MAIL TRIBUNE. Madfenf, Or.
Thunday, Feb. 18, 1960 C
3
CHIT CHAT
By JOE COWLEY
Mail TribuM Farm Editor
Things were pretty quiet last week. The Democrats
temporarily had ceased tostir up their witches brew of
trouble for the Republicans and the Republicans were sit
ting fat and happy. So-o, having a little time we dropped
out, to the Southern Oregon Branch Experiment station near
Jacksonville to find out what, if anything was going on. The
following remarks are the result of an interview with Supt.
Harold White.
Q-What are you boys doing to keep you busy this winter?
With the crops all harvested and no livestock to feed and
care for looks as "if your schedule should be fairly smooth
during the winter months.
A.-"Does look like a prolonged vacation doesn't it?"
White said chewing on a 'well-worn pipe stem. ''But, actually
this is the toughest season of the year for us,' he answered,
smoothing back his thinning black hair, and settling back
in his office chair.
and trials. These are main
tained so the researcher can,
with a little time, make a
quick review of the most im
portant data needed in his
planning or in making recommendations-
or answering
questions for farmers.
Q.-What's in that series of
black books?.
A.-Much the same data
only each book is a year's
work.
Q.-In what way?
A.-Well, during the spring, summer, and fall a research
man executes in the field plans that are developed during
the winter. These plans for experimentation in the field
are carefully developed specifications, and if done right,
lare as carefully drawn and as detailed as a contractor's
building plans.
These plans or specifications must take into account the
results of similar or related research previously done here or
elsewhere to be really effective and accomplish the research
objective at the lowest possible cost in time and money. So
we have to summarize and evaluate the work done .during
the past year before we can develop plans for the next year.
Q.-Is that what this stack of tables and charts is? .
A.-Yes, that's part of it. These charts and tables are the
boiled down final figures from a lot of the observations,
measurements, weights, etc. taken in the field from the day
the crop was planted until it was harvested, planned, and
weighed. In many cases it doesn't stop there. Samples of the
product from the different treatments have to be analyzed
to determine their difference in composition, quality, etc,
which can logically and accurately be credited to the par
ticular treatment it received during the experiment.
Q.-Then what? What becomes of these data?
A.-Well first the researcher must take a good look at
it, subject it to statistical analysis which is a mathematical
tool that points out the significant difference, if any, to a
degree far more accurate than any observation, average or
mean.
From this analytical study, the researcher's notes and
observations, he prepares a narrative statement of the way
this work was done and his conclusions as to the meaning
or value of the treatment being studied.
Q.-You still haven't told me what becomes of these data,
does it just go into the files to become a mass of government
data?
A.-Yes and no. Yes, these data go into the files and are
known as progress reports data for on experiments for the
particular year in which it was run. In the metal files along
the wall are all the records of the tests, trials and experi
ments we have conducted on agronomic crops and soils in
Jackson and Josephine counties since I came here in 1947
to initiate the agronomic research work.
Q.-But how does this in
formation get beyond your
office - to the farmers who
need it and help pay the bill
of research?
A.-That also is a part of j
the overall plan of research
as conducted by the Oregon
Agricultural Experiment sta
tion of which the Southern
Oregon station is a branch.
You see, we do not function
as a separate organization go
ing our own way as we
please, but we must function
within the framework of the
Oregon system.
In reality, we are a field
laboratory of the Oregon Ag
ricultural Experiment station,
located here to work on prob
lems of production which are
important to the economy of
the southern Oregon area.
Obviously because of soil and
climatic differences in this
very large and varied state
the conclusions reached at
Corvallis where our central
station and . headquarters is
located are not always valid
or reliable for this area. The
same applies to the coast re
gion and to all six of Oregon's
agricultural regions.
Those files contain not only the summary results but the
record of where it was conducted whether on station loaned
or off station on the farms of the cooperating farmers. It
shows the soil type, chemical analysis of the soil, manage
ment practices such as dates of plowing, seeding and other
information which might affect results. There is also a draw
ing or plans of the experimental layout.
So much for those files. Now see those notebooks on the
shelf? The blue ones constitute a series. There are eight of
them. No. 1 contains summary reports on the 12 years of
work we have done on wheat, oats and barley grown for
feed grain. No. 2 contains the same type of material for corn,
milo and sorghum. No. 3 relates to work on forages (hay,
pature, range.) No. 4 deals with seed crops, No. 5 with fertil
ization, No. 6 with chemical weed control, No. 7 with truck
crops, and No. 8 with new crops and miscellaneous tests
NEW LINE OF
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Q.-N o w you have gotten
around Jones' barn what
about getting data out into
channels of use?
A.-Well, Jones has another
barn and maybe we should
circle it. Being a part of a
system has both advantages
and disadvantages. . For the
researcher who wants to
stand out, the system may
cramp his style. Under the
Oregon system the research
team of any part of the over
all system can and does work
on any particular problem
that may arise in any part of
the state. Research is done
by teams assigned to the prob
For example, we are now j
working on a research pro-:
gram designed to develop re
liable fertilizer recommenda
tions for the various agronom
ic crops in the southern Ore
gon area. That team consists
of John Yungen and myself
from the local experiment
station staff, a specialist from
the soils department and one
from the crops department of
OSC. Primary responsibility
or leadership rests on the lo
cal staff but the other mem
bers of the team have a def
inite part and have to be
thoroughly familiar with
what is going on and how it is
done.
So these progress report
data you inquire about must
go to ' each member of the
team. Each checks to see if
they are consistent with sim
ilar lines of work done else
where or that there is a justi
fiable difference due to lo
cal conditions.
At least once a year usually
in February, the combined
staff of soils and crops and
local branch station staffs
meet in conference for two or
three days and review the
work done determining what
next needs to be undertaken
and formulate recommenda
tions based on the best knowl
edge gathered in from the re
search data. These recom
mendations are put into bul
letins cr circulars released by
the coiflege and made avail
able to the public through the
local extension offices.
Grower meetings are used
also to spread the informa
tion so painstakingly gathered
by the research team. Others
using the information are the
Soil Conservation Service, vo
cational agriculture teachers,
and occasionally, when time
permits, and you press hard
enough, you get a summary
of some phase of our program
for your local paper. The
Icounty extension agents prob-.
ably use the information most
directly and frequently. A
complete file of the summa
ries of the wort done on the
local station is given to the
area's county agents each
I vpar .TncartViin anH .Tarlrcnn
county agents are asking now
for copies of the 1959 data to
be used in the I9b0 crop
year.
Q.-How about the off -station
work? What is that? .;
. A.-Well, southern Oregon
soils are badly mixed tip. We
do not have broad plains like
other parts of the country.
There are 43 different soil
types in Jackson county, and
17 separate phases; 20 types
in Josephine- c o u nt y plus
three separate phases. Also,
there are wide variations in
elevation and even in mois
ture supply. These things af
fect the performance of a
variety of crops, action of
fertilizer, or effectiveness of
a chemical to mention a few
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