PLANNING CONFERENCE

1947

AGRICULTURAL

PLANNING CONFERENCEFOR

J?ahe Cou#i4

CONTAINING REPORTS OF COMMITFEESSUBMITTED AND ADOPTED FEBRUARY 27, 1947

LAKEVIEW, OREGON

LAKE COUNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERENCE

1947

AGRICULTURAL PLANNING CONFERENCE

FOR

LAKE COUNTY

Containing Reports of CommitteesSubmitted and Adopted February 27, 1947

Lakeview, Oregon

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword 3

Conference Committees 4

Land Use Committee Report 6

Livestock Committee Report 11

Veterans Affairs Committee Report 18

Farm Home and Rural Life Committee Report 19

Dairy, Hog and Poultry Committee Report 23

Crops Committee Report 29

Conservation and Irrigation Committee Report 34


FOREWORD

The land is our most valuable resource. From it comesthe new wealth that sustains our economy. From thehomes on the land comes the new blood that sustains ourcities. Planning the wise use of the land to maintain andimprove those homes and communities is the privilegeand responsibility of each succeeding generation.

The Lake County agricultural planning conference onFebruary 27, 1947 was held to exercise that privilege andresponsibility. This conference was a continuation of theplanned agricultural development that has characterizedthe county for many years. Similar sessions had been heldin Lakeview October 30-31, 1936.

The 1947 conference originated from a request by thecounty agricultural planning committee that the Ex-tension Service of OSC cooperate in a reappraisal ofagricultural conditions and outlook following the closeof the war. Members of the Extension Service staff andLake County who assisted with the conference are ElginM. Cornett, County Agent, and Scott P. Clevenger, CountyClub Agent. Cooperation of all other agencies servicingagriculture in the county also was sought.

Seven committees were established several months inadvance, including eighty-four people representing everysection of the county. Each of these committees collecteddata and considered all facts obtainable in preparing areport. These committee reports were presented to theone-day county.wide conference which all farm peoplewere invited to attend, and this booklet comprises thereports as discussed and approved by the conference.They represent the considered judgment of active farmersand farm leaders counseling with Extension specialistsin the various fields. They are published here with thethought that they may serve as a guide to the trends thatare probable and desirable in development of the farmingindustry and rural home life in the years immediatelyahead.

Ned SherlockGeneral ChairmanElgin M. CornettCounty Agent, General Secretary

Funds necessary for the publication of this report bythe Lake County Examiner were furnished by the LakeCounty Community Chest

LAKE COUNTY FARM PLANNtNG CONFERENCE

Farm men and women serving on committees are as follows:

LAND USE COMMITTEE

W. B. Snyder, ChairmanRoy PerryJ. R. HeckmanOscar KittredgeHoward CampbellW. P. VernonC. W. Ogle

Conference, Committees

Mrs. Herbert Stover, ChairmnMrs. C. V. FenimoreMrs. Bud ParksMrs. Dean HarrisMrs. Harry CrowlMrs. T. C. HartzogMrs. Fred BaldwinMrs. Raymond FisherMrs. Loren HuntMr. Herbert StoverMrs. Anne SpragueMr. William HollowayMr. Scott P. ClevengerMr. H. A. Casidy

Raymond Fisher, ChairmanWilliam PfrangNeal ElliottMrs. Charles MatejkaAndy HillMrs. Fred Baldwin

Roet L. WeirCecil GibbonsHerb PollardBob FitzgeraldMerle LowdenJ. C. Clark

Mr. Raymond FisherMrs. Marshall DunhamMr. Marshall DunhamMr Dave BatesRev H. N. Tragitt, Jt.Rev. Louis SamsonRev. A. E. PlaceMr. Alex ZeverlyMr. Jim ThompsonMr. Henry BergstromMrs. Cora HillMiss Helen MarcyMrs. Dennis Lane

DAIRY, HOGS AND POULTRY COMMITTEE

Richard NewmanEarl SanfordMrs. Sylvia AbramsonClarence TracyMrs. Nellie Ogle

VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Robert L. Weir, Jr., Chairman William HollowayErwin Abramosn Neal ElliottWalt Leehmann, Jr. Ben VernonHoward Campbell A. L. TravisDon Hotchkiss Carter FetschElmer Williams

FARM HOME AND RURAL LIFE COMMITTEE

LAKE COUNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERENCE 5

CONSERVATION AND IRRIGATION COMMITTEt

E. G. FavelI, ChairmanElmo AngeleRoy PerryDon HotchkissJack MulkeyErnest Bussey

Elmo Angele, ChairmanJimi OzamisRoy PetersonMark MaddockJoe ScheruppErwin AbramsonHomer Smith

CROPS COMMITTEE

LIVESTOCK COMMITTEE

W P Vernon Chairman Robert Weir, JrJim Wakefield Fred RossDon Hotchkiss William HarveyVañcil Wltheis Walt Leehmann, Jr.E. M. Canon Herb PollardCon Taylor John KuceraBob Fitzgerald Howard Campbell

Harry CrowlLoren HuntMark MaddockPhil SmithGeorge AshcraftLes Elder

William PfrangAndy HillH. C. HarrisLee O'NeilWilliam HollowayCharles Jamieson

6 LAKE COUNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERENCE


Data Concerning County

Lake county, with a popula-tion of 7,000 people, is locatedin south central Oregon at anelevation of from 4178 to 4900Ieet in the valleys, with moun-tain elevations up to 8446 feetabove sea level. Average annualprecipitation varies from lessthan ten inches to approximate-ly fifteen inches. At Lakeview,the principal town and trad-ing center of 3000 population,the U. S. Weather record showsan average growing season of127 days, with average precipi-tation of 13.5 inches.

Streams from the forestedareas flow into valley floorswith no outlet drainage exceptfor a small percentage of thearea along the western boun-dary. The water obtained makespossible crop production, prin-cipally livestock feed, despitethe arid climate. Better soilswill produce grain and hay with-out any irrigation if properlyhandled. Lake county soils arederived from weathered vol-canic material and from lakebed sediments. Marshy areasmay include organic accumu-lation known as peat. Texturesinclude sandy loam, silt loam,sandy clay loam and peat.

Lumbering Plays Vital PartIn County's Economy

About 1,390,655 acres of for-est land lie within Lake county.In volume there are 4,225,765M board feet of commercial tim-ber on lands managed by theU. S. Forest Service and an ad-

LAND USE COMMITTEE REPORT

ditional 2,300,000 M feet on otherfederal, state, and private lands.The private timber inventory ofLake county has been reducedduring the past ten years, andmost of that which remains willprobably be operated by ownerswhose plants are located out-side of the county.

Within the boundaries of theLakeview working circle thereis sufficient National Forest tim-ber to permit an annual cut ofabout 38 million feet of com-mercial timber. This manage-ment unit includes the NationalForest timber which is plannedto be manufactured in thecounty.

Within the past four yearsthe installed milling capacity inLakeview and vicinity has beenreduced from 140 million feetto about 66 million feet per year.At present seven sawmills areoperating in Lakeview and thenearby vicinity. Four of thesemills are of a portable or semi-portable type, with an aggre-gate capacity of about 6,500 M.feet per year. It appears thatthrough the operation of ForestService timber at sustained cap-acity and the operation of thatpart of the remaining privatetimber within the working circlewhich is available to Lakeview,the annual output will not begreatly reduced in the next fiveyears.

The payroll from the lumber-ing industry in Lakeview andvicinity has been held at a fair-ly constant level through theintroduction of manufacturingplants. These plants are handi-


ing a fair percentage of locallyproduced raw material suitablefor molding, box, and shopstock, and it would be possibleto produce finished productsfrom the entire local cut.

A study is presently underway to determine the feasibilityof installing local plants formanufacturing wall b o a r d swhich could be developed to useth fiber from species whichare not considered to be of com-niercial importance.

Considering all of the possi-bilities for more complete pro-cessing of forest products with.in Lakeview and Lake county,the lumbering industry promisesto play a vital part in thecounty's future economy.

"Average" Farm Has 2,476 Acres

Ever since a portion of Lakecounty was taken away to formKlamath county in 1882, totalacres of "all land in farms"has been increasing. The aver-age farm shown by U. S. Cen-sus in 1890 was 408 acres, andin 1945 it was 2476 acres. Stu-dies made of irrigated farms inthe county would indicate thatan average of 100 acres of ir-rigated land would be the mosteconomical d i v e r s i f i e d farm.Dairy farms should handle 20cows for sufficient income tomake a living and care for cowsproperly. Sheep ranches shouldhave feed and range to care fora band of 1200 ewes and theannual lamb crop. A cattle ranchshould handle 100 breeding cowsto be considered self-supporting.Small, undersize units are notrecommended where the opera-tion must pay its way and makea living for the operator.

All Federal Land UsedFor Grazing

Three-fourths of the countyarea is federal land, but it isall used for grazing. The federalland is national forest and lowvalue desert sage type of grass-land. Winter feed is providedfor the most part by the private-ly owned land. National Forestis largely depended upon forsummer range. Other FederalLands, mostly administered bythe bureau of land management,are utilized in late fall, earlywinter and early spring. Allthese government lands are tiedin. virtually as an integral partof privately owned lands toprovide year-round feed folrange livestock, providing three-fourths of the annual farm in-come for Lake county.

No Immediate Opportunity ForAdditional Farmers

There is rio immediate oppor-tunity for increasing the num-ber of farm units to provide formore families in Lake county.There may be developments inthe future, and new irrigatedfarms will be developed by better use of marsh lands no'.grazed or cut for hay.

Several large ranches controlmarsh lands and the state ownsseveral thousand acres of thesame type which could be de-veloped through water controlby levees and reservoirs. Gov-ernment projects would be mosthelpful in accomplishing de-velopments which small groupsfind difficult due to water rightproblems of present flood irri-gation users. All concerned areafraid to change the water rightstatus.


Committee Recommendations

There should be no majorchange in methods of adminis-tering Taylor Grazing lands inLake county. Private ownershipof these low value lands wouldnot improve the county andcould easily cause unstableeconomic conditions.

Small isolated tracts of fed-eral range should be sold toranchers best suited to usethem.

At least 50 percent of graz-ing fees on federal rangesshould be used for range im-provement.

Range lands owned by theSoil Conservation Service in theFort Rock area should behandled by the Grazing Servicealong with regular administra-tion of range surrounding it.The Soil Conservation Service isnot a grazing or livestock agen-cy, so the two agencies shouldplan cooperative projects if soilerosion work is performed.

Adapted acreages on allprivate and government rangesshould be seeded to pasturegrasses. Large scale sage burn-ing experiments on desert rangesis recommended. Some of theseareas should be fenced for pro-tection from over-grazing andto provide holding pastures forlivestock management.

6 Wild life grazing is some

times against good range man-agement. Special wild life graz.ing areas where livestock areexcluded should require statelease of additional land for live-stock use in exchange. This iscustomary in private grazingland permits.

7. Weed control of range andfarm land is important. Futureland use will be determined byweed growth if active control isnot followed. Many seriousweeds exist but range usersshould certainly check Mediter-ranian Sage just getting badlyspread in Lake county

8 Feeder cattle and sheep finishing with grain on good feedshould increase county incomeand help reduce freight nowpaid on grain exported.

9. Farm land used in divers-ified units should be encouragedto level out the business of thecounty and add many types ofincome to small farms Onecrop farms should be avoided

10 Absentee owners of tenacre tracts located in Lake county have very little, if any opportunity to realize profit from theinvestment These tracts interfere with land titles and irrigation plans Small tractsshould be owned by local ranchers to get what income theland is capable of producingSuch small tracts are not economical units and they shouldbe discouraged.


5,292,000 Acres

2,541,000 Acres Unforested U. S. Grazing Land-47%

1,390,655 Acres Total Timber Area-27%

LAKE COUNTY LAND RESOURCES

Total County Area

1,115,000 Acres Private Ranches-21%

Other Lands 5%

Land Ownership of Lake County

73% Public Owned Land

27% Private LandEstimates by Lake County Agent


TIMBER RESOURCES IN LAKE COUNTY

Annual Commercial Timber Cutting Capacity at Lakeview

140 Million Board FeetWartime Peak

66 Million Board FeetRate of Cut 1947

38 Million Board FeetUSFS Annual Growth Available for Logging

Timber Area in Lake County

1,390,000 Acres Total

U. S. Forest Service-80%

Private-20%

Timber Volume in Lake County

6,523,765,000 Board Feet

4,223,765,000 Board Feettib% U. S. F. S.

2,300,000,000 Board Feet-35% Private TimberEstimates by Lake County Agent

LIVESCTOCK COMMITTEE REPORT

Cattle Numbers Up, Sheep DownLivestock provided 77 percent of the agriculture income for

Lake County when the latest United States census was taken in1945. Sheep numbers have dropped 65 percent in ten years whilecattle numbers have increased more than enough to make upfor it. This means feed grown in the county i used up with lessreserve for safety. Feed and livestock balance in the county de-termines whether more or less livestock could be maintained. Itappears the present numbers are ample and additional safety incase of drought or hard winters would require reducing total live-stock numbers.

The following table indicates that average need is one acreof hay for each animal unit (five sheep or one cow considered ananimal unit). Some range would require less and some more win-ter feed available.

LAKE COUNTY LIVESTOCK POPULATION AND HAY ACREAGE



(Compiled from OSC Extension Service Data)

Reseeding of Pastures Advocated

It is recommended:1. That more livestock be held

on irrigated pastures. Thiscould be accomplished by put-ting more grain land into ir-rigated pastures and stirring upwild-hay meadows and seedingthem to good grass or hay mix-ture. This land should be lev-eled and a good seedbed pre-pared before seeding. For ir-rigated pastures a mixture ofany or all of the followinggrasses with clover, seeded toabout 20 pounds of seed to the

acre, is advisable; Alsike Clover,Smooth Bromegrass, Tall Fes-cue, Orchardgrass, Tall Oat-grass and Meadow Foxtail.

2. That more dryland pasturesbe improved by seeding. Wherepractical, brush should beburned and other areas bestirred up to provide a suitableseed bed. For dryland pasturesa mixture of any or all of thefollowing grasses is advisable;Sweet Clover, Crested Wheat-grass, Winter Bluegrass, BigBluegrass, Wild Ryegrass andwhere there is sufficient mois-ture, Smooth Bromegrass. It is

YearPercentage

of cattlePercentage

of sheepAnimal units A. hay cut(5 sh.-1 cow) 100 anim. u

1946 87 13 85,700 981945 86 14 87,180 951940 77 23 77,400 931935 62 38 78,318 831930 60 40 80,000 1041925 67 33 61,341 1141920 66 34 63,294 114


believed that the practice ofdrilling is superior to broad-casting.

That FederaY agencies andprivate landowners be encour-aged to practice controlled burn-ing and reseeding, w her edeemed advisable, on lands pri-marily suitable for grazing pur-poses.

That all accidentajly burnedover areas be reseeded as soonas possible to take advantageof the ash seedbed.

That more irrigated pas-tures be used to finish half-fatlambs and beef.

Range Management ProgramNeeded

It is recommended:That each rancher plan a

well rounded operation, keep-ing in mind the balance be-tween feed and livestock num-bers each season.

That the operator make useof watering facilities and salt-ing better to utflie his range.

That the operator use prop-er range management to cutdown losses from poisonousweeds.

That where practical a sys-tern of deferred grazing be usedto maintain forage.

Wildlife and Predator ControlIt is recommended:

That special big game sea-ions be confined to smal1er spe-Jfied areas, and that tag datesbe staggered to allow huntersto cover areas for a longerperiod.

We commend the StateGame Commission on its workin stabilizing big game numbersby keeping herds down to whateach specified area will carry.

The cattlemen as well asthe sheepmen should help di-rect and support the predatorcontrol program.

We support the State. and,National Livestock Associationsin working for a coyote bountyin the eleven Western States.

The present plan for pred-ator control must be expandedand carried on in addition tothe above recommendations.

Parasite Control ProgramNeeded

The committee feels that:The county agent should

appoint annually a livestock ills-ease committee to work with thecounty court, local veterinarianand the State Department ofAnimal Industries in a diseasecontrol program. This committeewill be composed of local live-stock operators.

The farmers and countycourt should encourage a prac-ticing veteriiarian to maintainheadquarters in Lakeview.

Lice on cattle cause greaterloss than is generally understood throughout the county. Werecommend fall spray or dippingentire herds to prevent trouble.

Warbles which show up .oncattle backs should receive com-munity efforts, getting neigh-bOrs to treat everything.Methods of Running Cattle

For pasture system under fenc-ing, we suggest that:

Cows should be bred fromthe first part of June t Septem-ber 30.

Before calving tinle, two-year old heifers should be sep-arated from older cows and putinto a small pasture where theycan be watched daily duringcalving season.

LAIE COUNTY 'A PLING CONFERENC 13

Under range system of cattlemanagement, we recornendthat farmers:

Start breeding season aIoutJune 20 to July 1, and removbulls after three or four months,or when gathered in the faLl.

Provide four bulls per 100breeding cows.

Never put on the rangebulls that have been pamperedor groomed for show.

Methods Of ControllingDiseases

For Bangs disease control, sellall dry cows, vaccinate heifercalves (Age 4 to S months)

For blackleg, vaccinate allcalves.

For Red Water disease, vac-cinate all cattle in spring orearly summer if they range inareas where red water is knownto exist.

For special control of infectedranges, drain all standing waterholes. Treat water with coppersulfate if standing water is inrelatively small holes.

Some Suggestions on Feeding

1 Feed cows all they will eatin winter for better calf emps.This practice is especially rec-ommended for heifers.

Feed more steers for mar-ket on home ranch when grainprices are normal.

Alfalfa has proved a betterwintering feed than wild hayand a supplement for winteringcattle.

4 Much investigation and stu-dy is recommended before any-one atempts to fatten old cowsfor market after calves areweaned in fall.

5. All grains used to fattencattle have ajout the same feed

yalue; price of grain should bethe deciding factor in choosinga feed.

Suggestions on ManagementDon't run- more cattle than

nch set-up will accommodate.Beef cattle breed must be

suited to range conditions. Thepredominant breed in your com-munity is most likely to be sat-isfactory.

In purchasing range bulls;don't pay over the price of threetwo-year old feeder steers.

Tightening of Brand InsepctiouNeeded

The committee feels that:Flesh marks should be re-

corded same as brands but withno duplication in the same vicin-Ity or community.

State Department of Agri-culture, together with OregonCattle and Horse Raisers Asso-ciation and Oregon Wool Grow-ers, should attempt to work outa cooperative brand inspectionservice with California in returnfor five-cent head charge nawpade by that state.

County court in cooperationwith livestock growers associa-tion should publish a Lakecounty brand book and keep itip to date by publishing an an-nal supplement.

Any livestock p a s s i n gthrough an auction or othersale yard in Lake county shouldbe required to pass a brand in-spection. -

Any brand inspection feecharged upon diversion of live-stock from North Portland orother sale yards should beplaced upon purchaser insteadof upon seller, as is now the:case.


6. Any purchaser of brandedlivestock in Lake county shouldrequire that the seller vent hisiron.

7: The brand laws should berevised to prohibit the removalof more than half of the ear inmarking of cattle, as they nowread in regard to sheep.

8. Financing of an adequatebrand inspection service in Ore-gon by tax on livestock orthrough a charge per head isneeded.

Improved Marketing of Livestock

The committee feels that:1. All organizations in Lake

county should exert all pressurepossible to insure enactment of60-foot truck bill in Oregon,and construction of highway 395between Alturas and Oregonline.

2. C h a m b e r of Commerce,county court and all other in-fluential organizations of thecounty should promote the con-struction of first class marketroads into sections of the countynot served directly by first classhighways.

3. The possibilities of a gradedfeeder sale in Lakeview shouldbe investigated and a trial saleon a cooperative basis shouldbe organized.

4. Some organization or groupof organizations should sponsoran exhibit of dressed carcassesto demonstrate dressing percent-age and grades of meat animals.

5. Since no program has beenformulated in regard to lawsregulating auction sales yards,and such laws are scheduled forconsideration in present sessionof legislature, we recommendthe appointment of a committeefrom Lake County StockgrowersAssociation to make recommen-

dations to the legislature.6. The Lake County Shipping

Association should be main-tained for benefit of small salesof livestock.

Right of Ways and StockDriveways

The committee feels that:The Lake County Stockgrow.

ers Association should appointa committee to ask the countycourt to set aside county tractsof land situated along all stockdriveways for livestock stoppingsites. Whenever possible theseshould contain a permanent ac-cessible water supply. If countylands are not available whereneeded, the county court shouldpurchase sufficient property toprovide these stopping places.The above committee should askstockgrowers to make knownsuch needs and a map shouldbe prepared showing all suchstopping grounds.

We further recommend thatthe county court provide a fencelaw covering fences borderingestablished stock driveways. Thelaw should provide that thesefences must be in place andmaintained in good conditionbefore any property damagecould be lodged against an op-erator for trespass. As an alter-nate proposal we suggest thatthe county provide the fenceand levy cost against the prop-erty.

There is a need for morescales in outlying communities,either private or cooperative.Scales, other than railroadequipment, are needed for live-stock weighing at Lakeview.Sheep Numbers are Down

Probably to Stay

The number of sheep have de-


dined partly because of thelabor required. Reliable workersare not available to care forbands of sheep. No young Am-ericans are found taking up thisessential work and no foreignersallowed to immigrate to helpout. National provision to permitentry of dependable workersfrom other countries is needed.

Loss from coyotes is heavybecause rabbit numbers havedisappeared and coyotes mustseek other food such as deer,antelope, sheep, grouse andgeese.

Coyote control work is slow,due to low fur value from lux-ury tax and because privatetrappers are employed at otherwork since the war.

Wool prices are uncertainsince foreign wool is producedat lower cost and importation isincreasing.

Tariff and trade agreementsfor protection of wool markets

in the United States are subjectto uncertain change. A stableprogram is needed to provide astable wool market.

Range Used by Cattle InsteadOf Sheep

Much of Lake county sheeprange has been switched tocattle successfully.

Some range is better suited tosheep because poison plants areless hazard for sheep than cattle.Often snow provides water forsheep when cattle cannot usesome range. Sheep are morelikely to stand severe droughtconditions when cattle would.starve.

Less range lambing and moreearly shed lambing is recom-mended to get lambs on earlygrass and ready for market be-fore ranges get dry in Lake,county.


LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES OF LAKE COUNTY

Livestock Feeds Used in Lake County 12 Month Season

809,000 Animal Unit Months-100%

Private Ranches 277,, of Area

566,000 Animal Unit Months, Private Ranches 70%

Hay-35% of Total Animal Unit Months

Meadow-20% of Total Animal Unit Months

Range-45% of Total Animal Unit Months

Public Owned Range 73% of Area

243,000 Animal Unit Months Gov't. Land 30%

Grazing Service-24'/2% of Total Animal Unit Months

U. S. F. S.-4'/2% of Total Animal Unit Months

Other Public Lands-1% of Total Animal Unit MonthsEstimates by Lake County Agent

Total CashItDO%

Farms-49%

Timber-47%

Other lncomes-4%

Farr Lcome

Total From Farms-100%

From Livestock-77%

From Crops-23

Livestock Income

All Livestock-100%

Beef Cattle-84%

Dairy, Hogs, Pouitry-4%Estimates by Lake County Agent


LAIE COUNT? CSH INCOME

Lake County Total Cash Income


VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT

Veteran should get farmingexerience

The committe makes the fol-lowing recommendations whichwe feel deserve consideration ofa veteran before entering afarming enterprise in LakeCounty.

Unless the prospective op-erator has experience and isfamiliar with conditions of thecounty, he should work for ayear or so on the type of oper-ation he is contemplating. Alsohe should take advantage ofschooling offered under the G.I. Bill of Rights.

He should contact the Coun-ty Agent or members of Veter-ans Agricultural Advisory Com-mittee before committing himselfto any purchase.

T.fr-e committee recommendsthat returning veterans refrainfrom purchasing county lands,unless such purchase specificallyrecommended by the committeeor other qualified person. Thesame recommendation applies toany unpatented g o v e r n m e n tlands.

The committee believes thatthe minimum size for a strictlylivestock enterprise in thiscounty is 100 head of breedingcows, or a sheep ranch of 1200head. Such an enterprise shouldprovide sufficient annual incomefor satisfactory family living.One to one and one-half tons ofhay per head is needed to winterthis amount of livestock, plussufficient rangeland for year-round operation. A veteran whowishes to invest in a farm orranch should be in position tomake a down payment of 40percent of the reasonable value

of the property. The minimumsize for a general farm in LakeCounty, which will furnish suf-ficient annual income for sat-isfactory family living, will varyfrom 80 acres to 200 acres, de-pending on such factors as lo-cation, topography, water, soiltype and other factors.Caution Urged in Making

InvestmentsOur committee cautions re-

turning servicemen in regard tothe importance of not investingtheir savings and the moneywhich will be made available tothem through loans on agricul-tural enterprises without beingthoroughly familiar with theland and its price in proportionto productivity and location.

We further recommend cau-tion in assuming large indebt-edness based on inflated valueswhich will be very difficult topay off with deflated incomes.

Recommend that a veteraninterested in becoming a farmowner -operator look into thepossibilities of tenant operationby share cropping with a pur-chase option until prices becomemore normal.

Recommend caution in go-ing into a strictly one-enterpriseoperation and that serious con-sideration be given to diversi-fication of farming. We alsorecommend that anyone engag-ing in agriculture explore andstudy market outlets for hisproducts, and that superiorgrades of livestock and crops beused in his endeavors.Credit Agencies Listed

For veterans looking intocredit possibilities, the follow-

S


ing credit list agencies are sug-gested:

Private bankslargely shorttime production loans.

Production Credit Associa-tions h o r t t i m e productionlaons.

Farmers Home Administra-tionproduction loans and landloans under farm treasury act.

Federal Land Banklandonly.

Insurance Companieslandonly.

IndividualsCommodity Credit Corpor-

atioriharvested crops.9. Any veteran seeking further

information on veterans rightsis referred to Carter Fetsch, Am-

Well Balanced CommunityActivities Sought

The center of all rural livingis the farm home, and it is im-portant that it be the best pos-sible for the enjoyment and hap-piness of the rural family. Wellbalanced community activitiesthat provide opportunity for ad-ults as well as youth to developtheir interests and provide socialentertainment make for bettercommunity spirit and familylife.

Centers of community activityare the church, school, granges,lodges and the homes. Lakecounty at the present time hasschools at Fort Rock, Plush, Add,Silver Lake, Summer Lake, Pais-ley, New Pine Creek, Dry Creek,Union, Thomas Creek and Ver-non District with a public hallalso available at Adel. Goodchurches are located in all themajor places of business in

erican Legion Veterans Repre-sentative for Lake County. Forfurther information on veteransloans reference is made to R.D. Probstel, assistant cashier,First National Bank of Portland,Lakeview branch.

10. The committee further rec-ommends that the County Agentappoint and keep up to datea group of sound, experienced,active farm and ranch operatorsto serve as Lake County Veter-ans Agricultural Advisory com-mittee; and that veterans takeadvantage of the experience andjudgement of these men betterto acquaint themselves withLake County and its agriculturalpossibilities.

FARM HOME AND RURAL LIFE COMMITTEE REPORT

Lake county. Many of thechurches have recreational roomsor basements suitable for suchpurposes. Several lodge hallsare also available for recreationor other use.

The purpose of this report isto present recommendations ofthe committee with regard toimprovements which would bedesirable for Lake county.

Home Economics CouncilFavoredThis committee recommends

that a county Home EconomicsCouncil be formed with womenrepresentatives from the dif-ferent districts of the countyto work with and through thecounty Extension Office in thedevelopment of a better pro-gram for the rural women ofLake county.

Many of the recommendationsmade in this report are contin-gent upon there being college

20 LAKE COUNTY FAEM PLANNING CONFERENCE

Extension personnel availablefor conducting the demonstra-tions and meetings recom-mended.

rcr Uomes Need Repairs,Modernization

Census figures show that 571rural farm dwelling units arebadly in need of major im-provement or repairs. Only 211farm dwellings now have runfling water, with only 104 dwell-ings having bathtub or showerfacilities. Over 50 percent of thehouses in Lake county are 25years old or older. Other fig-ures show 224 farms have elec-tricity, 352 have radios and 158have telephones.Ilousing Recommendations

In view of the situation asoutlined above, the committeemakes the following recommen-dations:

1.We recommend carefulplanning of remodeling homesdue to lack of material and sup-plies until supplies are suf-ficient for building of newhomes.

We recommend the use ofplans for Oregon farms andacreage homes found at theExtension office; and that dem-onstrations be shown or givenbefore and after remodeling,especially for modernizing kit-chens and storage space.

We feel that water andsanitation are very importantfactors of life and we recom-mend that more farms makean effort to put in pressurepumps and bath facilities withseptic tanks. We feel that ademonstration will show thepublic the advantage of runningwater.

It is the opinion of the rur-al districts that they are very

much interested in the freezerlocker method of saving forfamily food supply, and we sug-gest that a demonstration begiven to show the people theadvantages and disadvantagesof the use of freezer lockers asto expense of building and use.

We feel that rural homefurnishings should be simpleand attractive, with color forvariety, and recommend a dem-onstration to show women theuse of color in the home.

Due to modern methods ofirrigation and landscaping, wethink it necessary to have ourhomes beautiful and made at-tractive to the public and we askfor a demonstration in this fieldof farm beautification and land-scaping. As our rural districtsare spamley settled, we recom-mend that more telephones andelectricity be made available.School Lunch Program Needs

Improvement

The lunch program of Lake-view schools is very inadequate.Facilities are poor and there islack of room. Not the right kindof lunch is provided. Otherschools in the county are also inneed of lunch programs; namelyKelly Creek and Dry Creek. On-ly four schools in Lake countyhave availed themselves of theFederal aid for school lunches.County school population is

1121. Only 163 pupils have av-ailable school lunches.

We recommend that Lakeviewschools (District 7) especiallywork for a school lunch programunder federal aid, and that aP. T. A. Association be organ-ized to sponsor the lunch pro-gram. Since the 1945 censusshows home produced foods tobe adding $40.00 more to the

family income each year, werecognize this as a valuablepractice and recommend it becontinued on all farms. We fur-tiier recommend that surplusgardei truck be preserved fortPe school lunch program. Werecommend that demonstrationson canning, freezing and dry-ing of food for the family andfor school lunch programs begiven, using the newest ap-proved methods.

Cbthing DemonstrationsRcmriendedin clothing we recommend

demonstrations in use and careof materials. To best accomplishthe needs of the county in rurJlife, we believe the services ofa county Demonstration Agentare required to give demonstra-tions, to help club leaders andgive other assistance in 4-Hwork.

Letter Use of Health ServiceHealth facilities for Lake coun-

ty are concentrated in Lakeview.They consist of one health nurse,five doctors, four dentists, onehospital to serve the 6500 peoplein the county. It is best to pre-vent illness, and for that pur-pose we recommend a generalhealth educational program todiscuss such matters as healthinsurance, adequate nurse anddoctor service, hospital andhealth center benefits and soforth.

Tuberculosis X-Ray tests aremade in the county once or twiceeach year. This is a servicefree to all people and a valuableone to help in control of dis-ease. Records show that 519 tooktests in 1945 and only 260 testsin 1946. We recommend that all

persons take advantage of the'opporturLty to be tossed as soonas possible, and that they be'tested at least once a year.

Pure water is essential to goodhealth. Home wells are easilycontaminated; especially shal-low or surface wells. To make-'certain the water is safe for'uce, we recommend that thelamily water supply be tested-annually. The public health de-partment offers this service. Itpioo ides sterile containers andgives directions for coIlectingsamples to be tested. There isIjO charge for this service.

The accident rate in the coun-,ty is increasing both from fireand other causes which result,in loss of life and property. Werecommend that demonstrationsbe given to show ways and.means for prevention of homeaccidents of all kinds, includ-ing use of home fire extirig-uishers, proper use of electricalapparatus and methods of pre-'venting general household ac-cidents.

Education For Family LifeNeedad

During the last few yearsmany young people have mar,-.,ned and established homes. This.means accepting a real respon-sibility. In 1946 there were al-most twice as many divorces asmarriages in the courity-35.,marriages to 68 filings for div-orce. Realizing this situation tobe detrimental to good familyand community life, we rec-ommend 'that discussions of,

family life problems be carriedon. These could be done in exis-ting organizations such as.churches, Mother's clubs or corn-munity groups. Subjects for dis-cussion could include child de-

LAKE COUNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERENCE 21'


velopment, family relationships,adolescent problems, citizenshipresponsibilities, etc.

Trained Recreation LeadersNeeded

Recreational activities give anoutlet for youthful energies, pro-vide a socializing element forall ages and bring people clos-er together in everyday living.Granges, schools and churchesdo most to provide recreationalfunctions for the people of Lakecounty. There is need for trainedleaders to carry on these ac-tivities. We recommend thattraining meetings be held atleast annually for leaders fromall organizations interested inmethods and subject matter forcommunity recreation.

Orgainzed Youth GroupsImportant

Th best figures availableshow 1150 boys and girls be-tween the ages of 9 and 18 in-clusive in Lake county. Pres-ent enrollment figures in thevarious youth activities outsideof school show 310 boys and girlsenrolled in 4-H club work in1946. Approximately 200 boys areactive in Boy Scout work andthere are 100 Girl Scouts en-rolled. Figures are difficult toobtain on other worthwhile or-ganizations, such as church andservice youth groups. Taking in-to consideration that there willbe a lot of duplication withinthese groups, it is evident thatapproximately half the boys andgirls in this age group are notreached by these characterbuilding organizations.

The committee feels that theestablished organizations forthese youth groups and otherage groups contribute to the

welfare and community life andthat leaders are urgently neededfor these groups. Establishedgroups such as the 4-H clubs,Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, FutureFarmers, Future Homemakers,Juvenile Granges and churchestake their place with others inhelping to carry out the res-ponsibility that education mustassume. Serving American youthis the responsibility of theseorganizations. Cooperation ofthe home, the church and theschool is an important factor.

The national ten-point post-war 4-H program may be usedas a guide to help prepare to-morrow's citizens physically,mentally and spiritually. It pro-vides opportunities for volun-tary participation in programsbuilt on needs and intereststhrough which youths are:

Developing talents forgreater usefulness.

Joining with friends forwork, fun and fellowship.

Learning to live in a chang-ing world.

Choosing a way to earn aliving.

Producing food and fiberfor home and market.

Creating better homes forbetter living.

Conserving nature's re-sources for security and happi-ness.

Building health for a strongAmerica.

Sharing responsibilities forcommunity development.

Serving as citizens inmaintaining world peace.

More Adult Leadership NeededWe find that in every com-

munity there are groups of boysand girls who cannot take partin any organized youth activ-

0


ities because of lack of adultleadership. This lack of ade-quate leadership leads to juv-erlile delinquency.

This committee recommendsthat parents and those interestedin boys and girls investigate thepossibility of organizing 4-Hclub groups or scout groups andthen volunteer either to serveas leaders or assist. There is nogreater opportunity for worth-while community service. Thecommittee further recommendsthat:

1. A summer recreational di-rector be employed and a pro-

DAIRY, HOG AND POULTRY COMMITTEE REPORT

DAIRY REPORT

Iairy Cattle Decline In CountyAfter studying the dairy, hog

and poultry enterprises, theirpast, present and future possi-bilities, this committee makesthe following observations andrecommendations.

Dairying as a business in thiscounty has continued to declinethroughout the war period as aresult of more satisfactory pricesfor beef animals and an easierreturn on money invested.Numbers of dairy cattle havedropped off sharply in Lakecounty. Census figures indicatethat in 1940 there were 2400milk cows over two years oldand that in 1945 there were lessthan 1800, and it is estimatedless than 1200 dairy cows existin Lake county.

According to the 1945 censusa total of 139,650 pounds ofbutterfat were sold, with anestimated drop in amount soldduring 1946. This is a consid-

gram of directed activity be de-veloped for the summer months.

More opportunity or classesbe provided for the developmentof manual arts, both in and outof school. There are opportunitiesfor 4-H manual arts.

No additional youth groupsare needed but more use of theestablished organizations shouldbe encouraged.

P. T. A. be organized inLakeview, Paisley, New PineCreek and possibly Silver Laketo provide closer cooperationand understanding between thehome and the school.

erable drop from the 282,000pounds of butterfat sold in 1935.There is no surplus of marketmilk produced in Lake county.Many times during the pastseason, market milk was avail-able in very limited quantities.

A situation exists where manyof the dairy animals are beingbred to beef bulls or crossedwith Durham or milking Short-horns.

The long-time dairy outlookcontinues more favorable thanfor any other major livestock en-terprise. The national goal fordairy products calls for a totaloutput of 120 billion pounds ofmilk, although it is estimatedthat farmers could profitablysell several million pounds moreif it could be produced.

Dairying Is Sound EnterpriseIn CountyIt is the belief of the com-

mittee that dairying is a sound


enterprise in this county, es-pecially where adequate feedand pasture are available. Goodprinciples of dairy managementshould be observed for success.More attention should be givento developing healthy cows, highproduction per cow and reason-able feed costs.

The committee recommendsimproved pastures, both irri-gated and non-irrigated, as anessential for efficient operationof the dairy enterprise.

Where possible, good aLfalfafields should be developed inorder to provide adequate hayof good quality.

Feeding requirements are highdue to the length of the actualfeeding period, and dairymenshould plan at least three orfour tons of good alfalfa hay perindividual animal.

Breeds recommended includeHolstein, Guernsey, Jersey andrhilking Shorthorns. Individuallikes and dislikes of the operatormust also be considered.

The cross-breeding or the useof beef bulls with dairy breedsth not recommended. The selec-tion of good bulls is of vitalimportance and only purebredbulls with a good productionrçcord should be used. The com-rpittee recommends pooling pur-chasing of good sires for smallherds.

Better milking barns andequipment should be encouragedin this county. Many times mad-equate shelter is provided forthe dairy cows.

Testing is a good measure ofproductivity but until such timeas a testing association can bedeveloped, the committee rec-ommends that weighing andkeeping a record of milk from

each cow be practiced. Thisshould be done regularly at leastonce a month. A set of milkscales can be purchased at areasonable price and by weigh-ing the milk, a dairyman canfeed according to production.

Bangs and T.B. testing shouldhe done every year. Recommend-ed practice for the preventionof mastitis chould be followed(Ore. Cir. 1633.

It is recommended that, un-til sufficient numbers of dairyanimals of good quality areavailable in this county, Lakecounty farmers, 4-H club mem-bers and FFA members takeadvantage of the opportunity topurchase calves from dams witha 350-pound butterfat produc-tion record from the WesternOregon area.

Dairy Market Outlook GoodThere is need for the produc-

tion of more dairy products lo-cally for local use. At the pres-ent time Klamath Falls is adeficient area and it would bepossible to ship surplus milkto the area, Burns is also a de-ficient area.

Size And Improvement of theDairy HerdGood dairy cows for replace-

ment are not available in Lakecounty at the present time.

Lake county dairymen shouldbe encouraged to raise their owndairy calf replacements wherepossible.

Size of herd depends upon av-ailable feed supply, size of farm,and amount of home labor av-ailable. Operator efficiency isa factor and in general, largeherds operate more efficiently.

Increased butterfat productionis an important factor in the


efficient operation of the dairyenterprise. The following tabletaken from USD0 testing asso-

Losses Greatest FromMastitis Disease

Mastitis is probably the mostimportant disease affecting dai-ry cattle today and it is knownthat many dairy cattle in thiscountry are affected. Financiallosses caused by this disease areprobably greater than losses asa result of Bangs, T. B. or anyother single disease. Researchon the various phases of mastitisindicates that a sound programof control must be based onearly detection of the disease,sanitary measures and earlytreatment of infected animals.Many remedies through use ofvarious drugs, chemicals andvaccines have been advancedwithout a high percentage ofcures. More recent develop -ments in the use of sulpha de-rivatives and penicillin or sim-ilar products have been veryencouraging. Cleanliness andprevention is still the best con-trol.

Bangs and T. B. testing shouldbe carried on regularly in thiscounty. Reactors in 1946 wereover six percent in Lake countywhile Oregon on the whole isabout two percent.

Cooperation of all livestockinterests and the county courtis needed in keeping of a full.time licensed veterinarian for

ciation records shows how in-come over feed costs increasesas production increases.

Lake county if adequate testingand disease control is main-tained. Public health is an im-portant factor to be considered.

Increase Favored In 4-HDairy ProjectsThe number of 4-H dairy pro-

jects in 1946 was only eightboys and girls. Since dairy pro-jects offer an opportunity tolearn breeding, care and feedingas well as earning an income,more boys and girls should betaking part in 4-H dairy projects.Present dairy stock owned byclub members is of good qual-ity and boys and girls shouldbe encouraged to get good pro-ductive stock.

POULTRY REPORT

General Outlook Good

Poultry production in bothmeat and eggs increased in theUnited States almost fifty per-cent during the war years. Hereon the West Coast the increasehas not been so great but wehave had a large increase inpopulation. This situation haschanged the poultry industry onthe Pacific Coast to the extentthat we are no longer a largeexporting area but are now on

Lbs. Fatper Year

AverageValue

FeedCost

Income over No. cows toFeed cost Earn $2000

200300400500

$192280371457

$109126144160

$ 83154227297

2513

97

26 LAKE COUNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERETC

the import basis. Records indi-cate that the number of layinghens in Oregon has not variedgreatly except for 15 or 20 per-cent increase during the war.The poultry industry in Oregonhas already adjusted to aboutpre-war level.

Indications are that in thecountry as a whole there willbe a decrease in poultry pro-duction. The outlook for poultryproduction in Oregon is reas-onably good, inasmuch as thePacific Coast has changed froman exporting to an importingarea.

Poultry Production In CountyVaries SlightlyAccording to the 1940 and 1945

census there were on Lake coun-ty farms, 22,511 chickens in1940 and 21,103 chickens in 1945.Poultry production in Lake coun-ty has remained about the same,with some reduction due to highfeed costs.

Popular breeds are still whiteL e g h o r n s, New Hampshii-es,Rhode Island Reds, Barred Ply-mouth Rocks. The heavier breedsseem to be more satisfactory inthis area as they offer a bettersales value for meat.

There are no hatcheries inLake county and all chickensare shipped in from outsidehatcheries in Kiamath Falls,California and other points. Verylittle hen hatching is carried onin the county.

Quality of Flocks Should BeImprovedThe committee recommends

that wherever possible the qual-ity of products, both eggs andmeat, should be improved. Sizeof flock is a factor in the pro-duction of quality eggs. The

committee recommends t h a 1,where a family wants poultryand eggs for their own consump-tion, 25 hens or less would besufficient. This size of flockcould be handled as a 4-H pro-ject by the club boy or girl.Where the family income isderived from other sources andpoultry is a side-line business,,a 00 hen unit is recommended,and in case poultry is the mainbusiness, a unit of not Tess than.2,000 laying hens is recommend-ed. The 25 or 500 hen unit isrecommended for Lake county.

Amount of capital investmentis an important consideration,especially with our rather long:winters. Statistics available in-dicate that under present con-ditions an investment of about$5.00 per bird is required tobuild, equip, and brood a flockof four birds.

When ordering or purchasingchicks the purchaser shouldknow that the chicks are bredto lay and are free from pub-rum disease. An effort shouldbe made to get better shippingconnections for baby chicks be-ing brought into Lake County.

Good buildings are importantneeds in this area. The layinghouse should be dry, well lightedand warm. Good brooding equip-ment is an essential to gettingthe chicks off to a good start.

Feed costs are usually higherhere because of freight rates inthis area. Some feed grains areavailable locally and in somecases individual raisers couldproduce their own.Culling and Egg GradingDemonstrations Needed.

Demonstrations and instruc-tional meetings should be heldon grading eggs and culling


poultry. Better enforcement ofthe egg grading laws is neededin the Lakeview area.

The committee recommendsthe establishment of a centralegg collecting and grading sta-tion in Lakeview.

Few Turkeys RaisedIn CountyVery few turkeys are raised

in Lake county. It is estimatedthat 500 to 1000 turkeys areraised annually in Lake countybut it is not a commercial en-terprise. There are some localdemands for turkeys, especiallyfor Thanksgiving, Christmas andNew Years.

Four-H Poultry ProjectsNeed Encouragement

Very few actual poultry pro-jects have been carried by Lakecounty 4-H club members. In1946 only one 4-H poultry clubwas organized, with most of themembers carrying capons as aproject.

More boys and girls should beencouraged to carry a smallpoultry project of at least 25hens or starting with 50 chicksin order to produce eggs forfamily consumption. Establishedpoultry producers should be en-couraged to offer assistance inbrooding and leading poultryclubs.

SWINE REPORT

Few Registered HogsIn County

It is estimated that about 2,200hogs are purchased annually byLakeview butchers and soldthrough local markets. Somefresh pork is shipped and an es-

timated 30,000 pounds of curedpork is shipped into the countyeach year. This past year somesurplus hogs were shipped outby truck to California and Kiam-ath Falls.

Very few registered hogs arein the county. Breeds includePoland China, Berkshires, Duroc,Chester Whites, and there area few Hereford hogs in the coun-ty. Considerable crossing is prac-tised, due to lack of adequateboars.

General Market OutlookFavorable

There is some local demandfor hogs at almost all seasonsof the year, with the possibilityof shipping out through the ship-ping association. With the pass-age of the long truck bill, Cal-ifornia and Portland marketswould be more available.

The committee recommendswhere possible that suitable hoglegume pastures be establishedas a means of providing feedcheaply.

Enough hogs should be kepton the average Lake county farmto consume waste feeds of allkinds. Where skim milk is aby-product, it could be fed tohogs unless used for some otherclass of livestock or poultry.

Approximately 450 pounds ofgrain are required to produce100 pounds of pork. This ofcourse is reduced where skimmilk or pasture as by-productsare used. Potatoes are used oc-cassionally. It takes 600 poundsof raw potatoes or 400 poundsof cooked potatoes to replace100 pounds of grain if fed alongwith grain. Hogs are sometimesused to clean up a grain stubblefield and usually this is worthconsidering.

28 LAKE COIJNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERENCE

Proper Care and Disease Control

Suitable hog hOuses and otherequipment car! be constrictédat a nominal cost, Proper hous-ing and care of the brood sowat farrowing time is an impor-tant part of the hog enterprise.Plans and bulletins are avail-,able at the county ExtensionService office.

An important consideration inthe successful handling of hogsis the removal of worms, whichcause unthriftiness, s t u n t e dgrowth, wasted feeds and insome cases, death, and, condem-nation in inspected meat pack-ing establishmenth. Recent re-search shows sodium fluoride to

be quite effective and hog rais-ers having trouble should secureExtension Circular 485 from thecounty Extension office as touse and method of treatment.

4-I-I Hog Projects Encouraged

Hogs as a4-H club project, es-pecially raising market hogs,offers an opportunity for train-ing in addition to serving as ameans of using wastes and pro-viding meat for the rural family.Boys and girls in this countyshould be encouraged to carrymore hog projects, especiallywhen local feed supplies can beobtained under somewhat nor-mal conditions.

I

LAKE COUNTY FARIVI PLANNING 'CONFERENCE 29

LAKE COUNTY FA'RM PLANNING CONFERENCE

CROPS COMMITTEE REPORT

Grass Is Most Important CropGrass is the thost importart crop in Lake CountS7 since live-

stock provides three quarters of the total agricultural income.With. this. situation feeç crops of all kinds are needed to main-tain safe, sound farm income. A steady increase in cash cropsto ship out is going on as more farmers grow grain, potatoes andsmall seeds. Commercial orchards, once important,, are nearlygone but home orchards nc1 gardens are quite valuable t6 thiscounty. Summer frosts are a hazard in some sections to all crops.

LAKE 'COUNTy HAY AND GRAIN ACREAGE

Gudn Threshed Hay AcresYear Rye ' Oats Barley Wheat Alfalfa Grain Meadow

66,0005,000

63,00062,00058,00055,00057,20068,63547,31568,22353,32374,873

Native Meadows 'NeedImprovement

Native meadows now provideabout two-thlrds, of the county'shay needs. Most of these mea-dows would yield dpuble theirpresent fqrage if they could beleveled, worked up, and reseededto permanent hay or pastures.This may be done on, a smallarea ea4th year. An increasedacreage of irrigated farm landshould be seeded to permanentpastures thrpughout Lake coun-ty. Seed mixtures are recom-mended by .the county agent.Commercial fertilizer will in-crease pasture yield and trialsare recommended for various

soils and grasses.Alfalfa can be grown on un-

iii igated farms With good soil.Both irrigated, and dry-land al-faLfa should be planted with alittle grass seed for quality hay,pastures, and long life. Muchgrain land now farmd shouldcc planted td pernianent hay orpa sture.

All' types of hay should becut earlier than i commonlypracticed to give it higher feedvalue and get more after-mathpasture. Over-ripe hay has lessnutrients than hay cut whilesoft and just starting to bloom.

Shipping hay out of the coün-ty should be discouraged. It

1946 1,300 '.8,000 7000 14,000 7,700 10,5001945 I,500 5,090 6O00 10,000 7,400 10,5001944 i3O00 5,500 5,000 8,400 7,400 11,5001943 1,,4l0,' ,. 7,00Q' 7,500 6,000 7,200 u,Ooo1942 2,00 5,300 11,000 4,000 '7,5(0 10,0001941 2,100 5,100 10,600 6,600 7,000 8,70019401939

. .3,000,1,309

5,5000U

p5,7003,500

2,6002,700

6,5005,900

7,300'6,!{00.

1934 1,588 593 l.,513 2,764 4,528 13,3801.92919241919

' 325,,80

'1,636'

297149'25Z

1,011439

' 879

3,2701,6L66,666

8,881 ,

6,292,4,002

5,7333,2509,66


can be fed locally and livestockshipped out, leaving the fertilityin the county and providingmore money for everyone.

Improve Range LandManagement

Range land has been usedheavily during the after-warperiods of high prices on meatand wool. Seventy-five percentof the county range is govern-ment land and twenty-five per-cent is private land. The gov-ernment tries to adjust livestocknumbers and grazing periods toprotect the grass for future use.It is up to ranchers to take careof private range by wise rangemanagement. Some outfits oftenabuse their permanent grassstands when no governnentrange is available to them atcertain seasons. The privaterange is less productive thanformerly, due to reductions onfederal permits, throwing morestock on home feed.

Grazing capacity varies wide-ly each season, due to moistureand use. Each rancher shouldkeep a record of numbers turnedinto each pasture and periodused to help determine yield ofthe grass. The local U. S. LandManagement office should keepaccurate use records of each per-mit to show actual carrying ca-pacity on desert ranges.

Range reseeding is recom-mended where sagebrush canbe burned safely or otherwisetaken out. All accidentallyburned areas and logging skid-roads should be seeded the sameyear. Drilling grass seed is su-perior to broadcast seeding.

Feed More Small GrainsTo LivestockWheat, oats and b a r 1 e y

threshed in 1946 totaled 28,000acres. The acreage has increasedeach year for 27 seasons andalmost all of it has been shippedout of the county to market.

All low yielding land and lowfrosty fields should be seededto pasture.

All dryland grain land shouldbe summer fallowed often tocontrol weeds and improveyields.

Marketing grain through lo-Cal livestock feeding is recom-mended, rather than dependingon outside grain markets.

It is recommended that each,farm arrange home storage forat least one year's grain crop,and home feed mixing plantswould benefit livestock feeding.Grain Varieties Vary With

Conditions

Grain varieties recommendedvary with soil and moisture con-ditions. Pure clean seed is well.worth paying for, to encourageits production. Growing certifiedseed grain should be encouragedand growers advised to cooperatewith the county agent's officeon this project.

Wheat varieties s u g g e s t e dfrom growers' experience:

Winter wheats include "Tur-key Red", which seems to bEmedium popular; "Rex", a softwhite wheat new to the county,seems to yield very well; "El-gin" is a club wheat reportedtops by experiment stations butshould be in Lake county.

Spring wheats i n c I u d e"Hard Federation" for good dryland; "White Federation" and"Baart 38" on irrigated land.Galgalos is not recommendedfor Lake county.

Barley varieties recommendedare "Hannchen" for good dry

I4KE COUNTY FARM PLANNING CONFERENCE 31

land. and "Trebi" for irrigatedsoils; "Compana", recently in-troduced, seems to produce gooddry land yields. Winter barleyyields high if winter weather isfavorable, but is not a depend-able crop. "Utah Winter" appearsto be the best barley for fallseeding. Clean fields often produce premium malting barleyin Lake county.

Oats recommended are "Kano-ta" for lake bed and peat soils."Markton" is the best varietyfor other sections of the county.Oats mature rapidly and havesuffered less damage from sum-mer frost than either wheat orbarley in sections where frostis a hazard.Increase Recommended In Small

Seeds

Good quality alfalfa and clo-ver seeds can be grown in Lakecounty and an increase is rec-ommended. This crop is recom-mended as a cash crop for di-versified farms where weeds arenot present. More grass seedshould be grown and all seedsshould be marketed through oneor two dealers in order to assem-ble large enough quantities toattract buyers.

Alfalfa seed yield is not de-pendable but harvesting re-quires less expense than hayingoperations and the crop is prof-itable.

Alsike clover is more depend-able than red clover and shouldbe increased in Lake county forseed productions.

Honey bees are necessary aidsto clover seed production butseem to help alfalfa only slight-ly. Wild bees which live inuncultivated ground do help al-falfa.

Additional work is needed to

determine whether insect dam-age controls seed set and yields.

G r a s s e s recommended forgrowing seed are Crested Wheat,Alta Fescue, Smooth Brome,Non-shattering Tall Oat, NewMeadow Foxtail, and Bluejoint.Some Specialty CropsRecommended

Potatoe increase of 1000 acresis recommended to improve labormovement, to attract buyers andto provide a cultivated crop touse in farm rotation system.Commercial fertilizer is profit-able and should be used on p0-tatoes. A cooperative potatograding and marketing associa-tion in Goose Lake Valley isrecommended to take care of thecrop after growers produce it.

Peas are recommended to turnunder as a green manure crop.Vetch is not used, due to itsvolunteering habits.

Peas for seed have been triedby several farmers and discon-tinued.

Flax for seed has been grownoy several farmers and discon-tinued in favor of grain. Itshould do well on weed-freesoil[s.

Onions in rows are suggestedas a cultivated crop where need-ed as a rotation practice.

Vegetable seeds have beengrown in the past but discon-tinued.

Commercial orchards are notrecommended. Native wild plumsshould be picked and sold todevelop the novelty market forthem. Home orchards are im-portant in the county and wildplums are recommended forhome orchard plantings. A localcannery should be started tomake plum preserves for salewith local trade mark.


Home vegetable gardens arequite successful in Lake countywith limitations due to early

VEGETABLE GROWING ZN LAKE COUNTY

Planting Inches Ft. Row Inch FrostName Dates Spaced Width Cover Tol.

LEAFY VEGETABLESSpinach 4-15 to 6-15Swiss Chard 4-15 to 5-15Cabbage (plants 4-15 to 6-1Brussels Sprouts 6-1 transLettuce, Head 4-1 to 7-5

GREEN VEGETABLESAsparagus plants 4.20Beans 6-1 to 6-20Gr. Spr. Broccoli 5-1 to 6-1Peas 4-1 to 6-15YELLOW VEGETABLESCarrots 4-15 to 6-1Rutabagas 5-15 to 6-1Squash (sum.) 6-1 to 6-15Squash (win.) 6-1 to 6-15OTHER VEGETABLESCorn 5-25 to 6-20beets 4-20 to 6-15Parsnips 4-15 to 6-1Turnips 4-15 to 6-1Cucumber 6-1 to 6-15Onions (seed 4-1 to 6-1Onions (sets) 4-15 to 6-15Radishes 4-15 to 7-15Tomato plants 6-1 to 6-15

Landowners Responsible ForWeed Control

Farmers should learn to rec-ognize dangerous weeds foundspreading in Lake county.

Dangerous weeds i n c 1 u d eWhite Top, Morning Glory, Cana-da Thistle, Knapweed, BlueFlowering Lettuce, Shoe String,Tansy, Deathweed, Bull Thistle,

and late frosts. More gardensare recommended.

GrowingPeriod

Cocklebur, Mediterranean Sage,Poison Hemlock and Larkspur.

Crop yields are reduced by agreat many weeds not consid-ered dangerous but profits de-pend on farming methods tocombat them, such as summerfallow, permanent crops, andselective sprays.

Each land owner has directresponsibility for controlling

4 1 % Hardy 8-9 weeks6 11/2 1 Hardy 60-75 days

18 2 Hardy 9-16 weeks24 Hardy 125 days6-12 1% % Hardy 9-12 weeks

24 3 5 Stalks 2 years4 2-2% 2 Tender 6-8 wks

18 2 1/2 Hardy 85 days2 2% 2 Medium 8-9 wks

2-3 1.11/2 % Hardy 8-9 wks4-6 2 1/2 Hardy 90 days48 4 1 Tender 8-9 wks96 8 1 Tender 10-16 wks

14-18 3 3 Tender 10-13 wks4 1 1/2 Medium 8-10 wks

4-6 1%-2 1/2 Hardy 16-20 wks2-4 1-1% Hardy 8-10 wks48 4 1 Tender 8-10 wks

3 1 1/2 Hardy 16-20 wks3 1 2 Hardy 5-6 wks2 1 % Hardy 4-8 wks

30-48 41/25 Tender 100 days

Snoxious weeds on his land. Con-servation payments available

for weed control on private landis strongly recommended.

Farm weeds are the respon-sibility of individauls.

County roads and lands arethe first weed job of the county.

State H ig h,w a y s, railroads,State lands and federal landsshould have weeds controlledby the agency managing theland

County-Wide: Weed ControlDistrict

A county-wide weed controldistrict should be set up pro-viding control laws in 1948 onpart of the noxious weeds, withprovisions br additional weedsto be included each year.

The county should hire a prop-erly trained weed supervisor onfull-time basis and equip himwith sprayers adequate to covercounty. roadways. The countyequipment shouldbe used onprivate land only as time per-mits and a charge made for thework to cover cost

Individual ranchers each needa plan of weed control and provisions made for necessary cul-tivators, sprayers) etc., to do thejob. Custom spray machinesare needed for field spraying butsmall home owned sprayers ordusters are recommended forpatch workRecommended Weed Control

Methods

(See county agent's office forspecial ssstaflCe)

Cultivation has not workedon sub-irrigated land in Lakecounty for weed control. Thismethod is recommended as themost economical control for en-


tire fields where soil moisturecan be controlled. This methodworks well with grain summerfallow systems.

Chemical weed control hasnew hope with the developmentof new materials. The new 2,4-Dis very useful but it will notkill weeds 100 percent with oneapplication. Its recommendeduse is for field spraying to re-duce weeds in grain and annualuse on noxious weeds to keepthem under control. Small handdusters using 2 4 D dust arerecommended for p 0 1 S 0 n 0 U 5weeds and Mediterranean Sageon range land inaccessible tomachinery

Soil fumigants are recom-mended f9r complete kill ofspols of noxious weeds CarbonBisulphide and the newercheaper chemical called Proclilorare available

Soil sterilizing chemicals areuseiLul for roads yards and spotwork on farm land Sodiumchlorate is applied as dry saltin the fall in Lake countyfields Other soil sterilizingchemicals are useful but sodiumchlorate is most widely used asan economical control whichwill weather away in a fewyears time. Heavy treatmentsmight poison salt-hungry live-stock.

Wilting and burning weedswill prevent seed formation butmany repeated treatments arenecessary -: to kill perennialplants. Oil sprays are knock-down- treatmeflts but do not killperennials. Mowing is uscfuicontrol $n pastures to hold downspreading.. Holding livestock off,range is recommended to reducenoxious weed pasture for 24hours before moving to cleanspread.

34 LAKE COUNTY PARM PLANNING CONFERENCE

CONSERVATION AND IRRIGATION COMMITTEE

REPORT

Flood Waters Cover MuchOf Irrigated LandIn Lake county 132 910 acres

are listed as irrigated land butabout 100 000 acres take up allwater rights. Less than 10 per-cent is watered from storagereservoirs, so that most landis covered by wild flood waterand uncontrolled stream flow.Approximately 66,000 acres ofnative wild meadow are cut forhay each season. The exactacreage cut over depends on theyield each year.

About 30,000 irrigated acresare either pastured or not usedat all, due to seasonal flooding.All of this irrigated land is good,productive soil but seasonalfloods prevent full productionbecause it is too wet in floodseason and too dry the rest ofthe year. Management of water-shed lands to protect plantgrowth from fire, grazing andlogging must be followed to pro-vide silt-free water for reser-voirs and late irrigation forflooding meadows.

Different Irrigation PracticesUsed

Water sources include naturalstreams, rivers, springs andwaste water from irrigation dis-tricts.

\ ater is distributed to naturalcreek channels, ditches and can-als and dikes Some ranchersallow land to flood in spring.Others build large check andspreader dams to distribute sea-sonal flood water and catch anysilt brought down from the

mountains.Water is delivered to highest

possible fields by c o n t o u rditches Water should run slowlyto sub irrigate lower groundWood, concrete, or metal head-gates are used to divert waterinto main irrigation ditchesfrom natural creek channels.Flood Water Control. Drainage

Recommended

Flood water should be con-tr011ed by storage in the lowmountains, where storage sitesare available toallow for a long.er supply of water during theentire growing season and toprevent excèssivë floods eachyear.

Diversion canals should beconstructed to control floodwater wherever necessary, us-ing AAA payments to help fi-nance earthwork.

All low wet areas should bedrained. Dynamite is an econ-omical method of constructingdrain ditches on wet land. How.ever, draglines or shovels aremore economical and do a bet-ter job where they can be used.

Water should not be allowedto stand on meadows over along period of time, as themost desirable types of nativegrasses are killed out and re-placed by undesirable types ofwater grass.

Water should not be allowedto run over or stand on mea-dows in the winter timeImprovement of Native Meadows

Native grasses should be removed and reseéded td permà-


nent types of acceptable peren-nial tame grasses. (ConsultCounty Agent for varieties).

Native meadow should neverbe plowed up until flood wateris controlled on areas to beplowed.

Before reseeding meadows theyshould be leveled and an ap-proved system of irrigation es-tablished.

Meadows should be cultivatedfor at least two years beforeattempting to seed to perma-nent grasses and legumes.

Consult County AAA com-mittee for approval on reno-vation and reseeding in orderto be eligible for AAA paymentsfor work completed.

To irrigate native meadowsthat have not been renovatedand leveled:

Spreader dams should beconstructed of earth and sod toprevent erosion and trampingout by livestock.

Large check dams should beconstructed in gullies and deepwashes to hold any silt that maybe washed in by flood waterand to prevent any furtherwashing or erosion.

Renovate and reseed anyareas of meadow where wateris controlled.

l3OOO Acres Under ControlledIrrigation

At the present time Lakecounty has approximately 13,000acres under controlled irrigationsystems. These systems may bedescribed primarily as: LakeviewWater Users, Inc., supplying wa-ter for approximately 10,000acres; the Thompson reservoirproject, supplying water for ap-proximatJy, 1,000 acres; andSummer Lake project, with 1$00acres.

Under the Lakeview Water Us-ers system there are two reser-voirs, namely, Drews and Cot-tonwood, with a total capacityof 66,500 acre feet. All reser-voirs are supplied with waterfrom the annual runoff of snowand rainfall from the adjacentareas, except that of SummerLake project. It is principally adiversion of the Ana River,which has a constant flow andso storage water is required.

Distribution of all water fromthe reservoirs to the users isthrough a system of canals andlaterals. The current practiceof distribution is to deliver waterto the user in accordance withhis requirements, insofar aspracticable and possible. Thisis required, since no currentmeans of measuring all waterdelivery is available and theamount of water which can bedelivesed through the canaland lateral system is not suf-ficient to supply adequately allacreage when desired.

At the 'present time under theLakeview Water Users, Inc.system there exists approximate-ly forty miles of main canaland two hundred miles of lat-erals. The widely scattered dis-tribution of water requires thisextensive canal system andleaves a large number of acresdirectly under the system notunder irrigation.

Improved irrigation distributionRecommended

Districts should continue im-provëment of distribution facil-ities and measuring devices toinsure adequate and equal waterdistribution,

Surveys by the Bureau of Re-clamation and others should beencouraged as a means of b-


catirig new reservoir sites anddistribution ditches.

A Soil Conservation districtis needed to furnish technicalassistance to both farmers andirrigation districts.

AAA committee should be con-sulted for use of available pay-ments on canals and individualfarms to improve irrigation sys-tems.

Proper Handling of IrrigationWater Important

Variations in soil types andslopes dictate which irrigatioilsystem each farm must use.Each farmer should study hiscondition and use best systemto fit the needs.

A detailed soil survey is need-ed for irrigation districts.

Water should be spread evenlybut not excessively. Prolongedsoaking is harmful to soil andcrops by leaching away plantfood and suffocating root zones.It also causes alkali and drain-age problems to develop.

Land should be surveyed care-fully first, and then levelled toallow even distribution withoutharmful soaking of low spots inan effort to wet more difficultareas. Extensive leveling is rec-ommended, but it must not re-move soil deeper than produc-tive top layer on the cut-awayareas. Machines that carry soillevel cheaper than those thatdrag soil. Land, planes and othersmoothing equipment are ne-cessary to finish but do not doprimary leveling efficiently.

Ditch layout on fields is im-portant to save labor and yethandle water properly, length ofhead ditch will depend on slopeand soil texture Sod crops willhandle much longer sets thanannual crops. Soil that subs

easily may' become water loggednear long head ditches.

It is advisable to corrugatesteeper fields and flood landwith gentle slopes.

Strip border irrigation hasproved a real labor saving sys-tem on even slopes if carefullylaid out. Ridges must be wideand high enough to accept set-tling and still keep strips prop-erly separated.

Farmers are advised to: makeuse of County Agent's office onirrigation problems; find exper-ience of others' in the area; useexperience of State Specialists;and' obtain assistance in layoutsurveys.

Soil Conservation ActionNeeded

Crop rotation. This committeerecommends that a crop rota.tion practice for the individualfarm be worked out with theCounty Agent and the Soil Con-servation district personnel whenavailable.

Fertilization. We 'recommendthe use of more fertilizer thanhas been used in the past. Webelieve that fertilizer can beused to advantage on the lightersoils and for other crops in ad-dition to potatoes. Crop residueand green manure should beused to build organic matterto increase yields, reduce ero-sion and save irrigation.

Water and wind erosion. Watererosion, while it may seem smallin this section of the country,is great enough to be important.Contour farming some of thesteeper ground and reorganizingmost irrigatien systems by lev-eling and a more scientific ap-plication of water would reducethis materially. Gullies in mea-dows lower the water level and


careless irrigation is washingaway top soil in steeper slopes.Sheet erosion froth spring floodsmust be avoided. We recommendthat much of the higher dryland in the county now in grainbe planted in alfalfa or dry landgrasses to reduce loss from winderosion.

Drainage. We recommend thata drainage program be workedout for all irrigated areas. Onlyby such a program can all theland now in use be kept in cul-tivation and many thousands ofacres can be reclaimed. By theorganization of the Soil Con-servation district and securingthe services of the ConservationEngineers, such an overall drain-age plan can be put into effect.

New Irrigation Developments

There is no available watersource in Lake county to ir-rigate new acreages of any size.Productivity of rich soil in mea-dows and marsh lands can beincreased many times by stor-age of seasonal floods and pro-per irrigation. Much of this goodsoil is flooded part of the sea-son, yet becomes too dry forcrops part of the year. Creekswithout sufficient storage de-veloped to control flood watersshould have sate channels con-structed to permit voluntary ir-rigation as desired. Many suchchannels would be communityprojects.

Goose Lake Valley. The Bu-reau of Reclamation is engagedin making a complete surveyas requested by Lake county.The complete report will be ofgreat value to show develop.ment possibilities. Actual workwill have to be started and ar-ranged by local people. The23,000 acres now irrigated prob.

ably can be more than doubledin production.

Deep well pumping for irri-gation around Goose Lakeshould be tried where the wateris needed.

Safe channels are needed tohandle flood water from abovethe hay land into Goose Lakefor Thomas Creek, Cox Creek,Bauers Creek and parts of othercreeks which flood farm lands.Proper water flow could thus beturned on the farms as desired.

Chewaucan Valley. A com-plete survey is needed here tofind extent of developments pos.sible.

Water should be stored in res-ervoirs and used to irrigate thesame lands it now covers atflood stage. There appears to begood reservoir sites on the riverabove Paisley which could ir-rigate the 39,450 acres now par-tiLally productive as marsh hayand pasture.

Warner Valley. A completesurvey is needed to find howmuch water can be stored in res-ervoirs and where they couldbe located.

Acreage now flooded is 38.000acres. It appears that this areacould be greatly improved by us-ing irrigation water properlycontrolled.

Individual ranchers s h o u 1 dconsider the possibility of com-munity cooperation b e f o r espending large sums for dikes tocontrol water on any one ranch.Some of the present work mightbe obsolete if agreement couldbe reached on a cooperativeproject.

State owned lakes leased fordraining and farming in WarnerValley should have a coordinat-ing plan of drainage. It is rec-ommended the county court,


chamber of commerce and farmorganizations should insist onstate surveys to show locationand extent of dikes and ditches.

Silver Lake. The area underirrigation is 11,050 acres. Thereis a possibility of some addi-tional storage reservoirs.

Thompson Valley project mustbe reorganized and set up on asound financial basis before itcan be improved. The irrigationditches and land served needsrepair and organization.

Fort Rock Pumping Project.Irrigation by pumping plants inthis area is quite desirable forrange livestock ranches for pro-ducing winter feed.

Pumping is not recommendedfor small farms with incomeonly from acreage irrigated.Good farmers can make a livingon these piaces but the averageoperator would probably fail.Expanded irrigation would notimprove the county for thisreason.

Small Reservoirs Encouraged

Private reservoirs are encour-aged in the county since smalldams any place are helpful.They hold run off water for ir-rigation and aid erosion control.They also provide stock wateron range.

PLANNING CONFERENCE

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