The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-03-13


plants, alfalfa, red clover, crimson clo-
yer and vetch cannot be excelled as for
age plants. Bromus Inermis is another
very excellent forage plant. The Bro
mus Inerms in land having low moist
condition is one Of the very best forage
plants.
I'll, f. Williams--In case you grow
vetch, which stores nitrogen in its roots
and YOU cut it off in the spring, will it
affect the soil?
DR.. Withycombe-f would not advise
raising hay in the orchard. If you cut
the hay in the spring you take off too
much moisture in the plant. The vetch
stores nitrogen and phosphoric acid. It
would therefore be a good crop to pillow
under for these two elements, for by the
decay Of its leaves, roots, etc, we put
these elements into the soil at cost OF
about four cents pound, while in the
market they will charge You -l5 cents.
IL, I. Williams-Then il we cut the
hay could we not get asupply ofnitrogen
from the roots in the ground?
DR.. Withycombe-I think you can use
it ii you viii grow this hay on land not
in orchard but any crop is bad in the
orchard. Ii you will put your barn
yard fertilizer back in your orchard you
will enrich your ground in that way.
ii. T. WilIiams-The difficulty with
vetch is that it raises so much leaf stuff
that you cannot pillow it under.
DIR. Withycombe-Yes, but plow it
under when it is younger,
4 m tI.II... "a t...a tloA
in the smaller plants there is smaller
amount Of nitrogen.
DR.. Withycombe-No, on the con-
trary, the younger plants are generally
richest in nitrogen.
j. L. Carter-Could we not cut the
yetch by May and give time to cultivate
the soil2
Dr. Withycombe--If you could irri-
gate YOU could, but | don't think you
could here, the ground would be too
dry.
j. l.. Carter-Does Bromus Inermis
grow in among the bushes?
DR.. Withycombe-I would not think
it would here. l think it would die.
j. l.. Carter--The vetch has to be
sown in the fall?
DR.. Withycombe-Yes, sir
j. l.. Carter-It would not bring
good crop to SOW in the spring?
( DR.. Wichycombe-If sowed in the
spring on moist soil it will do WE'LL /
have seen it sowed as late as March, but
| would not recommend it.
j. L. Carter tried it in the spring
last year, but it did not do we'll.
Dr. Withycombe-I like the vetch. l
want to grow grass that you do not
have to teach the animals to eat it, and
that is the way it is with the vetch. Ev-
cry one, cattle, horses, sheep, p,goats, pigs,
they all eat itreadily.
Ill. I. Williams-Don't the rootso Of the
vetch make humus in. the soil?
DR.. Withycombe--Yes, but the roots
are very small, there is not enough of
them to do much good.
Joe Wiison--Wendorf Bros. are grow
ing yetch, Thew sow it with wheat and
tell me it helps hold the grain up. They
also tell me the cattle will leave all 9TH
er kind OF food for this.
DR.. Withycombe-It would help to
to keep the grain up il sown in sufficient
quantities, say a bushel or bushel and a
peck to the acre.
Joe Wlson-They told me they put
10 pounds on an acre.
DIR. Withycombe-That would do no
good with us. think it does the best
when sown with wheat in the fall.
j l.. Carter-In young trees, could
we not cultivate in a. crop OF oats among
the trees?
DR.. Withycombe-You could put in
clover, yetch or alfalfa, but | would
recommend cultivated crops. | would
experiment on a small scale until you
satisfy yourselves. The more intensely
you cultivate your soil here the better
you will succeed
Chas Chandler-What is the best to
SOW with clover.
DR.. Withyeombe-Sow the Italian or
English grasses with clover. They are
the best. For the orchard do not SOW
clover but SOW either of these perennial
grasses and you will have fine crop of
hay.
Chas Chandler-Would you SOW just
one kind?
DR.. Withycombe-No, SOW two or
three kinds. Never trust to one kind, it
is better to SOW at least three different
kinds and four or five pounds to the
acre.
Chas. Chandler-Five pounds of each
kind?
DR.. Withycombe-Yes, sow English
rye, wheat or barley, or a mixture Of
them and SOW with them five pounds
each of two or three OF these grasses
and you will have fine lot OF hay, but
you will have to irrigate, because a con-
tinuous growth like that means an inn
mense quantity Of water to be supplied
to the plants.
+. w. Angus-Will this rye hold up
alsike? My experience with the alsike is
that it goes to the ground.
DR.. Withycombe-Yes, the rye will
keep up the hay, but Of course, if the
grasses are very heavy neither of them
will fall.
+. w. Angus-WiA this have a tend
ancy to hold them up?
DR.. Withycombe-Yes,I / think most of
these perennials stand thus. With us
sometimes they will lay down usually
ali one way, so that in order to cut clean
we are obliged TO cut all ore way.
+. W. Angus-I am in the habit of
cutting two crops and then pasturing.
Chas. Chandler-Do YOU advise taking
an old alfalfa field and going on it with
a springtooth harrow in the spring?
Dr. Withybombe-Yes, sir, after it is
three years old. Never do it before that
time. Cutting the crowns Of the alfalfa
makes it stool out good. Oregon is
great country for weeds and this spring
tooth process spreads the alfalfa and
chOkes the weeds out, giving you clean
er hav. In growing leguminous crops
always use land plaster. Do You use
land plaster?
Chas. Chandler-Yes, sir.
fFan4i,una an fh;ra 49,,