Imperial Valley press., 1922-05-24

representing ~ county L di III bul eduo
as well as the agricultural extension
service of California gathered at Berk'
eley May to attend the sixth annual
Farm Bureau travelling conference. The
object of this conference was to see
agricultural activities as manifested
through the agency of the Farm Bu
reau and the agricultural extension
service 1t was intended to show to
the various farm bureau representa-
tives the most successful methods for
the improvement of agriculture and
country life that have been used in one
or other of the counties visited. The
tour which started in Berkeley, passed
through 10 farm bureau counties and
Travelled approximately 800 miles dur
ing its itinerary.
The Imperial county delegation con
sisted of Geo. M. Austin of Ell Centre
and j. A. Harvey of Holtville.
Leaving Berkeley at $3.50 p. m. the
first leg of the journey was through
the beautiful orchard districts Of Ala
media and Santa Clara counties. No
steps were made during this part of
the trip but the delegates were able to
get very good idea of the richness
of this territory. After travelling rs
miles the party reached Santa Cruz,
where the night was spent.
Egg Laying Contests
After a night spent in Santa Cruz
a run was taken into the poultry dis
tricts of the county, where we visited
several poultry plants the most notable
probably being the California Farm Bu-
reau egg laying contest. Here talks
were given on different types of poul-
try houses, breeding, feeding and Gull
ing of poultry and also on agricultural
extension activities in the county The
egg laying contest, especially created
great interest among the delegates and
the discussion brought out the facts
that five states are represented in the
contest that the egg production is in
creasing each year through better
breeding and care of the birds and that
high class stock is becoming very
much in demand.
Leaving the Santa Cruz district the
tour took us through Watsonvile and
the Pajaro Valley with its wonderful
apple orchards. Arriving at the East
side Farm Center, just out of Watson
vile, the delegates witnessed the lay
ing of a corner stone of farm center
hall. This hall is being built by the
people of the community for the pur-
pose of holding all community gather
ings.
Miss Mccormick, home demonstration
agent of Santa Cruz county, gave a
talk on her activities in the county,
1yun inl1 }r,4
Several school children were present
with their weight charts showing their
gain in weight since being given Il
hot lunch at school and more nourish-
ing food at home. Not only did the
children and their mothers give very
enthusiastic reports on the project, but
even some of the men were very loud
in their praise of the work being done.
Farm Bureau Exchange
The Santa Cruz county Farm Bureau
exchange was also discussed. This or
ganization is made up of Farm Bureau
members, about two hundred in num-
Der, who have joined together princi-
pally for the purpose of purchasing
supplies. A membership fee of $50 is
charged. Up to January | of this year
of business.
The next stop was at Salinas, Monte.
rcy county, where the farm advisor
gave talk on the agricultural cxtens,
ion service activities in the county. lie
dwelt particularly on d plan for map
ping the soils and crops of the county
and building program of work on
such a map. Although this map was
not minute in detail it was of great
value in making out Il long time pro-
gram of work.
While passing on through the county
a stop was made at Gonzales high
school to inspect barley smut control
There were four plots
laid out, one each of copper cabonate,
bluestone and aermaldehyde as control
and the fourth as a check plot. In as
much as the barley was not fully devel,
oped, it was impossible to see which
of the control measures had given the
best results.
The run through San Luis Obispc
county was made very quickly, only
one stop being made, that at the San
Luis Obispo polytechnic school, where
several enthusiastic talks were given
and much interest shown in the Farm
Bureau movement.
New Beardless Barley
We next visited some barley variety
plots on the A. Bredall ranch neal
Solvang. Mr.. Bredall has developed q
beardless barley; which he has bred ul
until it is now q very high producing
strain. Last year, planted on soft
soil, this barley yielded four sacks
more grain per acre than Mariout Snd
also made five tons of hay per acre
On the ranch of John Orton in Santa
Barbara county we saw some purple
vetch which was being grown for seed
This vetch was planted April Is, drilled
in with Il bean planter at depth of
about two and one half inches. The
seed was not innoculated, due to tho
fact that the land had previously grown
legunIes.
Passing on to the j. &. Williams
ranch at Goleta we inspected small
individual refrigerating plant, which
greatly interested the Imperial Valley
delegation. The plant was of roenforc
cd concrete largo enough TO store 5000
haypS of nnnlcS and cost iuu x1O 000 n