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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1950)
■4 THURSDAY, SEPT. 7, 1950 THE EAGLE. VERNONIA. ORE. MOUND THE FARM Strawberry harvest is over and growers now know how their fields yielded. Why is it that >ome fields are hard pressed to make one ton to the acre while other growers harvest three and four tons per acre? Many different factors influ ence the yield from strawberries. We have talked a lot about the importance of good planting stock that is free of disease. Red Steele and crinkle can sure knock the pounds off a strawberry yield. Every year we see several examples out in the grower’s fields where good and poor planting stock growing side by side show how important it is to have good planting stock. Insects take a heavy toll of strawberries. Root weevil is the worst but spittle bug and crown borer do their part. These in sects can be controlled and most growers do a good job. Still we do find fields where improper insect control has greatly reduced the yield. Neither planting stock, disease, or insects are the main answer for difference in strawbrry yields. I am convinced that the soil is the biggest factor influencing the yield. During strawberry harvest I spent one day looking over dif ferent fields in the county with Ralph Clark, extension horticul turist from OSC. Clark has just been visiting strawberry fields >n Marion, Clackamas and Mult nomah counties. The purpose of his visits was to compare grow ing methods and soils with the yields of berries farmers are getting. Clark stated that in checking with growers it was the prepara tion that went into the soil that produced the big yield. He visited several fields with yields of four and five tons of berries per acre. One field had produced two tons per acre on a single picking. We are sometimes re luctant to accept these yield fi gures but these yields were not particularly uncommon for the growers who were getting them. Cannery receipts verified the yields growers reported. How then do growers manage to get these yields? Clark feels that good soil preparation is one of the most important factors. In general, high yields were on fields where excellent clover, vetch, pea, or corn, were turned under the year before berries were planted. In a few cases barn yard manure was available and was used in place of corn crops. In other cases, heavy grass sods resulting from improved pastures or grass seed fields were used. Large quantities of good quality organic matter seems to be one of the main requirements for a soil that is to give a high yield of strawberries. Commercial fertilizer can help increase yields and proper use of fertilizer will pay good returns fl Prize-Winning Selection of— Steaks Chops Roasts ' or any other meat item« you may wish can b supplied at our market. And you will find every piece to be selected for your satisfaction. KING’S Grocery - Market “Where Your Money Buys More” Phone 91 At the Mile Bridge Riverview for the money spent. Commercial fertilizers are only part of the answer, however. From trials we carried out in Columbia coun ty and trials elsewhere in the state, it appears that commercial fertilizer alone is not the answer to making high yielding straw berry soil. The first requirement for get ting a good yield of strawberries is to get the soil in condition with large amounts of organic matter either by cover crop or manure or both. Commercial fertilizer should be used on the cover crop if necessary to get sufficient growth. When strawberries are planted commercial fertilizer at planting time and in the early fall during following years will boost yields. 4-H Work at Fair Extensive Columbia county is being well represented at the 4-H division of the stats fair now being held in Salem, announced Harold Black, county extension agent in charge of 4-H club work. Five 4-H club members are exhibiting livestock; 26 are tak ing part in such activities as judging contests, demonstrations, etc.; and the exhibits sent from this county in home economics, forestry, garden, entomology, etc., number nearly 50. Those exhibiting 4-H cattle in clude Marporie Hurula, Clats kanie; and William MacDonald, Jr.. Jerol Moran, Margaret Buck- ley, and Billie Braun, all of Ver nonia. Other club members who are spending one day at the fair for various contests include: live stock judging team, Marjorie Hu rula, Betty Pesio, and Gene Jones, all of Clatskanie; crops judging team, Harold Ashley. Mist, and Bruce Larsen.and Ronald Par man. Birkenfeld: forestery iden tification team. Harrv Brady, Bob Schultz and Donald Fretag, all of Bachelor Flat: rabbit judein«’ team. Loui<"' Pete-sen. Donna Lovelett and May Walters, Shilo Basin: vegetable judging team, Helene Bennett, Elroy Anderson, and Carol Benn'tt, Bachelor Flat. Home economics club members include: Cookery demonstration: Carol Ann Noll and L. Rae Arm strong, Clatskanie; food preserva tion demonstration: Vircinia Cox and Bessie Bates, Scappoose; Cookery judging team: Carol Ann Noll and L. Rae Armstrong, Clatskanie; clothing judging team Joan Johnson and Patricia Cox, Scappoose, homemaking judging team: Grace Quinn and Mildred Thomas, Bachelor Flat; and can ning judging team Virginia Cox and Bessie Bates, Scappoose. Harriet Heath, Vernonia, is competing in the dollar dinner contest and Bessie Bat ’s in the canning contest. Representing Columbia County in the State 4-H health contest are Ann Westerberg, Clatskanie, and Peter Schroeder, Marshland. Tree Deaths Investigated Social Security Cause of heavy mortality among many young Douglas firs through out the Willamette Valley and coastal areas has been placed under investigation by Charles Ladd, Senior Farm Forester for the state forestry department. Ladd said that numerous Douglas firs, especially those under 100 years of age, were slowly dying and constituted a great menace and potential loss to the farm woodlands and ornamental firs in the eastern Willamette Valley and as far west as Lincoln coun ty and south to Coos county. Inspection of the firs this spring and summer failed to indicate any dangerous population of in sects, such as the Douglas fir bark beetle or the spruce bud worm, although minor popula tions of both were discovered. Dick Berry, in charge of forest research for the forestry depart ment, indicated that death of the firs may be due to poria weirii, a serious fungus disease, that at tacks the roots of the tree. The forester also attributed some of the losses to climatic or soil dif ferences and just plain lack of sufficient moisture during cri tical growing periods. The fungus, poria weirii, known as a ‘yellow ring rot’ and a crusty fungus, is ordinary known for its attacks on cedar trees, but according to latest reports is also very injurious to young stands of Douglas fir. QUESTION: I am drawing my old-age insurance benefits (social security) and I have just hard that new amendments now pro vide for an increase in the size of payments. How do I apply for this increase. ANSWER: It is not necessary for you to apply at all. The in crease will be given automati cally to all beneficiaries now re ceiving monthly checks. There is no n ed for you to write to or call at a Social Security Ad ministration field office. The For GradeA Pasteurized Dairy Products PEBBLE ; CREEK DAIRY i I I I I I Telephone 8812 Timber Rt., Box 56 j ' Vernonia, Oregon • ! Casalina- Engin«-Driven Built and backed by Homelite, manufacturer* of more than 275,000 Engine Driven Unit*. 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