The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-02-20
GRASS is BEST
MONEY CROP
SURVEY LISTS

SUkVE1 LlSlS
Agricultural Planning COun.
Gil Considers Marketing and
Production Trends; Out
look is Brighter
At the Agricultural Planning
meeting for Benton County held at
the County Extension office in Ken
newick, fourteen community COM
mitteemen met with r. M. Turner,
assistant director of extension and
agricultural economist of the State
College and county agent, Waldo w.
Skuse, to consider the value, trends,
price outlooks and the various crop
and livestock enterprises with re-
lationship to the state anr national
situation and further consider what
follow-up meetings should be held
in the various communities. The
highlight of the meeting was the
necessity of adapting the soil con-
servation program to Benton County
conditions, the request being made
for help in the organization of q
soil conservation association similar
to the organizations in six other
watersheds. Due to the continual
increase of wheat hay and grain
crops in the county in conjunction
with the fact that outside markets
for hay. have been gradually reduce
ed, it was brought out that the far
mers are becoming interested in the
feeding of cattle, hogs and sheep.
Since yields are high, this program
fits in ideally with most irrigated
farms in maintaining diversity of
income, improving filth of the soil,
and supplying the necessary fertil-
izer for intensive truck crops.
Asparagus has been the outstand-
ing truck crop in the county and
acreage per farm has been steadily
increasing during the last five-year
period. While it was shown that the
asparagus acreage in the state has
been increasing steadily since 1880
and the expected acreage for 1896
will be 5000 acres for the state yet,
an average year when the whole
Northwest does not have an early
season or late season, a consider
able portion of the Benton County
asparagus is shipped for the fresh
market with a consequent increase
in income to the producers. The
fresh price helps to hold up the
cannery price and the cannery price
helps to hold up the fresh price. It
was stated that the asparagus sit
uation will be best when canneries
are also located in Prosser and the
White Bluffs Hanford sections so
that all portions of the county will
be served.
The outlook for early potatoes,
head lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes,
tao. were considered as hazardous
yet. generally speaking, it was con-
sidered advisable to grow certain
limited acreage of these crops of a
few different combinations so that
the growers would be able to take
advantage Of high prices when they
could be secured and still be pro-
tected against the extreme hazard
Of heavy proportions of these crops.
The opinion of production of COM
mercial apples was that very care
full study should be given before
well-bearing commercial orchards
should be pulled. The early varie-
ties and the late varieties were con-
sidered to offer the greatest oppor-
tunities for profitable returns. There
has been a steady trend in the past
five years Of pulling of apple or
chards, this acreage being replaced
largely by truck crops and, in fav-
orable locations, soft tree fruits,
which together with pears in favor
able locations have been largely
profitable. Commercial vineyards
for the production of juice grapes,
particularly in the lower parts Of
the county offer profitable outlooks
If enough acreage is put in. The
quality is high and the yields are
excellent. ~
Numbers of dairy cattle apparent
ly should be maintained and the
maintenance of farm flocks of sheep
and the feeding of cut-back lambs
apparently would be two enterprises
worthy of careful consideration as a
means of consuming the feed grown.
There has been an increased in
terest in egg production the past two
years. Hatcheries in the county have
increased their output to a large ex-
tent. A recent poultry school under
the leadership of w. D. Buchanan,
Extension Poultryman of the Col
lege. have been better attended than
eXer before.
Turkey production has been an
outstanding enterprise that has
shown rapid increase in the past
two years which is a recognition of
very favorable climatic and feed