MAIL TRIIUNI, MriforJ, Or.
Thursday, Jan. 28, 1960
County Stockmen
To Attend, Enter
Red Bluff Sale
Red Bluff, Calif. -A num
ber of Jackson county stock
men are expected to visit and
participate in the annual Red
Bluff, Calif., bull sale, start
ing Feb. 4, according to
Charles F. Stover, sale head
for the past 17 years.
Those ranches consigning
bulls at the sale from this
general area include: Seven
Oaks Hereford ranch, Central
Point; Scotch Acres, Klamath
Falls; Mr. and Mrs. Howell
Cook, Ashland; Table Top
Hereford ranch, Medford; Ar
rowhead ranch, Medford;
Field's Hereford ranch, Cen
tral Point; and Malcolm Mc
Carty, Medford.
A total of 523 Red Bluff
type " beef bulls have been
consigned by 90 leading
breeders in eight western
states, Stover reported. They
will be auctioned at the 19th
annual Red Bluff sale to be
held Feb. 4, 5, 6.
The coming Tehama Coun
ty cattlemen's event will see
400 service age horned and
polled Herefords, 85 Angus
and 41 Shorthorn bulls of
fered through the sale ring
at the Tehama County fair
grounds. Events Given
The three-day affair will
feature inspection, showing,
grading and sale of 25 loose
pen lots of Hereford range
bulls, tie pens and individuals
of each breed plus top herd
bull prospects.
University of California
record of performance grad
ing under which each animal
wM be given a rating by ex
perts on the basis of sound
ness and conformation, plus
range usefulness will be fea
tured, the sale chairman said.
Buyers from six western
states paid $326,181 for Here
ford, Shorthorn and Angus
bulls at the 1959 February
sale.
Some of the west's leading
authorities on cattle will help
run the annual sale, Stover
said.
Bill Owens, Red Bluff cat
tleman who runs 1,200 Here
ford cattle in California and
Oregon, will head the sifting
committee which will decide
which animals are of sale
quality. Others include Frank
Rue, Marysville, who has
large Angus holdings near
Paskenta and Standish, and
Joe Giambornia and King
Jarvis, Red Bluff veterinar
ians. The judging and grading
committee is headed by Reu
ben Albaugh, University of
California livestock specialist;
Harry Parker, San Luis Obis
po; George Hunt, Millville
and Harold Thurber, Bakers
field. All are nationally
know among livestock
breeders and have judged at
some of the leading auctions
throughout the country.
Experts Listed
Breed consultants will be
Fenton O'Connell of Gilroy,
who has one of the largest
and best herds of Angus in
the West; T. B. Hawkins of
Hollister, an extensive breed
ed of Shorthorns and Dale
Carithers of Mission San Jose,
nationally know breeder of
Herefords.
Loose pen lots of range
bulls will be judged by Roy
Carmichael of Tehama coun
ty; Cameron Cliff of Burns,
Oregon and Abner McKenzie
of Tehama county.
Judging will start at 10
a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3. It
will be followed that evening
at 7 o'clock by a dinner it
the fairgrounds where the
members of the four commit
tees will meet with consign
ors and commercial cattlemen
to discuss production and fi
nancing of beef cattle.
Among others who will as
sist are Farm Advisors Lin
Maxwell of Red Bluff and
Jesse Bequette of Redding;
Les Berry. University of Cali
fornia range expert; Arch
Bathurst, manager of the Dix
on auction vard and assist
ant manager of the Farm Bu
reau Marketing Association
of Stockton and Clare Myers,
manager of the Lassen Farm
Loan association of Red Blua,
Ryegr
jrass Growers
Seek Commission
Salem - Ryegrass seed
growers have petitioned the
state department of agricul
ture to hold hearings on a
proposed Oregon Ryegrass
Growers Seed commission.
A petition signed by 38 rye
grass seed growers with the
petition filing fee of $250 was
received Jan. 22.
The petitioners have 30
days in which to submit the
remainder of the department's
budget estimate of $1,350 to
cover costs of conducting
hearings, producer registra
tions and a referendum, if
held.
Arizona has 13 million
acres f public domain.
4A
CHIT
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
The newspaper business if noted for handing out some
impossible assignments. But We heard of one Tuesday which
tops 'em all.
"Go out and find out all you can about the lumber busi
ness in southwest Oregon and northern California, where
they ship their lumber and other pertinent information."
This is the assignment an employee of the California board
of equalization received from the top brass of his department.
Purpose was to find out if California is receiving all the
sales tax monies it should receive from sale of lumber from
retail lumber yards. Figuring timber is a crop like any farm
commodity is a crop, we naturally were interested. He claims
that Oregon could raise enough money from a state sales tax
to eliminate the state income tax. This Calif ornian pays $216
property tax on his $16,000 market value home, $200 a year
in Bales taxes and $19 a year in state income tax. California
has a $2 billion budget while Oregon has a $328 to $330
million budget. Anyway we wish our friend luck in his as
signment. He's promised to let us know how he makes out.
We spent part of the time this week listening to the con
demnation suit involving Lester Gilman's dairy farm. The
state is taking a strip of land Which will cover both sides of
Bear creek which runs through the Gilman farm. Appar
ently the state completely overlooked the fact that the free
way would cut. off irrigation access from the creek to the
farm.
One thing, though, since the federal government pays 90
per cent of the freeway cost and the state 10 per cent the
federal government has a definite limit on the amount of
money which can be spent on the project. This, of course,
limits the amount of money available for condemnation. We
understand anything over the federal limit has to come from
the state's funds.
We were out visiting Slim and June Hardin's ranch near
Phoenix. Slim, as you will remember, had two purebred
Angus bulls rate triple A at the Sacramento sale a couple of
weeks ago. He has 23 head of Angus stock on his 15 acres.
He has those animals so gentled
like dogs. Even little Bit, our daughter, wasn't a bit afraid
of those big black cows as they approached. Of course we
kept a safe distance from the bulls. They did a little snortin'
and pawin' the ground. But, no more than the politicians are
doing these days. And like the politicians we imagine if
they really got their horn into something there would be a
lot of howlin' from the other party.
We attended the pear and peach meetings this week and
picked up a lot of good miscellaneous information at the
sessions so ably emceed by
agent. Don has been working with the vegetable growers,
also, to help develop better markets for their produce such
as corn. From the jokes Don tossed out to the crowd we
think he has already developed a good home market for
the latter. Only kidding. The
While talking to Dave Lowry of Associate Fruit, Phoenix,
we learned Dave thinks highly of the newer Idaho peach
varieties. Dave says Idaho peaches have a good red and
golden color' and almost silky skin.
We thumbed through a pamphlet from the Idaho exten
sion service and found that like
mercial grower generally plants
of the few leading peach varieties requiring a pollinizer. The
Early Elberta is second in popularity now. It could be re
placed by Redskin or Gold Medal. Gold Medal is one of the
finest canning peaches, according to the Idaho people. One
of the earliest good peaches is
Redhaven and July Elberta.
As in this area, Rio Oso
peaches. Earlihale is an early ripening variety producing a
J. H. Hale type of peach, well suited to shipping, according
to the Idaho extension service. It ripens with Halehaven
which is ripe two weeks before J. H. Hale. It is pollen-
sterile. This yellow-fleshed freestone peach is a new variety
introduced by the USDA and should be planted only on a
trial basis.
A brief report was given
cherries. One grower reported
now being tried in the valley experimentally is no lower
than the previous year. He reported getting 6 cents a pound
and picking costs at 3V cents a box. Their future in the val
ley is anybody's guess, he said. They require little water, are
easy to raise, sure-bearers, and don't crack or split from
rain. Bagley canning company in Ashland processed them
for the first time last year. He processed several tons and
will need 50 tons next year to
said.
County Agent Berry suggested that sour cherry trees
make good interplants or fillers
The grower admitted there is
a good commercial market for
Best variety of the tart or
both the commercial grower
valley. Early Richmond ripens
Montmorency, but is inferior to it in quality. English Morello
ripens 10 days after Montmorency, but the yield is lower
than Montmorency and the fruit is more acid. Meteor and
Northstar can withstand hard winters. They are on a trial
basiSj however.
One peach grower noted that more lumber cutting in the
lower hills has driven more deer down to the higher or
chards. Gold Hill and Talent areas have been affected par
ticularly, he noted. Best method is a spray dope called magic
circle which repels the deer. Mothballs tied to the young
trees work well until the deer get used to them.
The east is demanding more
ported. One packing house has found that the defuzzing
process using camel hah brushes cleans and brightens the
peaches. Fungicide can be introduced when they are being
defuzzed and ensures better condition in transit.
How many acres of pears
last three years was one of the
meeting this week in the county courthouse. Some 690 to
700 acres have been planted.
age is in Bartletts and red Bartletts. '
What is happening to pear decline? One grower reported
he may have checked it by installing a tile drainage line
and watching his irrigation more carefully. Some of his trees
hit by decline this year showed a short growth of 8 to 12
inches and the trees formerly in decline had livelier fruit
buds than in the last three years. Another grower noted
"real promising results in a couple of blocks."
Fertilizer recommendations
other than in decline orchards. Rates are about the same
Don't put the dosage on all at once, growers recommend.
Bulk bins have been easier handling and cheaper han
dling. One problem is dumping them. Pickers like them
once they get used to them, one pear grower noted. A pack
ing house operator and grower said his bin pears were
shipped directly to the cannery. Blemishes to pears from
handling in bins vary, he noted. He said he would like to
use them and keep on using bins especially for cannery
pears.
Lee Foster, Hooc River county extension agent, said the
Apple Growers association there has noted some injury in
its experimentations. Growers, however, are enthusiastic in
their use for pears and apples. Considerable moving is done
in bulk bins for pears and apples in the Hood River area,
he said. - - '
NAVY DAY
Washington-Celebration of
Navy day was originally spon
sored by the Navy league of
the United States -in 1922.
c
HAT
that they follow him around I
Don Berry, county extension
jokes were pretty good.
our growers the Idaho com
mostly J. H. Hale. It is one
Dixired. This is followed by
Gem is one of the best late
at the peach meeting on sour
that the price for this fruit
stay with them, the grower
in pear and peach orchards.
still an opportunity to develop
Rogue valley sour cherries.
pie cherry is Montmorency for
and the home gardener in this
about a week earlier than
defuzzed peaches, it was re
have been planted during the
questions asked at the pear
About 65 per cent of this acre
have not changed this" year
WATER ROUTES
Amsterdam - Holland has
about 2,000 miles of canals
and about 3,000 miles of navi
gable rivers and channels.
Rogue Valley Peaches Said
To Have Promising Future
Rogue valley peaches do
have a promising future but
certain things must be done
to bolster the market and
Various factors should be con
sidered, members of a panel
noted during this week's
peach meeting in the county
courthouse.
Panel members were Lyle
Kinney, Bear Creek Orchards;
Art Wilson, Velmart Or
chards; and David Lowry, As
sociated Fruit.
Kinney urged growers to
"do a little modifying" in
tree care. Generally, the local
trend is to overprune. Low
heading the trees is of in
creasing local interest, he
said. Don't over care' for
peaches. Irrigate sparingly
and "leave them go for sev
eral years" with moderate
care.
Limiting factors for valley
peaches might be that the
neighboring states Of Califor
nia and Washington can pro
duce a cheaper product.
Young Orchards Needed
Young productive orchards
are needed to expand the
market, Kinney noted. Rio
February Meeting
To Plan Convention
A meeting will be held
early in February to plan for
the Oregon Cattlemen's asso
ciation's convention sched
uled for Medford this fall,
Armin Richter, immediate
past president of the Jackson
County Stockmen's associa
tion, told the association's
board last Thursday.
Richter said he would meet
with Medford Chamber of
Commerce officials and area
businessmen. He appealed
"for lots of help."
Under new business, direc
tor Raphael Gardner reported
Sen. Richard Neuberger CD
Ore.) has introduced a bill in
Congress to prohibit all forms
of poisoning and trapping of
predatory animals except for
one humane type of trap. This
is so constructed that most
cattlemen feel the coyote
wouldn't be caught in it any
way, Gardener said. The leg
islative committee was in
structed to learn what they
could about the bill, to write
or wire Senator Neuberger
Fryer Men Set
Registration
On Amendment
Salem - Oregon fryer pro
ducers will have between
Feb. 1 and 23 to register to
vote in a referendum on elim
ination of the fryer commis
sion assessment.
Frank McKennon, director
of the state department of ag
riculture, advises that forms
will be mailed to all produc
ers before Feb. 1. Growers
not receiving forms at that
time should advise him or ob
tain one at the department
headquarters in Salem.
Only producers who regis
ter in February will be en
titled to vote in the referen
dum, which will be called as
soon as possible after Feb. 23.
Petition
While the petition upon
which the referendum will be
held calls for elimination of
the assessment on sales, more
will be at stake than the
grower contribution, McKen
non points out. The basic ques
tion is: should the commission
continue to function? With no
grower contributions, the com
mission will have no funds for
operation.
The question is whether the
growers really want a self
help program to promote their
industry. McKennon urged
every broiler grower in the
state to get his name and
amount of production on the
registry books. He added that
regardless of the outcome, he
felt it is important that every
grower vote in the secret bal
lot. New Milk Samplers
Licensed For State
Salem - The state depart
ment of agriculture has li
censed 132 milk farm tank
truck drivers to draw official
milk samples for laboratory
analyses at Salem.
Licensing of truck drivers
for this purpose reduces trav
el costs in the fluid milk sani
tation program. The licensing
followed instruction courses
held earlier this winter at
five state centers. All but
three of the applicants ap
pearing at the schools are
now licensed.
A contract has been award
ed by the Maritime Adminis
tration for the design of a
600 passenger hydrofoil liner
and a boat builder is offering
a stock eight foot hydrofoil
pram.
Oso Gems over the years have
usually brought a fair price.
"It's surprising there are
not more peaches on the mar
ket because of excellent cli
matic conditions here for
them. Also, they can grow
on wide variety of soils, but
not on sticky wet soils (heavy
clay soils)," he said.
Many fine peach varieties
are raised here and the val
ley does and Can produce the
best quelity peaches in the
world, the Bear Creek Or
chards man said. Greatest fu
ture markets would be New
York, Philadelphia, or Chi
cago. More demand will come
on the west coast as the popu
lation moves west, he pre
dicted. ,
Certainly some expansion
of local peach production by
good growers is in order.
Lowry noted that an indus
try to be justified it must
make money.
Hales have been an expen
sive variety to produce, but
comes on the market after
the California peaches, so
have market acceptance,
Lowry added. He suggested
of their opinions, and make
the stockmen aware of the
situation.
Plan Better Law
James C. Miller Jr., report
ed for the brand inspection
and theft committee. This
group is working to develop
a better Oregon brand law,
he said.
Director Wallace Ragsdale
reported one of his cows re
turned from his range with
an auction tag in her ear and
that she still had the ident
ification tag which Wallace
uses. He had not sold her,
he said. Brand inspection
should be tightened at the
auction yards, Ragsdale said.
Guy Hughes, Medford, dis
trict supervisor of theft and
brand inspection, said he be
lieved there would never be
good brand inspection until
it is done at the -point of ori-gin-inspecttion
of the cattle
before they leave the ranch.
Blotched brands are another
problem, he said. It cost $50
to $60 in a state man's wages
and mileage to identfy one
animal in the county this
year because her brand could
not be read, he said.
Hughes introduced the new
county brand inspector. His
name is Jerry Schwinler. His
phone is SPring 2-9655 and
he lives at 538 Franquette
ave., Medford. Schwinler is
married, has a family and has
worked in brand inspection
for three years in the Eugene
area.
President Jack Reid said
he had learned at the Port
land meeting of the Beef
Council the brand inspectors
are collecting the 10 cents
per head voluntary fee for
beef promotion. The directors
went on record approving
and sponsoring the Beef
Council and recommended
that the association members
support it.
Expenses Paid
Richter said expenses of
the speaker who spoke in
Medford on the proposed 23rd
amendment were paid by a
few individual contributions
and the stockmen will not
have to bear any of the ex
pense. Director John Bowman re
ported the bureau of recla
mation has put 200 new cross
ings in the Howard Prairie
ditch to assist sheep and cat
tle crossing the ditch. How
ever, the crossings are too
near the water and cattle or
deer with horns fall in and
hang up against the crossings.
The taxation committee re
ported the State Forestry Pa
trol will hold a hearing about
the middle of March on the
fire patrol budget.
New committee chairmen
appointed include Collier
Buffington, to head the new
ly organized public relations
and publicity committee; Ed
Meeker, membership commit
tee, Bud Jess, legislative
committee. Two other com
mittees appointed and told to
elect their chairmen are taxation-Garth
Flint, John Boh-
nert, Ralph Cook, John Black,
John Bowman and Terry
Houk; and sales and market
ing committee - Al Straus,
Fritz Offenbacher, Gordon
Stanley, Henry Owens and
Bud Nevin.
Committee chairmen will
ing to serve another term are
J. C. Miller Jr., chairman of
the brand inspection commit
tee and Wallace Ragsdale of
the sanitary committee. Other
committee chairmen were not
present or asked to be re
lieved of their duties.
Sue Meeker is the new
Cowbelles representative to
the board. In answer to her
question she was informed
there are no strings attached
to the $100 provided by the
association for beef promo
tion
mixed shipments of peaches
and pears and sending truck
lots to the southwest and mid
west where markets are de
veloping. This is a new trend
in California, he explained.
"Generally, valley peach
prices are beaten down," he
pointed out. "We need to get
better organized saleswise.
Now the near neonle have
good organized sales outlets
and cooperation.
Need More Fruit
Wilson noted that no de
crease in production or keep
ing it at the present level
would boost peach prices. It's
a case of a handful versus a
carload like other areas can
produce, he said. Production
must be built up to create a
market demand.
J. H. Hale and Red Haven
have brought very good re
turns, he pointed out. All
trees over 20 years old should
be replaced. The Rio Oso
Gems extend the season. The
Almar is a good new variety,
has good size, good color and
picks well.
"I don't know of any peach
which can outsell the Rogue
River Valley Hale when pick
ed at the right peak of ma
turity. However, they should
be precooled as soon as they
are picked. Too often local
peaches are picked too green
or too ripe," Wilson pointed
out. We can continue to ship
mature, high colored fruit to
distant markets, but we
should carefully examine
each pack."
Expanded production would
mean more investment in
farm machinery, in packing
house and cold storage ex
pansion, Wilson said.
During the question period,
Kinney remarked that with
the J. H. Hale variety grow
ers "have to do too many
right things." This variety
was all right up to 1951 when
handled under conditions ex
isting then. The newer Forty-
Niner is a better peach, will
serve a better purpose and
make more money, he pre
dicted.
Answering another ques
tion, Kinney said the time of
the small peach grower is
not past yet. The right va
riety, carefully grown on 10
to 15 acres can bring a "real
fine money crop.'
Lowry noted that use of
cold storage has pushed the
peach season further and
further back. Peaches can't
be stored too long and keep
a high quality, he said.
Ground Hog Dinner
Planned by Grange
Eagle Poinl-The Eagle
Point Grange will hold its
famous annual Groundhog
dinner from 12:30 to 4:30
p.m. Sunday, a Grange
spokesman announced.
Everyone is invited 10
attend this , annual pioneer
type dinner of 'ground
groundhog" (pork sausage)
and all the fixins.
IRRIGATED AREA
About 90 per cent of Neva
da's farm land is irrigated.
Farm
Washington - (UPD - The ag
riculture department's current
statistical summary shows the
farmer's share of the consum
er's food dollar dropped to 37
cents in November to the
lowest point in 25 years.
The farmer's share in 1934
was 34 cents. In 1932 and
1933, it was only 32 cents.
Washington - (UPD - Agricul
ture Secretary Ezra T. Benson
says he will try again to get
agreement on revised lamb
grading standards.
Benson attempted to put
new lamb and mutton grading
standards into operation last
summer, but the various
groups could not agree on
them and Benson suspended
them.
Washington - (UPD - Sen.
Harrison A. Williams Jr. (D
N.J.) has introduced two bills
aimed at helping the families
of migrant farm workers.
One measure would author
ize spending about two mil
lion dollars a year on subsi
dies " for educating migrant
workers' children. The second
bill would authorize $250,000
to educate whole migrant fam
ilies in the use of modern
living equipment.
Houston, Tex. -(DPD- A gov
ernment banker said today
interest rates were likely to
remain "relatively high for
some time to come."
Fred W. Gilmore, director
of the Farm Credit adminis
tration's land bank service,
expressed this view at a stock
holders' meeting of the fed
eral land bank of Houston.
He said unparalled demands
for credit from all segments
of the economy was the chief
cause of higher interest rates,
including those charged farm
ers.
Agriculture
Thumbnail
Washington -UPD- The agri
culture department this week
released these thumbnail
sketches of the agricultural
outlook for various commod
ities: i
Hogs-Downturn in produc
tion planned by farmers is ex
pected to push prices' next
spring above a year earlier,
and they are likely to stay
higher the rest of 1960. How
ever, winter marketings are
likely to be larger and prices
lower than last winter.
Corn Producers apparent
ly intend to market less corn
through hogs and put more
under loan in 1959-60 than
last season. The great bulk of
Fruit Industry
Short Course Set
Here Feb. 17-18
Corvallis - Members of the
Northwest fruit industry will
meet in Medford Feb. 17 and
18 to discuss ways to get
fruit, especially pears, to mar
ket in first-class shape.
Main purpose of the 11th
annual Northwest Perishable
Loss Prevention short course
is for growers, shippers and
dealers to study reduction of
losses during handling, says
Dr. S. B. Apple, head of the
Oregon State college depart
ment of horticulture.
Meeting sessions will be at
the Rogue Valley Country
club. Tours are planned the
first afternoon to the Load
ing Service company and to
Harry and David's Bear Creek
orchards to view the destina
tion condition of a mechani
cal compartmentized refriger
ator car from Florida and to
see storage houses and basket
weaving operations.
To Review Refrigerators
Use and potential of me
chanical refrigeration will be
reviewed by R. F. McKee, Pa
cific Fruit Express company,
San Francisco. Iain MacSwan,
OSC extension plant patholo
gist, will report on work un
der way by OSC to combat
pear storage rot by treating
the fruit with chemicals and
A. M. Fielding, superinten
dent, Trans - continental
Freight bureau, San Francis
co, will talk on origin and
destination findings in main
taining quality.
G. W. Jones, horticulturist
for Gerber Products company,
Oakland, Calif., will discuss
handling Bartlett pears in
bulk bins.
Elmer Hanson, OSC horti
culturist, problems encoun
tered in controlled atmos
phere storage and handling of
pears: and W. F. Durham
U.S. Public Health Service,
Wenatchee, Wash., health haz
ards in the use of pesticides.
The much - discussed prob
lem of pear decline will be
the topic of a panel discussion
moderated by T. A. Merrill,
chairman of Washington State
university's horticulture de
partment.
The short course is a joint
project of OSC, WSU, Univer
sity of Idaho, and the Ameri
can Railway Development as
sociation. Notes
Washington-fllPD-The Agri
cultural Marketing Service
(AMS) is attempting to de
termine what happens when
industry moves to the coun
try. The agency is making a spe
cial survey for the rural de
velopment program in select
ed rural areas in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Iowa, Utah, and
Ohio. Deputy administrator
Nathan Koffsky said the spe
cial research project already
has turned up some signifi
cant findings.
Koffsky said rural people
who obtain jobs in the new
factories moving into their
area are much younger than
average residents of employ
able age. And the average fac
tory worker in the areas un
der study is about 30 years
old, compared with an aver
age of 50 years for heads of
farm families in the same
area.
Industry increases the in
come of many rural people,
Koffsky added. The living
standard of those who find
jobs in the new plants has
gone up at a faster rate than
that of other rural residents.
Incomes of plant workers
equal, and in many cases ex
ceed, incomes of average fam
ilies in the same community.
About one in four plant
workers in the areas studied
operate farms, he said, but
their farms usually are small
er than the average in the
community because they us
ually reduce their farming Op
erations. There are an estimated 29,
900 supermarkets in the U.
S. which do 68 per cent of all
the retail grocery business.
Eighty-four per cent of these
supermarkets use newspapers
regularly for their advertis-
Jing.
Department
Outlook for
corn last season was under a
loan rate of $1.06 per bushel.
The rate this year is $1.12.
Cattle Record number of
cattle on feed in 26 states at
beginning of year indicates
that prices this winter and
spring will continue below
last year.
Eggs-Low prices over the
last year are likely' to lead
to a reduction in the hatch of
flock replacement chicks this
spring. Hatchings of replace
ment chicks in recent months
have been well below a year
earlier. If reduction contin
ues, egg production next fall
is likely to be under a year
earlier. Such a prospect
would encourage operations
and strengthen prices this
spring. Thus, some recovery
in egg prices is likely as 1960
progresses.
Broilers - Marketings
through February are likely
to be below a year ago. But
in recent weeks settings of
eggs for broilers have risen
above a year earlier for first
time in eight months.
Turkeys - Prices, at highest
in three years, probably will
remain relatively high until
about mid-year. Improvement
in turkey prices last vear
House Plants Need
Particular
By J. VERNON MARSHALL
January - The month to
really enjoy house plants-they
bring beauty into your home,
require less care than you
think, but how much care do
house plants require?
In actual time and effort,
they require very little. Per
haps only minutes a week.
What they do require, is reg
ular care, plus a fairly con
genial environment. Particu
larly as regards light.
Before I get into the proper
environment for the various
plants, I would like to touch
slightly on "watering plants
indoors." This is the general
cause for failing to successful
ly grow pot plants in the
home. Watering plants in pots
requires careful attention.
The plants are entirely de
pendent upon you for the
right amount necessary to en
courage healthy growth.
When out in the open the
roots have a chance to go
down into the soil and look
for moisture if necessary and
they usually do it. You can
lift a tender annual and find
that its hair-like roots have
grown right into a hard, rock
like clay soil and wonder how
it was possible. That same
plant in a 4-inch pot has no
chance to do so. It is absolute
ly dependent on someone to
supply the moisture neces
sary. The roots are confined
within the little pot.
Keep Soil Moist
Now, with most plants
grown by the average home
maker it is just a matter cf
keeping the soil fairly moist
at all times and, when apply
ing the water, of disturbing
the plants as little as possible.
You can tell when plants
grown in pots are in want of
water by examining them.
Get your fingers down into
the soil and find out its exact
conditions: you cannot tell by
surface appearance. Don't
water soil that is wet nor ever
let a plant suffer in soil that
is dry. To let soil in pots dry
out is wrong. The plants suf
fer every time you do it. You
stunt their growth. Plants
which have grown under glass
in pots or in a shallow bench
with artificial watering are
different from those in the
open field and can't stand a
dry soil without showing bad
effects.
On the other hand, if you
have poor drainage and the
water you apply remains in
the soil too long, you will
get the same bad effects. Take
a Boston Fern. No plant loves
water more and as long as you
have plenty of drainage in
the pot it can stand watering
practically every day. But in
MODERN ARTIFICIAL BREEDING WITH
FROZEN
FROM AMERICAN
Provide the depend
able means of in
creasing the value of
your dairy herd.
Every Sire
PROVED Great!
CALL
SP 2-4093
C. C. Williams
ROGUE VALLEY PROVED SIRE SERVICE
Releases
Commodities
came in face of a record crop.
This is likely to result in in
creased production this year.
Milk - Production in 1959
was in a closer balance with
commercial demand at sup
port prices than in any of the
six previous years. Output de
clined slightly from 1958 and
total demand was steady.
Prices were above support
rates by a larger margin and
for a longer period than at
any time since 1952.
Feed Feed grain prices
in mid-December averaged 4
per cent below a year earlier.
Probably will continue a lit
tle lower the first half of this
year.
Fruit Fewer apples and
pears but more grapes re
mained to be marketed after
Jan. 1 than last year. Supplies
also are smaller for grape
fruit and tangerines, about
the same for winter oranges,
larger for lemons.
Fresh Vegetables-A winter
crop 9 per cent above last
year is in prospect. Showing
increases over last year are
cabbage, carrots, lettuce, cu
cumbers, snap beans, cauli
flower, eggplant, and brocco
li. Declining are celery, toma
toes, green peppers, and spin
ach. Attention
a sour soil resulting from im
proper drainage, it will soon
go. This really holds good
with all other plants.
Another good practice, keep
house plants always fresh and
active, is to use a fog-like
spray on the foliage every
morning. Leaf fertilizer, such
as Liquinox, or Rapid Gro,
may also be applied this way.
Plants growing under glass
or outside get sufficient mois
ture for the foliage from the
air and humidity in the green
houses, this, they do not get
in a house under a solid roof.
Watch your plants for dam
aging pests, and use a spray,
such as "Raid," this being
non-poisonous, and can be
used safely in the home
around foods.
Brand Check Rise
Noted By State
Salem - Livestock brand
inspections made in 1959
reached 895,053, second high
est in the history of this state
program. The record still
rests with the 921,351 brands
inspected in 1956, according
to the state department of ag
riculture. Last year's inspections were
roughly 23,000 more than in
1958. Brand inspection, a
wide activity, was performed
last year on 349,010 animals
at auction markets; 69,273 at
slaughter plants; 139,028 at
posted yards; and 337,742 at
points or origin.
"With economies and the
increased inspections the past
year, the brand inspection
fund is coming out of the red
faster than anticipated," Fred
Pope, chief of the division of
animal industry, said.
He added that if as many
inspections are made in 1960
as last year, the account will
be in the black by the end of
this year.
Brand inspection of live
stock, about 95 per cent of
the operation in 1959 was on
cattle, is part of a three
pronged program to identify
livestock and prevent thefts.
Other phases are brand re
cording and theft investiga
tion. It took Thomas Jefferson
five days to travel by public
transportation from Philadel
phia to Baltimore. A modern
bus can do it in 3Vi hours.
Last year more Americans
traveled than ever before, and
to capture their share of the
travel market, bus lires in
vested over S2 million in
newspaper advertising.
SEME
BREEDERS' SERVICE
It! Vi IT
Bfc- V wont" J I