The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-06-19
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Valuable information to Pacific North.
west lnquirers.
By Professor Elliott. Washington State College
Pullman.

I
station received the following inquiry
from w. L. R., who resides in Seattle:
~ wish some practical suggestions
from you relative to the best grasses
or grains to sow on upland in Kitsap
County, on sandy loan, which dries out
! too early in dry seasons to produce most
crops After having been cleared off,
this land was allowed to grow up with
young Cir and ferns. Sowing rye in the
fall, and blowing the rye under in the
spring to plant potatoes has been rec
commended to me, but ,o far as know
little experimenting has been done in
Kitsap County on upland soil. There
are beds of muck near the land. Would
it be advisable to pile and dry this muck
and later use it as dressing for straw
berry plants, small fruits, and in start
ing apple treesl"
Professor Elliott replied: 81 believe
| that the best grass for the region yoa
menion is orchard grass, although
have found Italian rye grass doing quite
well. The land is much benefited by
the application of land plaster, or gyp-
sum. / doubt very much if you could
use muck as fertilizer, unless it was
worked over quite thoroughly before
using. Most muck soils are in con-
dition that we call inert; that is, they
are dead SO far as practical crops grow
ing is concerned, and need first to be
acted upon by the weather and sunshine
and bacteria, which are efficient in re-
deeming land. Much Of the land in
Kitsap County, as well as swamp lands,
are in this condition. You will find the
application of barnyard manure very
beneficial also, but I believe the best
way Is to treat the land with lime and
land plaster; then follow with clover
and such other crops as may be de-
sired''
A. G. T., residing near Cove, Wash,
writes: "Can you give me any inior-
nation as to whether chicken manure is
too strong, and will thus burn and in
jure strawberry plants, if put directly
on the crown Of the planti In this re-
gion very little livestock is kept, SO
that manure for fsrtilizing purposes is
rather scarce.
"Another point wish to bring up Is
the care Of cow before calving, where
milk fever is suspected. l lost one
good animal from milk fever last fall,
and do not wish to take any more
chances, if I can help it."
The station replied: "In using chicken
manure as fertilizer it is better to
apply it in liquid form. This form Of
fertilizer is very high in it's nitrogen
content, and also contains a consider
able quantity of potash. Put the ma
nure in a barrel or trough, then throw
water on it, later applying the liquid
TO the ground about the plants. Do not
touch the plants with the liquid. This
would give you better results than if
used in the dry form.
Gas 8 preventive of milk fever, we
advise a reduction in the amount of
: grain feed, and an increase in food Of
: a succulent. nature. Roots, grasses, OF
silage would all be good, but too much
grain food might induce milk fever
You had better make a study of the
means Of checking milk fever by the in
lection of oxygen with small syringe.
"Dodder is destroying my clover
writes j. o. c., from Rochester. "How
may l check iti"
Professor Elliott replied: "Doddel
is usually planted with clover, and after
becoming established in the soil, fas
tens its tendrils to the clover, or other
plants which may be growing. Finally
it loses its attachment to the plant
and becomes true, parasitic plant. II
saps the life Of the host plant upon
which it lives, and if it becomes very
strong in it's growth, will eventually
destroy the host. To control it, cut
out the patches of clover where it az
pears, early in the season, before 1t hal
. formed seed Rake this cut clover up
and burn it before it becomes dry. By
this means the seed is prevented from
seeding, and as the plant itself is de-
; stroyed, there is little probability Of the
dodded growing the following season.
! E. E. s., Of walla Walla, wants to
, know how to kill the morning glory
! weed" He was informed that:
"The determination Of this weed is
, the hardest weed problem that the ex
pertinent station has faced. The plant
, is one Of the most difficult weeds tc
kill, but its redeeming feature is that
it does not spread rapidly 1t stay:
where it gets its first start. Smother
ing by heavy applications of straw, OF
: manure, is fairly successful method
but cutting it of only makes it grow
more rapidly. 1t is probable that &
cutting before the application of the
mulch would be advantageous.
Milo NJ Hastings, physiological
chemist of Christians School of Ap
| piled Food Chemistry, Of New Yorl
City, writes as follows:
81 am collaborating with Professo
Suzuki, of the Agriculture Department
Of Japan, with the view Of furtherinI
the introduction of the soy bean init
| this country. ] wish to obtain th'
most reliable and latest data as to tn,
results thus far obtained in soy beai
culture in the States. Will you Ysfe
the following questions to the membe
of your staff who is best posted upol
. this topici
"1D Have soy beans been grown a
: the Washington station or by the farm
ers of the statei (2) If 50, with wha
!, successf (3) What do you estimat
! the cost Of production per bushelf a
!. To what uses have the beans been put
and with what successf (5) Do yo
know of any investigations that hay
been made in this country on the sub
jeet of soy bOan products as huma