TUESDAY. MAY 7. Ib3
MEDFOHD MAIL THIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON
State Board Holds Review
On Agricultural Legislation
Salem - Legislation affect
ing agriculture and the Ore
gon Department of Agrlcul
, tura was reviewed by the Ore
gon Board of Agriculture at
lti April IB meeting in Salem.
Director of Agriculture J.
F. Short told the board the
department'! budget had no
fat and had had one redufr
tion of $20,000 by transfer of
starling control from the de
partment to Oregon State uni
versity. This transfer was
made to permit research on
the problem.
A reduction was also made
In the meat inspection funds
on the theory two slaughter
houses now under state in
soection would be transfer
ring to federal inspection.
Short said if this transfer did
not materialize the depart
ment would have to go to the
: State Emergency board for
emergency funds to cover
Wool Pool Sold
At 55.75 Cents
J. J. Osenbrugge. Medford,
was high bidder when the
Jackson County wool rooi
. was sold May 1, according to
' Don Bohnert, president of the
pool. 1
Osenbrugge's bid was for
8S.75 cents per pound for
3,219 fleeces, f.o.b. Medford,
to be delivered Aug. 1, 1963.
Other bids for the pool were
entered by Steve Mansur. Salt
Lake City, Utah; Pacific Wool
Growers association, Portland,
Ore.; R. C. Elliott Co., Salt
Lake City, Utah, and Portland
Hide & Wool Co., Portland.
The wool pool markets
about half the wool produced
in Jackson county. It is a
cooperative venture of sheep
growers. '
these two plants
New this year in the cudgel
was J2B.000 for a virologist
at the state animal diagnostic
laboratory at Corvallis.
The board reviewed the
progress of HB 1376, which
i the milk stabilization bill,
and the board chairman,
Frank Rood, North Bend, re
ported the board had gone
on record at a hearing on me
bill as supporting it.
Director Short reported that
Spray Berries
Now, Agent Says
Both home gardeners and
commercial gardeners should
spray strawberries for leaf
rollers, according to Don Ber
ry, Jackson County Extension
agent.
These pests are quite seri
ous during the spring and
summer in strawberry patch
es and cause trouble by roll
ing and killing the leaves on
the plants. The damage is
caused by a small worm
which develops from an egg
laid by a small buff-colored
moth. These moths are easily
spotted when walking through
the strawberry patch because
great numbers of them fly
close to the surface of the
ground during bad Infestation.
Control measures consist of
spraying during bloom with
DDT, or later up to harvest
with Malathion or Methoxy
chlor. A heaping tablespoon
of 50 per cent DDT powder in
one gallon of water will gen
erally control these pests for
the season. If they recur, one
heaping tablespoon of Mala
thion or Methoxychlor pow
der in two gallons of water
may be used up to within
three days of picking provid
ing the berries are washed
before eaten.
Senate Bill 103, dealing with
mobile slaughter units had
been tabled. He said the bill
had not been requested by the
department but would have
partially solved the mobile
slaughter problem. Meat
slaughtered by these units is
not inspected and the depart
ment Is concerned that some
of It might be sold to the
public as inspected meat. Mo
bile slaughter units have been
licensed to make available to
farmers on-the-farm slaughter
service.
J. W. Southworth, assistant
director, in charge of Live'
stock Industries, reported on
the survey and tests being
made in an attempt to deter
mine the cause of calf scours
among the young calves in
Baker county beef herds,
State veterinarians have been
working on the survey and
Dr. Glenn Van Ness, from the
National Animal Disease Lab
oratory at Ames, Iowa, was
called in to study the problem.
Southworth also reported
on the state-federal brucel
losis control program. He told
the board the control was im
proving but not moving as
fast as was needed to eradi
cate brucellosis in the state.
Farm & Garden
Chit Chat
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribuno Farm Editor
Considerable has been written about chemicals and public
health during the past year. Considerably more probably
win oe written.
Gypsum Blocks Used
To Check Moisture
Corvallis - Oregon State
university studies show that
many farmers can irrigate
more effectively by measuring
soil moisture regularly with
electrical resistance gypsum
blocks.
Marvin N. Shearer, exten
sion Irrigation specialist, has
written a new bulletin de
scribing how to use gypsum
blocks and the wide variety
of meters and equipment that
can be used with them.
WW)
' I, o
you'll have a
Beautiful, Green
Lawn soon with . .
(m)
nil v ii
ORGANIC
Wishing won't make your lawn
green ... but Lilly's Organic
Morcrop-containing slow-release
multiple nitrogen-does it with ease.
Long-lasting, non-burning Organic
. Morcrop is specially formulated
for warm weather greening.
It's temperature-controlled.
501b. bag covers 5000 sq. ft. on
Lilly's "Better Lawn Plan"... $5.45
Put your lawn on Lilly's "BETTER LAWN PLAN."
Ask your dealer (or the new revised 1963 edition.
NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIAL . . . Buy Together and SAVE I
S BAGS ORGANIC MORCROP 10 BAGS ORGANIC MORCROP
127.25 value for $25.73 ! $54.50 value for $49.50
AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING GARDEN SUPPLY STORES
SO-EaiH.ii",'!!) H.j'jiy
Monarch Seed and Feed Co.
eth and Barrier)
10th and South Fir
MEDFORD
S&H Landscape Nursery
3358 Bursall Read
CENTRAL POINT
Elton s Farm and Garden Store
4th and Fir
MEDFORD
One of the best publications we have seen on this is the
new Du Pont Chemical company publication. "Chemicals
and Public Health." Summing up Its case for chemical safety
this well-illustrated pamphlet states: "The greatest force
for safety is industry's regard for its own good name. In
dustrial institutions have struggled over the years to merit
nign regara; tneir integrity is the public's greatest assurance.
"Chemical manufacturers are strongly motivated to work
for greater safety because their own hopes of prosperity
require it. It would be folly indeed for manufacturers to
suppose safety can be sacrificed to profit opportunities. It Is
equally fallacious for observers to suppose industrial organ
izations dare play fast and loose with the public health. The
Dusiness leader more than the social critic recognizes the
necessity of operating as safely as he knows how, for his
daily experience confirms his need for public acceptance of
tne way he conducts his affairs.
"Public enlightment, sensible legislation, and govern'
mental vigilance all have necessary though limited roles to
play in safeguarding the public health," the pamphlet con
tinues.
The pamphlet points out also that demands of a rapidly
Increasing population and industry require a wide range
of new developments. But some risks will always remain no
matter how careful the chemical industry tries to be.
"Certainly no chemical company can assure the safety
of users and handlers who fail to read carefully and follow
the manufacturer s instructions on labels and in descriptive
literature," the pamphlet continues. "To insist on absolute
guarantees of safety is to require the impossible and to deny
progress. A society that does not continue to grow through
adventure and willingness to take chances is not likely to
survive long in the modern world. With regard to health
as to all other fields, society must be willing to take edu
cated and calculated risks inherent In a technological civil
ization.'
The fact remains that chemical controls are necessary.
As the pamphlet points out, dangerous insects not now resi
dent in the U. S. are stopped from entering at the average
of one every 17 minutes by government inspectors. It takes
more than 230 million pounds of insecticides each year to
control this pest threat.
"Without chemicals, cotton yields would be reduced
50 per cent. There would be no commercial crop of apples or
peaches two out of three years, and a poor on the third. The
ultimate pesticide has not been and may never be found
but chemists are developing newer and better techniques
all the time," the pamphlet points out.
Jackson County Weed Control Supervisor Ray Hubbard
has pointed out in his article so many times that applicators
should always read the label on insecticides and weedicides
that one might assume such labels are difficult to read.
But, that's not the case. Looking at the array of labels photo
graphed in the Du Pont pamphlet you wonder how anybody
could miss them. A label for flammable liquids such as
anti-freeze, for instance, is printed in bright red with large
black print: "CAUTION, KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE." Other
labels are brightly colored with big readable print, also.
Human error is still the key to a good many accidents
with chemicals. Yet, in the most critical area, the growing,
harvesting and preparation of food, almost complete safety
been reached. This, in spite of the fact that more than 4,000
chemicals are now used in processing, storing and handling
today's food. There are no fatalities on record resulting from
use of chemicals as mentioned.
To make sure that all chemical products are properly
tested, Du Pont founded the Haskell laboratory. It includes
departments of toxicology, biochemistry, pathology and
physiology. The toxicology section of the lab studies what
harm chemical doses can cause living organisms. It covers
not just one white rat but generations. Tests are made by
mouth by Inhalation, by injection and by absorption. This
department has the final responsibility of evaluating the
safety of a chemical product.
Biochemistry studies the changes In the body chemistry
of animals tested. The pathology section examines toxicity
in tissues. A dozen to 600 animals may be used for "guinea
pigs" and 15 to 40 organs checked in each. Physiology stu
dies the total environment.
How important is the chemical industry O the farmer.
"A single chemist employing the advanced techniques qf
science provides the farmer the equivalnt of a whole town
ship of workers at a few cents' cost. Otherwise, it would
require 26 million farm-hands and an additional $15 billion
to harvest what seven million people now produce," accord'
ing to the pamphlet.
"Even with present improvement In controls, pests an.
nually remove from the markets the equivalent of 120 mil
lion acres' production, the publication continued. .
The pamphlet concludes: "Although one may yearn for
the uncluttered and tranquil world he Imagines as his youth'
fill residence, very few people today can expect to return
to any close-to-nalure existence. The accelerated trend to
urbanization is inevitable, and must be sustained by every
bit of knowledge, imagination, boldness, prudence and de
termination man can muster. ,
Ninety Leaders Attend Meeting
Ninety leaders from Curry,
Josephine, Douglas, Klamath
and Jackson counties attend
ed the regional 4-H leaders'
conference at the Jackson
county fairgrounds recently.
Glenn Klein and Miss Ruth
Brasher, both of the state 4-H
office at Oregon State univer
sity, and James McAlistcr,
OSU rural defense specialist,
conducted the meeting.
Two sessions during the day
were spent on junior leader
and empire builder projects.
Main emphasis was on how to
deal with teen-agers and their
problems. McAlister gave a
special lecture on how to ob
tain and use a medical self
help kit. The kits are avail
able to rural groups through
county public health offices,
! he said.
Francis K rouse is regional
chairman.
Livestock Market
Rid Bluff live lock Auction Rtpnrt Tntiday, April 19, 1MJ
CATTLE: Salable 3M. including around 120 calves. fUprttented flatlet
active. Cnmparrd with last Tuesday: Slauihter cowi eboui Heady;
feeder calves steady to strop . yearlings scarce: stock cnw steady.
Bulk of supply comprised of s locker and feeder daises, around
48 per cent of the run was comprised of cows, the bulk of these
beinf cow-calf pairs and about 20 cowi selling onto slaughter
accounts
Slauihter rows: Tew Utility 0r.(Ml3O lb. 1150M6.30. few Cutter
JI3J5-HQO tew Canner 113 tiP-12 fO.
feeder steers: f ew choice 310-400 lb raltta 137 50- 10. Tew
Good ia-t Hi-J5 IP Few Choice R3 0-898 b feeders 123 9022 tj
reeder heifers: Few Good and Choice M(M lb. cajvee 923.10
24 30
Mock rows: Severs? shipment Medium and Good with email
calves at side 1 1 9330-340 per pair
HOGS: Salable J Supply insufltnent to test market
SHEEP: Salable none. Market untested
From Dust Bowl To Valley
Big Shift for Pear Foreman
Br JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
. O. E. (Ople) Frailer, Phoe
nix, learned the fruit business
as a boy and supported his
brothers, sister and mother
the same time
Like many Oklahomans this
foreman is used to working
long, hard hours for every
cent he earns. And he has
worked 21 years for Dave
Lowry and Highcroft orchard.
He's been in the business 26
years. He has worked for
Rogue River Orchards and
for Bear Creek.
The hard work started on
his family's large farm In
Oklahoma. He and his five
brothers worked from dawn
until dark and did their gen
eral chore, before and after
working In the fields each
day. Farming then meant to
him grain and row crops with
some cattle. The Oklahoma
drought caused the whole
family to work hard to survive.
Opie was head of the fanv
ily when he came to the
Rogue valley at 17 years in
February, 1938. He rented a
small house on Camp Baker
rd. The landlord was dubi
ous at first about renting to
a boy, but admitted later that
few grown men paid the rent
as regularly as he did.
First Job .
"My first job was with Ted
Fish in Phoenix. I worked
in the tomatoes on the old
Corliss place. He raised good
tomatoes and got a good
yield. I told him if he could
not afford to pay me I would
work until he could," Ppie
related. "Figured I was bet
ter off working than just lay
ing- around. But, he never
missed a pay day."
Like other leading orchard
foremen in the valley Opie
at first was handling the reins
to a team of horses almost as
much as pruning shears.
While working for Rogue
River Orchards, Ople start
ed pruning, mainly cutting
out blight which was a big
problem in those years. Spray
ing then was done by horse
drawn rig with two to four
men per rig.
Now, Opie is in charge of
S00 acres under Associated
Fruit company - in Phoenix.
He operates 85 acres of his
own.
Like other packing house
field superintendents and
foremen he has the problem
of scattered orchards. The 500
acres consist of 25 separate
fruit blocks requiring the
field man to drive about 100
miles a day. Good help for
each of the blocks makes the
job easier, he noted.
Like the other foremen and
superintendents, Opie works
long hours, but not as long
as he did in 1936 or 1937
while heating in the Medford
Pear company orchards. Then
he worked 36 hours without
stopping. Hot coffee and sand
wiches were brought to the
crews in the orchards.
Bad Fraese
The veteran orchard man
ranks the worst freeze night
tnis season, on April 19, with
the 1954 freeze. The freeze
hit hard the first of May. but
unlike this season few pots
were in tne orcnards. A warm
wind Immediately following
caused rapid temperature
rise and ktlled the buds.
Like others in the business
he is concerned over the poor
pollinization this year follow
ed Dy tne intense cold spells.
opie noted the company's
Dark Hollow rd. orchard had
50 pots to the acre with all
pots going during the heavy
freeze night, but had trouble
holding the temperature to
the safe level. "That's almost
a pot per tree," he remarked
"Undoubtedly there . has
been a little fruit damage to
most orchards, he added.
Like other orchard men
Opie 'eels the old open-burn
ing slide-lid heaters are the
most efficient although the
most smoke - producing. The
noticeably less orchard heat
er smoke this year is due to
a better grade of diesel oil
being marketed by oil com
panies now. "It's so clear it
looks like water in the pot,"
he commented.
More Bins
Wind machines can be used
effectively in California with
its much lower Inversion (a
layer of warm air atop cold
air), but seldom In the Rogue
valley with its higher inver
sion. Some orchards are so sit
uated they can use them be
cause they can draw the warm
Garden Tips
The CREDIT BUREAU IS
NOW '
AUDITING ACCOUNTS
for the next
REDBOOK!
You make your own rating
by the way you pay your
bills. Pay promptly and
make a good rating.
A Slow Paid till looks
better than a Slew Sill
that's still ewlnf. "Pay
them today!
CREDIT BUREAU
of Medford
By JOHN McLOUGHLIN
County Agent
Tree Wrap
Wrap the trunks of newly
transplanted ornamental and
fruit trees. This wrapping will
protect the bark from sun
scald and will help to prevent
borer infestation.
Burlap, paper, or a similar
material may be used. Wrap
the trunk from the lower
branches to the ground level.
Bind the wrapping with
string.
Rhododendrons
Remove the spent blooms
of rhododendrons as soon as
they fade. This will prevent
seed formation, which is a
drain on the vigor of the
plant, and will hasten the
start of new shoots. It is im
portant that these shoots make
an early start, if maximum
growth is to be obtained and
flower buds are to set for next
spring's bloom.
Cut the faded flowers with
pruning shears or a knife. Be
careful not to injure the new
shoots and leaf buds that are
below the flowers. Also re
move the spent blooms of azal
eas, mountain laurel and an
dromeda. Dahlias
Dahlias may be planted
now. For best results choose
a sunny location and keep the
plants well watered. Plant the
tubers in a horizontal posi
tion with the eye up about
five inches deep.
Well, rotted manure mixed
in with the soil will provide
a good source of fertilizer. To
prevent future root damage,
place the stakes in the ground
while planting. If a bushy
plant is desired, pinch the top
when the plant is about a foot
high.
To keep your heather plants
compact and producing an
abundance of flowers, shear
them back as soon as the flow
ers fade.
air from nearby heated or
chards through the trees.
Harvest season, generally
another big problem time for
growers, will probably see
more and more "tote bins"
being used in local orchards
instead of lug boxes. The
large bins which can contain
the equivalent of several lug
boxes of fruit reduces the
fruit handling thus reducing
possibility of stem punctures
and other causes of pear blem
ishes. Opie pointed out that one
serious handicap in using pos
sible pear picking machinery
is that the D'Anjou pears have
short stiff stems, making
punctures easy.
"But, nothing is impossible.
They used to think cotton
would never be picked by
machinery. Now it's an ac
cepted thing," Opia comment
ed. . i
More machinery will be
used, however, to get a man
into the pear tree and to leave
his hands free for picking.
Some sort of conveyor will
be needed to carry the fruit
down into bins.
The harvest problem isn't
in numbers of pickers avail
able so much as lack of con
sistent, steady pickers, the
orchard operator said.
"More people come into the
valley than we actually need
for picking. Trouble is, most
of them don't stick to the
job. Fruit growers pay all
they can afford. They can't
pay much more," Opie ex
plained. "We've - tried different
ideas on the picking deal in
cluding bonuses, but the mon
ey doesn't seem to keep them
any longer. When they are
ready to move out, they move.
Medford seems to be merely
a stop over," he added. "An
other problem is those good
at picking beans and corn
aren't necessarily good with
ladders needed for pear pick
ing. They either don't know
how to set the ladder, or are
afraid of it and have to keep
one hand on the ladder which
reduces their picking capaci
ty."
Nationals Steady
Mexican nationals are used
the last two-thirds of the sea
son. They stick and are
steady workers, Opie noted.
Opie has to do a lot of in
structing like other orchard
supervisors. He is mainly con
cerned with proper pruning
so the men will leave the
younger, more vigorous pear
wood which bears fruit. Thin
ning , is another problem.
Crews have to be taught to
thin to size not space, he
said.
Records are important in
orchard work as in other
types of agriculture, the or
chard operator pointed out.
Calf Tatooing
Now Suggested
To Half Thefts
Salem - Members of the Or
egon livestock advisory com
mittee have recommended the
tatooing of new-born calves
in the ear as a means of dis
couraging the theft of young
calves.
The committee, which
serves in an advisory capacity
to the department of agricul.
ture, made this recommenda
tion at an April 23 meeting
in Salem.
The committee also pro
posed that cattlemen with
brands use the brand for the
tatoo. Because as many as six ,
persons may use the same
brand by having it in a dif
ferent location on the animal
the committee suggested that
numbers from one to six be
used with the tatoo of the
brand to indicate the position
of the brand on the animal.
For those cattlemen with
out brands the committee rec
ommended the use of a design,
number or initail as an ident
ifying mark to assist livestock
inspectors in identifying stol
en calves.
Other Suggestions
Other recommendations
made at the meeting were:
That the department of ag
riculture redefine livestock
running at large to mean cat
tle of different ownership
grazing together or co-mingling
in a particular area.
That the list of recognized
livestock beef breeds be en
larged to include the most
prevalent beef breeds and that
the department also permit in
clusion of community designa
tion of additional beef breeds
found in that particular com
munity. (Hereford, Angus and
Shorthorns are the breeds
now listed in open range reg
ulations.) And, that a study be made
on the possibility of requiring
brand inspection at auction
yards, stockyards and slaugh
ter points of catth moving
into the state.
He uses his records to refer
back to when problems arise.
Experience is the best teach
er, especially when notes are
kept on that experience, he
indicated.
STOCKMEN
FEED PELLETS -
Your coarse 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
duced will give you mail
mum returns on small cash
investment.
MORTON
MILLING CO.
500 Ross lane, Medford
fDo apples
and pears
need that much
protection?"
They sure do, for a big, healthy crop. And
this is only the first dose. .
Seems like an expensive proposition.
Not compared to the terrific job it does. It'
insurance against trouble.
You mean by protecting your cropf
That's right. Karathane protects against
powdery mildew. I apply it for prebloom,
calyx and first cover sprays There's no
damage to blossoms, foliage or terminals
no russeting of fruit. Practically no winter
carryover of infection. And it helps con
trol mites.
Whatabouttheotherbag MsKELTHANEAP?
Best miticide I ever used ! Fast kill long
residual action. European red, two-spotted,
McDaniel, clover. You name almost any
mite and Kelthane controls it. I can use
it up to 7 days before harvest, too.
It sounds as if you've got what you need . . .
but I'm sure glad mail is my problem and
not mites.
ROHM R