Medford mail tribune., May 31, 1960, Image 6

MA TftlBUNI, MeMer. C.
CHIT CHAT
lr JOf. COWLIY
Mail Tribana Fain Mitt
A short time ago we quoted some eminent agricultural
authorities saying agriculture's public relationi program U
orel !n need of Improving. One point made was that there
are not enough articles in the popular magazine! on the
economic plight of the farmer and his contributions to so
ciety. Everybody can relax temporarily because we havt
discovered many such articles recently.
' Even the Saturday Evening Post, which does not usually
tun farm articles came out with a story in April, "The
Farmer's Side of the Case," by Mary Conger. She and her
husband, Carl, run a dairy farm on 720 acres in southeastern
Kansas. Conger was born and raised in the area, received a
college degree in scientific agriculture and was a courfty
agent for a number of years. So, he could not be classed
as a marginal operator, and certainly has a good basis for
success. But, like so many other farmers, particularly dairy
men, the Congers have been caught in the cost-price squeete
and it'a getting tighter all the time.
The Congers have a herd of 200 registered Holsteins,
100 cows and 100 heifers which they report are "con
fiderably above average in production." They produce Grade
A milk. The farm's gross income ranks in the upper 3 per
cent of the U. S. farms. It was also reported "adequately
capitalized and highly mechanical for large-volume production."
The Congers stale that their farm has made little If any
profit since 1052. Including such farm bad years as 1955,
the Conner had accumulated $7,000 in unpaid bills by 1958.
Last year they "just about broke even."
In her story, Mrs. Conger reports that the Kansas Farm
Management association showed that 1958 returns from
member farms were the best in 11 years due to bumper crop
weather and a peak in the cattle and hogs price cycle. The
labor-and-management earnings per association farmer were
$1,120 even less thn skilled labor receives in 1955, the
poorest year, the net labor loss per farm for all association
members in the state was $838. In other words these high
rated farmers worked all year but received nothing for their
labor, and accumulated debts besides.
Mrs. Conger points out that the big subsidy In the United
States agricultural picture is not what the government pays
the farmer in price-support program, but the unpaid and
Underpaid labor the farmer contributes to food production.
Orchard labor doesn't receive adequate returns for Its
labor, either. Orchard labor receives $1.10 an hour com
pared to $3 an hour for industrial labor. Orchardists are in
the same position as many other farmers. Too often their
labor and management is merely donated. Loan institutions
insist that growers taking nut loans pay 20 per cent on their
overhead costs each year. However, few growers outside the
large ones can do it. One packing house spokesman figures
production cosls for the company's five orchards amount to
100,000 a year. This includes picking, hauling and interest.
Look at the overall fruit picture in the Rogue River
Valley. Each year during recent years there has been a big
problem of some kind. Two preceding years in a row hail
hit the pear crop hard. Last year the pears wouldn't size.
A dry summer and fall with a big wind caused a large
pear drop. Then as the pears started dropping off the trees
the growers couldn't gel enough pickers quickly enough.
This year the area was hit by five hail storms. Grower!
predict It won't cause culls, but there will be fruit marking.
How this affects the overall fruit quality remains to be seen.
This year, too, the growers had to convert 20 per cent of
their orchard heaters, according to the agreement the great
majority of growers made with the townsfolk. Are pear
prices keeping up with the rising costs? Of course they
ren tl
Friend Keith Horkei smith, a fleldman for local feed
company, handed us a speech given by George B. Blair,
president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
The talk, entitled "The Farmer in The Market Place," fol
lows along the same theme as the Saturday Evening Post
articles. Compared to industry net income, the farmer is
taking a beating.
"I would remind you that, at a time when corporate
profits are at record levels and personal disposable income
at an all-time high, when Gross National Product continues
to increase and the dollar volume of our manufacturing,
distributive, and service businesses goes up, year after year,
Income of farmers continues a downward trend and has
reached a 20-year low," the farmer cooperative official said
setting the background of the problem.
"The problems we face and the job we have to do Is
not made any easier by the public opinion and the bad press
for agriculture that we sec in newspaper articles, letters to
the editors, radio programs,
pronouncements of high officials and responsible farm lead
en," Blair continued.
Ii agriculture important
population? Farmers today have much more help from city
worker! in getting the job
the farm 100 years ago. This
And that is defined as "The sum total of all operations
involved in the manufacture and distribution of farm sup
plies; production operations on
processing, and distribution of
from them. 1
And this is for the Modfnrd
hasn't yet recognized that the
nessmen's best customers.
"In recent years. In the United Stales, the estimated
annual tolel value of agricultural goods and services added
to the economy la $75 billion. Farmers and ranchers purchase
$10 i billion worth of farm supplies machinery and equip
ment, fuels and oil, feeds, fertilizers, credit, insurance, etc.
lliey combine these with basic
duels valued at $29.5 billion
products they purchase. After
finish with this $29 5 billion of
sale lor $s billion," Blair staled.
This means that farm supplies make up 22 per cent of
the total wholesale value of farm products, production makes
up 17 per cent and processing and distribution make up
1 per cent, the farmer co op
The agricultural Industry
cent of the total labor force
ably more than the 1.1 per cent directly working In farm
ing, Blair pointed out. Ten per centis producing and dis
tributing farm supplies and
aisiriDuung larm products.
"Farmers and ranchers are
oi American industry, mere arc 12 million tractors, cara
and trucks on U. S. farms. Agriculture buys more petroleum
products than any other industry. Farmers provide a market
inr o.a minion tons of finished
on farms would put tires on all the cars produced in the
U. S. last year. Agriclture cosumes 50 million tons of chem
icals each year. Sixteen per cent of gross freight revenues
re from agricultural products," Blair repeated.
But what about these subsidies? According to a report
from the house committee on agriculture on June 25, 1H58,
the farm price support losses from 1933 to 1958 for 25
years cost the taxpayers $5,174 million, Blair noted.
However, the house appropriations committee reports:
mail subsidies for 10 years from 1946-56, $4,968 million
business reconversion payments, $43,262 million; subsidies
to airlines, 1938-1057, $614 million; and subsidies to maritime
realizations, 1938 57, $3,500 million, Blair quoted.
'Bo what about these sibsidie lo farmers?
"If the cotton farmer gave hia cotton away ft broad
Tser. Mm 1. ItM
slanted editorials, and public
to only 13 per cent of our
done than the hired man on
help Is called "agri-business."
the farm; and the storage,
farm commodities made up
Chamber of Commerce which
farmers are the local bust
resources and produce Dro-
adding $13.1 billion to the
processors and distributors
products they are sold whole
council president noted.
employs approximately 40 per
in the United Stales, consider
17 per cent is processing and
some of the biggest customers
steel annually. Rubber used
cloth shirt would still cost $S
atill cost 166," Blair said.
"Even if a wheat farmer
of 20-cent bread would cost 17 cents. The retailer would
gross as much on a loaf of bread in a few hours as the
farmer did in a year for the wheat going' into that bread,
Blair pointed out. And the baker and wholesale (not includ
ing milling of the wheat or transportation and other pro
cessing) would gross alirmst four times as much as the farmer.
So what about farm efficiency?
"Between lSA0-i858, output per farm worker Increased
26 per cent, but per capita farm income dropped from $983
to $H67 and per capita income for work done on the farm
dropped from $751 to $(i58. Almost a third of the farmer's
income now is for work done off the farm," the co-op council
president continued.
"During 1858, farm families operating the nation's 2,
213,000 commerical farms received an average income of
$5,415 while the average income of all non-farm families
including those on skid row and public relief was $0,900,"
he added.
"Moreover, farmers, who are the employers or electors
of all so-called farm spokesmen have the right and duty
to demand they truly speak fur them and to object vigor
ously when they do not do so," Blair reminds. And this is
a good sharp point during an election year. Let's load the
state legislature with people who show they have an interest
in the farmer's welfare.
f7
UNCLE DAN SEZ:
Wal, I ain't bin over t' the coffee shop kitty-corner from
the courthouse yet to get the news first hand from all them
lawyer fellers. If all them jedges and lawyers ever quit
drinking coffee I swear South America would go broke.
I see by the papers (This ain't been confirmed at the
coffee shop yet.) where them Congressmen is still talkin'
about reducin' taxes. This is normal fer Congress in election
year. It's hard to believe that this nation was founded to
git away from taxation and today that's about all we got.
The American Revolution started over one tax and now we
got enough of 'em to keep a revolution goin' 'till the end
of time. Two lawyers I know have got their heads together
again so' we might expect anything even a revolution, any
day now.
Don't get to town much as
eggs into town. But In this hot weather while waitin' for
them dang traffic signals all my eggs would probably hatch.
Wuz walkin' across the street the other day with an ex-mayor
and complainin' about the fool traffic system they have in
town. He said it's a good system. Set it up when he wuz
mayor. But dang! Even he got tired of waitin' fer the light
to my "walk and walked across the street before the light
changed.
GARDENING TIPS
Br DON BERRY
Counts; Extension Agent
REPLANT RHEUBARB
If yields have been de
clining and stalks are becom
ing weak and spindly,
chances are the crowns are
crowding.
Plan to replant some of
your acreage early next
spring. Ploy out the crowns,
select the best ones, and di
vide them into pieces having
at least one strong bud.
when replanting rhubarb.
farmers should give some
thought to trying a small
patch of the forcing varieties
of Victoria, Crimson Wine
and German Wine. Crowns of
these varieties may be
grown for two years without
any stalks being harvested
then plowed out in mid-win
ter and forced into production
by Christmas. Forcing is done
in any weatherproof building
that can be made completely
dark inside and in which a
temperature of 57 to 60 de
grees can be maintained. Un
used chicken houses, barns,
sheds, cellars are suitable.
Remove seed stalks from
rhubarb as soon as they de
velop. Because the seed stalk
Is hollow, slugs may get into
the stump where the seed
slalk was cut off and cause
damage to the crown Pay par
ticular attention to slug con
trol at this time of year.
CHECK ORNAMENTALS
Now is a good time to check
roses and other ornamentals
(or aphids.
Curled or crinkled leaves
on trees and shrubs often in
dicate the presence of them.
Fading, browning, or dying of
needles on spruce trees is
another sign of aphids.
Plant lice as they are often
called are most effectively
controlled wlien sprays are
applied before these symp
tom! appear. While not as nu
meroua as a year ago, aphids
are again infesting a variety
of plants. Controlling them
while infestations are light is
easiest.
The mere presence of
aphids indicates it's time to
spray for them.
Use either Malathlon or
Diasinon, or Insecticide com
binations containing one of
them.
Follow the directions on
the label for rates of applica
tions. Repeat as often as
necessary.
LILAC BLIOHT
Another good problem is
Lllic blight. The wilting or
browning of lilac blooms is
usually caused by lilac blight.
On young shoots, dark
72 and $9 cotton dress would,'
I
gave away his wheat a loaf
r
til fc (A "
I used to. Used to bring my
black streaks may show or
one entire side of the shoot
may be darkened. Flower
buds often become blackened
and tips die back.
All affected parts of the
plant should be pruned out
and burned as soon as noticed.
Adequate spacing and prun
ing of lilacs to provide good
air circulation is helpful.
In the fall, before the rains
begin, a copper spray is rec
ommended for lilac blight.
This spray is not effective
when applied at any other
season.
Lilac blight is more evident
during rainy springs. The
cool wet weather this spring
has tended to aggravate the
problem.
PEACH LEAF CURL
Peach leaf curl is showing
up now on trees where con
trol was not complete or ef
fective. The leaves are yellow
to reddish and somewhat
thickened and crisp In tex
ture, curled and maybe
puckered.
Little can be done now to
control peach leaf curl at this
stage. The most severely in
fected leaves can be picked
off where only a tree or two
is involved. New leaves will
usually replace those re.
moved. Peach leaf curl Is effective
ly controlled with dormant
sprays or a Bordeau or fixed
copper during December and
January. These sprays should
not hp applied, however, for
peach leaf curl control dur
ing the growing season,
FROST INJURY
Frost injury is quite preva
lent in some plants, especial
ly sycamores and grapes.
Quite a number of samples
have been sent in or letters
of inquiry about the brown
ing of young foliage on a
wide variety of plants and
trees. This is so widespread
and coming from certain
areas at the same time that
we are led to believe that at
least mi-st of it is damage
j done by rather heavy late
irosts.
A well-adjusted tractor car
buretor can save up to $40 in
fuel each year, savs the
USUA. Another way to lave
fuel is by keeping the fuel
tank shaded to reduce evapor
ation.
About 40 per cent of all jobs
in the United States are in ag
riculture, according to USDA
figures About 23 million per
sons are employed by the
farm industry, 7 million on
farms alone.
ARS Reports on Pear Decline
To Representative Porter
A letter to Eric Allen Jr.,
Mail Tribune managing edi
tor from Congressman Charles
O. Porter told of a formal re
quest he had made to Agricul
ture Secretary Ezra Benson
for a report on the extent of
pear decline damage and
what ii being done by hii de
partment and other agencies.
In hi! reply to Porter's
letter, E. L. Peterson, assist
ant secretary ol agriculture
stated:
"Pear decline was observed
first in the state of Washing
ton in 1946 and has Increased
in intensity since that time.
The Agricultural Research
Service of this department
has been directing attention
toward this problem from its
fruit research headquarters
in Wenatchee, Wash., since
1956. This research is coop
erative with the Washington
Agricultural Experiment sta
tion. "Pear trees showing decline
symptoms similar to those ob
served in Washington were
noted in Oregon first in 1957
and in California in 1959.
During recent years the agri
cultural experiment stations
of Oregon and California have
been giving attention to pear
decline problems as they oc
cur in those itates to deter
mine the cause.
"The department is current
ly spending $20,000 on the re
search phases of the problem.
We have the needed research
authority and do not feel ad
ditional legislation is neces
sary." The following is a conden
sation of a report by the Agri
cultural Research Service sent
to Congressman Porter:
The term "pear decline"
has been given to a devital
ized condition of trees ob
served in pear orchards in
Washington over a period of
years. Various causes have
been ascribed such aa nutri
tion, soil moisture, "water log
ging" of soil, rootstocks, win
ter injury, insects and dis
eases. The occurrence of trou
ble In orchards resulting in
weak growth and lack of pro
duction did not follow any
particular pattern that would
confirm any of these various
factors mentioned as causes
of trouble. According to grow
ers' reports, by the early
1950s the problem aeemed to
be increasing. Growers then
requested a study.
Committee Appointed
In August 1955 a four-man
research committee was ap
pointed to make a field study.
This committee surveyed pear
decline in the Yakima ana
Wenatchee areaa in Washing
ton and reported its findings
to Dr. M. T. Buchanan, direc
tor of the Washington Agri
cultural Experiment station.
A research program should be
arted to determine the cause
of trouble, this group con
cluded. Eight researchers of the
Washington Agricultural Ex
periment station and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture de
voted some time to pear de
cline work.
Evidence pointed to a icion-
rootstock relationship as a
possible cause. Trees propa
gated on Japanese rootstocks
appeared to be more seriously
affected than trees on French
seedlings or American varie
ty seedlings such as Bartlett
or Winter Nelis. Preliminary
studies did not prove trans
mission of a virus although
they recognized possibility of
a virus. It seemed clear, how
ever, that nutrition, cultural
practices and sprays used to
control insects and diseases
were not causal factors.
Early in 1958 Congress ap
propriated S6.250 in supple
mental funds for pear decline
studies. These funds paid for
the services of Dr. Herman
Schneider, plant pathologist.
He is a recognized authority
on the relationship of the
woody plant anatomy to cer
tain virus diseases. He was
borrowed from the Agricul
tural Experiment station of
the University of California
at Riverside. The 1959 agri
culture appropriation bill di
rected that $20,000 be spent
on decline research.
Add Pathologists
ARS also added services of
two plant pathologists from
Wenatchee, Wash. They were
to study any possible associa
tion of virus diseases with the
pear decline problem. A hor
ticulturist was hired to study
the relationship of rootstocks
to pear decline. This work is
needed for informing grow
ers who are replanting on old
orchard sites or planning new
orchards.
So. members of the staff of
the Washington Experiment
station participated. The pear
processing industry and the
Washington State Fruit com
mission contributed funds to
taling $10,000 a year. A tract
of land was provided near
Prosser, Wash., to be used
largely for long-term experi
ments relating to the decline
problem. These will Include
studies on rootstocks and the
possible role of viruses in the
decline problem.
Anatomical studies showed
a plugging of conducting tis
sue of the stock-ack.n union
that interferes with movement
of food materials from the
tree top to the root. This
would cause starvation and
dying of roots and account for
tree wilting seen in some or
orchards. So far, work to de
termine if a virus is present
in decline-affected trees has
shown only negative results.
In December the research
team stated:
"With the information now
available, it appears clear
that pear decline is a bud
union disorder primarily ow
ing to undesirable root-top
combinations and contributed
to by one or more factors.
Physiological changes at the
bud union result in weaken
ing or death of the tops.
"Factors which may con
tribute to the expression of
the disorder include one or
more of the following: winter
injury, periods of high sum
mer temperatures, water log
ging of soil resulting in root
injury, nematodes, harmful
soil fungi, viruses and toxins
secreted by insects.
Crater FHA Finish
Year's Ag
Bv DELMER SMITH
Crater FFA Reporter
Central Point - Crater
chapter Future Farmers of
America completed their var
ious projects as the school
year ended.
Shop projects completed in
cluded work on 11 trailers,
some farm equipment over
haul and various minor pro
jects. Those members who com
pleted their projects worked
on various chapter and school
equipment. Several members
applied a new coat of paint
to the chapter school bus.
Clayton Banry and Jim Walk-
PLUM APHIDS
The curled and rolled leaves
on the backyard plum trees
are due to aphids. These in
sects appear early in the year
while feeding on the leaves
have'a poisoning affect which
causes the leaves to roll and
curl. Leaves which are al
ready rolled cannot be cor
rected by spraying, however
if aphids are not cleaned up
as new leaves appear they
will become infected.
Spraying the tree thorough
ly with a Malathion solution
and repeating this spray in
about ten days will generally
give aphid control.
Aphid populations are high
on many of the ornamental
trees and shrubs this spring,
and they will continue to
cause trouble until the hot
weather dissipates them in
the middle of the summer.
Repeated sprays now with
Malathion will go a long way
towards keeping your back
yard plants insect free during
this critical period.
A fresh approach is now
being used to dry grain bet
ter, faster and cheaper. All
the grain is now alternately
heated and cooled through
constant circulation in New
Holland's two new grain dry
ers for 1960.
MARKET NEWS
Special Stocker and Feeder Cattle Auction Friday, May 20, 19 fit
Anderson, California
CATTI : Salable 930, including around 400 calves. Around 85 per
cent of supply stocker cattle and cnlves. the remainder mainly
feeders. Active, undertone strono Kunolv mafniv nnrihnm ru.
fornia origin; sales mainly to northern California and southern
Orepon buyers.
Storker and Feeder Steers: Several load lots and penlots Good and
Choice 350-500 lb. calves S28.00-30.75. including a 13 hnd Int at
$30.75, a 19 head lot 405 lbs.
ju.iu, siiittii ion s-omnion ana aiemum zau-aoo ids. ?24. 00-27.75
Few loads and lots Good nnri Chnicp sin.rtnn ih navam anri
yearlings $25 00-2!).75, Including 32 head 522 lbs. at $29.75: small
lots 650-770 lbs. S 2 4, 00-2 5. 40, 14 head lot 786 lbs. at $25.40.
Stacker and Feeder Heifers: Few loads and lots Good and Choice
Mu-ou id. caives Ma.uu-zti.au, including 67 head 448 lbs. at $26.10,
small lots Common and Medium .1(1(1-450 Ih S22 nn.9d nn Rmaii
lots Medium and Good 500-600
4U.UU- .311.
StOCk COWS: Individual)! and
$13.00-16.00; several lots $130.00-161.00 per head. Several lots
Medium and Good with young calves at side $177 50-230.00 per
pair. Slaughter cows: Small lot Commercial 1100 lbs. S17.80 per cwt.
Plen.se Note: Another Special Stocker and Feeder Cattle Auction at
nucison, Hiuurnia, is scneauiea on r naay, june J, lytjU.
Ited Bluff Livestock Auction
CAllI.h: halnble 920. Including 250 calves. Around 80 percent of
supply stocker and feeder cattle and calves, the remainder mainlv
slaughter cows. Auction active, slaughter cows fully steadv to
strong; stocker and feeder classes steady to strong. Supply of
Slaughter cows: Few Standard
duals and penlots Utility and
v miner ana v.uiier 911.3u-10.uu.
Slaughter bulls: Individual Commercial 1360-1735 lbs. $19. 10-19.80,
Mauxhter calves: Small lot Good and Choice 500 lh S2.4 in
Stacker and frrder sterrs: Individual and penlots Good and Choice
350-500 lb. calves $27.00-2900, few lots mixed Medium and Good
$26.50-27.75, Individuals and small lots Common and Medium
caives zu.uu-2b.3U. &mau tots uood and Choice 530-610 lb,
yearlings $24.20-27.20: several oenlots 630-725 lb vearlinca 125 10-
25 80, including a 42 head shipment 670 lb. averages at $29.80 and
a w nean lot of 723 jo, weigms to 523. 7U; few lots 8!0-?30 lb
feeders $23.60-24.80: individual Common and Medium 900-750 lbs
$18 00-24.50.
storker and feeder heifers: Small lots Good and Choice 390-490
lb. calves $24.70-26.50, small lots and individual Medium calves
$21.00-24.40. Small lots Medium and Good 500-600 lb. yearlings
$21 00-23 50: few lots 800-900 lbs $21 00-21 60.
Stork cows: Couple small lots Medium and Good with young
i-itivt'3 m siue 9 1 : 1 i'u cv 9vD vxj per pair.
HOGS: Salable 2. SuddIv lnsufficent to tet tht market.
SHKKP: Salable 207. Supply
steadv.
Slaughter ewes: Couple lots
Feeder spring Iambi; Small
iuii wooica pens M-yu ins.
Paul H.
Federal -
PACIFIC WOOL GROWERS
THE PACEMAKER
Ttw Posmdariofi for Higher WmI Pricta
SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS
. kp N Freight Cllct
PACIFIC WOOL GROWERS
7S4 N. W. 14Hl Aw NittW, Or.
"The practical solution for
the grower ii to plant pears
on their own seedling roots or
on French seedling roots. In
Washington pears on Pyrus
usurriensis root or Pyrus sero
tina root should not be
planted.
"Further Information is
needed on the most desirable
root-top combination!, requir
ing development of a rapid
method for determining desir
able root-top combinations.
"Japanese pears were used
extensively as root stock in
the Pacific Northwest from
World War I until about 1930
when French seedling stocks
were not so readily available.
It is not easy to tell on af
fected trees just what the root
stock source is.
"The Fruit and Nut Crops
branch of the Agricultural Re
search service plans to con
tinue its research on pear de
cline in the fiscal year of 1961
on the basis of the $20,000 for
1960 expenditures," the re
port concluded.
Projects
er installed a wiring system
in the bus so an outside elec
trical current could be used.
The new wiring included
three circuits servicing lights
and outlets. This bus is used
for an office at the annual
Jackson county 4-H and FFA
fair, for a concessions stand
at the high school ballgames,
and for transporting agricul
ture students on field trips.
Leon Sherman designed
and constructed a collapseable
bed for the bus for those who
want to sleep in it during the
county fair.
Howard Misner, Glen Jah
nke, Bill Allen and Dennis
Fisher constructed a large
sign with the Crater chap
ter'! name engraved on it
This sign is 4 feet high, 8 feet
wide and will be mounted on
two 15" foot high timbers. It
will be erected in the center
of the lawn at the front of the
Crater high school vocational
agriculture department class
rooms. A planter constructed
of granite and concrete will
encircle the sign.
New chapter officers just
completed sessions with out
going officers so they may
have s better understanding
of their office duties.
The chapter tractor has
been used in numerous jobs
including some home project
work, custom work and work
on school property. Willie
Debrick and Bruce Martin
have been in charge of the
custom and school work.
Classroom studies for Ag
I students just completed in
cluded instruction in sheep
and dairy production. Ag II,
Ag III and Ag IV students
just completed shop work.
Supervised home farm pro
jects of Crater chapter mem
bers now include 43 dairy ani
mals, 60 beef, 66 head of
swine, 102 head of sheep, 268
chickens, 65 rabbits, 6 (oats
and 3 turkeys. Crop projects
for the members this year
total 519 acres.
at $30.60. a 36 head lot 48!) lbs. at
lb. yearlings $23.00-25.30, Common
Km fill 1nt Pnmmnn an A MnHii.m
Report, Tuesday, Mav 24, 1960
8501100 lbs. SIS 50-21 3B inriivl.
Commercial $15.50-18.50, Individual
mainly feeder spring Iambi; about
Cull and Utility 88-120 lbs. U 30-3 M
shipments Good and Choice with full
i 1 mu-ih eu.
Lehigh.
State Market News Scrvie
Irrigation Tips
Given By Agent
ST C. B. COBDT
County Horticultural Agent
Some orchards on shallow
nils light soils and where
heavy cover crops have been
growing, can be irrigated to
advantage as soon as the first
cover spray has been com
pleted. By using stream flow
wter, which will be avail
able for another two weeks,
the short storage water sup
plies will be conserved.
Iriigate in rills which are
deep enough to confine the
water and permit it to soak
down into the soil but which
are spaced far enough apart
so all the soil surface will
not be saturated. Two to four
rills per row will be adequate.
Most sticky soils should be
cultivated but not irrigated at
this time.
The current rains may
seem to make irrigating un
necessary at this time but ac
tually the amount of water
falling is not sufficient to wet
the soil down into the root
area. Irrigating during this
type of weather is actually
quite desirable as the surface
mulch has been moistened by
the rains and it requires less
irrigation water to wet the re
mainder of the soil.
SPRING BULBS
Spring flowering bulbs will
bloom well again next year
and in succeeding years if giv
en good care now.
After blooming, the flowers
should be cut off when they
fade to prevent seed informa
tion. Seed development takes
stored food from the bulbs.
The leaves should never be
cut. These green leaves build
next year's bulbs. Removing
any part of the leaves before
they die down naturally re
duces the ability of the bulbs
to produce good flowers next
year.
It is best not to dig bulbs
until the tops have died down.
They should then be dug only
if they become crowded and
produce a few small flowers
or need to be moved. Annual
digging is not advisable.
Further information on
bulbs is contained in the U. S.
Department of Agriculture
leaflet, "Spring-Flowering
Bulbs", or "Flori culture"
pamphlet for local gardeners,
both available. at the Jackson
county extension office in the
county courthouse in Medford,
Oregon.
Purdue University agrono
mists report that small grain
varieties are valuable for pas
ture, hay silage or green
chopped forage when properly
managed.
DON'T GAMBLE
with your
fruit profits
PEARS should be protected from attaek by "mites. Ttiiil
job can be turned over to Kelthane the extra-safe,!
easy-to-use miticide. An ideal time to clean out a mite
potential is m the first cover spray. To clean out the)
tops of trees where spray rigs may not give good cover-1
age, a Kblthane 4 percent dust is effective. You'B
like the safety and long-residual action of Kelthanb
. . . plus its ability to control all species of mites which
attack pears with a minimum number of application
Ask your supplier for Kelthane now.
KfLiaASI 1$ feermarfc, R VS.
KELTHANE
Gardening Set ;
For FFA Project
By Crater Boys
Central Point - fifta
Crater high school futurt
Farmers of America men
bers have chosen gsrdenlng
for their supervised fsrm pro.
ject this year. These boys sr
busy now preparing the land,
seeding it and setting out
plants.
In the past, several Crater
FFA members have exhibited
prize winning garden produce
and truck crops at the Jack,
son county fair. Wesley
Knight, Charles Lopez, Tom.
White, Bill White, Clifford
Griffitts, John Caster and Jim
Conger have all been top ex
hibitors in the fair'a crops
division, according to Vo-Ag
Instructor Ed Griggs.
"Sometimes a boy enrolled
in vocational agriculture has
limited facilities for a pro
ject and finds that gardening
provides him with experience
in crop and soil science plus
a marketable crop which can
be used by his family," Griggs
explained.
Members of The Green
Hands who are planting gar.
den this spring are: Richard
Grissom, one acre of corn;
Bob Marshall, tomatoes on
180 square feet of garden;
Dan Mattson, one acre sweet
corn; Joe Reeder, one-fourth
acre corn; Bill Schwab, one
fourth acre garden crop and
Earl White, a garden plot
with corn, tomatoes, melons
and other vegetables.
Chapter Farmers, second
year students in agriculture,
who will raise garden crops
are: Billy Cooper, vegetable
garden; Charles Shetrone, one
fourth acre of corn; and Bill
Weide with one half acre of
garden.
The Agriculture III group
includes some old time
gardeners. These boys are
Don Denning, one-half acre
of truck garden; Dennis Fish
er, one-eighth acre of garden;
Wesley Kight, 100 tomato
plants; Pete Melsted, one acre
of mm; Dennis Samples,
acres of corn and Tom White,
one acre of onions. Crater
FFA boys who raise these
crops are encouraged by their
advisors to try to find a mar
ket for their garden crops be
fore planting them.
Weedy LawiT
Call
Rayspray SP 2-9279
CVmiwfi fir Agricultw
ROUftl C HAAS
COMPANY
wismNeioN seuut, fHitsMinw $, a
Pat. Off and in principal firtijn mi