The evening times., 1899-08-26
RANcHMEN IN TROUBLE.
Professor Scribner's investigation
Of the Forage Problem. -

of the Forage Problem.
Prof. F. Lamson scribner, Chief of the
Bureau of Agrostology. Department of Agri-
culture, was at his desk this morning after
a three months tour over the Northwest
and Pacific Coast. Professor Scribner's
mission was to investigate the many grasses
and forage plants of the Northwest and the
coast which are the main dependency Of the
dairy, the wool and the cattle interests of
that country.
THE ranches on the east of the Rocky
Mountains are in deplorable condition"
said Professor Scribner to Times reporter.
There are many ranches containing as
many as 10000 sheep, with not morsel OF
grass for food. 1t is common saying that
it now requires fifty acres to raise steer
out there. No wonder the prices OF meat
are advancing all over the country. My
object in the investigation is to procure
plant that will restore these ranches. Some
arrangements win have to be made to lease
the land TO the stock raisers. The depart
ment has already started grass and forest
plants in the Walla Walla district. My
object in going West was to find plants that
will grow in all arid regions.
In the Yakima district, Wash, great
quantities of stock are now being raised on
alfalfa. They. can raise nine tons OF this
plant to an acre. 1t nets $3.50 profit to
the acre. The land has to depend on ar
tificial irrigation, however, and usually a
couple of artesian wells will suffice for the
strip. They just turn on the water and
raise alfalfa without lifting hand. Rye,
corn. and wheat on these lands have also
become a failure. Fine apples and sage
brush grow here in abundance, and crops
cannot be confined when the water is run
on the land.
THE WalIa Walla district will raise an
immense wheat crop without rain. l vis-
tied one farm of twenty-five miles, which
raised all wheat. You can imagine the i'm
mensity of the crop. One field raised sixty
| bushels TO an acre. That field has been in
wheat for twenty years. Only eighteen
| inches of rain and very little labor is re-
quired to raise two crops on this land. IheS
sow alfalfa every other year. Wheat Is
| sure thing, and most fields are allowed To
| rest every other year. The average wheal
| crop per year is between thirty-hVe and
fifty bushels TO the acre. The wheat heids
| in California will also do this
| II inspected the grass at Walla Waila,
| where a grass farm was established last
| year, for testing the adaptabiilty OF various
| grasses TO the climate east OF the ROCKY
| Maintains and for investigating the haDlts
| of growth of new and untried varieties.
was much pleased with the experiments
| forage plant of much prominence anc
| entirely new TO agriculture is the merca'
lie bean, which procured from New Mexi-
co This bean is making fine growth a.
this experimental station and may prove
to be as valuable 10 the dry regions cas-
| of the mountains as the velvet bean is u
the Gulf States. l also tested many othe'
new kinds of lands and grasses in varlou:
parts of Oregon. ! think grass VIII p'
found to take the place of the bunch grass
of Eastern Oregon that will stand drougn
and transplanting. 1t. will be boon u
the stock raiser of those sections.
II spent some time in California in tn
| region of Astoria / here examined Tn
grasses in use in sandy soil-some of whicl
was planted last year as an experiment
I found il a success, and it is now calie'
; Astoria blue grass. This grass Will thrfV
| in pure sand. and is relished by stock no
) only on the coast but in the interior coun
| try, The propagation of this grass vii
prevent sand drifts-such as they have o.
the Columbia River, which covers bi
| trees. sometimes forests, and are very de
| structiye.
Fruit is not in my line. but I saw IN
finest specimens in the section CT Fresno
great wine region. There is good marke
= for this fruit, and 1t brings fair prices
| This years crops in California are sue
cess. except in the Southern section, wher
they have had a protracted drought
: Prof. Scribner Will be one of the depart
! | ment's representatives at the Paris expo
| sition.