East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-06-06
NEWS OF FARM
( AND RANCE
SECURE BIG INCREASE
IN ALFALFA YIELD BY
APPLICATION SULPHUR
Practice of Using 100 Pounds
Will be More Thoroughly
Tried Out This Fall Here.

The yield on approximately 100000
acres Of alfalfa land in Eastern Ore
gon may be increased on an average
of one ton per acre per year by the ap
pllcation Of 100 pounds Of flowers of
sulphur every four years, according to
| T.. l.. Ballard, assistant county agent
and leader of La Grende. This alfalfa
land is located in the heart of the best
range livestock areas in the state.
Articles regarding the results OBJ
Itained with sulphur in Deschutes coun-
ty have been published in many pa
pers in past years. In that county II
carloads were applied to alfalfa land
within a period of Is months and
yields were increased on an average
somewhat above a ton per acre. 1t
has been demonstrated. however. dur
ing the past two years, that equally as
good results may be secured in Kla-
math and Union counties. In Kla-
math county. sulphur is now shipped
in in carload lots under the direction
of the Farm Bureau and is recognize
ed as staple, in agricultural trade.
Farmers in Union county have not yet
made wholesale applications, but will
do so this fall
Sulphur was applied to alfalfa this
year for the first time in Malheur
county, one of the leading range sheep
counties of the state. Reports from
there show that favorable returns were
secured. In umatilla county, results
varying from I3 to 80 per cent in
crease were secured this year and in
the alfalfa districts of Wasco, Nor
row and Lake counties, nearly a ton
per acre is being secured. Soils of
| Wallowa county, in the northeastern
corner of the state, also respond TO
sulphur. Fred Falconer. sheep man
of that county, who recently purchas-
FED the Cunningham Sheep Company
in Umatilla county, uses the yellow
dust extensively.
The county agents throughout
Eastern Oregon list sulphur work as
an important part in their programs
and vigorous campaigns for its gen.
eral adoption will be carried on until
the alfalfa acreage in those districts
! RESPONDING well to its use has been ef-
feetively treated. sulphur. contrary
to opinions held some years ago, is
now recognized as direct plant food
for alfalfa and clover. There are APP
lproximately four pounds of the yellow
element in ton of alfalfa hay. Knowl-
ledge OF this fact was obscured in the
learlier days of scientific research in
lagritu;Iure, by reasons of the fact that
the element escaped as a gas from
lplant 1esidues while being burned pre-
paratory to analysis,
No i'll effects are experienced in
ARID and semi-arid districts because
of the presence of large quantities OF
llime in soils under those. conditions
The i'll effects to be epexcted are in
creased acidity, which Will probably
limit the use of sulphur in humid dis
ltricts. The difference In land con-
tents between the soils in arid and hu'
mid districts is very great The aver
age for the former being 1,S per cent
while the latter average run around
10 and is per cent. Soils in Des'
chutcs county where the use of sui
lphur is more general run as high a:
five per cent in lime content
Although many serious problems
confront the range sheepmen, the ol1
Fundamental problem of maximum
forage production which means more
cheap forage, still remains, and th'
luse of sulphur, the adoption of Grimm
alfalfa and the building of siios arr
, the methods being followed in Eastern
Oregon to provide it,