The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-07-13
MONTHLY REPORT OF
CO. AGRICULTURAL AGENT

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tention during the period of thi
report were in connection with al
falfa weevil, crop Improvement ant
horticulture. Some time was de
voted to rodent pest control and IL
holding meetings in the more re
mote communities of the county
Individual farm visits and checkine
up on demonstrations required sew
eral days time, as did miscellan.
eous and routine work.
AT the suggestion of President
Van Petten of the Ontario CONNER.
cial club and at the expense of that
organization, portion of the tract
on the Homer Utley farm which was
sprayed for alfalfa weevil on June Q
as reported in the last monthly re-
port, was again sprayed on June IL
for the purpose of determining the
value OF second spraying on
sprayed hay and the comparative
merits of late vs.. early spraying.
On June 16 the agent made counts
Of the number of live alfalfa weevil
larva on the different treatments,
and on June 25 weights of hay from
measured plots were taken from
which to estimate yields. These re-
suits are given below. The figures
are only approximately correct, yet
quite conclusive as to the value of
the treatments given. The quality
of the early sprayed was far super
ior to the late sprayed hay, while
the unsprayed hay was almost
worthless.
Sprayed June 2, single application,
June 16: Live larva 26O, ap-
proximate yield in tons per acre,
Sprayed June Q, double application,
June 16: Live larva, 10.
Sprayed June IL single application,
June 16: Live larva $50, ap-
poximate yield tons per acre IA.
Sprayed June and IL, June 16:
Live larva 800.
Not sprayed, check, June 16: Live
larva 100, approximate yeild in
tons per acre IL.
Investigation Of the spread of
this pest into the more remote Sec
tions of the county was made in the
Jordan Valley, Ruby and Rome dis
tricts In the south end, and the
Birch Creek, Basin Creek, Malheur,
Ironside, Bonita, Brogan and JAM
ieson sections in the north end of
the county. No weeyil were found
south of the center of the county
although persons were observed
hauling hay for feed, while enroute,
from the infested areas of Oregon
and Idaho, by which means, II no
other, the weevil will certainly be
introduced before long. Infesta-
tions varying in degree of advance
ment were found in all the north
ern part of the county as far as the |
Baker county line. In connection |
with this survey, a series of meet |
lngs were held at which the distri-
button of the weevil was made
known and its habits and methods
Of control explained. The stock
men of the interior communities
are particularly interested in check
ing the ravages of the pest as they
realize that hay is the backbone of
heir industry. While the hay
growers of the lower and higher
priced irrigated lands are inclined
% turn to other crops rather than
% fight the pest to save crop
which has not been particularly at
.ractive to them of late years, 1t be-
ZONES doubly important to the
Jtockman of the interior that his
,wn acres do not fail To preserve
he meadows of the stockmen calls
or organized action along lipes
which are known to be effective.
Drop Improvement
Work on this project consisted Of
shocking up on large number of
and in holding three
demonstration meetings
or the inspection of crop demon
trations. These meetings were
held at Oregon Slope, Kingman
md Vale. While not largely at
ended owing to the rush of work
IN the farms at the time, a number
Il the farmers turned out to each
Meeting, and considerable interest
vas manifested Among the de-
inspected were soy
,eans, peas for cannery purposes,
,otato seed experiments. Hybrid
70. 1913 winter wheat. Federation
pring wheat vs. other spring
wheat varieties, field beans. Ladino
lover and red clover In communi-
l.t /