Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1963)
$ A TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 12. 1963 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON Irrigation Course Popular With Jackson County Farmers ' Last week's short course on irrigation co-sponsored by the Jackson county extension service and Pacific Power and Light company was well at tended with 64 people the first dav and 74 the rnnd day. according to County Farmers learned how the water moves through the soil, how the plant absorbs water, how various water measuring devices can be used, irriga tion equipment available and its proper use. Marvin N. Shearer, OSU Agent Bert G. Wilcox. 'irrigation specialist, illustrat- Forage and Feed Farm Bureau Topics Montague - Farm Advisors Dave West and Sedg Nelson spoke on forage production and feed utilization, respec. tively, during the recent Shas ta Valley Farm Bureau meet. ing in Montague. John McMurry, c e n t e chairman, introduced the speakers, both of whom are with Farm Advisor's office in the county court house. West showed pictures and charts of statistics worked out on a forage experimentation on the- C. A. Grissom ranch in Edgewood. West stated "We should gear our production to the forage we can produce." Therefore it U wise to deter mine how to get the greatest production for the least amount of outlay. Siskiyou county ranchers are hay and barley exporters as well as shippers of about 30,000 head of cattle annual ly, West said. The experiments at Grls- som's were with fescue. West pointed out that once fescues get started no legumes will, prosper, therefore some nitro gen fertilizers should be used to stimulate growth, Oiher Experiments Other experiments w e r e those conducted on the Star ranch in Fort Jones with La honta alfalfa. Frost and weather conditions have a great bearing on production of all forage, as well as the timeliness 'when fertilizers are used. Availability of irri gation water is also a serious consideration, it was pointed out. . Soil testing will help in determining what type of for age each rancher should de velop. The testing will also help in deciding what type and the quantity of supple mentary fertilizers would be the most effective. West em phasized that personnel from the farm advisor's office arc always willing and ready to help each rancher with his in dividual problems. Nelson pointed out In his presentation, also done with statistical charts, that farmers should find the best way to feed their own cattle, thus "licking" the problem of uti lizing the large weaner calves which are often not in de mand by the buyers. He stales, "There is a solu tion for each ranch, most of them varying a little." Here again the office is ready to give help. Charts showed the increase in weight of individual ani mals both in the growth and the fattening period with various types of feed ond combinations of feeds. Nelren cited the types used by many of the stockmen who were present In the audience, who were ready to discuss their operations after the meeting. Other business included the appointment of addit 1 o n a I delegates at large to serve with George Williams. They were Gary Townley and Carl Rico. Mrs. George Fiock reported briefly on the State Farm Bureau convention in San Diego in November. Carrol Strecter, editor of Farm Jour nal, told the conferees that California was ten yiars ahead of many slates in crop production and use of ma chinery. W. Clconc Skousen ed the proper and improper methods of irrigation with colored slides. The slides of poor irrigation showed water flooding farm land and pud dling up. Other slides showed proper use of a distribution system and controlled use of water. Water has to be supplied a plant at the same rate it is used and given off, Shearer said. Wilcox explained how wa ter is stored in the soil as films around soil particles. The finer the soil particles, the greater the surface area covered, he said. An acre fur row slice of silty loam soil when irrigated would provide a surface which would cover Illinois and part of Indiana. Shearer recommended that farmers irrigate when 50 per cent of the available water is gone from the soil as indicat ed by various measuring de vices. Then, Irrigators should put a little more than SO per cent in the soil to allow for watr losses. Land should be leveled to improve surface ir rigation, it was pointed out Andrew H. Schmidt, agri cultural sales engineer. Pacif ic Power and Light company, Medford, talked on sprinkler irrigation, types of sprinklers nozzle size, spacing and pres sure relationships, effect of wind and methods of overcom ing deficiencies. He also told how to select a pump and In stallation of pumping plants. L,ee It. Hansen, agricultural sales director, Pacific Power and Light company, Portland, talked on irrigation schedul ing and how and when and how much water to apply as spoke on the threat of Com munism and. that we must be Indicated with gypsum blocks, ever mindful of Its Infiltra- tenslomolers, dendrometers lion Into our government. 'and soil samolino Chit Chat By JOE COWLEY Mail Tribune Farm Editor Sunday night, like George Wilson on the TV program, "Dennis The Menace," we cleaned up our study and dis carded a ton of notes and various papers, most of it on agriculture. This convinces us that American agriculture is kept out front by almost as much fcaper as seed and fertilizer. Of course, chemicals have helped considerable, too, to make the United States a leader agriculturally. Many of the papers and articles we stacked up dealt with the question, "Agri cultural Chemicals Boon or Bane?" as so aptly phrased by Dr. V. H. Freed, chairman of the OSU department of agricultural chemistry. An article in the National Hog Farmer, June, 1960 stated: "America's abundant food supply the world's safest, clean est and most wholesome currently is being threatened by sensation-seeking administrators of hastily-passed laws." It referred to the Delaney clause of the food additives amend ment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic act. This was the pro vision under which tons of cranberries were destroyed dur ing the Thanksgiving season of 1059. Currently, Rachel Carson is being criticized for being a sensation seeker In her book, "Silent Spring" which sounds the alarm over application of agricultural chemicals. However, we think her book might have been more sen sational if it had a title like "The Silent Women." Our little pile of printed material contained several articles by prominent authorities on agricultural chemicals and chemicals in general. Each one generally agreed (few scientists agree exactly on anything) with Dr. Freed's statements. "Significant advances In agriculture over the past 50 years have allowed 12 per cent of our people to feed and clothe the nation leaving 88 per cent of the people to produce the present high standard of living enjoyed by all," Dr. Freed stated. The OSU professor traced the settlement of the country and evolution of farm mechanization. This tended to de velop specialized crop areas making it possible for one particular crop pest or disease to cover hundreds of acres in one locality and do serious damage on a national as well as local crop scale. GARDENING TIPS By JOHN W. McLOUGHLIN County Exltnsion Agent Flower Forcing One of the most rewarding pleasures gardeners have dur ing the winter months is the forcing of spring flowering trees and shrubs for Indoor decorations. ' Forsylhla, spirca and mag nolia arc just a few of ihc plants that may be forced. The flower buds of these plants arc fully formed in the fall. It we supply sonic warmth and moisture to the branches of these plains, ..af ter they have had at least six ivccks of cold weather, they will produce a profusion of bloom. The branches to cut for in door forcing can easily be de termined. Most spring bloom ing trees and shrubs have an abundance of buds along the young shoots. The larger, fat- I HIGHEST QUALITY FIELD SEEDS COMPLETE STOCK OF FARM FERTILIZERS Priced Right Don't Be Satisfied With less Than the Bost-SEE US FIELD - SEEDS Grains Grasses Vetches Alfalfas Clovers is Our seed barley scarified to remove beards. Makes for an evener stand. FIELD PLANT FOODS Super Gypsum 16.20 Ammo-Phos Am. Sulphate Am. Nitrate Sulphur BORON 14-14-14 6-20-20 12.12-6 let Us Clean Your Seed Grain Inoculenls for legumes hi Complete Stocks Covered Only at Our FARM STORE 10th and Fir Straeu l,'.(1'M;H8H-af.'.Ms'M;M!l Ler buds are usually flower buds'. The smaller buds are leaf buds. Select the branches that contain a good number of flower buds. Many fruit trees bear their flowers on short branch -s called spurs. Select branches with spurs for arrangements using apple, cherry, pear and ornamental crabapvlc. Keep in m' d the type of arrangement you plan to mukc. You will then be able to select the branches thai arc best suited for the ar rangement. Branches with curves and angles can be ef fectively used In various type of arrangements. For Ideas on the various types of arrange ments and how to make them call the Jackson county ten sion office (773-8215) and ask for the bulletin on "Ar: ng ing Flowers." Follow good pruning prac tices when cutting the branch es. In addition to obtaining desirable branches for forcing, you want to retain the es sential form of the plant. Prune the branches flush with the trunk or main branch. Paint the exposed wood of any cuts over one Inch in diameter. Treatment Alter Cutting Pound the end of the stem with a hammer or hu ge stone to encourage water uptake. Then moisten the bud scales by soaking them in a large tub overnight or spray them with water several limes a day. Then place the stems in a pail of water. Place the pail In a cool spot to allow the buds to develop (BOO degrees F. is best). A cool cellar or pantry is a good location as no light is neces sary during this stage. Higher temperatures will speed up bud development, but will re duce the size, color and keep ing quality of the blooms. Bring the branches into light when the buds arc plump. Do not place the branches directly in th sun An ideal location for this stage of forcing is a cool bed room or a sun porch that is partly heated. Arrangement Remove the branches from the pall and arrange them when the buds arc well de veloped and some color is evident. Branches removed ! from a crowded pall at this stage are less likely tn have i bruised or broken flowers ; than branches removed later. A list of some plants that i arc successfully forced and j a description of their flowers j may be obtained from the ex- tension office. Scientists estimate that North American crops are at tacked by over 3,000 economically important species of in sects and an equal number of plant disease agents, and an unestimated number of nematodes, rodents, weeds and other destroyers, according to another article. In 1954 the USDA estimated that to offset pest losses an an extra 88 million acres must be cultivated. Losses follow ing harvest would be equal to production from an additional 32 million acres, it was estimated. Various independent agen cies have estimated pest destruction in the U.S. each year ranges between 8 and 15 billion dollarfc. This Is equal to a quarter of the nation's annual production despite use of the chemicals now being so severely criticized. ' But why can't we use biological controls? some of the better informed people ask why not find insects which will feed on Insects, or weeds and plant diseases? There has been some success with such controls as the Klamath weed belt!? nn northern California range lands. But, a chemical must be available to control the controlling insect in case it becomes so numerous it gets out of hand. REVIEW GOVERNMENT Jackson county 4-H club mem bers received a view of the Oregon state government from legislative Fiscal Officer Kenneth Bragg, center, during the annual "Know Your State Government" conference in Salem Feb. 7-9. Bragg was one of the speakers at the banquet which ended the first day's session. Talking with him are Carol Foote, Central Point, and Mike Elmore, Applegate. Poultry Increase Seen This Year Corvallis Increases in national production ; of eggs, Vegetable Crop Outlook Given Corvallis Oregon vege table growers and processors should take a careful look at stocks on hand when making 1963 planting decisions, points out Roland Groder, Oregon State University extension fruit and vegetable marketing specialist. Groder makes his comments in an article in the new OSU Farm and Market Outlook cir cular. Copies are now avail able at county extension of fices. Yields of most major vege table crops for processing were larger in 1962 than in 1961. This could lead to lower pric ing or heavier carryover in 1963, the specialist notes. Dur ing the early part of the cur rent marketing season, buyers in general were buying on cur rent needs and waiting for the market to adjust to the new supply and demand condi tions. Although most 1962 packs finished in heavier supply, in creased costs of raw product, processing and distribution may prevent the price-cutting needed to speed up sales and the anticipated price adjust ment may not occur. If this happens carryover could be troublesome as the 1963 pack gets underway, he points out. broilers and turkeys can be expected in 1963, reports Charles M. Fischer, Oregon State university extension poultry marketing specialist. Fischer makes his observa tions in the new OSU Farm and Market Outlook circular just published and now avail able from county extension service offices. Egg prices in 1962 were lower than in 1961 except for September and November, he notes, but recent seasonal price strength may be enough to induce a 5 per cent increase in chickens raised for flock replacements. . Because of the increased number of replacements rais ed, together with a continua tion of the uptrend in the rate of lay, egg production in the second half of 1963 will likely exceed the 1962 output, Fischer writes. This would limit .the summer and fall climb in egg prices in 1963 compared with 1962. 1 If production goes up and demand continues to decline, prices are likely to average somewhat lower in the year ahead, he points out. Producers of poultry meat had a better year, price-wise, in 1962 than in 1961, with changes in demand playing the dominant role in estab lishing 1962 prices. Siskiyou Farmers Hear of Weevil Montague - Alfalfa growers of Siskiyou county were given instruction on the alfalfa wee v i 1 problem and control r e c o m mendations at two meetings on Monday, Feb. 4. One meeting at the Montague hall was at 2 p.m. and the sec ond one the same day at the Fort Jones Elementary school at 8 p.m. Dr. Carl Koehler, entomolo gist, from the University of California at Berkeley, work ed with Dave West from the Yreka Farm Advisor's office. The program included an explanation of the weevil problem in the county. The prevalence of the pest is be coming great in both Shasta and Scott Valleys. The danger is in the fact that the adult is so small and is not easily de tected while in dormancy. Also, unless the fields are closely inspected the damage often resembles frost damage from the distance, it was pointed out. Slides were shown to help clarify detection, and also actual specimens were shown in laboratory bottles. The weevil attacks, the leafs of the young plants and sucks juice from the stems. Often the crop may be reduced by half from heavy infestation and the hay becomes inferior quality. Research indicates that if a farmer, found weevil damage last year, spraying or dusting is in order, before the new growth has reached a two inch height., A dosage of 4 ounces per acre of either liquid or granuals of Heptach- lor has been found effective and stays within U.S.D.A. al lowances to avoid residue damage if it is done early. Either ground or air broad, casting is recommended, both being of equal cost. A small black wasp is. the natural enemy of the weevil,, but is not found in. sufficient quantity to be -noticeable in, Siskiyou county. West stated, Cook Pork Well Housewife Told v Salem Consumers should take with a sizable grain of salt claims such as "just brown and serve", when they prepare raw pork, products for the table, . . ; ' . This is the advice , of ; Dr. M. L. Houston, supervisor of. the state department of agri. culture's meat inspection ac tivity. . v. . .', Undercooked pork, as ev eryone knows, ma,y cause the) human health, 'problem! o"f trichinosis.. ' . . ' ' The housewife fan protect her family quite easily against possible trichina infection by thorough heating 'of all raw pork. . But the need. , to. heat thor oughly . may be , byerlobkGaV when labels, on ..many -pork; variety meats give the impres sion that they can be pre pared in a jiffy- ."Thin fresh pork cuts, fresri pork patties' and links as Well assail other p o r k s h o u 1 d be heated' through. ' 7. " ; . :i Farmers have . twice as much money invested in ma chinery as the steel industry and five times as much as the automobile industry. FRANKLIN CUTTER geen ISTAM Psl VACCINES! V MEDICINAUS!; INSTRUMENTS! And other supplies -to kcp your livestock. ' an if pets healthy and .well groomed! West Main Pharmacy Rexall Store "Whore Prescriptions Are Filled Up to , . Standard Not Down to Price". 135 yV. Main, Corner of Grape Ph'.'772-2330 The European corn borer is a good example. It came into the U. S. in 1908. For over 20 years scientists worked hard to find a cultural control resistant varieties o corn, better planting dates, parasites and other non-chemical meth ods of insect Control. When it became impossible for mid westcrn sweet corn canners to process corn without permit ting a few borers in the cans, the Food and Drug Admin istration seized such cans as unfit for human consumption the same agency which seized the 'cranberries with spray residue. Insecticides became necessary for the corn. "Pesticides are frequently accused of upsetting the bal ance of nature, when in reality it would be more accurate to say that pesticides are used to suppress organism al ready out of balance," wrote George C. Decker, principal scientist and head of the section of economic entomology, Illinois. People don't condemn the automobile because of the numerous serious accidents and traffic fatalities. Nor do they condemn aspirins. Yet, according to authorities, the misue of aspirin and aspirin-like products alone will account for almost the same number of deaths as do the misues of all pesticides put together. Pesticides are tested and rctested, by chemical companies producing them, by agricultural lab oratories in various universities and by government laboratories. Also, there is a comparatively new law called the Fed eral Hazardous Substances Act. This specifies required label language for niHny common household products. Drain clean ers, cleaning compounds and many household products are i not dangerous if properly used, but can be highly hazardous if misued. women would learn if they read the hazard tables in "Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products" that their favorite perfume "Tantalizing Terrifier" has a misuse potential equaling and even exceeding, perhaps, the misuse potential of common insecticides like chlordane and DDT. We could cite figures and statistics to illustrate the com paratively few people who die or are injured by insecticides, but you wouldn't remember them and probably wouldn't even read them, What is even more important is the growing responsi bility the scientists who develop these chemicals feel toward the public. The organization fostering this feeling is the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Sci entists have descended from their ivory towers, if they were ever there, and individually and as a group accept the re sponsibility to help sec their fellow citizens are fully in formed of scientific advances that may affect their environ ment and lives. ALL FOR SINGING Pierre, S.D. - ilTfl - State Sen. Hoadley Dean intro duced a resolution Monday to permit singing at the Ml. Rtishniorc Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills. The In ternal Revenue Service last fall prohibited students from singing before the memorial unless they paid an entertain ment tax. Dean said the sing ing v "a manifestation ot freedom's joys." INSTANT IRRIGATION! (Just Add Watery , Quickly Available With ....... PORTABLE SPRINKLER IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT Commercial Firm lawn Garden FREE Estimates Gladly Given Nash Ford Tractor & Implement Co. 3005 Cnler like Hiway - 772-6425 If s t he Orange for ALL Your SPRING PLANT 0ooy m NEEDS! FERTILIZERS BY THE SACK OR BY THE CARLOAD Gypsum Superphosphate Sulphate of Ammonia and Complete Fertilizer Mixes COMPLETE STOCKS ON HAND GRANGE CO-OP CENTRAL POINT , ' : tT"1 i TTii - x i 1 I m.L LK. ji X ' ' ' v:v Kl i '4;:;-; Jl 1 A FULL LINE OF SEED GRAINS: ; Wheat, 0H, Bar ley; also Rye, Peas,' C levers. Alfalfa,', and all the princf p a I varieties e f grasses. REMEMBER . . . -' You don't have fo be a MEMBER to trade here and SAVE! .EI-T 'I 'im. u t Highway 99 CENTRAL POINT Phone 664-1261 or 773-4022 421 A Street ASHLAND Phone 482-2143 i
