![]() ![]() |
![]() |
UFDC Home | Federal Depository Libraries of Florida & the Caribbean | UF Government Documents Collection | Internet Archive | | Help |
Material Information
Record Information
|
Table of Contents |
Introduction
Page 1 Conditions on the project Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Field experiments Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Soil-fertility experiments Page 10 Green-manure crops Page 11 Ornamental trees and shrubs Page 12 Irrigation methods Page 13 Community breeding of dairy cattle and extension work Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 |
Full Text |
-d <'//9.
A ' I .1" ' United States Department of Agriculture, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. Western Irrigation Agriculture, WASHINGTON. D C THE WORK OF THE UMATILLA RECLAMATION PROJECT EXPERIMENT FARM IN 1913.' II 11 \V ..Al ll i. .. INTRODI''TION. The experinimnts carritl on at thie I1'n1n1ila. E\perri reported in a previous puhlil Ati i1i. i n n11 It'i lit irf ti1' .iiLtil il/.- of the farnis on the 1'rnaiilla proje't-'t wi-li e'iiii Jiil vei'rng ,f .about 30 acres of irrigable laind--it i, imk,.-ia"ry tlint .r.v'-iii- ," intensive agriculture he cst )iih-.hei'd. Tit, tliiiIli. ',tiiiii ,i(1111 the project are wtll situildl to lt' protlllUtiii of I'*i'i;Li i1111-k k and fruits anti to dLiry flu'niing. Ont' of ilit' iir.t rr(|toriinm iI- of successful rop pro thitioi (on t liil" ji'jt't' i., tfi ii'i ruii- ,' iii' '4v1 of organic miatt er in the soil, (. as ti ihizprnn,, i'hir v;iIr-1huhliilil capacity and productivity udll to lrsct'l t li t liLiigi-r ,f wiiLd t'rio.)'lii. It is nec.essary also that crop aiiritis suirrtl to the 'lii ,idi L-. I'iL I lle4 project he found andti that saiti-fairtory i.iuilod- Il,, \orkril nit filr handling the soil aid the irrigiaLion water. Since its establishnment in 1 9'li, tht I'nitiiiilli t Expriniirit FLrini has been devoted to the uive.rtiugtin ()f thlke, prolilrii-. Tli, w -rk oif the farm hasi. been inLiIdY horticILItUral ILIiI i. lit pri'-nIii ,niiirII! I The .Ut ilila ixprrimi'ntI Farm is local nn the IU'matill., iRclahmal i:,. I r. i' I.ti r nr it-- ni.rlh ollisnlton.(o rerg. There larm contaiLn., i'Bcrt'sof l. l withr.iwi rrw ni i1 't ilr l J I I i '. jri Tl.o 1,1 iof l Intelrior for Iuse as l an e perip ment Iarm It is m.inar.ined 1I, li '' r. L- ii .1 Iri4 il.ir' ili I Lpi rintir" I Station and opeiraitedl in eopersil on wilh the IlLureat o[ 'l.int Iilrl'i.frY. I h..;.l i '' I c 1 '.-. rlin ni. ri 1,r .Agricullure, under ILa Coopert e agreemirnt. Operaltions werp I.',-',in 11 I .rIi Th t. iiili,, n-.4,1 %i r- ernnslt nited by th,' In'Dlii N Siatis Reclamation SSn icr and t'. th i iIr' 'v.in .1Ar \i 'I''ir.I l '% r r, riA l .r ..i iii The expeniM ofI the farm are hard equally hy the Orr,'n Ci 17,ii, 1 cmi Iii,. ir *I,. %% t r'i Irrir ri..ri JA tgllilture. The Invirli nrinal work is uInier Ih1, immilMilc ;l[uIrl. ii..n ..r i* .r'i -l'i" ri!t,. ril.i,. *whkL l ail c a rllahioralor n I he Blirfui' 11 Pilant Inrdn.lry. I1 AllabiJL. W T'lr w rk oi the I 'matilla Iperimenti Flarm uin Il-' % I',1, ,, .'Ti',- r*.ir,,. li -i i of Pll lutryv Circular 129. p. 21-12, 1913. 52447- 14 o clihiellv N to tting varieties, of fruit-, and truck crops. an ini, mluetild-, iof producing these crops, including nimetilod.- of irriga- tlil. 1'l'e present pullirati,,n' contains a brief dis.ussioin of the ji),Ir,'.-- of tihe work during tlie 'ear 191... CONDITIONS ON THE PROJECT. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. Mea-surements of pi'< i p litaiti,,, t'va[J)(o',itit'n, winll velocity, and temperaltu1' hlave Ib'cn matd]e at tlhe exli)rint'-nt farm iln cuoperatioti with the Biopltysical Laboratory of tihe Bureau 4f Plant Industry silltve Sep)t em ber, 1911. A summary of tlie limnat,'di .ical observations f,,r th three v'i'iars is given in Tuble I. T 1 ll 1: I --.,'it/4n nar' of '/l u tllviifv ll qii ut r,, i;,m,, ii /ll I lll't 'rl, rimnenl Farm l i' U I'Tll T X'I l I ,'li ++ i'RH-. IFIT \TIn.\ [Nn. llL+ i Y. Ir i ni ) in I .I. Mir .\.r M J'. Juiln J.lIl 2 -I 1 I .1 I -'" 11 '17 1 i." li ,4 I 7 I r i. C l 4% " 'r NI v. .-p (i 'c Nov. lie An- nulltl 5 0 1') 0. 4 0 j .O.. 1 1 M 13 '3 .2, I 1 41 I 20 .62 9. 2B S .2: . 74 .1 ..... I \P'IR %Tl''N IN- HEi', I 3' 7 : 7 I ,n 21 ;- './ .1 ; II %7 11 'j h'< "II tl 1t 3 .7 9 ,4s -" in, 2 iil 4 41. 1 47 7% 2i .18. 50 ;il I>' ,,11) tU ; 4 . . . II L \\II %\1 11 XNl 1.1'LIT '' ,M[\L1 I i nF I'F RI I J i : i 1 1 1 1 ' '. I i '1 I ") .1 .1 ; 4 1 It./ I 9 '., II~I 15 2 i)f-*1 : , 3 it 1 tl 1 \, Mi,'.TIli N Ti. MP.Rin I Ft. I 'I l 4'. 41 j I .I r'.lj 2 P.1 -)Q 21 1 ,i 4. I 1,' 74 tL5l till S ; 91 1114 11n12 11I2 7 1 .11 No) N7 '9. Il, I,1J tWl . ... .. . . . N* |l 41 4' 41 12 -- ,, I, -,i .1 44 44 I 42 il I, % -,'r lii'nt.tim pll', t'"l ljg u fret'.'lLig of "j I l 2 22 I" ,, I 'J ", N r j.:.' 1 .4 IL I \ r.'i ' 2 2. I I M.'3 I.. .Li .n .. .d'n . itl a . . <|f Ill ll/il .'I.. I1 214 I 7 ii M, ill1. . ,'11., II'' M *\XIrnrlii., NJ II . Ii:: . NI iin tilii .i| 1 :4 .. ..... 4 .* 3 4 12 3.1 16 2 19 8 15 4 16.9 3.. 15.3 ).. .8 5 .3* .3 .34 ....... i i . . . A1 ....... 55 ...... t 1 104 51 105 12 ... .. 12 -Is 7 6 4. .1. 4, 42 Vil 4/ '." I hi. , 'I Si 11 2, 2" '1'i' dates -If tih last -Il in.. frousts m Iir'. autumnNl fArosts froml 1UNo to I'l inclusi ve, were obltaiMned from I the lcal llice of the Ivclahima- tion Srvil'e at tli1 iiiTi-.t'i,.l about 2 miles from tlhel e\priiiiirit farm. In 1 .IL2 an1i 1913I the observations were IlIIC a t the fIarmI 111T, -.. dlata tti- tile five yVear 11'i'i to 1i91 ;. ilusive,, art, W.ziven in Tab&e I1. 190 ir't ill in F t in 1 1umii 1 II r,~ A ptIh vt'a, () q I1 -u ti' I U, 19I .. Apr. l: < >l Ill*l 17: rAUL I I ; ..... ..... \. 24r :d '7 l 4. 4' *l t lIBI1 pr. 2il 4 4' :4 2!! ',' "i. 11Apr. Z U Spt. 2- \ 1p 1913~ ~ 4 ~ p 411~ T i g ... .. .. . ., ,., ,,, .. .. . .. .. . A(RI(I ;LTUI'RAL (CONI)1TIONS. 'Till season (of 1913 was espe' i:1ll\ favorable for crop prohucli,,'. the number Iof heavy wids anid hlot days 1, il_, relatively few. A hot wave which occurred l.1 t in July checked temIporarily the i.. l l, h of the more tender crops of the pr ,j'i ,I. but was not serious. A light frost occurred on September 24, but did very little ,*i, '1,;,. C(ontinu- ous cold weather did not li i, until unusually late, so that fall-planted C'ops hail verY favorable ;ill" iIL. conditions. In I i13 the total i rii,.,ilild, area of the 311 farms on the iii jt,.t was lI0iri'12 acres. Of fliii. an area of .1!) acres w\as actually irri- gtld. T'l 1 VC ii1 1 iii i ti td, area Iapr farm was about 16 acres. Of the lamd ac.ttuIlly innit.,,l, an area of l,'.il acres was devoted to ,u ii.. ,rlarid-, w1\ seeded :dlIf:t. i, for giii. manure, and other crop.p, not liiure-ted., so that the total area from which crop,- ere larve,-std was :i..;: acres. Th1-, area was Nabout 21H)i acres less than the ira harvested in 1912. TliO' a ,.ri:.r, farmni value per acre of all the crops on the pr,,'j'ct was Z27.72 in 191 :;, as comIparedi w ith Q24 in 1*12. "hie :i rr'.,_'r, \ilil. and farm values tof the crops i. ,M 1n on thp Il'jlt in 1913 are stated in Table III, the li-i'i,'- beWil oh- tained fiiii the United States l ii,.l, ,iii ,' "i vice. 4 TABLE III.-Acreage, qi', lds, and farm values of crops grown on the ('matilla project in 1913. Yield. Firm %aluu Crop. Alfalfa hay.............. Clover hay.............. Other hay............... Apples................. Apricots................ Artichokes ............. Corn .................. Corn fodder............. Watermelons ............ ! Frui!, small ........ (;irap.s............. Garden.............. Onions................. Pasture .............. Peaches ............... Potatoes. Less liiphlii, r ,m-. 'l0alI Average % Ilur Ari. 1 nil uor (acres).l yield. 2,024 Ton..... 20 ...do.... 42 ...do.... 11 Pound.. 6 ...do.... 9 Ton . 56 Bu.ln-I 76 Ton. 13 l'oind.. 36 (Il . 91 .dr. 59........... 3 Bushel.. 496. 87 Pound We 11ushpl 7'-'4 I lIs Per ,fr'r. _______I Per Total. unit of Total. Aver- Maxi- yield. age. mum. R.10 O 3.96 10 1 $8.00 $64.0'0 .14 1.7 4 7.35 2.50 38 .90 2 6.00 22.% I..S"II 163.6 800 .04 72 4, 12o. 720.0 I.1i'M .05 216 119 13.2 25 10.00 1,170 L.(0s 19.43 85 .84 914 212 2.79 8 3,75 795 139,l0uli 10,692 16,000 .075 1.042 . 22. .Il41 615 5.760 09 l.'J9J .^,1.2u 426.6 2i.uu000 .02 77b ....... .... i . 436 145 i I2.2 71i o 7. Ii-I -S b. UIU 1 1122 5 13 b4 2,835 218 3.297 I. 1ix 4, '24 m4.07 .. .. .27.72 . . . MARKETING CONDITIONS. Marketing conditions on the project, while somewhat better than in 1912, were not entirely satisfactory. The first peach crop was harvested and marketed at considerable disadvantage, owing to its not being of sufficient size to warrant the assembling of carload lots and to the glutted condition of local markets. Early potatoes, which could not be disposed of in 1912, brought a fair price early in the season of 1913, but a quick decline made it impossible to dispose of all the crop at profitable prices. Watermelons shipped in carload lots brought as much as three-fourths of a cent a pound. The distance to market makes it important for fruit and vegetables to be shipped regularly and in uniform condition, which is impossible without a local organization to assemble and grade the products before shipping. Such an organization could also prevent wasteful competition between neighbors in the nearer markets. The rapid increase in the number of dairy cattle on the project made it possible to dispose of a large part of the 1913 crop of hay by feeding it on the farms. The prices thus obtained were higher than those previously received for the hay. The output of the local creamery increased 270 per cent during the 10 months since it began operations. A total of s3.285 pounds of butter was manu- factured during this time and an average of 35 cents per pound was paid for butter fat. An increased area of land was pastured by oligs and the returns were far above the commercial value of hay which the pastured land would have produced. The hay crop sold out early at $6.50 to $7 in the stack and $9 to $9.50 baled and loaded Per acre A ver- age. 31. 66 12.50 5.43 6.50 36.00 132.00 16.32 10.45 80.15 55.33 8.53 48.05 72.67 6.65 15.72 58.12 MaUi mum. 880.00 29.40 3260G 330.00 250.00 1300.00 i32.OD I ofl caki fur IIhipnlelit. The detindil fr billed lin 4 nYtiiu'd, and the price advaInced to $11 ,o to1in ltter itn te il saon'm. n1"1-.1) I.xr: XI -{INI -i; <. " iTh, Iriii;il,! i Iwnes of woIrk !i1,i,_., whiti oxp\rl ircliilts w,1, vtei- ductiitd on thl farm in ll 13 ire as folho ws: (1) T I II, t.i,.ii,' ,f fruit variielii-. anid mI thdI <,f their l rIln i ucti PlO 1. l.-Di-&tg of thft ni'm l~ta 1 \ ain. rit i rni a rowrno the arrr.agin nt how lltit anAId -tt IWat on ot the J.'Primnt il 191 . of gtIr-dtol and truck crops; :;) experuients with mietlods of i rlZi,-4iL'. til' supply- of ,,.:,ii matter in the ,il; (4) the tr-t iui,, of a number of greell- i1111 rI' crops and methods of lialIliii. them; (5) gr,,wi,. nucnieroI, hard trees and shrubs to find their value for ornamental purpo-.es anid as wuilidblrek-; : ti0;) continued tv-tiTZL of Ilitr',,itt irmgtiion methods. The arraiiineIcIlit 4f the lieli and thile location of the experiments in I'1:3 are shown in figire 1. 6 Some valuable results have been obtained from these experiments, and some of the more important are briefly reviewed here. The results of these experiments are in most cases not given as final, but as a statement of the progress so far made. The methods of tillage have in no case been other than can be followed by any farmer on the project. EXPERIMENTS WITH FRUITS. Varit tests o te tree fruits. -The principal experiments with fruits are tests of varieties, of which but few have as yet fruited. The success in starting trees and their subsequent growth have varied greatly with the diif-,rcnt, kinds. Practically all varieties of apples have been found to be hardy and have made a fair growth. The hardy, large-growing varieties, such as McIntosh, Winesap, and Gravenstein, and the Transcendent crab have grown more rapidly than others under similar conditions. The Hyslop, Martha, and Yellow Siberian crab apples blossomed in their fourth year, 1913, .-iowing a tendency toward early fruiting. The growth of the pear varieties has been very slow, but was much better in 1913 than previously. Their behavior indicates that they require considerable time to get established when set out on new land. Quiwnce-, have behaved much the same as pears. The growth of prunes and plums shows a wide range of adaptability between different varieties. The Peach plum, Sergeant (Robe de Sergeant), Lombard, and Maynard are quite hardy and have grown rapidly, attaining in four years a height of 6 to 10 feet. Some of the better commercial varieties of prunes are more difficult to grow, especially the Italian (Fellenberg) and Hungarian. The variety test of cherries is located on a steep, south exposure. The growth of the trees has been very slow, and several trees have died. The sour varieties of the Duke and the Morello groups appear to be more hardy than the sweet varieties of the Heart and the Biggareau groups. In 1913 several varieties blossomed early and set a large amount of fruit, which was removed to relieve the trees. The peach, nectarine, and apricot trees are also located on a steep south hillside where considerable grading was done in preparing the land for irrigation. The growth of the difTe.nt varieties is fairly uni- form, but varies somewhat because of the uneven character of the soil resulting from grading. The average height of peach trees in their fourth year was 43 feet. A large number of varieties blossomed in 1913 but only a few set fruit, as the blossoms were destroyed by frost on April 23. The slow growth of these trees is to be attributed to their exposure to the sun and wind and to the infertile soil on which tfhv are located. M[tlI,,,d. of planting strawberries.-To test the four common field methods of planting strawberries, namely, the double hedgerow sys- tm the ..iiil.. i." ,'.,,i 1;1tem, the p iiatte lr i s1-, ,, I ( h }u Ill .-\-l,. k eIII''lh'ieum Iui s been c,,,ndu. t. d fur Ilhri1, yearIl . Phtiie o" the ('lark (I I I' .",,,, .. ,) variet- ere pjlam ed in SIep temlur, 19111. oil newly .. .,d. ,1 li ,1...,,, ,'r 'lL Ih tll an cre r l,,._. pli',d by each Iethod. Table I V shIis te illniutiNr f plants (i ech plat and th] ph hIe a yields .t I, ,,. H1 il ,i IV ll i; tn '. .' t .ttliT i .. _ _h ..I..... y.. .*. I . .... I ' ii 1'.i V. A, I ,, I 1I I I I. p.Ir ]l l w ,-I' I ,' y I O h l p e r a c r e w na s (o l ta i n ed f r om It h el d m illb , ,_, Il I l ,I ,%\ I a,l : | ., T he hill s y-ste mi of oin..t i Mi ,-,_ is thte ios t iieco no ical to) ha mldh, as the IlalIItS 21re kep t II apart, w hI ich fa l itates .111 ,,1i il,-:. m e n k l,.,.,in,,- o t weeds The Smallr ll (f ph t ;) li,. % Will If fruit lln I'tllu iI.FI T' ie V. -i n t. i. .......... .I f .;f, i.. .mo e.it / c t a I t ah ant i ie.n:t ,are* attributed theh inf ertil ". .ontio, of the hso1i. Prvli-%iVin parieties of strawu rri&s. ( f the 74 strawberry varieties iinder t i-nl, those named in TAble \ have *zi '\\i\ thie best results. T iH X -fi:i[- F *' 1..,,..* 1' (O/ t a fd "''" Il Idi y/U* 1 iA r j wr I f of/ni /unur ,** *' Turids *,: aru'hrrnn st it thr t iinitdl, f. "F Idlo n i r .. ., . .. .. 'T.. . ... . i.l Parquon ..' .. May 1 .I rTi, x .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. f11T I 1. I1n- MI ill r F . ...... l ..... IFF K u1i.<;i . .............. F '' J n<> :i F .. F , 'l.l k. . ..... .. ..... .................. .. 2 ... M ay .. 2 .Alti ,iiI I far inferior in point of yield, the 4 lirk is vIl.IIl. on account of its arlyiv maturity and superior -hipi[iiw., quality. TIi other varieties are rather soft and inferior for marketiii_'. The Tri'... Kaiii-As. nd Parson can be -,ippeIl -,ir.-, 0-4f1l'y to local markets. 6m'1, 11 Fi, -T.. The fi.ll.\ wi I, varieties of gooseberries were grown in 19 13: ])ow,,ninLg. Industry, Josselyn, ()r._',i i. Pearl. SIith IVict, rii., amnd T~'Iou.nli ii 0Io,1L'1 i.l, alnd "iTli. red varieties, and the Victoria, a white variety, have proved the most hardy and plroductive. 8 Gr(apss..-Of tih few varietin( of grapes that fruited in 1913, the It-rditI1 is far 'u lperior, as it is a vigorous plant and produces abun- dantlyva fruit i)f vi',yivigh quality. The Diamnoiid, Agawarm, Catawba, ('!.inj)bell, and (Concord arc promising varieties. The American varit-ties a])|i)ar to bo well adajpttd to, the conditions on the project glon arctiulit of tlh.ir late blossoming and adaptability to light soils. Tie' quality of the fruit, is very good, being sweet and highly fla- viiretI, anld tlhe fruit niatures early. On account of their requiring winter prote-tion and a long warm ,'a-,on to i mature thrir fruit successfully and from their susceptibil- ity to cro\own-g ,l, tlie Viiiftras (California grapes) are not as well adal)tp to t, to i, ili t. a-; the Anmtrican varieties. Both do well, how- over, and tli.-ir jinrluction should be extended. GARDEN AND TRUCK CROPS. Gnl/f-.t-,il, Ii 'i'"( ,t.-An experiment was carried on to deter- mine 1i1, value of garden frames hi starting, tendler vegetables in the field bfor danger of frot is )past. The exil)erimnent included egg- plants, wat.erini'lon,., and cantaloul)pes. Half the frames were cov- ered with burlap and the others with glass. Fresh horse manure was J)Ut. uthder -1ome o(f the b)urlap) and glass-covered frames to fur- nish a small amount of heat and as a fertilizer. Fifteen hills were planted under each of the four conditions. Table VI shows in detail the rt-sult' of thi-; ex)per'iment, and figure 2 shows, the frames placed in tl)i' lili~l. 'IT t1 \ I I'. i.I, *. 1t b,, I,,/ ,, 'r/ / 0u, 1i"rn 1 i' i /,, l, fi l int Ei,/ p'riment Farm in I" 'l 11\\'' T'l 'IIl1F' Vlh l rlmanure i r.,l,' I iui. r I iidrr 1 under i nder i..it. Iip glass l hrlap Ninhitj r ot hlli . ,l..|..-.,i ; 6 3 ir-t rip,- friii ..... \i 1" iw 20 Sepl. 12 . ... Nuim tt-r oM Inrii. . . . ... .. . .. ..77 33 7 0 W.- ..lrt ........ Iir 21 Itin "2 3.5 0 \ I.i-trrr tl lOrn-: \'imh ,[ of hill- ,I-' .hl I . ". 1 9 Fir rip-,, ft'i l .. .. .. 11. h 'I I g. II July 30 Aug.3 N i m .,r of frin. . . . .. I' N Ill 17 I' %\'.- i .... ,, Ii:. 1 4 In 131 102 t n i. l. l l.-I N r t r ,, h ill,, i ,', l.)[...l . .1. I;7 1.1 6 Fir .I ri[,- frni .... Jill 24 .... .. July 21 July 30 Nupm lT.-r of Iriin . .. . i 12 l16 % ,il il-lI-r h-l ; ... . 32 9 0 'lite re-.iilt- (if tlii. experiment show that the covering of glass and tlilj- ue of nmanure under the seed and plants are of distinct value. The' cgrdlaits dlid better with the burlap covering and manure than with the gla-- covering without manure, while tlhe melons each gave better results uiiider t he -lI.- amitl with out ma inurre than with thet bur- llll, t, VI '% i :mlnd Iiia tllur T iL I 1'1eSUlts 111.'* .1_'r,- (I) tli> \ Iall o f aIt -tith.. , i.ii ali a deposit o ,f fresh manure u01 d1. hill- of Ir,'::''liiiits, watermelons, atlnd iiilid,')',- (2) leshs marked value of manure foir Nl naiulre ul tdter ,a:i.:l l:ii it h Ulp 11'1'l u' e of IIli-- a ,i ilailuret in .tlrtilg thes'e crtps in the i,.i'l before ,1uiii,, ,t. frost is ]i-'t aieH'ars to be advisabIt, or at hast worthy i f triia . }yfI.' l, ..-T lt,', varieties of N'lilil wtn1 I,,"^tt in 191 II. This is the third year this ,.,i, has been protIucd on tIn tIxi1rimFcnt farm. A heavy yid. t, I f I'i o I f I . ... I quality was obtainetI. O(f the varitti'I .rro.wn. the 11l1i.,k Beauty anld New York lipii.vetti are considered the best, ont account of their heavier jiir, Iittion and the more uniform ..iz., alnd shape ,,f fruit. The increased demantid for this crop, which Flo.' 2.-0fidai fri uw um's d at the t'imatila 'I:xruticnl Fa r I Il to, diterinti thi-ir value in pro-< It'LiL 1. riT 11,r [,I Lnrl iromn frost Young plants wt prot'ct. d from Injur' against 4 1.grTvs- of froWt Iy h tramnes. gr1M. well onI the I, 1ii ill.: prt,'j. t. warrants more extensive produc- tion. S0ue0 difficulty in -ifii,_ will be encountered for a liiii. but this will be greatly diminished when it is known that good VI'.'11glint-. are being produced in the district and markets are T-t:,l'li-hil. Ptotaos.-The 14 varieties of potatoes -r,,wit in 1913 to drti, imine their comparative value are the American Wondtler, Buribink. .Early Ohio,, Farly Rose, Factor, tirevii M i., tain,. Irish Cobbler, Mechanii,, Nettedl Gem, Peachblow (red), P,'arl. Rural, S.,1in,-i-. and I'p-to-Date. Ti hiii.-het yielt s obtained were at the rillwiii rates per acre: Aiii.ricin Wonder, 1112.4 bushels; Netted (Gem, I; bus-hels: Pe:rl 1216.3 bushels; and 1 F.:rly Ohlii. 116 bushels. Ptanuls.--The viell.s of peanuts in 1913 were at theit fll,, wi rates per :ire: African. 2,.4 bushels; Jumbo ;ln rie seed of Vii4 ..i ), 2i; bushels; Spanish. 10.11 bushels: V:dlncii.. 10.2 bushels: aldt Vir-inia ( iryiniit l,.'l./,,. or IVrlfti;, Run nr), >S bushels. An ai'i:t yield of peanuts in a commercial growing district is :,0 bushels per acre. The stan(dar(l we iAt per bushel for Spani-h is 30 pounds; for Vir- iIii:i, 22 pounds. Tu, vid.hl of African peanuts obtained in 1913 at the experiment farm compares favorably with the average crop yiuld in commercial peanut-ro,\\ i i'- districts. IHowever, the cost of production is higher on irrigated land, on account of the higher cost of land and the giv.rtetr amount of labor required to zn'm-" the crop. The season at Hermiston ;ipp:irs to be too short to mature a full crop of peanuts. as has been shown in each of the three years of this test. The com- mercial production of peanuts on the project is not feasible with the varieties used in the Southeastern Stat'ts, but the reil t.s of the above experiment demonstrate that they can be successfully grown on a small scale and for home use. Corn.-Seven varieties of corn were grown to determine their value for grain production and for .ilage. The yields in pounds per acre of cured grain and stover combined were at the fdlohwing rates: Stowell's Evergreen, 5,683: Pride of the North, 5,073; Disco White Dent, 4,146; Learnming. 2,974; Minnesota No. 13, 2,717; Stanford White Flint, 2,593; and Minnesota No. 23, I,S91. The average yield of the seven varieties was 3,582 pounds per acre. All the varieties but Stowell's Evergreen were thinned, leaving two stalks to the hill. The best combination of grain and stover pro- duction was obtained with Pride of the North, which produce ed a large quantity of stover and a high yield of grain. On account of its heavy yield, it is suitable fr grain production and also for silage, as a high percentage of grain is desirable in silage corn. From the present knowledge of corn varieties for li-zlit soils, it appears that this is one of the very best and that it is a very desirable variety from which to select seed and build up strains that are better adapted to the locality. SOIL-FERTILITY EXPERIMENTS. To determine the best and most economical method of increasing the fertility of the soil on the project, which in its virgin condition is very low in fertility, several experiments are being conducted. One line of work seeks to determine the value of commercial fertili- zers and the other to determine the rapidity with which green-manure crops will build up the soil and increase its crop-producing power. Commercial fertilizers.-The commercial-fertilizer experiment whi ch is being made has not progressed far enough to warrant comparison between the various fertilizers used. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and oig-inic matter have stimulated the crop gro% th on the land to which they have been applied, indicating that the addition of these materials is of consider I l, benefit. Chemical ana l\ show that the soils of the district are low in iiiltrog-in and oi.r.i.ni' matter, and the inIrer e in -iip I, of thIes-e miiterial c<'d Ib eIW\ected it, increase tIhee \ii,, of r, N consistent itvcra ses i ,c,.' U il hr+v4 IaI C vIet rI-Iulted frmn i tihe iilicntiu n of poItash or ,.I iatic fr, l. i.,- ,'r, ,,1 iw ur' ':',,, lind on a Ihicl ti wo or t lrce i w- of huiry vetch have been Ii' ii, anI WOlow Ied u.her shiyos a markd iii,', t... - ii tn in tih l phys ical cM l iti'of -f the soil and ill li :.,,,,ii ,,,'i,,. power. Tile, lateral sIpread of water tlI,,,._-'h Ihe soil i mch mn l ore rapid and extensive I I.i i'.Lii bccozuIec les1 tro( lule-'o i, fr [m tIhe reIluceil amount of w shin- ; an I .',' I, r ., ii-lit I it i wh ich lthle water can he h1mleo Il'. This- work dieInstriat+s (tlie lue of litIIr- en,,u-, and ''i'rz, i' feri lii.',.-. such a. iit,- r W.,,,,.,._,, table i an ,,int, and 1i":imiia',,ii a.i,,i-,.it,,ire cro lw, al of which produce a decided ii|"i L- ."' in i'r',i' *_i',i", on ( ll nil ( > which tiIhey are .iiioli,'l at the ex- periment farnmi. lI:I'.N-M \\l RI'l: I IM Pr",. A niimler of crops are W.in., tried ait the e\.Teriwientl farmi to deltertiiii' their value for 11se ats ,_'r,'.ri iii!m re to inl+rese lie fer- tility of the soil. (reen-manure crot.i fan ITe C ,\'' I11 a:. winter coeer crops ors nllllier sh14le crops. When winter cover crops are .zrioii the land tican lie devoted to a salable crop in the sumniiwr. Three varieties of vetch 0ri r. or coununt vetch (lici'i sdtii., scarlet vetch (VI .', i,' /,,1 1, and hairy vetch (1 V. cd7oa --have been tried. I'. satiwva winterkills and is not detirable for fall lVl:iliir-'. V'. i.i.'iarii' is fairly hardy, but does not produce a. heavy a crop as '. villosa. ( )f a lIti gv number if crops ,'ro, k %ii to determine their valu Ie for green aiianunre, hairy vetch (VI'cia Nillosa) has been mucntl the beht. (See Fig. 3.) It should l)e sown in .\,_''i-t or September at the rate of 15 to 25 pounds of seed per acre. By :illWo\mi' slAi, p- of the first crop to mature, the -.-roundi can be reseeded b s;catt.rinz the un- thral.-iel .-e,'d-i ,,wrinL |lants over the field and waorl.iri,: themni into the soil. By this method the annual purchase of expensive seed is avoidehI. Th;t this method is practicable was demonstrated l b the results obtained on the A\w.ninriilt firmi in i l1.' Several trials have 1een made with C(anada field j1i".l one with sov beans, and three with sweet clover. It has been demonstrated that theo.e crop, can be L' Io"I to advant,,_',' in the -,lii',r anti summer. Field peas should be sown early in M. rch at the rate of i p1" '"1"i per acre. Sweet clover can be sown at :-an\ tie tihrii ,"A tIhe iri-.,tiiiv, season at the rate ,f 2') pounds wper acre. If it i-s planted ,lu i1i1, April or varly a. ay, a crop can be plowed under as 'i i manure at the close of the first summl r. If the pi.Iiiiii,_r is dhne later than May, % '.,,ra- tivoly little gri.\ tih can be obtained before the flh',i,.n \ mi.. Soy beans were tried in 1913 and promise to be a very good summer green-manure crop. (See fig. 4.) At no time during their growth could nodules be found on the roots, so it is probable that they will do better if inoculated with the proper culture of bacteria. Cimson clover has been tried in both spring and summer without success. The fall-sown crop grew slowly for a time, but (lid not sur- vive the winter. Spring-sown plants grew fairly well during cool weather, but when warm weather came they soon died out, evidently from the effect of heat, as the land was kept moist by irrigation. A number of experiments were begun in the fall of 1913 to deter- mine (1) the proper amount of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) seed to sow to insure a good crop of green manure, (2) the most, desirable propor- tions of rye and vetch seed to sow in mixtures used for cover-crop pur- FIG. 3.-Vetch ( Vicia villosa) and rye in field Cla, Umatilla Experiment Farm, May 10, 1913, showing a heavy growth of this mixed crop, which was sown in September, 1912. poses, (3) the effect of sowing hairy vetch in the fall without irrigation, and (4) the value of hairy vetch as a seed crop and whether the seed can be successfully harvested. The results of these experiments will not be known until the summer of 1914. ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. The tests of ornamental plants have shown a number of very de- sirable individuals to be worthy of recommendation. Hydrangea paniculata and Spiraea pro nifdi are very hardy and desirable shrubs. Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Russian oleaster (ET.7agnus 7nngusti- folia) are hardy and desirable for hedges and windbreaks. Three varieties of T;inarix, T. gaUica, T. g9 riiml iic, and T. hiispida. are de- sirable hardy plants which attain heirhits of 6 to 10 feet. The Ameri- can elm ( Ulnus americana), the white or silver maple L.Act r sacchari- nu11), and thi sycamore ('J ,m,'wi' -' cidntiu) are jr"iii Iii i._- t Ir-s fr shade and ornamental puroes. Tie1 Rocky M iunitain silver TedIar is a vIey attractive and apparently hardy n r,' I.-'r ,'I. The w tern yel- 1,ow pine (Plin s p'/t, rosI) and te I Scotlch pine (1. s,'jli's r; ) are very liuriv, and _.i\ r promis-o of I-1iI.- valuable for orzamenItal and wiilld-,.Id, purposes. 11{RI(; ITI()\ nM I.:TII1 11' 1. ('I ,idei nI Il work lhas been doi(e on the farii to determine lithe bet methods of cL,1ii1(iii, I water in iil riil-, different crops, IIndI observations have been mi'ade on methods in practice oI the project. F.itui succeeding year's work on the farm alnd observations made of irrigatntii, pract iices on the project emphasize lthe importance (1) of i..ing ,.',,irti ir t i:,ti.i fili ir \v riiiL'* iII from 100 to 200 feet in Ilil tl,, (2) of iaki n.ii irri, .i tiiii furrows I,''iii 20 to ;i1 inches apart; (3) of Via. 4. 1m b1a s 1 eldd 11 ( '!a I i I I xp r rini m r l i19 F, i T h I n Ir without in-q ulii -,.n Thk* bas ann a promising s mmer crop on account of their wvvy growth andi ih,,ir aIii m ito withstand con siderbl, drought. using fairly sv aIow furr 1w. \\\- I opened, to facilitate the flow of water; (4) of ruiiniii, water for but a short time in one p,i. ,. as Losses soon occur fr IriI deep percolation; (I ) of the us'e of a small amo1iunt of water for each irri,:;ti,,iIn since the It,,r ii, capacity of tIhe oil i. very low; (6) of the frequent application of water to maintain 0ni ad e, uate supply for plant ,ir,-ith, as the small quantityy that it is pos.-ihhe to store in the soil is r V iully removed by plant a, tiinii. evapo- ration, anid percolation; (7 of using a lni,.',, stream .f water while irrigiLt ing, to hasten the operation and diminish the 1 -. from !.,Ip Iperolation that results from Aiiiwii,; the flow to continue too 1-'iin in eli, phlLC. and to diminish the labor of applying thlie water; i 1,f furrowing alfalfa fields for irrigation after each crop is harvested; 1id (0) of the use of fliim.-, concrete-lined d(it lie-,. or pipe lines for coniveying the water to the field,. to prevent the heavy losses in the distribuntii, of the water. Where water is allowed to stand for a long period over porous soil, heavy losses result. The water-litlding .il.icity of a soil and the rapidity with which water moves tlhi,,uiglh it vIn-v with the size of the particles c,,iiil-inig the soil. The coarser the soil the lower its capacity to hold water, and consequently the more frequent irriga- tion it requires. The frequency of ir'ig"iti,,i necessary for a coarse soil varies with its ti'rlgi. caipacity, which diminishes as the size of the particles increases. COMMUNITY BREEDING OF DAIRY CATTLE. It is recognized that one of the best methods of increasing the productivity of the soils of the p1)rojet is to fhcd live stock on the farms and apply the manure to the land. With this point in view, a large number of farmers on the project have recently started in the dairy business. To assist the settlers in this enterprise and to aid in improving the quality of the dairy cattle, the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station maintained a highly bred Jersey bull at the experiment farm in 1913. During the year free service was furnished for 122 cows. EXTENSION WORK. The staff of the farm devotes considerable time to extension work on the IUmatilla and mneig]liring priji' t-. In 1913 a number of lectures were given on subjects relating to the agricultural problems of the district, and frequent trips were made over the project to inves- tigate difficult conditions which the farmers had enc countered. Four priining demonstrations were held diiring the year. at which the pruning of apples, peaches, and grapes was discussed. Two of these demonstrations were held at the experiment farm. One was held on March 1, when the pruning of apple trees was demonstrated, and the other on October 31, to discuss pruning and covering grapes. Two demonstrations were held at Stainfield, the first on March 13, when the pruning of apples and peaches was demonstrated, and the second on November 10, when the pruning and covering of Vinifera grapes were discussed. An experiment-station field day was held on September 9, at which over 200 farmers were present. All the experi- ments in progress were fully expluainMl and the results discussed. In all, :21 farmers were brought together during the year for outside demonstration work. Approved: WM. A. TAYLOR, C,1i ; f of Bureau. JUNE 3, 1914. 0 WASHINTO N (;OVEI.It NMENT PRIiNTIN G OFFICE : 1914 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 09216 2600 hi C'I .4 "l i .:'i" :.:", ":m U::... i ":: s ':E ::::.A mh I :E E:E: . :qI A..== Ii:.. a" .:. EEE |