The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-07-10

farming practices OF others. corn
recognized the premier ensilage crop
could not be- grown ut all or ut best
produced light yields even after seed
had been acclimated by careful selec-
tion.
Results during the past two sea-
sons have demonstrated the fact that
sunnowers will produce satisfactory
yields at elevations too high for
corn; that they Will produce more
tonnage per acre on the summer fall
low lands of the dry farm wheat
belts and that the ersilage is prac-
ticaily equal In feeding value to ccrn
onsilage and IL readily consumed by
livestock. II IL conceded by many
OF the most progressive farmers. that
the development OF sunfowers az nn
onsilage crop Il The most valuable
occurrence In western agriculture
since the introduction OF alfalfa.
Among the farmers holding that
opinion are several In Wallowa Coua
~ where the flrs: extensive feeding
ct sunfowcr ensilagn took place.
wallowa County n ono OF the lead
Ing livestock counties of the sta'c.
J,s excellent raugns of more than II
million acres support In summer 65 .
Ol6 head OF sheep and IS 600 head OF
cattle. The winter feed supply does
not In most years carry the stock
through the winter and shipping TO
neig hboring districts for winter feed
Ing is necessary. Last winter. for
Instance. S750.00o worth Of hay was
purchased in neighboring state. In
the neighboring county Of Union at IA
lower elevation. stock men had been
rapidly increasing the use Of corn
cnsiiase aud were finding that two
tons Of ensiiaGe on the average rc-
placed Q ton Of alfalfa hay generally
valued at twenty dollars. This look.
ed like good business to Wallowa
county men and the Farm Bureau
last year arranged fourteen demon
strations TO determine the value OF
runfiowers ~ an ensilage crop " the
high elevation OF 5000 feet prevail
Ing in that county. Oats and peas
were also given "a trial aud H. some
of the more sheltered valleys. corn
was planted. As "a result the number
OF ailoa increased from four To thirty
and fourteen OF them were filled
with sunhowers. The ensilaRe was
ted 10 dairy cows. stock cattle and
sheep. proving equally satisfactory
for all three classes OF stock. The
sunfiowcr ensilage proved To be SUI
perior To that made from peas. and
oats. Al the close OF the feeding SEQ
son. checks were made and the thirty
farmers went on record to the efiect
that the thirty silos had saved 1900
tons OF hay worth $4,000. A ser
les OF siio meetings was arranged to
hiring the facts before tho farmers OF
the county. II did not require much
time for the farmers to figure that II
they had had 700 s'los In the county
last year Il would have been unnec-
essary to ship stock on the farms TO
a neighboring state 10 consume three
quarters OF n million dollars worth OF
hay. As re'ult the Farm Bureau
has brought to the county sufficient
seed 10 plant i30 acres this year and
more than n hundred silos have al
ready been contracted for to be COM
pleted by harvest time. Several Of
the leading farmers are erecting two
or more.
Notwithstanding the fact that all
OF the sunHowers last year were sub
jected 10 u temperature OF 22 degrees
on June II. some large yields were
obtained. Upon well manured irri-
gated land. J. T. Gillespie OF Lostine
cut as high as thirty-hve tons per
acre. The average for the irrigated
land was approximately fifteen tons