The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-04-14
NOTES FROM THE EXPERIMENT
STATIONS.
(From Washington Experiment Station,
Pullman, Wash.)

(From Washington Experiment Station,
Pullman, Wash)
The only remedy for China lettuce
is absolutely clean cultivation. A cul-
tivator or harrow should be rugged
with knives, so that it is possible to
shear" two or three inches below
the ground, and completely cut off
all young vegetation. You should go
over the ground often enough to pre-
vent any leaves from appearing
above the ground. This kind of treat
ment will gradually wear out the
weed. However, if you neglect the
cultivation in busy times, the good
you have accomplished will be lost,
and you will have to begin over
again. 1t is by reason of this neglect
that many people are led to say
that clean cultivation is not sue
cess. 1t is a success, and the only
method, when it is thoroughly done.
The best method of keeping the
gophers away from your trees is to-
rid the orchard of gophers. This can
be done with comparative ease and
with very small expense if the owner
will carefully go over the field with
pieces Of poisoned carrots, and place.
piece in every place where the
gopher shows fresh work in the soil.
about the size of quail egg, with a
small slit made in the side of the
piece in which few crystals Of
strychnine are inserted. This dis
solves to poison the entire piece of
carrot. 1t will be necessary to go
over the field twice or three times
during the fall or early spring before
one can be sure that it is entirely
free from this troublesome orchard
pest.
Strawberry mildew" is an old
Eastern disease of the strawberry
which in recent seasons, has been
found in the West. Where it is
| found, carefully rake off as much of
the trash and leaves in the spring as
possible. Do this just after growth
starts. Destroy all of the leaves, for
q mildew will live over in these
leaves, and be there to bother the
plants another year. After thorough
ly cleaning up the patch, give 1t a
thorough spraying with Bordeaux
mixture. This is to be done before
the plants start into active growth
Watch your plants very carefully
during the growing season, and spray
again if it is necessary.
Logged-off lands treated with an
application Of well-rotted stable ma
nure should produce good crops of
| potatoes. II the manure Is not avail
able in large quantities, light appli-
cations of nitrate of soda put on soon
after they start to grow produce
good results. This fertilizer should
| be used at the rate of Is to $50
pounds per acre, and should be given
| just as the crop needs it. 1t will
therefore be necessary to give two or
even three applications during the
growing season.
One should not experience difficulty
in growing potatoes on bottom land
VI sandy soil. However, If land is
peaty, it may dry out a little too
early if it happens to be in COM
paratively dry section. If early po-
tatoes are desired, probably the best
variety would be the Early Ohio,
But If you desire to grow late pota-
toes, the Burbank is a satisfactory
one. Some people are very much in
favor of the Beauty of Hebron, while
others think there is nothing equal
TO the Early Rose.
Persons who wish to plant flowers
IN the spring that will grow during
The summer and be in good shape
during the fall could make use of
The very late varieties of sweet peas,
any of the asters, zinnias and pos
sibly a few pansies. Another plant
is the cosmos. Get the late Towering
sorts of these, and delightful results
will be secured.