East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-02-23
Agronomist Talks TO Farmers
Union Men and interests
Them in Closer Farming.
FIELD PEA SUBSTITUTE
FOR SUMMER FALLOWING
Failures With Corn and Peas Due to
Improper Varieties or Wrong Meth
DDS, Says Speaker-Peas May BE
Used Every Other Year With
Wheat With Profitable Results.

Upon the timely subject Of Sub
stitutes for Summer Fallow," Prof.
H. D. Scudder, agronomist at the
Oregon Agricultural College, spoke
before the members of the county as
sociation Of the Farmers Education
al and Cooperative Union today and
to many business men who were pres
ent for the occasion,
Prof. Scudder had been invited to
speak at the meeting held here yes
terday, but owing to misunderstand-
ing he did not arrive until evening.
However, the meeting at Secret So
ciety hall today was we'll attended by
representative farmers from all sec
tions of the county and the session
therefore afforded a timely opportu-
nifty for the lecture. Prof Scudoer
spoke from II o'clock until IL and
at the conclusion of his talk he was
asked many questions by various far
mers present. The questions indicat-
ed a keen interest in the subject and
desire on the part of many to try
some of the suggestions made. Many
farmers asked for the addresses of
concerns from which they may secure
field pea, corn and alfalfa seed. Some
men presented the objection that they
hFd tried field peas and had failed
to procure proper results. In reply
Prof. Scudder showed that in each
instance failure was due either to
improper selection of seed or to err
rors in farming. Most men have fall
ed in raising field peas through the
fact that they have seeded the peas
too late in the spring. Success with
field peas absolutely requires that
they be gotten into the ground carry.
The question of the normal annual
railfall for Pendleton also came up
for discussion and a prominent far
mer. Henry Rosenberg, held that
the normal annual rainfall at this
point is IL inches. However, the rec
ords of the local U. S. weather OBJ
server show that the average annu-
81 precipitation for the past % years
has been 1906 inches at this place.
At Weston it is 24,72; at Umatilla,
S.53. at Pilot Rock. 1928; at Her
mnston, 6.7s; at Echo, 7.S9, and 1T
Blue Mountain. 3S.09.
Upon motion of w. W. Harrah, the
farmers union cast a vote of thanks
to Prof Scudder for his address and
thanks were also extended to the
Commercial association for inviting
him to the city.
Address in Brief.
The following is Prof. Scudder's
address in part:
- o1f 70
and corn growing on the wheat lands
of this region striges me as being
timely for several reasons. For sue
cessful production these crops, espe-
cially field peas, depend upon early
preparation and seeding. On the
other hand the agriculture Of the
Eastern Oregon wheat belt has come
to a point where its successful contn1-
uance depends on the introduction OF
such crops as will restore fertility and
at the same time permit higher pro-
duction per acre than is obtained un-
der the present single cropping sys-
tenn.
Soil Shows Losses.
Notwithstanding the great richness
of the soils of this region, the first
signs Of the tremendous strain il has
been under, in giving great wheat
crops year after year, is beginning to
show.
The enormous drafts on the soil
plant foods made by wheat, with no
return of manures of any kind, Is at
last beginning to show. The increas-
ing foulness Of the lands with weeos,
the running together and crusting of
the soil over winter, the increasing
danger from soil blowing, the extra
labor required to get the seed bed
into condition after each additional
wheat crop-all these are symptoms
of the destructive effect OF single
cropping. High yields have been
maintained only through the use vf
better seed and better tillage methods
but now that the soil is falling 9TH