TUESPAY, JANUARY 29. 1963
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOhU. OHEGON
Large Pack-Out Potential
For Pears Knocked by Storm
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
Growers and shippers tills
pasl week have been survey
ing last season's pear produc
tion and the market situation
in making plans for the com
ing season.
The total near crop would
have been about average com
pared to the 1955-50 average
if it had not been for the fall
wind and rain storms, grow
ers and County Horticultural
Agent Clifford B. Cordy said.
It wound up below average.
Farm & Garden
Gardening Tips
By JOHN W. MCLOUGHLIN
County Extension Agent
Foliage Plants
Foliage plants play an im
portant role in the decor of
the modern home. Their
441 Cattle Sold
At Midway Yard;
Market Active
A total of 441 cattle were
sold at the Midway Auction
yard Friday, Jan. 25, accord
ing to Owner-Manager Bill
Bray.
He reported the market ac
tive for all classes. Slaughter
cows were 50 cents higher.
Good to choice steer calves
weighing 250 to 375 pounds
sold from $30 to $31.50, from
380 to 475 pounds brought
$28 to $30.50. Medium to good
calves, all weights, sold for
$24 to $28.
Good heifer calves, weigh
ing 300 to 400 pounds, sold
for $25 to $2.50 and those
weighing 400 to 500 pounds
brought $23.50 to $25.30.
Yearling steers weighing
550 to 650 pounds brought
$25 to $27 and 675 to 900
pound steers sold for $22 to
$24.50 Medium quality yearl
ing steers, all weights, sold
for $22 to $24. Good yearling
heifers went out at $21.50 to
$24. Medium quality yearling
heifers sold for $19 to $21.
Holstein steer calves sold
for $22.50 to $23.80. Yearling
Holstein steers sold for $21.50
to $22.75. Holstein feeder heif
ers went for $18.50 to $20.25.
Good cow and calf pairs
sold from $225 to $242.50 per
pair. Other pairs sold from
$180 to $215 per pair.
Several pens of springer
cows sold from $180 to $102.
50 per head.
Slaughter bulls sold for
$18.50 to $20.70. Good fat
cows sold for $15.50 to $17.80.
Most ulilily cows sold for
$15 to $16. Cutters brought
$12 to $14.75 and canners $8
to $12.
A few steers sold from $23
lo $25.40.
FARM
Woodlot Facts
By RICHARD D. OLSON
Slate Farm Forester
The months of February
and March seem lo be good
months for meetings. This
week's article is concerned
with coining meetings that
should be of interest to pri
vate woodland owners.
Last week the newly organ
ized Jackson County Farm
Forestry Committee held
their second planned meeting.
Five farmers were present at
this meeting and represented
a good crews section of the
county.
A forestry tour In Northern
Jackson county will be held
on Saturday, Feb. 16. The
meeting place will be the
State Forestry headquarters,
and will leave at 9:30 a.m.
If you wish to attend but
for some reason can't make
it by 0:30 a.m. please write
your farm forester or county
agent and ask for an agenda
and map of the day's lour.
This will enable you lo catch
up with the group at a later
lime.
The second lour will be in
the southern part of Jackson
county on Saturday, the 9th
of March. The meeting place
will be the county extension
office and departure time will
be 0:30 a.m.
To Viow Induitry
Both meetings will consist
of visiting two small private
woodlands and one small for
pst industry. Main subjects of
discussion will be stand im
provement, tree planting and
Christmas tree growing. Many
other subjects, however, will
no doubt come under discus
.Mon. In Corvallis on Feb. 27 and
28 and March 1, there will be
a management conference for
small woodland owners. Al
though designed for those
small owners who are engaged
in woodland oiwralions. it is
open on a limited basis lo any
one interested In small wood
land management. Qualified
discussion leaders will outline
program topics. Adequate
lime will he provided for
group discussion and audi
ence participation.
Advanced registration Is re
quested by Feb. 1, 1963. A
fee of $3.00 per person will
be charged at the conference.
green leaves are often sil
houetted against a plain back
ground lo introduce a cool
ness, freshness and restfulncss
to the home. Foliage plants
are used also to accentuate
green tones in a room or are
arranged attractively with
tones of brown, orange and
off-white.
Texture is also added to
the room by foliage plants. In
this group of plants we find
leaves with a velvet texture;
others with a satiny texture;
a few may be thick and leath
ery; some are lacy and feath
ery. Use your imagination and
Ingenuity In choosing and ar
ranging these plants. By so
doing, you will introduce in
teresting designs, colors and
textures. Avoid using too
many plants and too many
contrasts as this will produce
a cluttered and confused ef
fect. Maintaining Foliage Plants
Usually the location selected
for foliage plants is not ideal
for plant growth. The growth
produced by plants In such
locations is abnormal and un
attractive. Consequently, a
slow rate of growth is desir
able. This can be achieved by
keeping the plant roots rela
tively dry.
Double potting is a method
of planting that makes it
easy to keep the soil relative
ly dry. Double potting con
sists of placing one porous
clay pot inside a decorative
container. The area between
the two pots is packed with
peat moss. The peat moss pre
vents rapid fluctuations in soil
moisture and soil temperature.
The outer container must
be large enough i.o allow at
least a one-half inch space be
tween the clay pot and the
container. The pot must be
shorter than the container.
The rim of the pot should be
about one-inch lower than
the rim of the container after
the planting is completed.
This allows room to cover
the Inner pot with peat moss
and also prevents the peat
moss from washing out when
the plant is watered.
The outer container need
not have a hole in the bot
tom. Place a one-half inch
layer of gravel or pebbles
in the bottom of the contain
er. This will prevent the plant
from sitting in water, should
the plant be overwatercd.
Place the pot on the gravel
in the container and with a
long slender stick pack the
peat moss between the pot
and container. Keep the peat
moss at least one-half inch
from the rim of the contain
er. Peal moss is easier to han
dle if it is thoroughly mois
tened a day or two before it
is used.
To water double potted
plants, push Ihc peat moss
away from the soil and wa
ter the inner pot. The peat
moss should be moistened oc
casionally. Do not allow It
to dry out.
The next article will deal
with planting large planters
and small table planters, and
dish gardens.
Ornamental Course
Slated Feb. 5-7
Corvallis - A streamlined
program and a new special
interest session will greet
horticulturists who come to
Oregon Slate university's 7th
annual Oregon Ornamental
Short course, Feb. 5-7.
Special interest groups will
meet on different days this
year, announced A. N. Rob
erts, OSU horticulturist In
charge of the short course.
This will enable participants
lo take part in more than one
group.
For registration please write
(. harles Ross, Extension Farm
Forestry specialist. Forestry
Building, OSU, Corvallis, Or
egon. Josephine County wood
land owners, Interested in
Christmas tree growing, may
wish to attend Douglas Coun
ty's Farm Forestry Commit
tee's Christmas Tree meeting
on Friday night tile 1st of
February at 7:30 p.m. - 9:30
p.m. The meeting will be
held at the courthouse audi
torium. Christina tree trow ine and
marketing will be discussed
and a time for questions and
answers will follow.
Otherwise, the Medford
pear district would have had
the largest crop per unit of
tree production on record.
"Of course, the Important
thing is how the storms it
fected individual orchards.
Some suffered considerable
loss and others not so much,"
Cordy said.
He explained the 1935 59
period is used as average pro
duction years because since
then the valley has lost a
large number of trees due to
decline and the crippling ef
fects of decline.
The local traffic association
reported 80,000 boxes of Co
mice were packed during the
past season. The overall harv
est was just about average.
Wind loss was estimated at
10 lo 15 per cent.
Since so many Cornice got
out in gift packs it is almost
impossible to estimate the size
of this crop In the usual pack
ed boxes, Cordy said.
Valley orchards harvested
about 30,000 tons of Bart'etls
which Is about the same as
the five-year average. This
was larger than any of the
last three years, however.
Crop production then, In J959,
1960 and 1961 was approxi
mately 25,000 tons a year
Cordy pointed out again that
the last five years were not
normal years due to pear tree
decline.
The valley would have had
one of the largest Bosc crops
on record this year except for
the wind storm. Actual pack
out was 466,800 and the five-
year average is 496,836. Or
chards should have produced
700,000 boxes, according to
early season estimates, but
storm loss was close to 300,000
boxes.
Price-wise, the pear indus
try continues to suffer. It ship
ped out 71 carloads of Bart
letts under the federal school
lunch program. It plans to
ship out 161 carloads of win
ter pear varieties. This pro
gram merely gives the pear
growers and shippers some
thing instead of nothing. Re
ceipts from this program are
considerably under storage
and production costs, pear
men point out.
Instead of private sales
(sales made directly to chain
stores or wholesalers), this
year a largo proportion of
Medford district pears have
had to go to the New York
and other eastern auctions.
The USDA report as of the
week ending Jan. 4 showed
the price to Jate on all vari
eties average $4.47 compared
to $5.32 the previous year.
D'Anjous averaged $4.74 com
pared to $5.56 and Bosc $4.02
compared to $5.03 the previ
ous year.
Auction prices have a di
rect bearing on private sales
and consequently private pear
sales have forced shippers and
growers to take a dollar or
more a box less than the
previous season. This dollar
a box loss Is clmost all grow
ers' money, it was pointed
out.
Ironically, a greater per
centage of pears was packed
this year than last year. There
was a larger crop and a smal
ler cannery lake, growers not
ed. One big reason being the
innovation in peeler machin
ery. Last week, one shipper no
ticed the first real interest in
Ihc pear business from the
producer standpoint. A num
ber of long distance phone calls
were received iiere from east
ern buyers. T!-c freeze in Flor
ida and Texas irobably spark
ed the interest since the cit
rus crop In those places has
been severely hurt. Last
week, one rif.'s observations
showed a good New York pear
auction.
FROM
THE
GROUND
UP
lr BART BARTUTT
Some development work Is
being done In an effort to use
a growth control chemical
agent to limit the grasses
along roadways to a height
of about four Inches.
Following the growth con
trol chemical an application
of a fire retardant material
Is made to reduce possibility
of dangerous gra?s fires. This
work Is significant and per
haps even more so since It Is
not in Oregon project. Oregon
has more miles of highway
roadside to protect from fire
hazards than do certain other
western stales.
Agricultural Rtiearch
Agricultural research is car
ried on by both private and
lax-supported sources. The
same Is true, of course, re
garding all kinds of research.
The outstanding thought be
hind this jewel of intellectual
endeavor is that In some quar
ters n may be thought that
government via tax expendi
ture has a corner on all of
Chit Chat
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
Snow flakes drifting to the ground hardly remind people
of pear blossoms, but pear growers yesterday were already
preparing for another season as they met for the annual
pear program sponsored by the Jackson County Extension
service.
Reports of what to expect were not encouraging. In
fact, Dr. Virgil Freed, OSU agriculture chemist, opened with
the question: "Things being so bad why don't you go into
another business?"
First solid note of the pear growers' blues was sounded
by Dr. Gerald Korzan, OSU agricultural economist. Percentage-wise
the number of non-bearing or young Bartleti
pear trees In California has increased 100 per cent from 1954
to 1959 from 434,000 to 986,000. Both Oregon and Wash
ington non-bearing trees have increased 50 per cent.
In Oregon's Hood River valley the non-bearing Bartlett
trees have increased two to three times that of Jackson
county 60 per cent compared to Jackson county's 25 per
cent. These young trees will be in production in the next
few years.
Jackson county remains an important producer of winter
pear varieties but its percentage of new trees is not nearly
that of Hood River.
All local pear producers can do is what they are doing
produce as many pears as economically possible. Only alter
native would be a federal marketing order to limit pro
duction to help obtain higher prices, Dr. Korzan said.
With the tremendous production expected from the large
number of present non-bearing trees the pear prices may
decline, the OSU economist said.
In 1962 Oregon Bartlett production set a new record
70,000 tons or $4 million worth. However in 1961 with a
production of 20,000 tons less, production was worth $4.4
million.
Pears and other agricultural products are not like auto
production. Auto production hit a record volume last year,
but prices remained the same as in 1959, another record year.
Later, a local pear man commented that anyone who
continues to plant Bartletts here is "crazy." Local pear pro
duction should trend toward more Seckles or Cornice for
gift or specialty packs. This has to be an area of specialty
packs due to the wonderful pear quality possible, high
labor and land costs, he said.
Per person consumption of pears in the U. S. is 4.6
pounds per person, or 2.6 pounds fresh pack and 2 pounds
canned, according to 1960 figures. Peach consumption for
1960 was 15.9 pounds (canned and fresh) per person.
New peelers which place more of the pear In the can
also tend to reduce the price to growers since canners can
get more cases of canned pears per ton. Such new peelers
on a rental basis cost more than the old ones and resulting
peeled pears don't grade as well, the economist said.
Rachael Carson, author of "Silent Spring," a book calling
agricultural chemicals a deadly menace has struck a blue
note which has resounded over the land, tvery fruit and
spray session we have attended recently has mentioned this
book.
When did the spray and chemical dust residue problem
really start? About 30 years ago, according to Dr. Freed.
Then lead arsenate was used extensively on Pacific North
west fruit shipped into Britain and other European coun
tries. The British jumped onto the residue problem in part
to knock out northwest apples which were competing with
British Apples. Also in England about that time were out
breaks of arsenate poisoning in foods and beer and a lead
problem from some fumes.
There arc no known cases of illness from residues from
foods when such chemical residues were within the estab
lished tolerance level, Dr. Freed emphasized.
Chemicals are recommended and tolerances established
backed by the best scientific information and two year animal
feeding tests plus considerable laboratory research hours,
he said.
Growers can expect a tightening of laws pertaining to
chemical residues since recent scientific developments make
it possible to run residue tests in two hours instead of the
former two or three days. This tightening of regulations
means more burden and expense for the experiment stations
and chemical companies, Dr. Freed said.
"We must do considerable work to develop a biological
'O'. for a floor on residues. We can consume most chemicals
over a lifetime with no harmful effects. And our knowledge
on this is pretty good," the OSU chemist said.
A study of metabolism can help with the proper use of
chemicals in orchards so spray chemicals will disappear
at harvest time but will protect crops through the season,
Dr. Freed said.
"Both the public and any possible chemical applicator
must be educated on the proper control of agricultural chem
icals,'' the chemist said. "The public may return orchardists
the right to use chemicals when they become frightened
enough to take them away. Meanwhile the farmer has lost
his crop and the consumer has had to pay much bigger food
costs."
Dr. Pete Wcstisard, new local experiment station en
tomologist, said oils arc being recommended for mite con
trol In California and not in combination with chemicals.
Westigard, who comes from California, charted the effec
tiveness of a number of oils. One of the most effective was
Canadian dormant oil which reduced the mite population
from 46.2 per leaf to 10.4.
A number of new chemical materials for mile control,
not yet released for full commercial application are Bayer
36205, OW.9. Morocide, Penlac and Animcrt. The new en
tomologist also noted that British Columbia growers are
getting effective natural control of pear psylla through
predator and parasitic Insects. California studies for the last
two or three years indicate such natural control will play
a big role, but this is not firmly established as yet, he said.
L. D. McNclly, Santa Clara county, Calif, farm advisor,
said researchers there have so far stimulted tremendous tree
regrowth through a combination of severe pruning and in
jections of the chemical hormone Dexon into t lie soil near
trees suffering from water mould or a form of pear tree
decline. However, tests have not continued yet through a
fruiting cycle. Injections of water into the soil have also
been somewhat effective, he said.
the nation's brain? of a crea
tive nature.
Research, unless it is of a
wealth-creating nature is of
mile cci'iiviu ii- irtim m
way of life, II may be valu
able as a defense measure,
but even so it would be de
batable as to whether or not
it might be bettrr done by
private funds. The fiction on
tax monies is great and re
duces funds abom 40 per
cent of their effectiveness
when expended. The chiefs
must be satisfied before the
Indians can expect any pay.
SPECIAL
J Und NEW IDEA
MANURE SPREADERS
Eiulltnt Condition
Und Farm Equip, of All Typet
NASH FORD TRACTOR
I IMPLEMENT CO.
3005 Ctinr Lk. Hy.
Weed Expert Says
Winter and early spring
months arc a particularly
good time for the home owner,
farmer and business man to
look into their next summer's
weed problems. Uncontrolled
areas are quite conspicuous by
the residue left from last
year's growth. Appearance of
many areas could be greatly
improved by burning now
with follow-up controls during
the spring and early summer
months,
Some of these areas such as
fence lines, lanes, irrigation
ditches and fire breaks around
buildings from the farmer's
point of view could be treat
ed for weed control now. In
so doing nearby crops don't
present the problem as with
summer control measures.
Sterilants give a longer, more
economical control.
Home owners and business
places have areas, such as
parking, storage, property
borders and buildings, where
weed control measures could
improve the appearance, help
safeguard against fire and
make much more convenient
the storage of equipment,
parts, and lumber in storage
areas.
Three Forms Available
These non-selective weed
control chemicals are
available, generally in three
forms for the user's conven
ience, weltable powders that
can be applied in water, pow
ders that can be applied dry
and wet in, or in granular
form that can be spread by
hand or mechanical spread
er. Under ideal conditions each
will give satisfactory control.
These conditions vary a great
deal and is responsible for the
varied mixtures and formula,
tions of these chemicals. Soil
type plays an important part.
Available moisture is impor
tant as is the type of weeds
to be controlled, and location
of the area to be treated in re
lation to desirable plants,
slope of the ground where
chemicals could be washed
into areas where treatment
would be harmful. Applica
tion rates will vary accord
ing to the above conditions
and the chemical types being
used.
Two-Day Course Set
On Irrigation
Irrigation can either make
or lose a farmer money.
Thursday and Friday, Feb.
7 and 8, local farmers and
orchardists wMl learn or re
learn what water does in the
soil, what it can and can't do
and how it should be best
applied.
Conducting the course will
be Lee R. Hansen, agricultur
al sales director, Pacific Pow
er and Light company, Port
land; Andrew H. Schmidt, ag
ricultural sales engineer, Pa
cific Power and Light com
pany, Medford; Marvin N.
Shearer, OSU extension Irri
gation specialist, and Bert G.
Wilcox, Jackson county agent.
Starting at 10 a.m., Thurs
day, Wilcox will explain the
storage and release of water
by soil. He will illust" . how
water is stored - forces in
volved, effect of soil physical
characteristics, kinds of water-excess,
available, non
available, wilting point, field
capacity and how water is re
leased - comparison of typical
moisture release curves and
why they are important.
Following that he will ex
plain how and why moisture
moves in the soil; terms of
free water, tension, pressure,
etc.; why water moves, im
portance of movement, and
will show a film, "Soil Mois
ture Movement."
Starting the afternoon ses
sion Shearer will explain
crop response lo soil moisture
availability, how this varies
with different types of crops,
factors affecting rate of use,
so called "critical periods"
what they are and how man
agement can affect moisture
use such as mulch, cultivation
and clipping.
Hanren will explain irriga
tion scheduling. This will in
clude under the basis for
scheduing: crop, root, soil
depth, storage capability of
soil, release characteristics of
soil, experimental results. He
will also tell how the farmer
can determine "when" and
"how much" to apply. This
will cover the need for meas
urement, gypsum block., ten
sionmeters, dendrometers, and
soil sampling.
Shearer will start the Fri
day session at 10 a.m. with
a talk on surface irrigation.
This will cover distribution
problems and their correc
tion, how principles of water
measurement can be applied,
the adapted method of irriga
tion.
Schmidt will follow with
a talk on sprinkler irrigation
covering types of sprinklers,
nozzle size, spacing, pressure
relationships, effect of wind
and methods of overcoming
deficiencies.
He will follow with a lec
ture on pumps and pumping
including pump selection, mo
tors and power plants, instal
lation, operation an, mainte
nance; and automatic con
trols. Shearer will wind up the
two day short-course with a
talk on water control as ap
plied to surface irrigation. He
will summarize what has
been covered, generalize to
all areas, talk on irrigation
structures and end with a
movie, "Gift From the
Clouds."
Farm Buildings
Meeting Feature
Farm buildings, construe,
tion and use will be in tha
spotlight at a meeting
scheduled for Friday, Feb.
1 in the Court House audi!
torium in Grants Pass ac.
cording lo Earle Joiiy,
county extension agent. Th'
lime is 10:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. This meeting has been
arranged by M. G. Huber.
OSU extension agricultural
engineer, to cover both Jose,
phine and Jackson counties
Included in the program
besides Huber will be H. P,
Ewali, Dairy Specialist, and
John Landers, livestock
specialist, discussing the use
of buildings. A. A. Zander,
West Coast Lumbermen's as
sociation, Paul Christensen,
Portland Cement associa.
tion, will discuss materials
and construction.
U. S. Said Vulnerable
To Submarine Missiles
Mobile, Ala. - lUPJt - A top
military defense officer said
Monday the United States is
vulnerable to ballistic missiles
fired from submarines.
"We can neither intercept
nor destroy such missiles at ;
this time," said Maj. Gen.
Thomas J. Gent Jr., com
mander of North American
Air Defense for the southern
United States.
STOCKMEN
FEED PELLETS
Your coano or unpalatable
roughage will make a base
for a modern balanced ration
that you can feed with little
labor and no wastage. The
increased meat or milk pro
duccd will give you maxi
mum returns on a small cash
investment.
MORTON
MILLING CO.
500 Ross Lane, Medford
II
I INSTANT 1
IRRIQAT!
(Just Add Water
:::: Av:lab: redi rain
PORTABLE SPRINKLER
IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT
Commercial Farm Lawn Garden
Nash Ford Tractor
Implement
FREE
Estimates
Gladly
Given
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(Giramig (Cn
Still the Best Place for Farmers
and Ranchers To Trade
Only at the Grange Co-op do you have
available the full time services of a col
lege trained Nutritionist.
This is a personalized service to meet the
needs of local ranchers for prompt and
expert help with nutritional problems.
This is a free service for all ranchers in
this area. Just another of the many ad
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locally owned, locally controlled.
A local market for your grain, and devoted
to serving your needs.
REMEMBER . . .
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fir
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Phone 664-1261 or 773-4022
421 A Street
ASHLAND
Phone 482-2143
o