The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-08-03
EXPERTS WILL
CONDUCT TESTS
LAWRENCE TO TRY COVER CROP
Four Experiment Stations Will be EStab-
iShed Press Praises Hood River
0rchardiStS.

Prof. W. II. Lawrence, the expert of
the Fellowship Association, who is
conducting experiments for the bet
terment of orcharding conditions and
for the eradication ofsplant pests, has
been very busy for the past week
working on a distribution of seed
samples which he has received from
the Government experiment station at
Chico, California, and from the Agri-
cultural Department at Washington,
d. c. From the seeds that have been
sent him he has. in his office about two
hundred samples from which expert
ments for cover crops will be made.
Among the samples are 5S varieties of
field peas, "A varieties of horse beans,
varieties of Burr clover, --23 varieties
Of common vetch, number Of forms
of plants closely related to the vetch
family. samples of scarlet yetch, hairy
vetch, bitter vetch and 81 varieties Of
Lathyrus Sativus, plant very similar
in growth to the vetches.
Each sample contains enough seed
for what is known as a row test. The
seeds have been divided into four allot-
ments, which will be tried on the four
different important soils of the Valley.
The experiment stations will te located
on the ranches of Babson Bros. in the
Upper Valley, Dckerson & Peck on
the East Side, Capt. c. p. McCan and
Geo. |. Sergeant on the West Side.
After the smaller tests are made the
plants that prove satisfactory will be
experimental with on large scale.
The cover crop tests are being made
for the purpose of finding the most
benecfial plant growth for thespurpose
of storing the soil with nitrogen and
humus. The seeds will be planted the
first of this month.
A large series of experiments are
also beng conducted by the horticul-
tura expert with different commercial
fertilizers, which are carriers of the
more important plant foods essential
to thesproper growth and development
of fruitI trees. Both experiments are
being worked out in connection with
the winter injury problem. BY
strengthening the growing tree with
the different essential foods, it is
hoped that the freezing may be pre-
vented. However the results of the
work will also be of inestlmabe value
to all of the orchardists of the Valley ;
for by them it will be determined
whether or not tine commercial fertil-
izers or the cover crops have a bene-
fetal effect ON bearing orchards that
are in every way healthy.
Prof. Lawrence has just sent loo
different soil samples from the valley
! -, kba nrae,nt, A srvs .,t1lt,rat EnlaNea
where they will be analysed by the
department of Agronomy in order to
determine their texture for the pur-
pose of working out drainage systems.
The Fellowship Association is
another of the evidences of co-opera-
tive measures that has made so much
for the success of the apple growing
community. The progressive tenden-
cies of the up to date orchardists Of
this region have been noted by the
whole country. The Portland dailies
have commented on the progress. An
article, highly commendatory, recently
appeared in an issue of the Journal of
Economic Entomology, published at
Concord, N. II.
The Spokane Spokesman Review
says "Hood River people believe in
the state agricultural experiment sta
tions and gladly avail themselves of
Is most valuable help. They also
believe in helping themselves in every
possible way, so they put their heads
together and some of their money, and
established what they call "The Hood
River Fellowship in Horticulture. y
They employed at good round salary
w. H. Lawrence, who was at the head
of the Western Washington Expert
ment Station. Science, work, money
and leadership have been required to
accomplish the results that Prof. Law
renee has already worked out. The
lesson is a valuable one for all fruit
growers.