East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-12-27
WOULD RAISE BEANS
ON SUMMER FALlOW
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN CLAIMS
CROP WON'T HURT NEXT
WHEAT YIELD.
Beans $1S Per Acre More Profitable
Than Summer FAllOwing, Little Ex-
ira Equipment Required For New
Work.

Thousands of acres of land are ly-
ing idle as summer fallow each year
in eastern Washington, eastern Ore
gon. and northern Idaho that are
well adapted to the growing of beans,
states Farmers Bulletin No. SCI Is
sued by the department of agricul-
ture, Fifteen years experience shows
that as good cereal crops can be
grown following beans as after an
ordinary summer fallow. The cult
walton of the bean crop replaces the
work necessary to care for the fallow,
and leaves the soil in excellent con-
dition for seeding winter wheat The
crop is also harvested in ample time
to permit early fall seeding.
Beans do not seriously compete
with wheat for labor, and the two
crops can be grown with practically
the same equipment Approximately
$3.50 worth of extra machinery Is
| needed to plant. harvest, and cult
vate from 10 to 80 acres of beans in.
| stead of cultivating the land as sum-
mer fallow. With the present wage
| for man and horse labor it requires
| about Sc more per acre to grow har-
vest and market crop of beans than
| it does to summer fallow an equal
| area. Since beans yield on the aver
age about 500 pounds per acre and
sell for cents per pound, the gross
return per acre is approximately $24.
In districts adapted to bean culture,
beans are therefore approximately SIS
| per acre more profitable than sum
mer fallow.
Generally speaking, the soils of the
bean growing districts are rich In all
| of the mineral elements necessary for
plant growth. Under such conditions
the maintenance of soil fertility will
depend almost entirely on keeping up
the organic matter of the soil. This
is not easily accomplished when beans
and cereal crops are grown exclusive
ly. Stubble should always be plowed
under instead of being burned. The
plowing under of partially decayed
bean and wheat straw will also dc
much toward keeping the soil in a
productive condition. The decayed
straw should be scattered rather
thinly over the grain stubble In the
fall 1t should be thoroughly worked
into the surface soil with sharI
disk harrow and plowed under a!
soon as possible after the first aut
umn rains. The disking causes the
straw to mix thoroughly with th'
soil at the time of plowing insteat
of forming layer In the bottom o.
the furrow.
Sheep Prices Good - The sheel
market in Portland was the most ac
tive feature of the livestock trade
Friday. All classes were handled t,
advantage so far as prices are con
cerned. Two lots of fancy wether
were sold at $3.50. equalling the bes
recent price. Lighter yearlings wen
at $4.15. The ewes were all good ant
/, sold at the uniform price of s4.25
about eight loads being disposed OF
Two punches of light lambs foun'
buyers at IS.
Installing Milking Machines - A
y the Paddock Bros dairy near Uniol
milking machines are being installe,
and the power for operating the ma
chimes will come from an electri
plant on Catherine creek. Paddocl
I Bros. have also imported 25 head o
pure bred Jersey cows with which (
. improve their dairy herd.
.
8 Buying HOrses-A horse buye
from Salem has been in La Grand
seeking for horses of the 1,400 poun'
t class.
n