The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-01-26

and poultry manure and such crops
as give more to the soil than they
take away. Fifty chickens will
keep an acre of ground in a high
state of fertilization and Mr.. Bart
lett recommended extensive poultry
raising as valuable to Kennewick
farmers who have the unproductive-
ness of the soil to contend with, not
only as a means of fertilization, but
as source of income in case of the
failure of crops. Many of the far
mers coincided with him in this
and gave the results of their own
experiments. Mr.. Bartlett found
that three trees in the barnyard
bore fruit heavily during seasons
when trees in the orchard which
were unfertilized were 80 injured
by the frosts that the fruit buds
were killed in their early develop
ment. This would prove that trees
kept in healthy state by the use
of fertilization are rendered immune
to the spring frosts. One of these
trees from which 1900 peaches were
picked in pruning, yielded twenty
five boxes of peaches. Rev. J. H.
Wood enclosed an acre of his or
chard with chicken wire and raised
his young poultry within this en-
closure. This ground is now in
fine shape and he expects to move
his park to another acre this year.
In closing, Mr.. Bartlett said that
too little importance was given to
the fact that the growth of Kenne-
wick is dependent upon the success
of the farmers and that the town
will remain a poor town just as long
as the farms are unproductive.
North Yakima farmers are bringing
from one to three million dollars to
the country each year while Ken
newick farmers gain from seventy
five to one hundred thousand year.
ly. Their income should be at
least million.
Rev. Fraser advocated the estab-
lishment of country clubs in differ
ent sections of the valley which
would affiliate with the Commercial
Club and help in the solution of
many ofthe farmers problems.
Among many points brought out
were the following: The best results
from fertilization cannot be expected
the first year but a great improve
ment in the productiviness of the
soil will be noted the second season.
In manuring asparagus beds, apply
the fertilizer in the fall, heavily and
plow it in and before the water leaves
the ditch, wet slightly. A sugges-
ton from Rev. Wood, in caring for
the vineyard, was to furrow the rows
and fill the burrows with manure,
afterwards allowing small stream
of water to trickle over it. In this
manner the ground was we'll watered
and we'll fertilized in the fall. Fer
tilizing is most effective in the fall
as the winter months with their COOL
er weather prevent the rapid evapo-
ration of the nitrogen which is most
needed in the soil. Alfalfa and
clover are very valuable as soil-en-
richers. Mr.. Burnath plows under
his last crop of alfalfa each year
with good results. A ton of clover
hay sold in the field at $500 is sold
at loss because it is worth that
much to the soil as a fertilizer.
Sold in town at ten dollars, the
farmer gets less than two dollars for
his labor in raising and marketing
the crop. If the ton of hay is fed
to the COW and the manure saved,
practically all the valuable fertilizing
Ingredients are returned to the soil
Hen manure used in the potato
patch will not produce scabby pota-
toes but will make the yield larger
and the quality better. A turnip
is very valuable when grown and
and plowed under in soils where
potash is deficient.