Medford mail tribune., March 22, 1960, Image 6

Three-Course Feeding
for Pears-
SEQELIL D-Sel 32
Shell N-Sol 32 contains 32 nitrogen (non-evaporating)
; it is utilized throughout the root system
giving your pears a timed, three-stage feeding:
1
2
3
ST COURSE: urea nitrogen and nitrate
nitrogen of total content) move down into
the soil for immediate use by roots. Also,
ammonium nitrogen (V4 of total) is fixed in
the top few inches of soil for continued feed
ing by shallow roots.
ND COURSE: Soon, remaining urea nitro
gen is changed to ammonium nitrogen which
complements the original ammonium nitrogen
in the top layer of soil in providing long-term
feeding.
RD COURSE: Gradually, bacterial action
converts the unused portion of ammonium
nitrogen into the nitrate form.
These nutrients penetrate further
into the soil to feed even the
deepest roots. $!! ioit XCUtl'l
Get details from:
t. G. McLaren & Co., Inc.
1002 S. Central
Phone SP 2-6181
Land Leveling Set
For Demonstration
Land leveling will be dem
onstrated starting at 10 a.m.
Friday at the Fred West farm
2Vz miles above Ruch, an
nounced Clem Auit, work unit
conservationist, Rogue Soil
Conservation Service.
The demonstration is spon
sored jointly by Hubbard
Wray company and the Rogue
Soil Conservation district,
Ault said. Signs will mark the
way to the farm.
Purpose. of the demonstra
tion is to show the benefits of
land-leveling or reorganiza
tion of irrigation systems. This
results in irrigation and labor
saving.
Level land can be properly
irrigated without wasting water,-
it was pointed out. Low
areas are filled, preventing
standing water, humps are re
moved permitting good cover
age. Portions of fields idled
by erosion or other means
can be reclaimed or put into
production.
However, equipment to lev
el land has required such a
large initial investment few
could afford it. This initial in
vestment has forced contract
ors to charge high prices for
their services, a spokesman
said. A new tractor and com
panion elevating scraper will
be shown in operation to dem
onstrate the lower cost land
levelling equipment.
MAIL TRIBUNE, Mdfard, Or.
Tuesday, March 22, 1960
6
--GHIT GHAT
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
We spent what you might call a typical old-fashioned
country week end last Saturday and Sunday.. This included
a family-type dance in our small town, church Sunday morn
ing, early afternoon dinner out in the country and a game
of catch afterwards.
GEOW BIG FEUIT TREE PROFITS
EVEN IN ACID SOIL
You can do it with Viking ShipCalcium Nitrate
Acid soil can rob you of fruit tree profits
three ways.
1. It can slow the conversion of am
Monic nitrogen to usable nitrate forms.
Even with heavy applications of an
vnic nitrogen fertilizer, fruit trees can
cteally starve.
2. Because of low calcium, acid soil is
susceptible to compaction and puddling.
Feeder roots may become water-logged
and die.
3. Excess acidity can cause the forma
tion of toxic chemicals highly dangerous
to living tree roots.
Viking Ship Calcium Nitrate can help
you fight these acid-soil dangers.
The fast-acting nitrate nitrogen in
Viking Ship is available without conver
sion. Unlike amnionic forms, nitrate ni
trogen is not trapped in upper soil layers.
It moves with water to the root zone
where it can go to work immediately to
give trees a vigorous start, help them
set big crops.
Viking Ship also provides 20 water
soluble calcium that helps counteract
soil acidity. By improving soil structure,
it helps prevent compaction, so that tree
roots can forage easily for nourishment.
And Viking Ship is easy to apply. It
can be spread evenly or metered accu
rately in irrigation water; it dissolves
quickly; it leaves no residue. Ask your
fertilizer dealer for complete informa
tion about Viking Ship Calcium Nitrate.
Equivalent to 28 lime expressed as calcium oxide.
Use the fertilizer that fights soil acidity!
Viking Ship Calcium Nitrate
CfROM NORWAY A I
distributed by WILSON & GEO. MEYER & CO., San Francisco Portland Seattle Yakima
FOR CAR OR TRUCK LOT QUOTES
WRITE OR PHONE US
MID-COAST DISTRIBUTORS
P. O. Box T468
Phone SP 3-6370
Medford, Oregon
For Your . . .
CALCIUM NITRATE Needs CONTACT
Southern Oregon Sales, Inc.
SPring 2-6244
The dance, which about 100 people attended, was the
kind you might have attended in Oregon's Centennial days.
Whole families turned out. Pop danced with sis some of the
time and mom with brother. As the evening got longer and
longer the kids became sleepier until two or three stretched
out on the long wooden benches around the wall of the little
community club house. Their folks and the older boys and
girls kept on dancing.
You couldn't call this the social event of the year and
it wasn't the kind of thing the highball crowd attended.
Some of the men drifted out through the kitchen door to a
cluster of pickup trucks and cars where the bottle and town
gossip was passed around. Nobody became drunk, though.
One of the husky men invited us on a 'coon hunt some night.
And like the pioneer days plates of huge frosted cakes and
sandwiches lined the kitchen counters and steaming black
coffee was handed out in thick mugs.
Everybody we knew had a good time dancing to the
music proivded by a group of town musicians playing an
ancient piano, a guitar, fiddle and base viol. Some people
of this community not far from Medford would like to pro
mote more such events, but it takes people to organize them
and very few seem to have the community interest even
though the result is -fun for everybody.
At one time this town was the crossroads village and
trading center for all the farmers of the area. Then it was
important to the people who lived in or near it. The older
generation, many of them with pioneer names, built the
community hall and did other things to try to keep the town
alive. However, now they feel "the young folks can take
over. It's their turn." Trouble is few seem to wan to leave
their "one-eyed monster" the television set.
The older npnnlf Tisva left. nTentv nf TifiVhlemc ircl n
solve, need for more fire protection for the outlying areas,
perhaps a better paid or enlarged police force, sidewalks,
city planning, zoning and building codes, need for a teen
age recreation program, more adequate water and sewer
system. If everybody's "too busy" who is going to do it?
Iue to the current Congressional arguments over farm
surpluses and farm price supports people who don't make
their living at farming are apt to get the wrong idea. An
elaborate welfare program isn't being run for the farmer
as too many people might imagine. For instance the U. S.
department of agriculture's $7 billion annual budget pays
for the agricultural commodities which the U. S. ships over
seas in foreign aid programs, for salaries of agricultural
experts who work toward boosting the economics of foreign
countries. This money also pays for the surplus farm products
used by the Armed Forces, by schools and other public
institutions.
This subsidization by the government doesn't make the
average farmer rich, as some people seem to think. U. S.
per capita farm income in 1957 was $967 while per capita
nofarm income was $2,082. People also claim farmers own
at least two cars and these are mainly Buicks, Oldsmobiles,
Lincolns and Cadillacs. However a farm magazine points out
from a sample survey of Iowa farmers in 1957 that 15.6
per cent had two or more cars, 5.7 per cent owned Buicks,
6.7 per cent owned Oldsmobiles and .3 per cent owned
Cadillacs.
Here in the Rogue River valley people tend to think
of farmers and pear orchardists in particular as Cadillac
owners. So we checked the local Cadillac dealer and learned
most sales of this big car are made to businessmen, lumber
mill owners, brokers and some to the larger packing house
owners. Orchardists like a car they can drive both in and
out of orchards, then if it gets too beat up they .can trade
it in and get a new one without taking too much of a loss.
When people think of economic waste they like to point
to overproduction m agriculture. Federal government figures
show the farmers overproduced about 2 per cent. This means
an economic waste of about $4,000. However, industry over
produced about 5V per cent. Total unemployment averaged
6Ji per cent. And we all know how much there was when
the steel industry was hit by strikes earlier this year.
If all this farm surplus could be sent to people through
out the world who are seriously hungry, would there be a
farm surplus? At the same time people point to wealthy
wheat farmers in this state and in the mid-west as examples
of how the farm subsidy program is making a few people
wealthy at the expense of the average taxpayer. However,
the wheat farmers in this state are working on a self-help
program by developing markets in the Far East and in other
countries.
A midwestern garden editor suggests that Saran Wrap
can be used around pots for house plants to keep the soil
from drying out while the homeowners are away. The soil
should be watered thoroughly before wrapping the pot. Then
the pot should be wrapped smoothly around the sides and
gathered loosely around the plant. A semi-shaded or cool
spot will help, also.
Recent rains have improved the pasture situation in the
valley considerably. However, stockmen who are finishing
out their animals will have to continue to shovel the feed
to them. Dairymen can start tapering off in the feed depart
ment some but should not do so too sharply, accordingly to
a local feed expert. He also pointed to a local farmer who is
buying top quality feed but is getting a ratio of 20 cents
worth of feed per pound the animal is gaining. This is often
the case when farmers figure if from the standpoint of
tdn. (total disgestible nutrient).
A local feed dealer reports feed prices about the same
ai they were a year ago. There was even little variance
through the winter. However the lower support price for
corn announced on Feb. 19 is expected to cut the cost for
feeders. Average support on the 1960 crops will be $1.06
per bushel, according to the Ford Motor company's High
Dollar Farming. This is 6 cents per bushel less than last
year.. Since the corn support tends to set the feed grain
market, it will weaken the position of grain sorghum, barley
and othe grams, it was predicted.
Honors Program
Starts In 4-H
Livestock Work
Corvallis-An "honors" pro
gram for the state's youngest
livestock producers 10,000
4-H club members-may open
unknown careers in agricul
tural sciences to Ore g o n
youth, Oregon State College
4-H extension leaders believe.
A new 4-H livestock ad
vancement program has been
developed to meet needs of
youngsters who want to go be
yond usual 4-H" project offer
ings and learn more about
livestock production, genetics,
breeding, and marketing of
animals.
In the past, a livestock mem.
ber's main accomplishment
has been to raise an animal
and show it at a fair. Although
fairs and contests provided
recognition for performance
in livestock classes, there was
no credit given for knowledge
in some of the other livestock
studies.
College Prep Type
The new program is almost
a college prep course, ex
plains Cal Monroe, state 4-H
agent. It's designed to invite
interest in off-the-farm jobs in
research, technology, market
ing, veterinary medicine, ani
mal breeding and teaching in
any of the broad livestock
fields.
The 4-H livestock member
enrolls voluntarily in the ad
vancement program, and
agrees to fulfill certain re
quirements. When he is ready
to advance to more difficult
stages, he appears before a
livestock "graduate commit
tee," made up of local 4H
leaders and livestock breeders
and his work is reviewed.
The advancement program
outlines a year's program of
work, which makes it easier
for 4H leaders to teach, says
Monroe. Under the program,
the member has a chance to
"shine" because he is able to
advance into "graded" levels
of accomplishments according
to his ability.
The first "honors" program
in livestock 'was started sev
eral years ago in the 4-H proj
ects. It received such favor
able response that this winter
advancement programs for
beef, sheep, swine, dairy and
rabbits were provided.
IFcocinm amid Gocdemi
Swine Test Station
Plans Large Sale
Corvallis - The first boars
to pass riged performance
tests at the Oregon Swine
Testing Station will be sold
April 2 at the Umatilla
Branch Experiment Station
near Hermiston.
The sale, scheduled to start
at 12:30 p.m., will see about
20 top-quality boars of seven
different breeds put . on the
auction block, reports Dr.
David C. England, Oregon
State College animal hus
bandman in charge of the
swine testing station. '
To be entered in the sale,
boars had to gain at least 1.6
pounds per day from the time
they were weaned until they
weighed 200 pounds, make
this gain on not more than
360 pounds of feed for each
100 pounds of gain, and have
less than 1.4 inches of backfat
when the test was completed.
Tests were carefully super
vised by OSC research and
extension personnel.
Only about half the boars
entered in the testing pro
gram met these rigid quali
fications, England said.
Although many youths
leave the farm and take other
jobs, Monroe notes a greater
interest among farm boys and
girls to enroll in 4-H livestock
projects.
Breeds represented in the
sale will include Palouse,
Hampshire, Berkshire, York
shire, Poland China, Chester
White, and Landrace. Many
of the boars are now eligible
to be certified as meat-type
hogs by their breed associa
tion. Records Available
A complete record of the
performance of each boar
tested at the station will be
available the day of the sale,
England added. This will in
clude results of carcass qual
ity evaluations of litter mates
of the boars, as well as in
formation on their rate of
gam, feed emciency, ana
leanness.
Oregon now produces only
about one-third of the pork
purchased by homemakers in
the state. Expansion of hog
production in the state is
critically dependent on more
high-quality boars, however,
England explained. The swine
testing program at the new
station will make it possible
for swine producers to obtain
high-testing boars for their
breeding herds.
Lunch will be available at
the station at 11:30 a.m. for
those attending the sale.
A brief ceremony preceding
the sale will see the new
swine testing station dedi
cated and officially presented
to OSC authorities represent
ing the state of Oregon. The
testing station was construct
ed by the Oregon Wheat
Commission to promote pro
duction of market hogs in
Oregon and make more use
of locally-grown feeds.
Visitors will be welcome at
the station the morning of
the sale to look over the new
swine-testing facilities and
inspect the boars to be sold,
said Tom Davidson, superin
tendent of the Umatilla sta
tion. Educational exhibits and
opportunities to talk over
problems with OSC swine sci
entists and specialists will be
featured during this morning
open-house period.
State Inspected
agate
Dairy Farm
40c
MILK
Gallon
You Pickup
GREGORY PHONE
ROAD TA 6-9226
El
"MS?
LB
Kills
i
DOWPON,
QUACK GRASS
Problem grasses choke out crops, reduce yields, make tra
cultivating work! Clean up your fields with Dowpon. lt'
more economical . . . more effective . . . kills grasses, root's
and all . . . reduces regrowth problems. Will not injure grazing
livestock if accidentally eaten. Apply in spring or fall before
planting, or as a selective spray, or as spot treatment on certain
crops.
Come in for your free sample. Enough Dowpon to spray 125
sq. ft of problem grass.
Tradmark of The Dow Chemical Company
MEDFORD FEED & SEED GO.
330 No. Fir Medford, Oree
u g - -- - -
tMmtimtJf J
MODERN ARTIFICIAL BREEDING WITH
FROZEN SEMEN
FROM AMERICAN BREEDERS' SERVICE
Dairy htifert that look
better, milk better, sell
better ... ,the result of
breeding to our great
proved sires.
C. C. Williams
CALL
SP 2-4093
ROGUE VALLEY PROVED SIRE SERVICE
REMEMBER
You Don't Have
To Be a Member
To Trade Here
and SAVE
Farmers and Ranchers
In the LONG RUN you won't do
better than trading at the
Co-op.
Locally owned, locally
controlled, and operated
solely for the benefit of
local farmers and ranch
ers. Always quality prod
ucts . . . and reasonable
prices.
I "v
Grange
mm. co-op
SUPPLY: ASSOC
HATIOfl
HIGHWAY 99 IN CENTRAL POINT
Phone NO 4-1261 or SP 3-4022
B AND WATER STS. IN ASHLAND
Ashland MU 5-4021