Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1907-01-25
GOOD CREAM PRODUCER
POLK County Farmer Finds Maso,,,.a
Grass Best OF All For Summer
Pasturage.


prosperous farmers, came up from
MS larm near Crowley, and transacted
business IN Dallas, Monday. He re-
ports livestock to be standing the
winter weather we'll in his neiehbor.
MOOD, as practically all of the farmers
mao an abundance OF feed in their
Oarns. The recent cold snap did little
or no damage to growing crops, and a
temporary suspension of farming
operations was the only inconvenience
caused by the severe weather.
Mr.. Riggs is a firm advocate of
diversified farming, and believes that
the sooner the farmers of the Will
lamette Valley break away from
wheat raising and devote more atten-
tlon todairying, stockraising, gardens
and orchards, the better it will be for
all concerned, He prophesies that the
valley will eventually become the
greatest stock and dairy country on
the Pacific Coast, but in order to bring
about this industrial change it will be
necessary for the farmers to devote
more attention to the raising of grass,
forage plants and root crops for sum
mer and winter feeding.
The greatest drawback to dairymen
and stock raisers in the Willamette
Valley at the present time is the
scarcity Of pasturage during the sum-
mer months. From the first of July
until the middle Of October there is
practically no rainfall, and the
pastures afford scant food supply
for the farmers animals. To provide
against this scarcity Of food during
the dry season is the problem that
now confronts the valley farmer.
Mr.. Riggs says that, in his ex-
perience, he has never found any
grass equal to the mesquite grass as
cream producer in the dry, summer
months. Red top is stronger grass
and will grow on low land where the
mesquite will drown, but on ordinary
upland he finds it highly profitable to
SOW a mixture of English rye, red-top
and mesquite. The English rye is
unexcelled as a pasture grass from
early spring until about the middle of
May, and again after the first Fall
rains, but dries up in the summer
months. The mesquite remains green
all summer and thus helps to furnish
continuous pasturage throughout the
year.
Many farmers in northeastern Polk
have found by experience that
mesquite grass makes excellent winter
hay. Mr.. Riggs says that few years
ago he put up several tons of clover
hay that was pronounced by his
nelghbors to be the best they had ever
seen. Mixed with the clover was an
occasional stalk Of mesquite grass.
When Mr.. Riggs began his winter
feeding, he found to his great surprise
that his cattle would carefully PICK
out these stalks of mesquite and eat
them with the greatest relish before
touching the clover. Since that time
he has found that mesquite hay IS the
best winter milk and cream producer
he has ever stored in his barns. Dorf
Gibson and others Of his neighbors
have also tested the value OF THIS
grass and have found it a highly
profitable crop. &c.,
"Such is the experience OF few
farmers in my neighborhood, SAD
Mr.. Riggs, "and while it is possible
that this grass might not prove suon
profitable crop in some other portions
of the valley, yet it is my opinion tnas
itexcels all grasses so arexperimented
with in Oregon as cream producer
in the dry months. 1t has been urged
that when it is once sown it cannot be
gotten rid of, but if other farmers
have found it as profitable as l nave,
thew will be in no hurry to get rid OF
it.