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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1960)
o TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1960 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE. CHIT CHAT By JOE COWLEY Mail Tribunt Farm Editor It looked as if the whole county were haying as we drove round the valley yesterday. With very little carryover from the previous year farm ers expect about $25 a ton for their hay in the field baled. Due to the cool, damp spring the first crop may be some what weedy. However, valley farmers expect a good second crop and are hoping for a third cutting. Big problem is ihortage of water. Local strawberries are still being picked. The employ ment office here reports berry growers probably have more than enough labor, The labor picture doesn't look so good for the pear harvest later this summer. The employment office reports even fewer migratory laborers making the circuit this year. Mexican Nationals will be ordered when they are needed. A crop estimate closer to picker time is needed plus a better idea as to how much labor will actual ly be needed, it was explained. We were kind of hoping the U.S. Employment Service could be allowed to loosen up a little this year and make arrangements some time ahead for at least the same number of Mexican Nationals brought in last year. Since this area is always in short supply around picking time this seems like a safe bet. A local employment service official hooted at the idea that potato harvest work is as hard if not harder than pick ing pears. They don't have the heavy ladders to move nor the heavy buckets of pears to lug around, he said. The good, husky high school youngsters are used in the harvest every year anyway, he added. Those that can stand the heavy work will be used again this year. We noted a slight rise in state egg prices in last week's column, but local poultrymen are not overly optimistic. The Improved price picture is not materializing very fast, one egg producer noted. "There's lots of room for improvement yet," he added. "Everybody seems to think the market will improve during the last half of the year. According to re placement estimates during May there was 20 to 25 per cent less replacement hatch. May is the last month of heavy replacement so this should give a pretty fair indication. "We're still paying the bills," a local poultryman said. "We have regular accounts. It would be pretty rough if we had to wholesale our eggs." So far there doesn't seem much local interest in the new egg marketing association for Oregon poultrymen. However, the officers are still going ahead with it. Actually, it has not been pushed here since this area has comparatively few egg producers. The plan is to concentrate in the central part of the state where most egg producers are and branch out later. MARKET NEWS Rd Bluff Livestock Auction Report, Tuesday, June 1. 1960 CATTLE: Salable 1,280, Including around 450 calves. Around 85 per cent of supply itocker and feeder claues. remainder mainly slaughter cowi. Slaughter cowt grading Utility and above, fairly active and Heady. Canner and Cutter cowi slow, ateady to weak: slaughter bulls about steady; itocker and feeder cattle and calves moderately active and about steady, stock cows with calves at side steady to firm. Supply mainly of northern California origin. Slaughter cows: Individual Standard 850-979 lbs. $18 25-20.30 spar ingly, individual Utility and Commercial 800-1200 lbs. $15.00 18.00, Individual and few penlots Canner and Cutter $11.00-15 00. Cutter numerous at $13.00 and above. Slaughter bulls; Several Commercial 1300-M50 lbs., $18 10-19. 10, individual 1810 lbs. 19 50. Stocker and feeder steers: Few penlots and individual Good and Choice 300-500 lb. calves 9)26 50-26 30; few lots mixed Medium and Good $24 .00-26.00, individual Common and Medium calves 18 00-24.00. Small lots and individual Good and Choice 315-550 lb. yearlings $24.00-28.50. penlots and individual 620-77? lb. weights $24.0025.70, including 30 head 777 lb. weishts at $24 70; 17 head Medium and Good 672 lbs. $22.30; individual Common and Medium 550750 lbs. $18.00-22.00. Stocker and feeder heifers: Small lota and individual Good and Choice 300-475 lb. calves $24 00-26.50, small lots mixed Medium and Good C22.S0-23.75. individuals and small lots Common and Medium calves $18.00-23.00. Stock cows: Loadlots Medium and Good 828-1080 lbs $13.60-15.90 per cwt; small lot $140.00 per head. Load lots Medium and Good with young calves at side $184.00-233.00 per pair, small lots $157.50-194.00 per' pair, few Common and Medium $144.00-147.50 per pair. HOGS: Salable 17. Supply mainly feeder pigs; market about steady. Feeder pigs: Small lots Good and Choice 68-93 lbs. $17, 8018. 10, few Medium and Good $15.00-16.00. S1IKK1: Salable 181. Supply mainly feeder spring lambs; about steady. slaughter ewes: 60 head shipment Cull 118 lbs. with No. 2 pelts $3.10. Frcder spring lambs: Small lots Good and Choice 78-93 lbs. with ' full wooled pelts $17.00-17.50, 20 head lot Medium and Good 76 lbs. $15.00, small lots Common and Medium 60-70 lbs. $12.00-13.10. Paul H. Lehigh Federal-State Market News Service fairly solid footing, we haven't heard of any egg producers who have gone broke in the Rogue valley. Cows Aid Orchardist To Stay in Farming By JOE COWLEY Mail Tribune Farm Editor We heard a continuation of the same old debate yes terday afternoon. One farmer argued with another that he paid for everything he had from his earnings. He cau tiously operated on a pay as you go basis, only borrowing when he could save money by grabbing a bargain. The other farmer borrowed heavily, invested heavily and made big money compared to the other man. While he made a killing at times he also went broke at times. The other farmer consolidated his gains. He admitted, compared to his farmer friend, he never had a lot. Which is right. Each man seems perfectly content doing just what each is doing. Perhaps a good compromise answer would be a farmer should operate the way he feels is most profitable for him. How much does Grange mean to you? Would you drive down a mountain road for eight miles by tractor to get to a Grange meeting, then back up that mountain about mid night? One woman we heard about did it at times when she couldn't make it by car. Got stuck in an icy creek, too. Why did she do it? "Well for years I stayed up on that mountain and wasn't able to go any place," she explained. ' Now that the children are grown up I just decided I wanted to get out and go places." And she has ever since. As the egg price picture starts to improve those poultry men who have their pullets all raised and are starting to pay will be able to take advantage of the improved market. We noticed some pullet eggs on the market recently selling for three dozen for a dollar. It's the large eggs which bring the higher prices. One poultryman said he never figured on making anything the first half of the year. He hopes for the benefit of the steady producers the overall picture won't lend the price too high. If the egg prices do shoot up again it may mean too many people will get into the act which will force the prices down again. However, the various loan agencies seem to be tightening up on financing poultry operations. Too much loose financing allowed too many inefficient producers into the business. Some of the food companies and banks were pretty badly burned over the whole country as a result. A poultryman must figure on costs ranging from $8 to $10 a bird. With a 5,000 bird flock considered the minimum size for a profitable producing unit, it would take at least $50,000 to start. This includes birds, buildings and equip ment. However, poultrymen in this area seem to be on a GET RID OF GARDEN PESTS with EMU MALATHION $ g 111"" WETTABLE POWDER $g ' snau $2.40 SAU PRICe 4 pound bafl One of the sifest pesticides available. Effectively controls a wide range of insects, mites, ticks, chig gers, spiders and other pests. May be used for fly control. Safe to apply to food crops without harm ful residues. Less chance of burning tender foliage with wettable powders. BU y HOW AHP SAVE! i jjj. jj. lui iru vi I , 7 JTIf J'. fIJ. I ' IJ'LTI Sarvlnfl Nsrlhwail ABHcifllwrt Sinct 1917 yt&rf ASSOCIATION 17 WEST 4TH STREET Medford, Ortgon PHONE SPring 3-4061 Manacar Jack Hanltim You hear about "make do," about the depression, about farm houses with kerosene lamps and raising all that is needed right on the farm. Few of us of the modern genera tion have seen it, however. Next week we'll tell you about a bathtub hollowed out of a cedar log, a farm home still lit by kerosene lamps and a farm which today exemplifies the best of Oregon's pioneer spirit. The bathtub, incidentally, looks as good as the one of latest design. It was made with a ratchet type drill, a double-bitted ax and a small wood plane. And it's still being used. Speaking of another argument, a veteran farmer and long-time resident of the Rogue valley said all the really rugged, independent pioneering spirit continud only In the West Side area, Eagle Point area and perhaps in the north end of the valley. We said he was wrong and that we have many of the same type of people in our little town. How- ever, judging by recent events, we sometimes wonder if we are wrong instead. Few people in our town want to assume any leadership or responsibility. We have a community club with few people supporting it, a church with few people going to it, and a small town council with few people want ing to participate in it. A group of Medford Chamber of Commerce members met this week to lay plans for a chamber agriculture com mittee. To decide on the exact scope of the committee the group needs the information which should come soon from the Oregon agricultural census. Tentatively planned for are a farm pond tour and a farm-city breakfast. The group No Future in Pears Have you ever stopped to think how the strength of the United States depends on the plain people? Eighty per cent of the buy ing power of the United States is made up of people whose annual income is $4, 000 a year or less. The big man, the big buyer has his place and his usefulness, but he docs not campare in value to his country to the plain and simple American who outnumbers him, outworks him and outmeasures him as a contributor and a source of strength. That is why we think the small farmer needs a boost like the small businessman. We were visiting another small farmer last week. He prefers to remain nameless in this article. He is somewhat similar to Les Igo on Pioneer rd. near Phoenix in that he raises some fruit. But this Phoenix area man depends on his 10 head of Jersey cows to pull him through. Perhaps this is because his 25 acres of peach and pear trees are young trees yet. They haven't hit their production peak. Cows Return More 'Every $11 have Invested in cows is worth a $1.10 in vested in fruit," remarked this middle-aged farmer. 'With a good high producing cow like a Jersey you can make some money." Like so many fruitgrowers, our friendly farmer lost much of his pear crop. However, unlike some growers, he feels poor pollinization caused his loss and that of his friends on Fern Valley rd. Our friend used to be a Grade A dairyman with his dairy operation covering all of his trim 42-acre farm. Like many farmers, he thought real money was in fruit. So he sold his Grade A dairy in 1949 and planted an or chard on much of his meadow land. Now two-thirds of his trees are pear trees. The remain ing third is peaches. "I wish it were the other way around," he said. "My peaches came out all right during the freeze this year." Our farmer friend believes the efficiently operated fam ily farm will always survive. Bearing out the theme of other farmers we have talked to, he believes there is larger profit margin in. small, close-knit unit than In the large, mechanized and per haps expensively and loose run farm unit. erbeaten face, the farmer wrinkled It as he talked about the high cost of equipment, sprays and fertilizer. "But, you can't beat the well-run family farm," he repeated. "My cows are what keep me In full-time farming. Their manure is the best fertilizer there is for fruit trees. Doesn't cost me anything, either. Yup. a good small farm shouldn't be less than 40 acres. I got out of the Grade A dairy busi ness because the investment Involved in 35 cows was just more than I cope with." In dairy language he is what is called a "jugger." In other words, he puts his milk in jugs and sells it to friends and neighbors. His customers are steady. He doesn't worry about quotas, over-supply in the market, somebody break ing an agreement. His dairy barn is spotless. A speck of dirt would stand out like a sore thumb. All his milking equipment is carefully scald ed and rinsed. He may not be selling Grade A milk but his barn and equipment could easily pass a Grade A inspection. That's another important point, our farmer friend owns his own equipment including two speed sprayers. It might not be the most uptodate but it is efficient and in the best working condition. Although a veteran farmer, this farmer's ideas are not set in a straight narrow furrow. He has tried Presto Logs in large oil drums plus the stand ard orchard oil-burning heat ers. He punched a hole in bottom of each of the dis carded drums to make the logs burn well. They worked quite satisfactorily, he said. This farmer likes a good cover crop of vetch in his orchard and firmly believes in clean cultivation around the trees. Over-irrigation has been the big trouble with pears trees found to be in a decline condition, he insists. He blamed flood irrigation for destroying many trees. When this farmer farms, he farms. There is no nonsense about It. Some poultrymen won't permit visitors in their henhouses. This fruit-grower- dairyman doesn t like visitors in the milkhouse. The dairy- O 'V? rVV ivVr.T -jr. ' i Mr! W .J -.f WtV - - .1 V -i 91 1 ' n t Sm ii 4" cw3 STRAWBERRY HARVEST - Strawberry picking was continuing this week in scat tered locations in the Rogue valley. This picture was taken near Phoenix as high school boys were busy earning some sum mer vacation money. The berries, general ly, are small. Yield on this particular strawberry plot was estimated at 5 tons per acre. Cool, wet weather this spring caused the smaller berries here. Changes Set for Slaughter Units hopes to get chamber members with agricultural back grounds on this committee to establish a closer hookup between farm and city people. Good idea! Now let's go! Thursday, a tour will be held on the Southern Oregon Branch Experiment station. This tour will start at 9:30 a.m. and continue through noon. The station is on Hanley rd., a half mile north of the Medford-Jacksonville highway. The Medford merchants participated in large numbers for Business Education day which established a tighter link between the schools and local businesses. We think just as much of an interest should be shown in this tour. Afterall agriculture is one of the two big industries in the Rogue valley. Christmas Tree Bulletin Out Corvallis - Want to raise Christmas trees for profit? A new bulletin distributed by the Oregon State college agri cultural extension service tells how. Gary H. Sander, OSC ex tension forest products mar keting specialist, helped edit the bulletin which details managing a Christmas tree plantation, and harvesting the crop. Oregon residents can get a copy of "Raising Christmas Trees for Profit" from their county extension office, or from the OSC bulletin clerk, Corvallis. The bulletin was published jointly by the ex tension services of OSC, Uni versity of Idaho, and Wash ington State university. Studies by the United States Department of Agricul ture indicates that the aver age per capita consumption of beef in the United States this year will be 83 pounds; two more than in 1959. lip NOW! Stop cutting brush . . kill It chemically with Reddon It's REDDON the all-scawn farm brush killer. Use Reddon as a foliage spray in pastures and along fence rows during the growing season. Or you can use Reddon as a "frill," basal, or slump treatment any time of the year. It even controls tnugh species like oak and maple. Brush requires up to 10 times the amount of moisture and fertility needed by desirable plants. Eliminate the brush that shades crops and crowds out pasture grasses . . . order Reddon now. 'T'ndrmark at 7V Dnm Chftnieel Company MEDFORD FEED & SEED CO. 330 North Fir Medford, Oregon Experiment Farm Schedules Tour By GENE WINTERS County Agent Farmers, ranchers, fruit and vegetable growers and other persons interested in agricul ture will have an opportunity to be brought up to date on agriculture and horticulture research being done in Jack son county Thursday, June 16, at the. Hanley farm of the Southern Oregon Branch Experiment Station, The tour will start in the morning at 9:30 and continue through noon. The farm is on Hanley rd. one-half mile north of the Medford Jack sonville highway. Persons attending the tour will see plots of different va rieties of sweet corn, onions, tomatoes, feed grains and for age plants where trials are underway to determine the ones best adapted to local con ditions. Slops are scheduled in the tree fruit area. A seed crop trial will also be in cluded in the tour. Fertiliza tion and weed control plots will be observed. Home owners planning to put In new lawns will see the differences of color and vigor of several different grasses in the lawn turf plot. Harold White, station su perintendent and John Yun- gen, agronomist, will conduct the tour. A firm seedbed is Import ant when seeding grasses and legumes, sayi North Dakota Agricultural college. In fact, the college adds, it Is almost Impossible to get the seedbed too firm. A new construction tech nique which prevents chassis collapse is used on a new There is no future In this valley in pears any more," he commented. His blue eyes stared through the window of his substantial, tastefully fur nished farmhouse. "Fifteen years ago pears would return me $3 a box. Now if you get $1.75 a box you are doing good." His white forehead a sharp contrast to his brown, weath- Salcm - The state depart ment of agriculture is prepar ing to modify some of its re quirements for mobile slaugh ter units. The department proposes to let mobile units that never carry carcasses or meats - in other words, those that just do slaughtering and no hauling -operate without covered vans. In a second proposed modi fication, the state will per mit offal to be carried in the mobile unit, provided it is carried in a special compart ment built into the truck un der department specifications. The earlier rule said a mobile slaughter unit carrying car casses had to carry inedible offal in a separate trailer. No other changes are pro- nosed in other original re- auiremenls. Any interested person wno objects to these more lenient Dronosals should do so in writing or orally to the de partment not later than June 12. Objections or comments should be directed to the de- Oregon Exports Poultry and Eggs Applications Pour in On Pumps, Scales Salem - More than 1200 Canadian cattle arrived in Oregon in April for slaughter, reports the federal veterinar ian s office at Salem, In the same month, the fed eral Inspectors cleared for ex port 130,830 Oregon hatching eggs, 19,860 baby chicks and turkey poults, 9 cattle and 7 horses. The exports went to Cana da, Guam, Spain, The Philip pines, Iran, Korea, Taiwan and British West Indies. The report shows that in the cooperative brucellosis program several dairy coun ties and three beef counties now have no quarantined herds. In other counties, 143 herds (103 in range areas and 40 in dairy counties) were still under quarantine April 30 be cause of reactors having been removed. Under tuberculosis quaran tine on April 30 were 4 herds In eastern Oregon and 30 herds in western Oregon, Salem - More than 12,000 owners of gasoline pumps, scales and bulk fuel truck meters are pouring license re newal applications into the state department of agricul ture at Salem at rates as high as 500 a day. The deadline for license re newals Is July 1 and imme diately after that the depart ment will start mailing out 1960-61 license plates and tags. The whole operation should be completed by early August. The 12,056 individ uals or concerns licensed the past year used more than 36, 000 scales and measuring de vices in their sales to the public. man today milks his cows around 5 p.m. so he can come in the house about 6:30 p.m. and watch TV. Daylight sav ing time couldn't change the farmer's habits, but TV has. partment's division of animal industry, Salem. ISLAND DOMAIN Indonesia's domain consists of about 3,000 islands. 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This job can be turned over to Kelthane the extra-safe, easy-to-use miticide. An ideal time to ilean out a mite potential is in the first cover spray. To clean out the tops of trees where spray rigs may not give good cover age, a Kelthane 4 percent dust is effective. You'll 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 applications. Ask your supplier for Kelthane now. thcmicalt or Agricxlturt ROHM CI1AAS COMPANY WASHINGTON SQUAM, PHIlAOIlPHIA S, PA. Kelthanb it a trudimark, Rtf. US Pal. V and in fnncxpal for mMnn. KELTHANE model elevator. o
