Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-05-14
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Valuable Information TO Pacific North
west lrqIirers.
BY Professor Elliott, Washington State College.
Pillln

| fullmdn, April Zo.--ln MS Weth INC
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 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 fir 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 80 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 a dressing for straw
| berry plants, small fruits, and in start
ing apple trees7"
Professor Elliott replied: 81 believe
that the best grass for the region you
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. You will find the
application of barnyard manure very
beneficial also, but | 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 in'or
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 fertilizing purposes is
rather scarce.
"Another point I wish to bring up is
the care of COW before calving, where |
milk fever is suspected. ! lost one
good animal from milk fever last fall, |
and do not wish to take any more |
chances, if l 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 its nitrogen
able quantity of potash. Put the ma
nure in 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 preventive of milk fever, we
advise a reduction in the amount of
grain feed, and an increase in food of
3 succulent nature. Roots, grasses, or
'ilage would all be good, but too much
grain food might induce milk fever
You had better make study Of the
means Of checking milk fever by the in
ection Of oxygen with a small syringe
"Dodder is destroying my clover
writes J. o. c., from Rochester. "How
nay | check it''' II
Professor Elliott replied: "Dodder I
$ usually planted with clover, and after
becoming established in the soil, fas-
ems its tendrils to the clover, or other |
'lants which may be growing. Finally
t loses its attachment to the plant, 7
md becomes true, parasitic plant. 1t 7
APPS the life of the host plant upon c
which it lives, and if it becomes very '
trong in its growth, will eventually c
estroy the host. To control it, cut T
ut the patches of clover where it ap- u
ears, early in the season. before it has t
ormed seed. Rake this cut clover up, t
nd burn it before it becomes dry. BY
his means the seed is prevented from a
eeding, and as the plant itself is de- a
troyed, there is little probability Of the s
odded growing the following season. a
E. f. s., of Walla Walla, wants to d
now how to kill the morning glory G.
eed.' He was informed that: V
1.-THE determination of this weed is
le hardest weed problem that the ex- :
eriment station has faced. The plant o
one of the most difficult weeds to b
i'll, but its redeeming feature is that r.
does not spread rapidly. 1t stays II
here it gets its first start. Smother N
z by heavy applications of straw, or CT
anure. is fairly successful method. IS
at cutting it off only makes it grow ct
ore rapidly. 1t is probable that a fl
ltting before the application of the m
ulch would be advantageous. al
Milo NJ. Hastings, physiological II
lemist of Christian s School of Ap- ql
led Food Chemistry, of New York i,
ty, writes as follows: n,
60 am collaborating with Professor IN
lzuki, of the Agriculture Department IL
Japan, with the view of furtherine VI
e introduction of the soy bean into
is country. / wish to obtain the
ost reliable and latest data as to the ~
suits thus far obtained in soy bean :
lture in the States. Will you refer .
e following questions to the member
your staff who is best posted upon bl
is topicf a
'G Have soy beans been grown at ia
g Washington station or by the farm m
$ of the statef (2) If so, with what ST
ccessf (3) What do you estimate 10
g cost of production per bushelf (4) y.
} what uses have the beans been put. " *
d with what success' (5) Do YOU oa
low of any Investigations that have st
en- made in this country on the sub of
ct of soy bean products as human y,