future that interests me!" The lanky, plain-spoken old political warrior believes everyone can afford to devote a little time to the public service. He was a county commissioner for six years. "You know, I think thafs one reason why I liked this place so well when I bought it. Then, the only way you could get here was that shaky ferry across the river. Mighty peaceful after hearing all those complaints in the court house. 'Course now they have the new highway through. Gave 16 acres of my land for it." This man had been representative in the state legisla ture, also. His aim was to put government on a business basis. "Farming? It's a big gamble. Never paid much attention to betting on the horses. Why should I, when I can get my money's worth of worrying out of my crops. Bet on a horse and your worryin' is all over in a half hour. With farmin' it's different." All of which is the long way around the barn to say that such pioneering requires a rugged constitution, shrewd ness, inventiveness and lots of energy. And these qualities don't seem to be limited to any particular age bracket. Late Monday Gov.-elect Mark Hatfield appointed Frank McKennon, director of the division of plant industry, as state director of agriculture. McKennon is a veteran of 23 years with the department. Agricultural experts and political observers inform us this was a wise choice. McKennon is said to be well-liked by all segments of agriculture and by many of those who have had business with him. And what's even more, im portant observers predict he will represent all parts of the state's agricultural industry impartially. McKennon's experience in the division of plant industry, a part of the state department of agriculture will give him the broad foundation of both technical and departmental knowledge needed. Robert Steward, whom he replaces, resigned effective Jan. 12. Steward was only in office for lVz years much to the distress of the industry. Should this position be removed from political appointment? That's a question plenty of informed, misinformed and uninformed people will be kicking around during the new year. How ever, does anyone know of a bad state director of agricul ture placed in office under the present system? Stale Turkey Men To Attend Meet Dairy Legislation Set For Talks Corvallis Legislation af fecting Oregon's milk supply and economics and manage ment of dairy operations will highlight the 65th annual meeting of the Oregon Dairy men's association, Jan. 7 and 8, at Gearhart. Secretary Harold Ewalt, Or egon State college extension dairy specialist, says the meet ing at the Gearhart hotel will run the gamut of problems facing dairymen including recommended changes in agri cultural laws slated to go be fore the next legislature. Dairy sanitary laws, pro posed reorganization of the state department of agricul ture, and clarification of the laws on retail milk sales by "dairy breed names," will be investigated. Oregon's milk pricing sys tem and some resulting prob lems will be reviewed by Dr. S. Kent Christensen, OSC ag ricultural economist, who has recently completed several studies of the state's dairy bus iness including comparative costs of serving milk and cof fee in Oregon restaurants. D. O. Noorlander, Universi ty of California veterinary de partment, will discuss mastitis control and proper use of milking machines. Other top ics include Oregon's water re sources for irrigation by Ar thur S. King, OSC soil conser vation specialist. 4-H Club News Happy Slilchers Sewing Club The meeting of the Happy Stitchers on Dec. 30 was held in the home of our leader, Mrs. Arthur Becker. It lasted all day. All the members were present but one. We finished our needle cases. Then we made wrist pincushions, after that we had lunch. After lunch we learned how to. fold and store sweaters. We learned the parts of the sew ing machine. Then we took a piece of tablet paper and without thread learned to sew straight lines. We were served cup cakes at the end of our meeting. Then our assistant leader, Mrs. Van Calhoun, took us home. Cherylee Becker, Reporter. Slilch-in-Time Club The Stitch-in-Time club met at Marcy Miller's and Molly Ely's houses to finish the needle cases. Around the out side of the needle cases, we put the blanket stitch. The next meeting will be held at Judy Dunlevy's to make pin cushions. Joan Eslinger, Reporter Sam's Thumpers A bake sale will be held by Sam's Thumpers 4-H rabbit club some time in January or February at the Valley Lock er, it was decided during a recent meeting. Nancy Day will give a dem onstration on how to feed rab bits during the next club meeting at the home of Daryl Zapell on Jan. 4. Nancy Day, Reporter. Corvallis A delegation of 50 Oregon turkey producers, representing the Oregon Tur key Improvement association, will leave Portland Jan. 2 to attend the national Turkey Federation convention, Jan. 4 to 8 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Oregon turkey associ ation is taking along a booth to be exhibited at the conven tion, reports N. L. Bennion, Oregon State College exten sion poultryman and secre tary of the association. The booth, with a theme, "Oregon, the Home of Foundation Breeding Stock," will explain the state's contribution to im proving the turkey industry in the nation, he said. Oregon's $10 milli.on-a-year turkey industry is famous for its production of broad-breasted bronz turkey eggs and poults, Bennion pointed out. About one-half of the eggs and poults produced in the state each year are sold to turkey growers over the na tion. Eight of the state's turkey producers are also taking along booths to set up at the national convention, Bennion added. These booths will fea ture exhibits of both live and dressed turkeys. Cattle Club Sels Yearly Meeting Lynn Bramkamp, manager of the California Milk Produ cers federation, wild be guest speaker at the annual meet ing of the Rogue River Jer sey Cattle club at the Rogue Riviera on Saturday, Jan. 10, it was announced. Final plans for the annual luncheon to be held at the Rdgue Riviera were made at the December meting of th Rogue River Jersey Cattle club. Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Mon gold of Eagle Point were hosts for the monthly busi ness and social get-together. A gift exchange and election of officers for the coming year were highlights of the meeting. New officers elected were W. D. Mongold, Eagle Point, president; J. E. Parsons, Gold Hill, vice president; Bess Mc Colm, Grants Pass, secretary; and E. B. Poyer, Ashland, treasurer. It was decided to continue the popular guest speaker program along with partici- EXAMINE GRASS SILAGE-Carl "Jake" Jacobson, feed salesman for this area, left, and Bill Hubbard, Eagle Point, are shown analyzing some grass silage on the Hubbard farm. Jacobson and Nat Etzel, Eagle Point vocational agri culture instructor, have sampled about 35 samples of local and imported hay and local grown silage. These samples plus the analysis for moisture, crude protein, carotene and fiber will be presented at the fourth meeting of the winter adult course on livestock feeding at Eagle Point High school. owTo Buy Best Hay Included In Course How to get the best hay for the money is one of the things farmers will be taught while attending the winter adult course on livestock feeding starting Jan. 8 in, the Eagle Point vocational agriculture building. Class sessions start at 7:45 p.m. every Thursday. The fee for the 10-class sessions will include refreshments and a supplemental outline to be given of class notes later. "Everyone buys hay on sight and we are going to try to make the farmers more conscious of analyzing hay that is purchased, especially since we import so much into this area," Etzel said. Instructors for the course are Dr. Eugene Hanawalt, Central Point veterinarian; Dr. Keith Hockersmith, man ager of the Grange Co-op, Central Point; Carl (Jake) Jacobson, General Mills, Inc., Medford; Earle Jossy, Jack son county agent, Medford; Paul Wilson, Albers Milling company, Medford; and Gene Winters, Jackson county agent, Medford. First Meeting Set 1 The first meeting, to be conducted by Hockersmith, will cover proteins, carbohy drates, fats, minerals, . and vitamins. An explanation of what can be learned from the feed tags will be grven also. During the second and third meetings, Hockersmith will instruct on the use of feeding tables in Morrison's bocks on "Feeds and Feed ing." These sessions will cover also practical purposes pation in youth activities. More plans are to be made at the next regular meeting. Slug Control Studied At Oregon State College Corvallis Slugs, the re pulsive and damaging pest of a wide variety of ; garden, truck and field crops in west ern Oregon, had a "big year" in 1958 because of favorable weather conditions, in June, but a new control project at Oregon State college is aimed at reducing their numbers and damage in years ahead. " As part of the project, OSC entomologistst are trying for the first time to raise slugs on an extensive scale inside the laboratory. Raising the slugs "in captiv ity" will assure a constant supply of the pests throughout the year for chemical control tests and will also provide new information about the little-known biology of the pest. Metaldehyde baits, dusts and sprays are now used for control of adult slugs, but oth er controls at other stages of development such as in the egg stage may be more ef fective, the OSC scientists be lieve. Various new chemicals are being screened in an effort to find something that will be less expensive, longer lasting and even more effective than metaldehyde. Cooperating on the project in the entomology department are Leon C. Terriere, H. H. Crowell, and E. A. Dickason. Richard Boose is assisting on chemical testing and Robert Arias, graduate student from Thermal, Calif., is working on the insect rearing phase of the project. A S3, 000 grant in sup port of the study was recently received from the Oregon Ag ricultural Research founda tion. Improved controls will not come easily, the scientists warn. Slug studies were start ed in Oregon some 40 years ago and they have been con ducted in England, where slugs are a very serious pest, for nearly a century. Two Girls Questioned On Attempted Holdups Salem-dTD-Police said two girls, 15 and 16 years old, were taken into custody late Wednesday in connection with two attempted holdups the day before. They were turned over to juvenile court. Mrs. Shirley Miller, 22, said two girls wearing bandanas tried to rob her at her home. Later, Mrs. Mable Stokes said two girls tried to rob her small grocery store. The first Protestant Sunday schsol in America was found ed in Savannah, Ga., in 1736. Lodge To Be Dedicated At Bachelor Butte Bend-CTD-The James Egan Memorial lodge at the Bache lor Butte ski resort will be dedicated Saturday. The lodge was named in honor of the man who was Deschutes National Forest su pervisor for two years and was instrumental in establish ing the ski area. His widow, now living in New Mexico, will be here for the ceremonies. JEWISH HISTORIAN DIES New York (UPD Dr. Adolf Kober, 79. widely-known rab bi and Jewish historian, died Monday night after a heart attack. EX-CONGRESSMAN DIES Glendale, Calif. -(ITD-Fu-neral services were held Mon day for Thomas F. Ford, 85, Democratic congressman from 1932-42. THE DANMOORE HOTEL 1217 SW Morrison St. PORTLAND, OREGON All transient guests. All those who come, return. Rates not high, not low. Free garage, TV's and radio. Reputation for cleanliness. Reservations by long distance phone refunded on request upon arrival of feeding standards and bal ancing rations. The fourth class session, to be conducted by Jacobson, will include analysis of local samples of hay and silage for crude protein, moisture and carotene, importance of the stage of growth in nutritional value along with proper cur ing, silages and pasture. Hockersmith will instruct the fifth meeting which will cover use of pellets and waf ers advantages and dis advantages and their future. Feed additives will be cov ered in the sixth meeting, also to be conducted by Hock ersmith. This subject will in clude Stilbestrol, aureomycin and terramycin, effects on different animals, and prac tical uses and future uses. Calf Raising Courts Subject Wilson will instruct the second meeting on dairy and beef calf raising which will include nutrient require ments, precautions, feeding grain and roughages and weaning weight. The eighth meeting, to be conducted by County- Exten sion Agents Earle Jossy and Gene Winters, will cover pas tures. This subject will in clude the best varieties, pro per management, pasture analysis, and physical chang es for best yield. ; j The ninth meeting discusses parasites and diseases associ ated with malnutrition. New equipment for best utilization of pastures, hay and silages will be discussed during the 10th meeting. Fur ther information on the course may be obtained by calling Nat Etzel, vocational agriculture instructor, at Eagle Point high school. COMING! Another BIG John Deeire Pay! m NitMiIitHilhlill niiiiiqniiniu BIGGER BETTER SS THAN EVER! Starts TUESDAY, JAM. 6 us?.. For FARMERS and Their FAMILIES Free Lunch NO TICKETS REQUIRED COME STAY ALL DAY AS OUR GUESTS! HUBBARD-WRAY CO. 25 SO. RIVERSIDE MEDFORD TABLE ROCK ROAD AT 4 CORNERS CRISP SOLID GREEN CABBAGE SWEET JUICY NAVEL ORANGES WASHINGTON DELICIOUS APPLES SWEET MEDIUM YELLOW ONIONS U.S. NO. 2 POTATOES PURE STRAWBERRY PRESERVES JORGENSEN'S or SNIDER'S ICECREAM Vz WHITE KING SOAP NESTLES QUICK MIDGET PRICES HAPPY NEW YEAR! PHONE NO 4-1511 Open 8:00 A.M. till 7:00 P.M. Every Day lb. 4d100 3 - 29 5. 29 50 89 U.S. GOOD KLAMATH BEEF ROAST SUGAR CURED SIDE BACON Any Sire Piece 0 Q 1 ' as you T49 lb. 45 FANCY GRAIN FED BEEF RIB STEAK DRY CURED SALT PORK REALLY FRESH PURE GROUND BEEF 3 $139 CHASE & SANBORN lb. lb. 79 39 2.29 COFFEE While It Lasts lb. 65 SPERRY PANCAKE & GALLON 69 WAFFLE MIX 4 49 Smr ju you LOCAL GOLDEN Giant Size 59 HONEY PURE STRAINED 5 f'ail 89 Family Size 23s-lbs. BEFORE The SHOW Served by the West Side Ex- I tension Unit before the show ot our store 11:30 a.m.
