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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
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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-
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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
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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.
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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.
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