Imperial Valley press., 1944-12-07
FARM News:
AGRICULTURAL ExTENSlON-
- SERVICE Cd ----
SERVICE

knowing how much total reduction
in sheep numbers has been made.
CITRUS CROP FORECASTS
Citrus crop conditions and fore
casts for the le44-45 season in Cali
fornia from the California crop and
livestock reporting service.
The forecast for navel oranges IS
l8.720,0o) boxes as compared with
the higher production in 1884 OF
2l,07l. 900 boxes. This forecast Is
considerably higher than the 1912
43 figures when the production was
l4,241 ,0o0 boxes. The forecast for
Valencia oranges is not given for
the coming season. but the produc-
ton for 1884 was G0.800, 900 boxes.
slightly larger than the crcp for
out l942-43 season. California citrus
crops for l943 were all harvested by
November / with the exception OF
Valencia oranges. The new crops are
somewhat late and harvest Of navel
oranges or desert valleys grapefruit
has not yet started.
The lemon forecast is 1881 900
boxes as compared with ll,1S,0O0
boxes for 1884. In the case OF
Florida oranges. the large decline in
the forecasts of Florida crops since
a month ago reflects the destruc-
ton resulting from the recent hur-
ricane which passed ever parts OF
Florida. Forecasts for Flor d
oranges are now 45,80O0O0 boxes as
compared with 49,800,000 harvested
in 1894
BEAN ESTIMATES
The November preliminary esi-
mate of Califoln mia bean production
is 4,7l4,000 bags as reported by the
California field crop service, but
this figure does not reflect field loss
that may have resulted from the
frequent rains the first part OF this
month. Some loss in production and
reduction in quality is expected
where the beans were still in the
field. Considerable acreage is still TO
be threshed in some areas. Maturity
of the crops was slower this year
and threShing was later for that
reason. Growers were generally dis
appointed in yields Of all varieties
except baby limas.
ONE GRAIN. AND
GOOD ROUGHAGE
As every dairy farmer knows,
homegrown. high-quality roughage
pays. The more roughage you grow
on your farm, the smaller your feed
bill. Yes, every dairy farmer knows,
toe, high-quality roughagesis main
feature in keeping the cattle
healthy.
If dairy cows get plenty of rough
age, those cows will produce we'll on
a ration of one kind of grain. They
don't need complicated grain mix
lures, according TO Assistant Farm
Adviser George Winright.
At each of three field stations, in
different parts of the country, two
groups of COWS were fed throughout
their lactation period. or for almost
a year. One of the groups of cows
was fed a ration made of four or
five grains and by-products. This
ration included high-protein con-
centrates. The other group of COWS
was fed just one kind Of grain. At
one staten, it was corn. AT another,
barley. At the third, kafir. The cows
got no pasture But both groups, at
all the stations, got all the alfalfa
hay and silage they would eat. The
cows fed the single grain ration with
plenty of roughage produced SO per
cent as much milk, and over 95 per
cent as much butterfat, as COWS fed
en- mixed grains AS for the COM
parative cost-at two of the stations
they found it cost less to produce
a pound of butter fat on single
grain ration. At the other station
the cost was the same.