Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1907-01-25
FOa FARMER FRIENDS.
Helpful Suggestions from an Ex-
perienCed Farmer.

and who is not too narrow minded
to share these facts with others,
is L. L. Brooks of northern Ben
ton, known as one of the most
progressive farmers of this or any
other county.
Because of the mauv inquiries
sent him in regard to Black Rus
sian oats which he has grown so
successfully Mr.. Brooks wrote
a letter to the Pacific North
west, published at Portland, Civ
ing the information requested.
This letter is so practical and full
of useful hints to farmers that it
is given in part herewith, the re-
naming halt to appear in our
next issue. 1t says:
II believe Black Russian oats
to be the largest and heaviest
yielding oats grown anywhere On
white land This year we raised
|67% bushels per acre. 1 will
leave it to you what they would
do on the proper kind of soil.
They grow with three grains in
one mesh or extra good land.
two on ordinary ard one IN poor
land. If they are sown early in
fall they grow very rank, some
times over four feet high. Que
fall 1 pastured 80 head of hogs
and my band of Shropshire sheep
all winter, and in the spring took
the stock off. With this close
feeding the yield was very heavy
and the shocks were so ,hick in
rows that a team could not drive
between them in places. Many
ask how late in the spring they
can be grown. If before March
1st they will make oats, but not
a heavy yield. If sown in the
spring they will make pasture all
summer and winter aud furnish
an extra heavy crop the next sea-
son.
I never have had enough to
supply the demand at a dollar a
bushel. The reason tor this is
that l raised the most of them
with vetch and only had a few
acres of pure seed. only have
about 50 bushels left this season
and will be glad to send anyone
some samples to experiment with
for the asking. We get lots of
letters from Eastern people, ask
ing which are the most paving
crops in this section, and I be-
lieve clovers, vetch, Black Rus
sian oats and artichokes. I
know all of these pay, because l
have tried them with good sue
cess. ....
Alsike clover is adapted to the
fat wet white land OF this val
ley. There are hundreds of
acres of such land that is not
producing anything except a
little sheep pasture. If it was
sown to alsike clover it would
make from $40 to $50 per acre
for seed, and then get more win
Ter than it did before it was sown
to alsike. -.,.- -..s.
Crimson clover is only year
ly plant, but it makes heavy
seed crop, and grows on high dry
clay points, and is splendid to
plow under aud build up the land
and when it is in bloom it is a
beautiful sight to look at, being
all a crimson red. 49,. ?
A year ago last May I sowed a
small patch on poor clay point.
1t grew up just right for pasture
all summer and winter, and this
spring had a very heavy crop OF
seed. After taking the crop of,
| it reseeded itself thicker than be-
fore. am expecting a heavier
crop of seed next spring than
got before.
Another profitable crop is arti-
chokes. Cut them up and plant
them in the spring, same as pota
toes, rows three feet apart and
eight to sixteen inches apart III
! the row. The richer the lane
the better the yield. Ga very
rich land they will yield Ioe
bushels to the acre.
All stock like them-hogs
| cattle, horses, goats, sheep ant
poultry. Cut some of them int,