The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1908-05-16
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Valuable Information 10 Pacific North
west lrq Jirers.
By Professor Elliott Washington st..s consxs.
Pullman

IAAn-&1-
Pullman, April 25-This week the
Washington State College experiment
station received the following inquiry
from W. L. r., who resides in Seattle:
~ wish some practical suggestions
from you relative to the beet grasses
or grains 10 SOW on upland in Kitsap
County, on sandy loan, which dries out
too early in dry seasons 20 produce most
crops. After having been cleared of,
this land was allowed to grow up with
young FIR and ferns. Sowing rye in the
fan, and blowing the rye under in the
spring TO plant potatoes has been rec
commended 70 me, but 50 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 treesi''
Professor Elliott replied: 81 believe !
that the best grass for the region you I
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 a fertilizer, unless it was
worked over quite thoroughly before
using. Most muck soils are in a con-
dition that we call inert; that is, they
are dead so far as practical crop 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. Yon 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 infor-
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 plantf In this re-
gion very little livestock is kept, SO
that manure for fertilizing purposes is
rather scarce.
"Another point wish to bring up is
the care Of COW before calving, where
milk fever is suspected. 1 lost one
good animal from milk fever last fall,
and do not wish to take any more
| IL Can AN4R H.
The station replied: SIN using chicken
manure as a fertilizer it is better TO
apply it in liquid form. This form Of
fertilizer is very high in its 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 IL
used in the dry form.
Gas a preventive of milk fever, we
advise q reduction in the amount of
grain feed, and an increase in food Of
a succulent nature. Roots, grasses, or
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 a small syringe"
"Dodder is destroying my clover"
writes ]. o. c., from Rochester. How
may I check itf"
Professor Elliott replied: "Dodder
is usually planted with clover, and after
j 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 a true, parasitic plant. II
J. saps the life of the host plant upon
= which it lives, and il it becomes very
J. strong in its growth, will eventually
destroy the host. To control it, cut
out the patches of clover where it ap
pears, early in the season, before it hai
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
n stroyed, there is little probability Of tn,
, dodded growing the following season. y
E. E. S, of walla walla, wants t.
know how to kill the morning glory
!. weed - He was informed that:
!. "The determination of this weed il
. the hardest weed problem that the ex
= pertinent station has faced. The plan
A is one of the most difficult weeds Il
:. kill, but its redeeming feature is tina
n 1t does not spread rapidly. 1t stay
where it gets its first start. Smother
\ ing by heavy applications of straw, o
= manure, is a fairly successful method
= but cutting it of only makes it grow
"a more rapidly. 1t is probable that
: cutting before the application of tn
mulch would be advantageous
Milo Nj. hastings. pnFslologlca
chemist OF Christians School Of Ar
n Piled Food Chemistry, Of New Yor.
"a City, writes as follows;
a ~ an collaborating with Professo
lie Suzuki, Of the Agriculture Department
O. Of Japan, with the view Of furthsrin
rs the introduction of the soy bean int
"a this country. I wish to obtain tn
Of most reliable and latest data as to th
Of results thus far obtained in soy bes
" culture in the States viii you refs
is the following questions TO the membt
IL Of your staff who is best posted upo
er this topiei
re "(1) Have soy beans been grown 1
the Washington station or by the farm
ers of the statei % If so, with whit
SUGGEST (S) What do you estimai
"A the cost Of production per bushelf a
To what uses have the beans been pu
" and with what SUGGEST (5) Do yC
~ know Of any Investigations that hay
al been made in this country on the su
70 jeet of soy bean products as huns
/ f,n1agft