The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-03-16

county agriculturalist went out anC
measured the ground and applied the
fertilizer. The fertilizer has been ap
piled on sixteen farms in the county
and the tests are now under way.
Barn Yard Manure
Many farmers already realize the
value of and are making the best use
of all available barn yard manure
However, one would be surprised in
going over one thousand farms in the
county to see the amount of solid ma.
Eure that is being wasted, to say moth.
ing of practically all of the liquid
manure going to waste. The fact that
| liquid manure contains a much higher
percentage of nitrogen than almost
any other kind of fertilizer and the
fact that nitrogen is the one plant food
that all our soil is in serious need Of
makes this great waste one that the
farms of the county can i'll afford.
Most of the work on the improve
ment of soils by the use of barn yard
manure has been done by going over
individual farms and assisting in plan
ming ways to handle. it so that the
fields would get the plant food con-
tanned in it. Soil has also been i'm
proved in a large number of place
with this fertilizer as result of re-
plies to inquiries. Where the hundreds
of questions have been answered on
corn growing, tomato growing, ETC.,
the absolute necessity of this or some
other fertilizer that would add both
humus and nitrogen has been pointed
out clearly. That it is a great benefit
to any irrigated soil, all of which or
iginally needed the addition of humus
and nitrogen, has been pointed out in
every discussion of farm crops and in
every letter on that subject.
There is no way of knowing definite
ly just what has been accomplished by
this work. 1t is known, however, that
number of farms are now using the
plans and suggestions made by the ag-
riculturalist. 1t does not seem unrea-
scnable to suppose that all the work
on this subject has had considerable
to do with the improvement of the soil
on good number of farms.
Dry Farming Report
The work in the dry farming sec
tions has been mainly secured thru
favorable public sentiment and coop
Grafton in studying dry farming meth
DDS.
Previous to 1918, no systematic
study of local dry farming conditions
and methods has been made. A local
cooperative spirit for this study has
developed to very satisfactory de-
gree. As one farmer put it, "a few
years ego Better Farming was rare
ly heard of. Nowadays every time two
or more farmers get together, about
all they talk of is better ways of
farming"
In addition to securing a co-opera-
tive public sentiment 81 cooperative
cards Lave been signed and work car
ried out in cooperation with the ag-
ricultural Office.
1t has been demonstrated that Rus
sian thistle can be satisfactorily con-
trollcd by discing Immediately after
harvest, then again late in the fall,
provided the cold weather does not
come early enough to stop tie seeding
of the crop that springs up after the
summer discing.
1t has been demonstrated that about
one ton per acre OF common alfalfa
can be grown by cultivating sufficient
to maintain a surface mulch from
early spring until fall. Feterita has
been grown in the Cold Creek country
and "hogged off" with very satisfac-
tory results to the owner.
1t has been demonstrated that
broom corn millet and Sudan grass
will produce light forage crops, but
that they will usually need to be fenced
from the rabbits unless grown in large
acreages.
Hog raising, where water does not
have to be hauled, has been shown to
be very profitable. The Office has as
sisted in placing three pure bred hogs,
furnished by the state college, IN diff
ferent localities.
The agriculturalist also assisted in
the experimental work with the draft
weeder. About twelve of these are
now used in this county and with very
satisfactory results in most cases.
Six agricultural meetings have been
held and addressed in the dry farming
sections. The attendance was 225.
Assistance was given at all meetings
in the organization of the Horse Hea-
ven Irrigation district.
The most important and most effec-
tive part of the work in the dry farm
ing sections, yet the hardest to show
in definite terms, is the gathering and
distributing of information within the
district. A great deal of time has been
spent in going over farms and study
ing in detail the experience of large
number of farmers doing particular
lines of work, then boiling this infor-
nation down to the essential points,
which contribute to the success or
failure of particular methods.
The following are some of the points
brought out by farm to farm study:
Spring blowing should be done very
early. Where this is impossible, the
ground should be worked very early
with harrow to make a surface mulch
to prevent loss of moisture, then pillow
as soon as possible. The agricultural
ist accompanied Mr.. Jacquot in max
ing some moisture demonstrations in
adjoining fields. One field was plowed
early in March, the other was plowed
in the middle of May. In the first case
there was three feet of soil that con-
tanned sufficient moisture so that it
would pack in the hand. In the other
case. there was NOT an inch of coil IN,