The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-05-05

saw about April to Is, when 1t Is
from 70 to 16 inches high. At this
stage it is still lush and green, SO
when it is plowed under 1t will de-
cav rapidly. After green manure has
been plowed under the land should
be thoroughly disced to compact the
soil of the ground layer and to cause
it's rapid decay. Where cover crop
is allowed to grow late in the spring
it becomes too mature to decay rap
idly and in addition saps the soil oil
moisture and plant food that shoulu
be reserved for the main crop OF the
season.
The fifth step in the early spring
work is the seeding. The best STANDS
of clover in Western Oregon are Sc
cured by broadcasting the seed on
fall-sown wheat as early as 1t IS
possible to get on the ground, say
not later than March Is. This cary
seeding, if the soil will permit, shouiu
be followed by light narrowing u
better cover the seed. Field peas
both in Western and Eastern Oregon
depend nearly altogether for success
full yields upon their being seedeu
at the earliest possible date the
weather will permit, say the latter
part of February or early MarGA'
When the land has been ploWed the
field peas may be drilled in to a
depth of three inches at the rate ol
two bushels per acre. II pea nay 10
desired, oats should be seeded ABOUT
two weeks after the peas have Deeh
sown. If field peas are soWn later
than March Is their yield is greatly
reduced. Mangels and other root
crops should also be seeded durlne
March, as should the thousand-headeo
kale. Kale where seeded early III
March. is ten to twelve inches hlgn
and ready for transplanting by the
first of June. Spring oats, OF course
give the highest yields when seeueo
during March. Potatoes generallj
give the best crops when seeded be
tween April IS and March l. Corn
alfalfa and field beans find the bes
= seeding time from May 1 to 10.
The sixth step in the spring Worl
. refers especially to the growing o
\ l6Suul6S, SuCH do fCISA' oiho
q, clover, in Western Oregon. The cor
! rection of acidity for alfalfa growing
is absolutely essential. This is done
= by lining the alfalfa ground the lat
:. ter part of March. Water slake'
,. lime. at the rate Of 500 to 15O
= pounds per acre, should be used
. The vetch, clover and alfalfa shoul'
:, receive a light dressing of from 4
: to 60 pounds per acre of land plaste
- about April 1. Land plaster, of course
:, does not correct acidity, but, b.
o. making potash available, legitimatel
!, increases the yields OF legumlnou
:, crops. Land plaster can be broac
- casted either before or after seeding
= or directly on the growing crop, bu
=, should preferably not be applied late
= than April Is, as it must be washe
. into the soil by the last spring rains
n Finally, none of these early sprin
, operations may be successful unles
d good seed is used. The enormou
O losses suffered by the farmers c
@ Oregon each year from the use c
n inferior seed is not realized, See
q low in vitality or containing larg
q amounts of noXious weeds are all to
e commonly sown, but seldom does tn
n farmer stop to think how easily thi
q continued and costly waste may b
a, prevented. A representative sampl
e of the seed to be purchased or use
8. can be secured from the seedsmal
/. and this sample placed in an Ell
@ velope and mailed to the Seed Tes
le ing Laboratory at the Oregon Agricu
r. tural College, where it will be imm
d diately examined as to purity and ge
ID mination and reported upon free {
N charge If the seed is inferior
h. need not then be purchased or sow
v 1t is especially vital that all tn
a grasses, clover and alfalfa should /
ID examined before purchasing and SOY
- ing. A tablespoonful sample is suff
is cient The month of March is tt
" ideal time for the farmer to maE
,e arrangements for purchasing seed fC
% the year. All the foregoing cost
,e operations and labor on the farm ma
ii be thrown away if this step
9r neglected.
We should have some recor
k, breaking yields this year. Season
a conditions have never been better.
u the Oregon farmer is to get max
At mum crops, however, he must r
Sc member that it will depend vel
TX largely upon the careful observanC
of these first important steps in Il
of early spring that will bring results.