/y yr v ' )RY l-ll I Inited States Department of Agriculture, BUREAU OK PLANT INDUSTRY, Western Irrigation Agriculture, WASHINGTON. D. C. THE WORK OF THE UMATILLA RECLAMATION PROJECT EXPERIMENT FARM IN 1913. By R. W. A 1 1 en, Collaborator. INTRODUCTION. The experiments carried on at the Umatilla Experiment Farm in 1913 followed the same general lines as those conducted in 191?, as reported in a previous publication. 1 On account of the small size of the farms on the Umatilla project which contain an average of aboul ;'>i> acres of irrigable land it is accessary thai systems of intensive agriculture be established. The climatic conditions on the project are well >niteil to the production of certain truck crops and fruits and to daily farming. One of the first requirements of successful crop production on this project is to increase the supply of organic matter in the soil, BO as to improve the water-holding capacity and productivity and to lessen the danger of wind erosion, [t i- necessary also thai crop varieties suited to the conditions on the project be found and that satisfactory methods be worked out for handling the >oil and the irrigation water. Since its establishment in 1909, the Umatilla Experiment Farm has been devoted to the Investigation of these problems. The work of the farm has been mainly horticultural and is at present confined ' The I'matill.i Kxprriment Finn is located on the I'matiHa Reclamation Project,abaBl 2 nn. ofHermiston.Oi ind withdrawn from en try in 190t D •••nmt of the In; experiment farm. It is maintained by tl I cperimect n an.i oper a nd hi cooperation with the Boreaa of ■ • pi of ulture, un. ler a cooperative agreement. Oper.it inns were began In WW. The bu I were ■ .1 by the I'nl Reclamation Sen ice and by thi The expenses of the firm are shared eqaally by Uu ulture. The in. . is under the immedu' if of the Bureau o( Plant Inrt . i,R.W Th>- work o'ttie rmatilla Kxpcrimem Farm in P.M. Ilureaii I Tircular 129. p. 2W2, 1913. -14 chiefly to testing varieties of fruits and truck crops and to investigat- ing methods of producing these crops, including methods of irriga- tion. The present publication contains a brief discussion of the progress of the work during the year 1913. CONDITIONS ON THE PROJECT. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. Measurements of precipitation, evaporation, wind velocity, and temperature have been made at the experiment farm in cooperation with the Biophysical Laboratory of the Bureau of Plant Industry since September, 1911. A summary of the climatologies! observations for the three years is given in Table I. Table I. — Summary of climatologicul observations «t tin Umatilla Experiment Farm from 1911 to 1918, inclusive. Precipitation i'Inchi Year. Hem. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. An- nual. 1911.. 0.55 .10 .16 0.46 .29 1.43 0.48 .54 1.20 0.50 .13 .62 1912 1913 2.22 1.69 0.67 .57 0.49 .23 6.61 1.25 .34 1.72 0.97 .78 0. 05 Tr 1.18 .52 8.50 9.26 Average. 1.95 .57 .36 .47 1.48 .87 1 .02 1 .85 .27 .72 .74 .41 Evaporation (Inches). 1912.. (') (') (') (') 1.98 3. 98 5. 21 3.70 5.85 7.51 8.23 5.68 5.90 8.53 I 7.13 3.87 5.06 2.98 2.06 .78 .70 .25 (') 38.50 1913.. 40.9 3. 84 5. 53 6.70 8.33 6.36 4.46 1.47 .74 Da i.v W -nd Velocity (Miles per Hour). 1911 5.2 3.8 3.0 13.2 9.7 7.0 1 .8 .8 .5 5.6 2.5 2.2 13.7 9.5 8.2 1.4 .5 .4 3.5 3.5 2.3 19.8 12.3 8.3 .8 .6 .4 5.5 1.7 2.1 14. s 5.1 11.5 .7 .7 .5 3.8 4.3 1.2 16.2 15.4 3.3 .8 .5 .3 1912.. 1913.. 1911.. do do Maximum... 2.5 3.1 4.0 2.5 3.3 4.7 2.5 5.2 3.1 3.7 5.3 4.5 4.4 3.8 3.4 3.3 19.8 1912. . 1913.. 1911.. .... do do Minimum. . . 8.7 15.3 12.7 6. 9 16.9 13.9 15.7 14.2 10.5 11.8 13. 6 9.8 11.5 11.9 16.9 15.3 .8 I'll 2.. 1913.. do .... do 1.2 .8 .9 .5 1.3 1.0 1.1 1.4 .9 1.1 .9 1.3 1.2 .9 .5 .3 Monthly Temperature (°F.). 1911 . 54 59 60 79 87 91 28 32 31 4^ 4-* 50 89 78 81 15 23 26 37 42 43 66 62 65 9 20 25 34 35 31 55 tit 51 12 12 7 1912.. 1913.. do do 29 30 40 23 41 45 52 53 61 59 69 68 72 74 69 83 1911 1912.. rlo 52 66 58 60 71 64 78 86 91 87 1114 97 102 105 102 103 104 1913.. do 105 1911 1912.. do 18 lti - 6 15 19 26 26 35 34 43 44 48 44 41 42 -18 1913 do - 6 1 Record incomplete, owing to freezing of water. 3 The dates of the last spring frosts and firsl autumn frosts from 1909 to I'M I , inclusive, were obtained from the local office of the Reclama- tion Service al Hermiston, aboul 2 miles from the experiment farm In L912 and L913 the observations were made at the farm. These lata t"i" the five years 1909 to 1913, inclusive, are given in Table IT. T Mil I. II /', ' HUM - Minimum torn] t ■• r .■ Oct. 10 Minimum tern] 1 r.. ' •••1 Apr 21 Apr 20 Apr 16 Apr 23 ;i 178 1910 1011 1012 M.KICI 1.11 IHI. ( DNIIII KIN.-, The Beason of 1913 was especially favorable for crop production, the number of heavy winds and hoi days being relatively few. A hot v, ave w hich occurred late in July checked temporarily the growth of the more tender crops of the project, but was nol serious. A lighl frost occurred on September 24, In it did very little damage. Continu- ous cold weather did not begin until unusually late, so thai fall-planted crops had very favorable growing conditions. In 1913 the total irrigable area of the .'!ll farm-, on the project was 10,092 acre-. Of this, an area of 1,994 acre-- was actually irri- gated. The average irrigated area per farm was aboul 16 acres. Of the land actually irrigated, an area of 1,961 acres was devoted to young orchards, newly -ceded alfalfa, rye for green manure, and other crops not harvested, so thai the total area from which crop- were harvested was 3,033 acres. This area was about 200 aero less than the area harvested in 1912. The average farm value per acre of all the crops on the project was $27.72 in 1913, a- compared with $24 in 1912. The acreage, yields, and farm values of the crops grown on the project in 1913 are -tated in Table III, the figures being ob- tained from the United Stale- Reclamation Service. Table III. — Acreage, yields, and farm values of crops grown on the Umatilla project in WIS. Crop. Alfalfa hay Clover hay Other hay Apples Apricots Artichokes Corn Corn fodder Watermelons Fruit, small Grapes Garden Onions Pasture Peaches Potatoes Less duplications. Area (acres). Total 3,033 Average value 2,024 20 42 11 6 9 56 76 13 36 91 59 3 496 87 83 79 Unit of yield. Ton.... ..do... ..do... Pound . ..do... Ton. . . . Bushel. Ton.... Pound. ..do... ..do... Yield. Per acre. Total. Aver- age. Maxi- mum. Farm value. Per unit of yield. 8,010 34 38 1,800 4,320 119 1,088 212 3.96 1.7 .90 163.6 720.0 13.2 19. 43 2.79 Bushel.. Pound. Bushel. 139,000 10,692 22,141 615 38,820 426.6 436 145.3 62, 200 7,538 715.0 90.8 10 4 2 800 1,600 25 85 8 16,000 5,760 25,000 Total. 600 6,000 533 $8.00 7.35 6.00 .04 .05 10.00 .84 3.75 .075 .09 .02 .50 .022 .64 $64, OHO 250 228 72 216 1,170 914 795 1,042 1,993 776 2,835 218 3,297 1,368 4,824 Per acre. Aver- 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 »4,07S . 27. 72 Maxi- mum. $80.00 29.40 32. 00 330. 00 250.00 300.00 i32.'66 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 83,285 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 hogs 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 on care for shipment. The demand for baled ha) continued, and tlw> price mix anced to tl I per ton later in the season. i ELD I \i'i MMEN ra The principal lines of work along which experiments were con ducted on the farm in 1913 are as follows: i The testing <>f frail varieties and methods of their production : (2) the testing "f \ arieties L . U_ d G mm w FERTILIZER T~ TE5T VEGETABLES t« -. SOIL ' FERTILITY I IN PPLE ORCHARD , , , ! r Ki... I. i>ui»cnun of the Umatilla Experiment Farm, showing the anangemi nt ol the fields and the cperimenta ta of garden and truck crop-; :; experiments with methods of increasing the supply of organic matter in the soil; (4) the testing of a number of green-manure crop- and methods of handling them; (5) growing numerous hardy trees and shrubs to find their value for ornamental purposes and as windbreaks; and (6) continued testing of different irrigation methods. The arrangement of the fields and the locutions of the experiments in 1913 are shown in figure l. 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 FUI ITS. Variety tests of 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 different 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, showing 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. Quinces 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 he 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 different 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 4f 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 they are located. Methods of plaiting strawberries. — To test the four common field methods of planting strawberries, namely, the double hedgerow sys- tern, the single hedgorow system, the matted-row system, and the liill Bystem, an experiment has been conducted f< >r three yea Plants of the Clark ' lark's Seedling) variety were planted in Sep tember, 1910, on newlj graded land, one-eighth of an acre being planted by each method. Table l\ shows the number of plants on each plat and the average yields of t\\<> cro] T mm i I \ s and I Double bedgti Hill svvi.-ni .... I. HHI The production of fruit in relation to tlir area of laud occupied l>\ each plant is in favor of the single hedgerow Bystem, l>ut the heaviest yield per acre was obtained from the double hedgerow planting. Thf hill system of planting is the most economical to handle, as the plants are kepi apart, which facilitates removing runners and keeping out weeds. The small growth of plants and light yield of fruit in this experiment are attributed to the infertile condition of the soil. Promising varieties of strawberries. Of tlie 7 1 strawberry varieties under trial, those named in Table V have given the best results. Tvbik V. -D md fruiting and vu • fruit yield jht 1 878 \; '-.i .' \! • Miller 1 Hill Iprfl 20. luni Cl.irk Although far inferior in point of yield, the Clark is valuable on account of its early maturity and superior -hipping quality. The other varieties are rather soft and inferior for marketing. The Texas, Kansas, and Parson can he shipped successfully to local market-. wherries. The following varieties of gooseberries were grown in 1913: Downing. Industry, Josselyn, Oregon, Pearl, Smith, Victoria, and Houghton. Houghton and Smith, red varieties, and the Victoria, a white variety, have proved the most hardy and productive. 8 Grapes. — Of the few varieties of grapes that fruited in 1913, the Wbrden is far superior, as it is a vigorous plant and produces abun- dantly a fruit of very high quality. The Diamond, Agawara, Catawba, Campbell, and Concord are promising varieties. The American varieties appear to be well adapted to the conditions on the project on account of their late blossoming and adaptability to light soils. The quality of the fruit is very good, being sweet and highly fla- vored, and the fruit matures early. On account of their requiring winter protection and a long warm season to mature their fruit successfully and from their susceptibil- ity to crown-gall, the Viniferas (California grapes) are not as well adapted to the district as the American varieties. Both do well, how- over, and their production should be extended. GARDEN AND TRUCK CROPS. Garden-frame experiment. — An experiment was carried on to deter- mine the value of garden frames in starting tender vegetables in the field before danger of frost is past. The experiment included egg- plants, watermelons, and cantaloupes. Half the frames were cov- ered with burlap and the others with glass. Fresh horse manure was put under some of the burlap 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 results of this experiment, and figure 2 shows the frames placed in the field. Table VI. Results of the garden-frame experiment at the Umatilla Experiment Farm in WIS. Willi manure. Crop. Under glass. Under burlap. Without manure. Under glass. Under burlap. Eggplants: Number of hills developed. First ripe fruit Number of fruits Weight Watermelons: Number of hills developed. First ripe fruit Number of fruits Weight Cantaloupes: Number of bills developed . First, ripe fruit Number of fruits Salable fruits .pounds. . .pounds. 7 Aug. 15 23. 5 July 29 18 194 15 Julv 24 138 37 Aug. 20 33 16.5 Aug. 11 10 100 6 Sept. 12 7 3.5 9 Julv 30 17 131 IS Julv 21 80 9 9 Aug. 3 11 102 6 Julv 30 16 6 The results of this experiment show that the covering of glass and the use of manure under the seed and plants are of distinct value. The eggplants did better with the burlap covering and manure than with the glass covering without manure, while the melons each gave bettor results under the l'1u>> and without manure than with the bur- lap covering and manure. The results suggesl i 1 the value of u glass covering and a deposit of fresh manure under hills of eggplants, watermelons, and cantaloupes, (2) a less marked value of manure for watermelons and cantaloupes than for eggplants, and (3) the value of manure under eggplant hills. The use "I glass and manure in starting these crops in the field before danger of frost i- past appears to be advisable, or al least worthy of trial. Eggplants. -Three varieties of eggplanl were grown in 1913. This i- the third year this crop ha-; hern produced "li the experiment farm. A heavy yield of fruit of good quality was obtained, of the varieties grown, the Black Beauty and N'i'w York Improved are considered the best, i'ii account of their heavier production and the more uniform size and shape of fruit. The increased demand for this crop, which Qarden (r iiin-s u-~.il .ii the 1 ui i'iII 1 1 rperimenl I inn m 1913 to determine ttn-ir ralue m |t<>- tecttng tender planta from fro--t Young plants were protected from injury against 4 degrees offin lht\s»> fr.im grows well on the Umatilla project, warrants more extensive produc- tion. Some difficulty in Belling will be encountered for a time, but tlii-- will l>e greatly diminished when it is known that good eggplants are being produced in the district and markets are established. Potatoes. -The l t varieties of potatoes grown in l.u:5 to determine their comparative value are the American Wonder, Burbank. l'.aih Ohio, Early Rose, Factor, Green Mountain, Irish Cobbler, Mechanic, Netted Gem, Peachblow (.rod 1 , Pearl. Rural. Somers, and LJp-to-Date. The highest yields obtained were at the following rates pep acre: American Wonder. 1 l_\4 bushels; Netted Gem, 133 bushels; Pearl, I bushels; and Early Ohio, l 16 bushels. Peanuts. The yields of peanuts in 1913 were at the following rates per acre: African. 28. \ bushels; .bimbo (large seed of Virginia . 26 bushel.-; Spanish. 10.6 bushels; Valencia, 10.2 bushels; and Virginia (Virgin'm Bush, or Virginia Runner), 8 bushels. An average yield 10 of peanuts in a commercial growing district is 30 bushels per acre. The standard weight per bushel for Spanish is •'!() pounds; for Vir- ginia, 22 pounds. The yield of African peanuts obtained in 1913 at the experiment farm compares favorably with the average crop yield in commercial peanut-growing districts. However, the cost of production is higher on irrigated land, on account of the higher cost of land and the greater amount of labor required to grow the crop. The season at Hermiston appears 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 States, but the results 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 silage. The yields in pounds per acre of cured grain and stover combined were at the following rate-: Stowell's Evergreen, 5,683; Pride of the North, 5,073; Disco White Dent, 4,146; Learning, 2,974; Minnesota No. 13, 2,717; Stanford White Flint, 2,593; and Minnesota No. 23, 1,891. 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 produced a large quantity of stover and a high yield of grain. On account of its heavy yield, it is suitable for 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 light 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 which is being made has not progressed far enough to warrant comparisons between the various fertilizers used. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and organic matter have stimulated the crop growth on the land to which they have been applied, indicating that the addition of these materials is of considerable benefit. Chemical analyses show that the soils of the district are low in nitrogen and organic matter, and the II increase in supply of these material can he expected t" increase the vigor of orops. No cons Is ten 1 increases in crop yield have a resulted from the application "f potash or phosphatic fertilizers. dm a manuring. Land on which two or three crops of hairs vetch have been grown and plowed under hows a marked improve- ment in the physical condition of the soil and in • power. The lateral ipread of water through the Boil i- much more rapid and extensive. Irrigation becomes less troublesome, from the reduced amount of washing and greater rapidit) with which the water can be handled. This work demonstrates the value of nitrog- enous and organic fertilizers, such as nitrogen tankage, table manure, and leguminous green-manure crops, all of which produce a decided increase in con grow t h on land to which they are applied at the ex- periment farm. GREEN-M VM RE CROPS. A number of crops arc being tried at the experiment farm to determine their \aluc for use as green manure to increase the fer- tilit\ of the soil. Green-manure crojw can be groM n as \\ inter eo\ er crops or summer shade crops. When winter C0V6T Crops arc grown the land can be devoted to a salable crop in the summer. Three varieties of vetch spring or common vetch (Vicia saliva , scarlet vetch (V. dasycarpa}, and hairy vetch (V. viUosa — have I. ecu tried. V. sativa. winterkills and is not desirable for fall planting. V. dasycarpa is fairly hard- . but doe- not produce as heavy a crop as V. viMosa. Of a large number of crops grown to determine their value for greon manure, hairy vetch (Vicia viUosa) has been much the best. (Sec 6g. 3.) ft should be sown in August or September at the rate of 15 to 25 pounds of seed per acre. By allowing strips of the first CTOp to mature, the ground can he re-ceded by scattering the 1111- thrashed Beed-bearing plant- over the field and working them into the soil. \\\ this method the annual purchase of expensive Beed i> avoided. That \\\\< method i- practicable was demonstrated by the results obtained on the experiment farm in 1913. Several trials have been made with Canada field peas, One with BOJ beans, and three with BWeet clover. It ha- been demonstrated that these crops can hi- grown to advantage in the spring and summer. Field peas should he sown early in March at the rate of loo pounds per acre. Sweet clover can he -own at any time during the irrigating aeason at the rate of 20 pounds per acre. If it i- planted during April Or early May. a crop can be plowed under as green manure at the close of the first summer. If the planting is done later than May. compara- tively little growth can be obtained before the following year. 12 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. Crimson clover has been tried in both spring and summer without success. The fall-sown crop grew slowly for a time, but did 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 prunifolia are very hardy and desirable shrubs. Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Russian oleaster (Elaeagnus angusti- folia) are hardy and desirable for hedges and windbreaks. Three varieties of Tamarix, T. gallica, T. germanica, and T.hispida, are de- sirable hardy plants which attain heights of 6 to 10 feet. The Ameri- can elm (TJlmus americana), the white or silver maple (Acer sacehari- 13 num), iumI tlic sycamore (PlaUtnux occidentali*) are promising trees for shade and ornamental purposes. The Rockj Mountain ailver cedar is i \n\ attractive and apparently hardy evergreen. The western yel- low pine i /'in us ponderosa) and tin- Scotch pine /'. sylvestrv very hardy and give promise of being valuable f<>r ornamental and windbreak purposes. IRRIGATION METHODS. Considerable work 1ms been done on the farm bo determine the best methods of handling water in irrigating different crops, and observations have been made on methods in practice on the project. Math succeeding year's work on the farm and observations made of irrigation practices on the projeel emphasize the importance (1) of using short irrigation furrows ranging from LOO to 200 feel in length; c_M of making irrigation furrows from 20 to 30 inches apart; (3) <>f •..J.*-.' », Flu. i Soy beans in field Clb, \ o timent Farm, September 15, 1913, si ry growth without imxulai ion. These beans are a ] I nmorcroponacr" thi'ir ability to withstand considerable drought. using fairly shallow furrows, well opened, to facilitate the flow of water; (4) of running water for but a short time in one place, BS losses soon occur from deep percolation; (5) of the use of a small amount of water for each irrigation, Bince the storage capacity of the soil is very low; (6) of the frequent application of water to maintain an adequate supply for plant growth, as the Bmall quantity that it is possible to store in the soil is rapidly removed by plant action, evapo- ration, and percolation; (7) of using a huge stream of water while irrigating, to hasten the operation and diminish the loss from deep percolation that results from allowing the How to continue too long in one place, and to diminish the labor of applying the water; is of furrowing alfalfa fields for irrigation after each crop i> harvested; and (9) of the use of flumes, concrete-lined ditches, or pipe lines for conveying the water to the fields, to prevent the heavy losses in the distribution of the water. 14 Where water is allowed to stand for a long period over porous soil, heavy losses result. The water-holding capacity of a soil and the rapidity with which water moves through it vary with the size of the particles composing the soil. The coarser the soil the lower ita capacity to hold water, and consequently the more frequent irriga- tion it requires. The frequency of irrigation necessary for a coarse soil varies with its storage capacity, 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 project is to feed live stock on the farms and apply the manure to the land. With this point in view, a large numher 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 Umatilla and neighboring projects. 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 encountered. Four pruning demonstrations were held during 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 Stanfield, 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 Yinifera 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 explained and the results discussed. In all, 321 farmers were brought together during the year for outside demonstration work. Approved: Wm. A. Taylor, i 'hief of Bureau. Junk 3, 1914. o WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICB : 1914 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 09216 2600