Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-07-07
FOUND VETCH HAY
A PROFITABLE CROP
A New Forage Plant That Will
Grow on Dry Land-Success
In Diversified Crops.

Of depending on one kind of crop as is
the rule OF SO many farmers. Mr..
Borough has only but commenced to
open mp his land and has only about
40 acres IN cultivation. This he has
to alfalfa, grain, fruit and pasture,
In order to have a diversityof crops
he will so soon as he can get addi-
tional land cleared increase his Or
ohard and will put out hopyard.
He will plant 10 acres of hops next
spring and later ON increase the
acreage TO 30 or 90 acres
Mr.. Borough has FIVE acres to fruit
and he is planning to largely increase
his orchard, now that he has seen the
success of the Medford and Ashland
fruitgrowers unions in securing to
their members good profit on their
fruit, and that there is good pros.
pect of there being n fruit growers
union organized in this county. Mr..
Mr.. Borough. like tue other small
orchardists Of Josephine county, has
found that he has too much fruit for
his family use, and the local market
being SO much of the time over stock.
ed that it is not profitable to sell in,
and to ship small quantities of fruit
TO distant markets is SO often losing
venture, the dealers absorbing all
the profits. and frequently all the
price but the freight charges With
this condition confronting them
dozens of the small orchards in the
vicinity OF this city have been
practically abandoned and the trees
neglected and gone to ruin. Mr.. Bor.
ough has kept his orchard in good con.
dition, but he has found that many Of
his trees are practically worthless as
they are OF varieties of which there
is no demand for the fruit. The
only apples that bring the fancy
prices, and that shippers will handle,
are the Spitzenbergs and Newtown
Pippins. Mr. Borough will topgraft
all his other trees to these kinds.
He has few Spitzenbergs and they
are heavily loaded with fruit az are
also his Bellfowers, but his Red
cheek Pippins and Winesaps have but
little fruit on them.
Mr.. Borough gave trial to the
growing Of vetohes for hay this year
aud so profitable was the experiment
that he will SOW a large field this
fall. AS the seed has to be imported
from the East he Is desirous of secur.
ing number of farmers, who want
to try vetohes on their land. to join
him in buying seed, thereby making
saving on the price and on the
freight. Mr.. Borough sowed last
October "a acres to vetches, using
105 pounds Of seed. with an equal
amount of wheat. From this "a
acres of land he cut nine ton OF hay
and it cured as green and In as prime
condition as the best alfalfa. This
vetch is kind of pea and makes
both grain and hay and il considered
by stookmen to be more valuable,
pound for pound, than any other hay
grown. The special point that makes
vetohes of value to Rogue River
farmers is that this plant will grow
on land too dry to be profitable for al
falfa 1t is a winter growing plant and
natures itself before the dry season
sets in. Mr.. Borough is convinced
that vetches should be sowed early
in September. or as early as the fall
rains will permit As to seeding he
thinks that not less than go pounds
each Of wheat and vetch should be
sown to the acre ON the average land,
but the quality and dryness OF
the land should govern the quantity
Of seed. william Grow, who has a
fine farm and orchard on Rogue river
10 miles below this city, has also
given vetches trial, having grown
that crop for the past two years, and
he has found it very profitable. When
the farmers of Josephine county
have learned the value of yetches ~ q
dry land crop there is little doubl
but what 1t will become one Of the
leading forage crops Of this section.