TUESDAY. JUNE 25. 1963
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HmW v Farm & Garden
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MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
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CUSTOM SPRAYER This custom sprayer stulion on Kings highway which Is now con-
with three tank compartments was spe- ducing research on biological control o(
cifically designed for experimental spray- insect pests,
ing. It is used at the Med ford horticultural
Biological Control Studied
For Reducing Insect1 Pests
Pete Wcstlgard, entomolo
gist with the Southern Ore
gon Branch Experiment sta
tion, Wednesday will attend
a panel discussion on inte
grated control of insect pests
in agriculture.
This is part of the week
long conference of the Pa
cific Branch of the Entomo
logical Society of America
meeting in Gearheart, Ore. It
started Monday.
Integrated control means
co-ordinated control of insect
pests, chemically, biologically
and culturally. Biologically
means control by other insects
who gobble up the Insect
pests. Culturally means con
trol by pruning and other
means so plants and trees arc
not so suscptiblc to insect
damage. Integrated control
may be the answer to Raehael
Carson and her book, "Silent
Spring."
Integrated control al.so In
volves applying the right
kind of chemicals at the right
time In the right amounts
which won't kill the preying
Insects.
Biological Control
Biological control of some
Insects harmful to orchards
is being studied now In iield
plots at the Medford horti
cultural station on Kings
highway by Wcstlgard.
Pete comes from California,
a leading state In biological
control nnd agricultural pro
duction. He, with Porter Lombard,
new Southern Oregon Branch
Experiment station superin
tendent, were successful in se
curing a $4,1)00 allocation
from the county court and
budget committee for con
struction of a greenhouse.
This would allow year-around
research on biological control
at the experiment station on
Ilanley rd. It will be used,
also, for agronomy research,
screening of insecticides,
study of pear decline and
psylla control. ,
Westigard said the green
house will be good, particu
larly, for studying plant dis
ease. In this area it has a
tendency to jump around
making it difficult for a con
sistent outdoor plot study.
Westigard, assisted by the
Medford station crew is using
icar tree blocks to see if the
first coddling motli spray can
bo eliminated about mid-July
to allow penr psylla predators
to build up. This would be
the spray normally applied
between the delayed dormant
and second cover spray.
Elimination of any spray re
duces the cost to the orchard
ists at a time when the pre
dicted small pear crop re
quires cutting all orchard
costs to the bone.
Biological control of cod
dling moth on the Pacific
Coast so far has not proved
practical. However, research
ers at the Yakima, Wash, and
British Columbia experiment
stations are using gamma rays
to sterilize the male moths.
Release of sterllo male moths
into orchards may make It
possible to keep the coddling
moths at such a low reproduc
tion level that orchards will
not suffer economic damage.
"Determining what level of
insect infestation results in
economic damage to an or
chard is the keystone of our
biological control research
n o w," Westigard explained.
"Minor defoliation on a tree
does not necessarily mean It
has been economically dam
aged by loss of tree vigor or
reduction of crop."
He explained he also is try
ing to establish a curve to
learn how fast the damaging
insects will build up before
the predators take over. Is it
before or after economic dam
age occurs? Answers to these
questions are important to
the fruit growers.
The study of reproductive
peaks of insects and predator
Insects also reveals why birds
are not considered effective
In biological control. They
cannot reproduce fast enough
to control the rapidly multi
plying insects.
Local IntoroBt 1
Local orchardlst.i became
Interested in biological con
trol when they noticed some
orcharriists were not applying
sprays for two-spot spider
mite. Abandoned orchards do
not have mite infestation, it
was learned. Further study
showed predator Insects ap
parently had built up due to
absence of sprays and con
troller the mites.
"if ive-re sesiug - i&;f
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Chit Chat
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
People are still analyzing the failure of the wheat refer
endum this spring. A number of possible reasons have been
given, but as in any other election sometimes the worst
guesses are educated guesses.
One thing sure the wheat program was backed by Sec'
relary of Agriculture Orville Freeman. Wheat or grain sup
ports certainly were not any program pushed by former
agricultural secretary Ezra Taft Benson. But if Benson had
been pushing the same program we think the wheat refer
endum would have passed.
So, we feel failure of the wheat referendum actually is
tne raiiure of freeman to put across his ideas to the farm
er. This is not to judge Freeman as a bad secretary of
agriculture but to question how close he is to a man of
tne soli the farmers who must support and apply his fed
eral programs.
Everything we can find out about Benson indicates he
was a true evangelist for programs he believed in. But, he
had to believe in a program before he would sell It. Per
haps this lack Is a major weakness in the Kennedy-Freeman
agricultural administration.
Unlike Freeman, also. Benson could not only talk about
how a program should work, he could show the farmer. He
grew up on a farm and became a county agent. In spirit
he never left the farm. He could talk to farmers as one
of them. He made it a point to tour agricultural problem
areas, to learn what the farmers were thinking first hand, to
demonstrate an eagerness to become better acquainted with
the farmers problems so as to give practical answers or
proposed solutions. By practical, we mean what was farmer-
practical, not politically practical. Benson consistently dis
regarded the latter which probably was his major weakness,
according to his critics.
Benson not only contacted farmers personally In the
field, but set up machinery so their opinions could be con
sidered by the agricultural department and incorporated in
its programs. He did not jam such conferences with federal
personnel to "guide" public opinion as was so evident at
the regional Rural Areas Development regional conference
In Portland.
The National Agricultural Advisory commission was one
such piece of machinery. Before acting on a specific com
modity problem, representatives would be called in to dis
cuss every phase of its production and marketing as af
fected by the problem. They were asked to tell what they
could do and what the government should do.
The cattle crisis In 1953 is an example, Some cattlemen
wanted the government to get into the cattle business and
some didn't. However, the American National Cattlemen's
association came out strongly against government supports.
So what happened? So a tariff quota was set on cattle
coming in from Canada. More beef went into school lunch
programs. Beef was sent abroad through the Mutual Se
curity program. The government did buy, as a temporary
expedient, the equivalent of 850,000 head of cattle. But,
mainly It promoted the sale of beef. Chain stores and res
taurant chains and every Institution where meals are served
boosted consumption of beef.
Ranchers Plan Show Me Tours
To Cover Forest Grazing
Cards are being sent out to
all stockmen in forest service
range allotments asking them
to contact their district rang
ers to arrange "show me"
range tours for each allot
ment. The tours will be scheduled
for early in the summer and
in the fall to show . Austin
Klahn, new range conserva
tionist stationed here, the con
dition of Hit- various grazing
areas in the Rogue River Na
tional forest when the cattle
go on range and after they
come off.
The stockmen are concern
ed that the forest service is
not considering browse and
logged off areas in its pro
posal to limit the number of
beef animals on the range.
The forest service has stated
there will be no cut in range
allotments until 1965.
During Thursday night's
Jackson County Stockmen's
association directors' meeting,
Martin Grier, chairman of the
forestry committee, said he is
concerned over trespass action
against one Applegate ranch
er. If the forest service takes
severe action against this man
it could set a dangerous prece
dent for the rest of the forest
range use, he said. Fences
won't control cattle 100 per
cent, he added. '
Don Hanscom, Central
Point rancher, said even a
range rider wouldn't be able
to stop all cattle which might
drift over onto a neighboring
allotment.
Send Plans
Association President Cor
don Stanley, Lake Creek, with
Grier asked all cattlemen to
send their own grazing plans
to the forest service and cop
ies to the county association.
The forest service has been
asked to send copies of pro
posed allotment plans to the
county association, also, Grier
said.
The Applegata stock man
also asked each rancher to
figure the investment per
cow. He noted the forest serv
ice range conservationist had
visited him and asked him for
his estimate of the investment.
Klahn also plans helicopter
tours of the range areas, he
told Grier. Two Apple gate
ranchers have set tentative
range inspection trips already,
Grier said. The public may be
nvited on an overall trip lat
er, it was agreed.
Stanley suggested it would
be good public relations with
the forest service to discuss
tree planting problems with
them. The cows have been
blamed unjustly for killing
a number of young trees.
County Agent Earle Jossy
related that OSU research in
dicated cows do not bother
young trees except when the
tender buds appear. Usually
they are not on the range
then. Gophers, porcupines,
and difficulty in getting nurs
ery stock established in rug
ged conditions are the main
Lygus Bugs Pest
Now in Alfalfa,
County Agent Says
Lygus Bugs, an enemy to
alfalfa seed producers, are
working on alfalfa field; in
the county, according to Bert
Wikox, county extension
agent.
The Lygus bug can be con
trolled by treating infected
fields with DDT at the rate
of one pound per acre, plus
Toxaphene at two pounds per
acre, or Toxaphene at three
pounds per acre, or DDT at
two pounds per acre, or Dylox
at one pound per acre. The
above dosages refer to actual
amounts of toxicant per acre.
Treatment should be made
when lygus adults and
nymphs average one per
swe.'p during the pre-bloom
period. Research in other
states suggests a second ap
plication during bloom period
only if population of nymphs
and adults reaches eight to
ten per sweep.
Do not feed DDT or Toxa
phere treated plants or en
siluCe made from treated
plants to poultry, dairy ani
mals, or animals being finish
ed for slaughter. Do not per
mit animals to graze on treat
ed fields. Do not use on forage
to be sold commercially. Do
not apply Dylox within 14
days of cutting or grazing.
To Protect Bees
To protect pollinating in
sects, apply insecticides in
early morning oi- late even
ing, Bert Wilcox says.
The adults are about 316
causes for trees aying, uic
stockmen generally agreed.
Urge Vaccination
The association president
urged all stockmen present to
contact their neighbors urging
them to have all their calves
vaccinated against brucellosis.
No calves can be sent to Cali
fornia without vaccinations,
the county agent added.
The stockmen also agreed
that the cattlemen "should
have more say" about who the
department of agriculture se
lects for veterinarians. The
state veterinarian for this
area is doing a careful job,
the stockmen agreed. The
question will be referred to
the association's sanitation
committee and to the Oregon
Cattlemen's association.
A range short course in co
operation with the Jack son
County Extension Service and
OSU has been set tentatively
for Dec. 17, 18 and 19, Jossy
announced. At least 25 people
must register for the course
before those dates will be con
firmed, he added.
The directors agreed to
sponsor a boy to be selected
by a community committee
for the state range tour. Cost
is $25 per boy. The county is
allowed four boys.
Scale, Miles Now
In Local Trees
Some San Jose scale and
two-spo,!ed mites are showing
!up in local orcnaros, accord
ing to Don Berry, county
agent.
San Jose scale crawlers
: have emerged, he noted.
: Growers with this problem
' should apply such spray mate
' rials as Diazinon or Parathion
1 now, the county agent recom
I mended.
I Two-spot mites are building
j up, he pointed out. PEPP ii
I recommended. Kelthane of
. Tedione was applied in early
' June, but some mites are now
! resistant to these materials.
Where mites are present in
large numbers growers should
spray three-fourths pint or 40
per cent PEPP per acre on
every other row and use only
100 to 130 gallons per acre as
the larger gallonages dry
slowly and may cause soma
tree injury, he explained.
This material should be ap
plied on days which are warm
and still. Repeat the spray in
three to five days and spray
the alternate unsprayed rows.
Where no crop is present de
lay controls until some injury
appears in the center of tha
trees.
Inch long. Lygus bugs vary in
color from yellowish green
to reddish or dark brown. The
presence of a light yellowish
"V" shaped mark on the back
of the adult is helpul in dis
tinguishing lygus bugs from
other insects. Nymphs are
wingless and frequently mis
taken for aphids in the field.
They can be distinguished
from aphids by their sturdier
bodies and ability to move
about rapidly.
Lygus bugs overwinter as
adults. In early spring they
resume activity during warm,
mild days, laying eggs in
in plant tissue, usually in the
terminal growth. There are
several generations produced
each year, Wilcox says.
Lygus bugs feed by suck
ing juices from the plant.
Nymphs feed more actively
than adults and are believed
to most damage. The insect
sucks juices from productive
portions of the plant causing
blasted buds, blossom drop,
and shriveled seed.
GENERALS PULL RANK
Hythc, England-UPl!-Farm
er Ray Edwards said Mon
day he had to move his cows
from an army training ground
because "generals didn't like
being stared at by cows." He
said his cattle were friendly
but no respecters of rank.
"I have seen them walk up
to high-ranking officers and
look over their shoulders,"
he said.
con
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12!h& So. Central
PHONE 773-6450
Benson tours Included the drought area of Texas In 1953
by car. In 1955 he went to western Europe to try to in
crease outlets for surplus wheat. The same year he held a
series of meetings in the Moorchcad, Minn.-Fargo, N.D.
area to discuss strengthening hog prices. He visited barns,
fecdlots, walked through fields. And this is a small sample.
We say the program failed because of lack of personal
selling by the secretary of agriculture. We have heard the
bushel quota plan as included in Freeman's "two-price"
plan was proposed by wheat growers. From some opinions
given by farmers we get the idea that the acreage control and
bushel quota was too much. It indicated greater govern-'
mental control of agriculture rather than less so was feared
by the farmers. Or, as analysts staled, the farmers were
just sick and tired of the heaps of paper work requirements
which had to be met for price supports.
Farmers, When You
The small farmer must have had a role in the referen
dum turn down since 734,000 small farmers were qualified
to vote for the first time this year compared to 558,000
farmers who plant more than 15 acres to grain. Kansas
turned it down and North Dakota passed it so whether an
area was a major wheat producer had little effect.
Perhaps Republican growers turned it down because
they didn't want to indicate approval of the Democratic
administration by passing it. But, Oregon and Washington
which have become strong Democratic states in recent years
voted the wheat referendum down.
The farmers apparently were looking for security and
didn't feel the tight controls would give It to them. Ironically,
the tight governmental controls proposal comes at a time
when the entirely governmental controlled agricultural pro
grams In Soviet countries have resulted In crop failures.
Because it isn't killing tlic strain we've pit
now. Mite cut too much into our profit
last year.
What milicirff at vt ,nij -i sr litis .trtinonf
KELTHANE AP. I've hrenrhrrking the
of komt of the bis apple and xar growers
around here. They all u.-e Ki.i.tiiask Al
You should tee how clean lluir lrw are!
Art yon mi it ni'H kill Mr m.i. uA l
Dead sure, honey. Kklthane AP kills just
aliout any mite thiit uttrk apples ami 'ars.
Kuropean red, two-spottil. Mi'll.um-1, Willa
mette, apple rust and clover. Its action lasts,
too kills oil migrants ami new colonies. And
it won't hurt nnte predator.
i;V tl tit gt, ud Kt'tr ffiirl usi'ip U nnd
stiiti u iih it.
You read my mind as usual. I'm going in to
pick up enough Kklthane AP to take care
of our mite problems.
F7 rUy ROHIV1
P HA&A!
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Benson noted that "the existing program of rigid sup
ports required strict production controls. But America did
not become a great country by restricting production."
Henry A. Wallace, former Democratic secretary of agri
culture earlier had said: "My greatest fear is that farmers
themselves may destroy the farm legislative machinery by
asking It to do work for which It was never Intended."
. . . Here's the Cash
Market for Your Grain!
A Premium Price for
Your Premium Grains.
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Harvest I
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GRANGE CO
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UNLOADING
We Pay CASH
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co-or
CENTRAL POINT
Perhaps the farmers felt they had created a Franken
stein and turned on the monster before the program could
turn on them.
Dutch Farmers Plan
Folk Festival Program
Bit J 1 .-"-Twatws
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Kutztown, Pa. - The Penn
sylvania Dutch farmers are
adding something basically
new to Grange activities In
America. Instead of exhibit
ing the priie fruits of the field
at community, county, and
state fairs, grangers of Penn
sylvania Dutrhland. aiming at
a national audience, gather
their farmstead heir looms
from attic and outkitchen.
from liarnloft and wagon shed
for display in the Grange hall
at the Pennsylvania Dutch
Folk festival.
The Pennsylvania Dutch
Folk festival - the nation's
largest folk event - will be
held from June 29 through
! July 6, at Kutztown, Tenn., a
small college town located
midway between Reading and
Allentown on Route 222.
As part of daily folk
panorama the men grangers
will demonstrate the whole
range of farm chores from
rail-splitting and setting up
the "snake" and "Irish" fence,
greasing the wheels of a Co
nestoga wagon with pine-tar
extracted at the festival from
yellow-pine knots, and water
witching, to harnessing and
hitching up a team of work
horses, cradling and flailing
grain, sheep - shearing, ami
changing a blutiwogga into a
ladder-wagon.
The women grangers as
their part in the panorama,
will demonstrate the prepara
tion of traditional Dutch
foods and pass around samples
to pageant guests. Among the
dishes will be ponhaws - a
type of scrapple - mush, and
smearcase; seasonal cookies
such as lepp-cakes, apces. and
heifer-tongues: freshly churn
ed butter and buttermilk; and
stenner fresh "wanilla" and
"tschawkalate" Ice-cream
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37 Ash Street
CENTRAL POINT
Phone 664-1261 or 773-4022
421 A Street
ASHLAND
Phone 482-2143