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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1959)
arm & CHIT CHAT By J Of COWLEY Mail Tribune Farm Editor What makes a qualified irrigation district manager? We were hurrying down one' of the courthouse corridors on our newsgathering beat when someone pounced on us with that question. "Well, what does?" she insisted. "Do you know?5 She was referring to our column when we mentioned the widespread notice the Eae Point irrigation district had acquired during its series Vf public hassles. We noted then that the irrigation district is going to have a tough time obtaining another qualified irrigation district manager. And they are, according to men in the irrigation field who should know. But what makes a qualified irrigation district manager? This is important right now since Eagle Point district is or soon will be pondering that question when it plans to hire a new manager when the present one retires. Applegate people will want to know since they will have to form an irrigation district to buy water when the "Applegate dam goes in some time in the future. "Ninety per cent of it is public relations or getting along with people," one irrigation district manager said. He should know since he and his fellows have been able to keep out of any public controversies for some time now. "Public rela tions is important i this business," he. emphasized. "A manager should have at least a smattering of engineering and a good practical approach to district problems. Next, agricultural knowledge is important. He must be an admin istrator and a bookkeeper, also." , However, our friend is more likely to believe a federal official. We like the speech given to the Oregon Reclamation Congress in Madras on Nov. 6, the division of irrigation of Washington, D.C., runs through in an irrigation district manager's life then sums up his qualifications. "He is plagued with problems around the calendar. He is expected to foretell the weather, control floods, preserve fish, conserve water, expand ditch capacities, and work mir acles in providing better water service at lower costs. He must be a good technician, a good administrator, a prophet and a diplomat." , "He is usually underpaid, overworked, underappreciated, and overcriticized. He inherits all the unsolved problems of project design and construction. He does not share in the spectacular and glorious aspects of construction, yet I want to emphasize that without him the reclamation program would fall flat on its face." Concluding his talk, Stamm suggested things an irriga tion district manager might do to ease his burden. "When he finds it necessary to shut off the streamflow, he should let the people know by one means or another what he is doing and why it is necessary. Through public infor mation channels (such as the newspaper) he should inform the people living adjacent to the streams below the reservoirs of the maximum flows that might be expected and should repeatedly caution them against encroachment on the channel with bridges, fences, building or any other structures which might reduce the channel capacity or be subjected to flooding. "The irrigation managers and their boards might encour age the farmers to get and keep their fields well wet up before the expected hot summer season to reduce the in tensity of the peak season demand. Board members should be taken on a trip over the project works and distribution facilities once or twice a year to keep them acquainted with problems contributing to farmer complaints and situations contributing to increased operation costs. Finally, he should develop an immunity to u:ers." Main job of the irrigation district manager is to deliver water to the farmers' headgates in the amounts and at the times required for successful crop production, the bureau of reclamation official reminded. Irrigation district managers "provide a far greater service than they get credit for in preserving fish, conserving water, controlling floods also," Stamm pointed out. So, what does an irrigation district manager do during the 12 months? Starting about Oct. 1 to 15, he thinks about the irrigation water supply for the following year. Then, he must plan to fill the reservoir, or reservoirs serving his project. At the end of the irrigation season all reservoir release is cut off. And this usually brings complaints. Also, the manager's job depends upon managing storable water flowing into the reservoir to fill the storage space. In no case in Oregon has any reservoir space been allocated to fish, Stamm said. Therefore, the manager has no right to pass storable water for fish. After the water is stored, then he can release it for fish and then only. After storing water, in a few months the irrigation man ager may have to release some to catch the' runoff peak and control the streamflow below the reservoir. Flood control, specifically, is not one of his jobs. However, he feels an obligation to have as much flood control benefit as possible without reducing the water yield for irrigation. He also knows that he had better end up with a full reservoir or go looking for a new job. While he is doing this farmers may argue that he is passing much needed irrigation water, and flood control people that he is not allowing enough space in the reservoir or reservoirs for flood control. During the critical period of May or June he has to gamble on the weather. It may turn hot for two weeks instead of one. Then, the manager is caught late in the filling season without enough space to catch the peak runoff, or an unseasonable rain may cause more water to be passed than the channel below the reservoir can carry without flooding. After the irrigation season is well underway, the water users have been notified of water charges and paid them. Then often they complain of increased operation and upkeep costs. Farmers don't realize that due to modernized equip ment actual costs may be no more than those, say in 1940, and perhaps even less. In fact, a modern mechanized opera tion is probably performing the water service job more efficiently and saving money. Next, a prolonged hot spell' during the summer brings more demand than water. Too often, a break occurs in the main canal and all deliveries are cut off for 36 hours. Farm ers blame lack of maintenance for inability to meet peak season demand or think the canal break is due to negligence. A farmer friend who read tell 'em you can't dig ditches Although the 4-H and FFA fair finished up Saturday county 4-H agents were still busy Monday cleaning up, making a final check on buildings and collecting the large pile of personal articles 4-H members left in the dormitories. FFA advisors or vo-ag instructors were busy, too. One vo-ag instructor stopped off across the street from us to deliver a heavyhoist. Being a neighborly sort of town, the truck had hardly stopped before neighbors ambled over to hoist the heavy equipment out of the truck. The fair left a lot of people tired. One thing, people pulling in opposite directions in the school district consoli dation hassle in the Phoenix and Talent areas found they could actually enjoy each other's company if they didn't talk about schools.- A lot of people helped out at the fair without compensa tion. Deaver Tractor and Implement company donated a Garden 1958. G. G. Stamm, chief of the Bureau of Reclamation, a typical 12-month period this commented, "Be sure to by the rule book." RADAR TRAILER This OSC trailer is", moved up to Roxy Ann butte or over to an Ashland location when hail researchers are notified of a thunder storm approaching the Rogue River valley. The trailer and equip-' ment is manned by OSC students who use a movie camera attached to a radar scope to record radar's probe of the storm centeri This and other data will help scientists de- INSIDE RADAR UNIT This picture shows the inside of the mobile radar unit when it was on Roxy Ann butte one day last week. The butt end of the radar antenna can be seen in the center of the picture. The scope to which a movie camera is attached is at the left foreground. This is outmoded com bat aircraft equipment purchased by Oregon Roseburg Concerns By EUGENE WINTERS County Extension Agent The recent disaster in Rose burg is causing some unneces sary concern about the use of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Ammonium nitrate alone will neither burn nor explode but it is used in various forms and in various combinations to make dynamite and other explosives. The cargo in the truck which exploded at Roseburg was ,two tons of 40 per cent dynamite and four and one half tons of a prepared mix ture composed of ammonium nitrate, nut hulls and diesel oil. Diesel oil, as a separate material, is much more dan gerous than fertilizer - grade ammonium nitrate, since it is both flammable and explos ive. Still, we store, handle, use and burn diesel oil with out any particular concern, though we have learned to treat it with a certain respect. This does not mean that am monium nitrate should not be treated with equal respect. If it is mixed with an organic matter, it can become part of an explosive material. Any storage place should be kept clean and free from both dirt tractor with blade for clean-up day before the fair and a tractor for the tractor driving contest. The same company was also a big bidder during the livestock auction. Kogap Lumber Industries kept the fairgrounds sprinkled. Herb's Garage, Eagle Point; Hubbard-Wray company, Medford; Mc Cormick Farm Equipment store, Medford; Valley Equipment company, Medford, and Eatherton Engine and Equipment, company, Medford, all furnished tractors for the 4-H tractor driving contest. . ' , Other people who helped where it counted were Home Appliance furnishing two refrigerators for the food booth and stoves for the home economics activities, Leonard Elec tric company providing a freezer for freezing, exhibits, Cros kell Hardware, Central Point, providing air conditioner, Central Point Cleaners furnishing' clothing exhibits and Singer Sewing company providing sewing machines. . There are probably a lot more companies and people who helped out and I'm sure both FFA and 4-H groups appreciate their help. We're sorry if you were overlooked and extend the appreciation for the 4-H and FFA members and leaders. termine what causes hall.. The information will be used to alleviate or prevent hail damage to valley pears. This is sometimes the hail storm season for 'the area. Hail. Collectors and orchardists "who wish -to report storms are to call Jud Parsons, local head of the research program, at SPring 3-1060. This is a new number for Parsons' office. JState college. It is used to probe the center "of thunder storms to determine what hap pens to precipitation within a cloud before hail forms. It is part of a hail research pro gram sponsored jointly by Oregon State college and the Medford Pear Shippers' association. Explosion Farmers and loose ammonium nitrate. Chaff, feed, sulfur, oil and molasses are especially dan gerous. Any material from broken or leaking bags should be swept up . and removed from the premises. Burn bags A couple of years ago Ore gon State college unintention ally conducted an experiment on the safety of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate. A fire leveled the fertilizer stor age shed. Several tons of am monium jiitrate were in side. There was no explosion and for other than the fact that the covers on the outside bags were burned off, the ammon ium nitrate was not harmed. There is no need to be alarmed over the nitrate stor ed on the farm. Neither is there reason to be concerned over the thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate that are moving by rail and by truck and which are stored in ware houses everywhere to be ready for use on Oregon farms. Ammonium nitrate is one of the safest articles of com merce. There have been near ly 10 million tons shipped in the last 10 to 12 years with an enviable safety record. Oregon Farmers Shift Cropland Corvallis Over one-sixth of the farmers in Oregon took advantage of cost-sharing op portunities offered by the ag ricultural conservation pro gram (ACP) last year as they shifted cropland into grass and trees, according to the state agricultural stabilization and conservation (ASC) office in Portland.; Nearly 6,500 farmers over the state took part in the 1958 ACP, the report indicated These farmers put up over $2 million as they matched money from the Federal Gov ernment to carry out conserv ation practices on their farms Under the 1958 ACP, Ore gon farmers planted over 33,- 000 acres of permanent cover on land taken out of crop pro duction, used rotation cover crops on another 19,000 acres. reorganized irrigation systems serving over 63,000 acres. planted trees on 1,500 acres of farmland, and built 160 ir rigation dams. Additional thousands of crop acres were shifted from soil depleting to soil conserving uses under ACP, the report added. . HERTZ TRUCK RENTAL Available at HOPKINS RICHFIELD SERVICE McAndrews at Court v Phone SP 3-9068 Farm Washington-flJPD-The Agri culture department offered to day to buy from farmers ready to cook frozen turkeys and frozen pork for the na tional school lunch program. The department said that frozen turkeys and pork made a big hit with the children and school lunch supervisors last year. Frozen turkeys must 'be prepared according to speci fications to be released later this week. Turkeys should weigh between 18 and 24 pounds. Initial offers, either by letter or telegram, must be filed by Sept. 8. Accept ance will be made by telegram filed by Sept. 11 Deliveries are .to be between Sept. 28 to Oct. 24. - : Washington -4UPD- Alaska's congressional delegation says the Army will start serving. fresh milk to troops in Alaska as soon as existing contracts for "recombined" milk ex pire. Under the new policy, the reconstituted product made from dried milk, will be used only when fresh grade A milk is not available,- .. , Washington -IUPD-' Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho) has urged Congress to put the' na tion's farm surpluses' to "wholesome use" through an expanded program of over seas sales in exchange . for foreign curencies. "With this food," he told the Senate Monday, "we will first relieve hunger, and then set in motion programs that will help remove the condi tions which produced it: Pov erty, illiteracy, disease and ignorance." Washington-(UPD-The Agri culture department estimated there were 8,500,000 farm workers, during the week ended July 25, 4 per cent less than a year earlier and 8 per cent fewer than average. The department said the downturn contrasted with a rising trend in most years re flected the characteristics of the 1959 crop-weather pat tern. Good weather for haying and small grain harvest over wide areas and notable in stances of early maturity and quick harvest of fruits and vegetables moved the usual July work peak ahead. Washington-(UPD-Agriculture department scientists have dis covered that DDT may lose its effectiveness in water. The finding may explain the unpredictable results that mosquito control workers have been getting after apply ing DDT to ponds, lakes and similar insect-breeding areas. The scientists are consider ing field tests to find out if they should change their methods of applying the in secticide. Washington-IUPD-Labor Sec retary James P. Mitchell has scheduled public hearings Sept. 10 and 11 on his pro posals to amend the regula tions covering migrant farm workers. Mitchell's new rules would prevented any tax-supported facility from hiring migratory works at less than prevailing wages. The- proposals also would bar the facilities from providing poorer working conditions or inferior trans portation. . Washington -IUPD- Milk pro duction in the first seven months of this year was 600 million pounds below the same period in 1958, the agri culture department said to day. Milk cows produced about 11 billion pounds through July of this year. The daily July;' output- amounted to about 2Vz pounds per capital, the lowest ever recorded for that month. Washington-flJPD-The House agriculture committee has ignored administration objec tions and approved a bill to bolster sagging hog incomes with a 150 million dollar sub sidy program. It appears unlikely that the MODERN ARTIFICIAL BREEDING with FROZEN SEMEN FROM AMERICAN BREEDERS' SERVICE ROGUE VALLEY PROVED SIRE SERVICE Notes controversial measure could be pushed through the Sen ate and House in the waning weeks1 of this session. Supporters contended the measure would help prevent further declines in hog prices, which have dropped by one- third in the last 12 months. Washington -fflPD-The agri culture department said today that the increase io the num ber of cattle indicated cattle prices would begin a gradual downturn in 1960. The downswing in cattle prices would join that of hogs. The department said that hog prices, already low, would continue below the levels of a year earlier this fall and winter because production is substantially higher. , Washington-(UPD-The forest service said that, more timber was harvested under scientific management from national forests in the 1959 fiscal year than ever- before, bringing total "use of forests to an all time high. ' , ' The service reported 8,340,- 517,000 board-feet were cut in the fiscal year that ended July 1. This was a jump of almost 30 per cent over the 1958 total of 6,420,701,000 board-feet. . It was the great est 12-month increase in har vest ever reported. Forest service plans call for an annual harvest of 11,000, 000,000 board-feet by 1970-75 in national forests. Washington -mm-rne For eign Agricultural Service said today the average citizen of the United States and Canada spends less than one-fourth of his weekly paycheck for food. In Europe, food bills range from 27 per cent of income in Denmark to 46 per cent in Italy. Washington - (UPD - Interest rates on certain Farm Home Administration loans will jump from 5V to 5 per cent on Sept. 1. The agriculture department said the higher rate would ap ply to farm ownership loans and soil and water conserva tion loans to individuals. The department explained that the new rate would be more in line with interest on farm mortgage credit from other sources. Washington -(UPD-The agri culture department has re fused to comment on a move by a group of midwest farm ers to hold foods off the mar ket to force up prices. Some 2,000 'farmers from Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Illi nois, Nebraska, Colorado and Indiana voted recently to withhold grain, soybeans, meat and dairy products They'll probably try holding back hogs first. Washington -(UPD- The agri cultural department's crop re porting board said fluid milk prices continued to rise sea sonally during the early part of August. Price hikes were at both the producer and consumer levels, the board said. Price boosts over the pre vious month were reported in 46 markets, about one in every three. There are no significant price drops in any market. Washington -flJPD- The agri culture department has amended its regulations to in clude calves among the ani mals for . which the carbon dioxide method of slaughter is designated as humane. Previously, the carbon di oxide methed was designed only for sheep and swine. The addition of calves to the list was recommended to the ag ricultural research service by the humane slaughter advis ory committee. In addition to the carbon dioxide method, two other methods of slaughter have been designed as humane: The use of captive bolt stun ners or gunshot on sheep, swine, goats, calves, cattle, horses, and mules, and elec tric shock for swine, sheep, SERVICE IS OUR SURNAME! From the professional operators, capable of handling the gravest emergency, who monitor our telephone day and night, to the technician in the field we constant ly seek to improve our service. SP 2-4093 C. C. Williams County Beef Herds Rate High at Fair Jackson county beef herds took their share of honors at the Siskiyou County fair in Yreka, Calif., last week. Seven Oaks Hereford ranch, Central Point, had the cham pion senior yearling bull (Hereford) and the reserve champion junior yearling Hereford bull in the senior beef class. Seven Oaks also took cham pion, senior yearling tull (Hereford) and reserve cham pion junior yearling Hereford bull in the senior beef class. A nearby rancher from Merrill, Ore., also did well. Norman Jacob, of Merrill, Ore., had a reserve champion junior yearling Hereford fe male and a resrve champion junior yearling Hereford fe male. . ; Nine herds of Herefords were entered in the fair. Five of - the seven Oregon herds were from Jackson county. Southern Oregon represen tatives also did well in the cutting horse competition. Miss Flex, owned by J. C. Stevenson, Klamath Falls, won . the" jack pot cutting horse contest. Baldy Brezz, owned by Bob Mettler, Grants Pass, . won the stock horse class taking a blue ribbon for its speed and handiness. , The performance of Jack son county beef animals in the Siskiyou County fair should prove to Jackson coun ty they don't have to go out of the valley to buy good ani mals, a rancher pointed out. Homeowners Told To Check Labels Corvallis -Home owners putting in new lawns or re seeding spots in old ones this fall will profit from shopping around when they buy grass seed. Comparing labels on grass seed sacks is the way to in sure buying the best product. notes Harold E. Finnell, Ore gon State College extension seed certification specialist. Whether you buy a 100-lb sack of grass seed or just a handful from a bin, the law requires the dealer to label the seed for the buyer's pro tection. The label, or analysis tag, identifies important kinds of seed present and percent age of each. This information includes pure seed other crop seed, weed seed and inert matter. The analysis tag also shows how much of the seed can be expected to grow. In comparing seeds, look for the one with the- highest per centage of pure seed, the highest germination (growth) rate, and the lowest percent age of weeds and other crop seeds. Inert matter (broken seeds, stones, sticks, etc.) won't hurt, but adds nothing, neither, so you don't want to pay for much of it, Finnell reminded. Given a choice, livestock prefer baled hay to loose hay as feed, according to "Grass land News." to the following buyers of 4-H Livestock at the 4-H-FFA Fair. The youngsters in this group appreciate the support of these-buyers. Groceteria Farmers Packing Company McFadden Logging Company George Pearson Midway Auction x Medford Meat Co. Elton Farm Store Faber's Feed Siskiyou Veterinarian Medford Feed & Seed Monarch Feed & Seed MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Or. Thursday, Aug. 27, 1959 C SOIL conservation: SOIL CONSERVATION STAMP Soon to go on Sal Locally New SCS Postage Stamp Available This is a black and white reproduction of the 4-cent soil conservation stamp now on sale at the post office here. The stamp, printed in three colors, went on sale yester day (Aug. 26) in Rapid City, S. D., at the annual meeting of the Soil Conservation So ciety of America. The stamp portrays a mod ern conservation farm, ac cording to Elwood Abbott, chairman of the Sams Valley Beagle Soil Conservation dis trict. Grasses in the rolling pasture, foreground, prevent soil erosion and conserve moisture. Grazing, is regu lated to favor growth of the best forage grasses. A farm pond, lower right, provides water for domestic and livestock use, for fire protection, for wildlife, and for recreation such as fishing, swimming and boating. Contour stripcropping and roation systems, left and right center, include grasses and cultivated crops in alter nating bands. The grassed strips catch and hold soil that may move out of culti vated strips during rain storms, and they increase moisture insoak. Trees and shrubs control erosion, provide a home for wildlife,' and protect . the farmstead from the hot winds of summer and the cold winds of winter. Conservation farming, as depicted in the stamp, gives assurance of a plentiful sup ply of food and other prod ucts of the land for the seven-eighth of our people who live in town, symbolized in upper right. Ex-OSC Grid Star Top Dairy Checker Salem Joseph A. Gray, dairy specialist with the state department of agriculture, has been certified by the U. S. Public Health Service to con duct inspections of interstate milk shipments. He is the third member of the department staff with this rating, according to O. K. Beals, foods and dairies di vision chief. Vergil Simmons of the dairy staff was certi fied by the federal office in 1952 and Alvin Tesdal, an other specialist, was rated two years ago. Purdue University animal scientists say good legume pas ture is unexcelled for bred sows and gilts. THE RUCH 4-H CLUB says . . .. Dr. Stringer Mann's Dept. Store Big Y Market Boyd Gibson TOO
