The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-04-25
Farm News
From the County Agent, st. Cloud ).

- SSOHA
weed control were given by a num-
Der Of people including r. A. Ira
vatten, commissioner of agriculture,
G. p. Bull, deputy commissioner in
charge Of weed control, Sam Ham
merbeck and G. F. Schrader. The
latest developments in weed con-
troll were freely discussed by every
one present.
In Stearns county this year an
aggressive program for weed con-
troll will be carried out. On Fri
day and Saturday meetings were
held at Melrose and st. Cloud re-
spectively for the township officers
and weed inspectors for the var
ious towns, villages and cities. Both
of these Stearns county meetings
were well attended and the state
Of agriculture was rep
resented by Sam Hammerbeck and
c. F. Schrader. During the past
week L. Lohnbakken, the county
weed inspector, served notice on
a large number of farms on which
creeping jenny and leafy spurge
are present. This notice was in the
nature of request that all areas
infested with leafy spurge and
creeping jenny be kept in black
fallow as a part of the agricultural
conservation program. The notices
were sent out at this time in order
that farmers who had intentions
of putting such areas in crops this
year might make their plans early
enough in the season to keep these
areas out Of crop. AS the season
progresses the use Of chemical
sprays through the county weed
sprayer and dry spreading equip
ment will be stressed. Until rec
emily, according to the county
agents office, it has been difficult
to get the necessary consciousness
in weed control on the part of
farmers in the county. During the
last few years however, there is a
interest in getting all areas
kept under control.
With the frost now out Of the
ground, it's time for tree planting,
says county agent e. G. Lenzmier.
He suggests few simple precau-
lions which, if followed, will insure
a much higher percentage of sur
vival.
If several days will elapse after
trees are received and before they
can be planted, they should be
"heeled in" a trench dug in damp,
shaded spot. Spread the trees out
along the trench, taking care that
all the roots will be thoroughly
covered, and pack the soil firmly
about the roots. If the soil is some
what dry, it should be watered, Mr..
Lenzmeier warns.
While planting care must also
be taken not to permit the roots
of the young trees to become dry.
Keep the stock in a bucket about
half full Of muddy water, remov-
ing a tree only after the hole has
been prepared to receive it. A good
practice while planting is to shade
the tree and the hole with ones
body, thus further reducing the pos
sibility Of excessive drying Of the
roots and the soil of the open hole
During the planting operation it is
very essential to get the soil firm
ly packed about the roots of the
tree. Wild stock dug on the farm
needs the same care as nursery
stock.
This year a special incentive for
tree planting Is offered through the
agricultural conservation program
As much as $50 can be earned
over and above any other payments
that the farm might earn on each
farm for tree planting. The pay
ment rate on this is 5 units or $3.50
per acre. Four acres would pro-
vide the maximum payments. How,
ever, any farmer can put in a less
er area Of trees If he chooses. II
is necessary for windbreak pur.
poses to have in at least 300 trees
per acre. Leaflets on tree plant
ing can be secured from the coun-
ty agents office.
The place Of sweet clover as a
farm crop in Stearns county has
been questioned by many farmers
in the county, according to the
county agents office. The facts
are however, that sweet clover
won't take a back seat for any OF
the common pasture crops when
yields and production costs are con-
sidered.
At least this conclusion Is proved
for sweet clover pasture in the
Red River Valley area. Conditions
in Stearns county would not be a
great deal different from those in
this area except that over period
Of years Stearns county has a heav-
Ter rainfall than the Red River Val
ley area and therefore heavier
yields Of sweet clover might be ex-
pected. For three years this crop
in the Red River Valley gave yields
equal to "a bushels of corn, 70
bushels Of oats, or AZ bushels of
barley in terms of feed or digest
ible nutrients.
In these same trials sweet clover
furnished 126 days Of pasture for
a cow on each acre of sweet clover,
while the native grasses lasted only
81 days during the season. In order
to arrive at this comparison, the
grass and sweet clover from fenced
enclosures were clipped several
times during each Of the 3-year
period to measure the growth of
the crops and as a basis of COM