The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-04-12
CORN IN EASTERN OREGON
Value Of Crop in Dry Farming Re-
gions is Great, Says Prof. scudder
Of O.. A. C..

Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
wallis, Ore, March 30.-'In Eastern
Oregon one of the greatest advant-
ages OF the corn crop is that it is
a very low moisture consumer, and
since it will permit thorough cult
walton and moisture conservation, it
may be used as a substitute crop in
place of the summer fallow," said
Prof. H. d. Scudder, head Of the
0. A. c. agronomy department, in
discussing the results of the corn
breeding experiments at the college.
This gives return for the hand
ling OF the land" he continued, "get-
ting rid OF the weeds and leaving
the ground in nearly as good a con-
dltIon for the wheat crop to follow
as would the costly summer fall
low.
Grown in this way on the dry
farming lands, corn may be pastured
on with pigs and bring as good or
better profit than the wheat crop it.
self. Though the summer fallow
cannot be done away with alto
gether, in the more favorable years
and in those parts where the rain
fall is higher, it may largely replace
the summer fallow.
In the irrigated sections of. East
ern Oregon, and throughout the
humid sections of Western Oregon,
corn can be replaced by no other
plant as a green feed in the late
summer and as silage throughout
the winter. These facts have led
the college to devote much time dur
ing the past five years to corn
breeding. The idea has been to de-
velop two varieties, one especially
for the production of forage for green
feed or silage, much needed in the
dairy industry throughout Oregon;
and another variety to produce an
early maturing ear which will ripen
ana dry suff1clently to store and use
for early fall feeding, or to pasture
OH with pigs, and that yet will give
yield of grain comparing favorably
with other grains.
Foundation stocks for these two
purposes were developed in variety
trials by the Introduction of a num-
Der OF the hardest and earliest ma
turing corns secured in different
parts OF the corn belt of the United
States, the Minnesota No. Is and
the Minnesota No. % proving the
best. They have been planted in
separate fields, the best quality of
high breeding being secured to begin
with, and for two years individual
plant selections have been made and
ear row planting tests carried out.
This resulted in marked improve
ment in the qualities of these varie-
ties for Oregon conditions.
The pedigree breeding will result
in decided addition to the agricul-
tural production of the state, it is
believed. That these varieties are
successful where tried is attested by
the score of letters received request
ing seed at any price. Prof. Hysiop,
who is working with me on the corn
breeding, and |. are persuaded that
this, is due entirely to the tested
merits of the corn In 1910 there
were sent out small samples of the
best seed to progressive farmers
throughout the state for cooperative
testing. 1t is the results of these
tests which have created demand
for the seed last year and again this
year far in excess of the ability of
the college to satisfy it,
Prof. J. B. Horner of the O. A. C.
history department, delivered the
commencement address for the open
ing of the second semester at Phil
omath College this week, speaking
on Athens and Greek art, illustrat-
ing with pictures which he took
abroad