Agricultural Science Commons^™

Bulletin No. 199 - Mutual Irrigation Companies In Utah, Wells A. Hutchins

UAES Bulletins

Cooperation has been an important factor in the development of agriculture under irrigation in Utah. The Mormon pioneers in the Great Basin were the first Anglo-Saxons to practice irrigation on an extensive scale in the United States; hence, it is significant that from the first their irrigation work was accomplished largely as a result of community effort. Private diversions of water there were, of course, even in the earliest times, but for years they were quite out of place in an environment that took quick toll of those individualists who scorned the protection of numbers and refused to cooperate. The …

Bulletin No. 201 - Economic Insects In Some Streams Of Northern Utah, James G. Needham, Reed O. Christenson

UAES Bulletins

The food of trout in our mountain streams is mainly insects. It is, in part, land insects that fall on the water and are taken as they float upon its surface, but in a much larger part it is insects that grow up in the water and are taken in their immature stages. These are the constant and dependable food-supply. They have been little studied hitherto. This bulletin is a report of a preliminary examination of some Utah streams, made for the purpose of discovering what forms of life are present in the streams and in what relative abundance. Some …

Bulletin No. 198 - Report Of The Director: For The 18-Month Period From January 1, 1925, To June 30, 1926

UAES Bulletins

In the following report of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station for the past eighteen months, record has been made in as much detail as space would permit. The text is intended to give the present status of the projects under consideration and to record the changes and additions since the last report.

Bulletin No. 197 - The Pear Leaf Blister Mite As An Apple Pest, I. M. Hawley

UAES Bulletins

The blister mite is a pest of foreign origin, that has been in the United States for many years. It was introduced into this country, probably from Europe, sometime before 1872, and by 1894 it was rather general in its distribution thruout the United States and Canada. At the present time this mite is a serious pest of apples in many of the fruit-growing sections of Western America. The blister mite was first reported in Utah by Hedrick as early as 1898. During the last few years it has been abnormally abundant in some parts of Utah.

Bulletin No. 196 - The Fruit Tree Leaf Roller And Its Control By Oil Sprays, I. M. Hawley

UAES Bulletins

When the fruit tree leaf roller is present in large numbers in an apple orchard it i the most destructive apple insect in the state. Fortunately, it is not a pest of general occurrence. Tho this insect is known to occur from Cache Valley south to Beaver, serious losses from its ravages have been restricted to occasional orchards within the infested territory.

Bulletin No. 195 - Field Studies Of Sugar-Beet Nematode, George Stewart, A. H. Bateman

UAES Bulletins

The sugar-beet nematode has now become of importance in Utah. It occurs in spots in practically all of the older beet-growing districts and in a few parts of the state in much larger areas. The intensity of infestation varies from mere traces to nearly complete occupation. One of the areas of severe infestation in Utah on a large area is in the Lewiston district, of northern Cache Valley. The survey here reported was undertaken in order to find the extent of nematode infestation in Cache Valley and the possibility of its control by ordinary cultural practices.

Bulletin No. 194 - The Influence Of Storage On The Composition Of Flour, J. E. Greaves, C. T. Hirst

UAES Bulletins

There is quite a general belief among millers, bakers, and the laity that flour improves on ageing. However, there is no definite information as to the time requisite for this improvement nor whether it reaches a maximum and then deteriorates. The information is no more exact as to the changes which occur during the ageing process or the conditions which govern them. We have found no reference in the literature where bad effects have resulted from storage, provided a highly-milled, sound flour is stored in dry, well-ventilated rooms free from odors (20). The results which have been reported point to …

Bulletin No. 193 - Cache County Water Conservation District No. 1, William Peterson, G. D. Clyde, D. S. Jennings, M. D. Thomas, Karl Harris

UAES Bulletins

Cache County Water Conservation District No. 1 lies on the west side of the valley about eight miles from and a little northwest of Logan, Cache County, Utah. Figure 1 shows the location of the project with respect to Salt Lake, Ogden, Brigham City, Logan, and Cache County. Cache County, with a population in 1920 of 27,000 people, is located in the north-central part of the state and occupies the greater part of the fertile Cache Valley. Cache County Water Conservation District No.1 includes 8490.78 acres (of which 7373.38 acres are allotted water) and extends from Bear River and its …

Bulletin No. 192 - Biennial Report Of The Director: For The Years 1923 And 1924

UAES Bulletins

No report (either annual or biennial) of the work of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station has been published separately since 1906. There has been so much inquiry regarding the present status of research projects that a brief report at this time is considered opportune. The report is an attempt to give the reader a brief but concise and comprehensive survey of the research work now under way at the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station as well as a brief description of the work being attempted on each of the experimental farms.

Bulletin No. 189 - Ridding The Land Of Wild Morning Glory, George Stewart, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

"Morning glory" is the common name for one of the worst weeds found in Utah. On account of its general resemblance to a cultivated plant spoken of as morning glory, the weed is frequently and more correctly known as the "wild morning glory." Since everyone who handles farm land knows the plant, a description of it is unnecessary. It may not be amiss, however, to mention that the name probably comes from the fact that the showy, funnel-shaped flowers are open only in the morning, being folded within the sepals after midday or earlier in hot, dry weather.

Bulletin No. 190 - Corn Silage In A Dairy Ration, W. E. Carroll

UAES Bulletins

In 1914 a study of the value of corn silage in the dairy ration was undertaken at this station. The first phase of the general question to receive attention was the effect of adding silage to a basal ration of alfalfa hay and grain.

Bulletin No. 188 - Maintaining The Productivity Of Irrigated Land, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

It is almost universal history that in farming a newly developed region no attention whatever is paid to maintaining the fertility of the soil. This is natural for two very obvious reasons. In the first place the pioneer has other and more pressing problems in the "subduing" of the new land, and in the second place such virgin soils are generally blessed with a great abundance of native fertility. New lands in an arid or semiarid region are usually especially fertile because they represent a long-time accumulation of fertility which is not possible under humid conditions. Since in a humid …

Bulletin No. 186 - Irrigation Experiments With Sugar Beets, F. S. Harris, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

A previous bulletin of this station gives the results of an experiment on the irrigation of sugar-beets continuing for five years. Since this experiment was deemed of sufficient importance to merit our best attention and since the climatic conditions which largely determine what is the best irrigation practice may not for so short a period properly represent the average of the community, it was thought advisable to continue the experiment, with certain modifications, for an additional five years. This bulletin reports the results of these last 5-years' work together with such general conclusions as can be drawn from the entire …

Bulletin No. 187 - Irrigation Experiments With Potatoes, F. S. Harris, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

In a previous bulletin of this station are given the results of an experiment on different irrigation treatments of potatoes continued for five years. In view of the importance of the potato crop and of the importance of having it properly irrigated it was considered advisable to continue the experiment, with certain modifications based on experience, for a further period of five years. This total period of ten years should include most of the climatic variations which are common in this locality, and by eliminating the more unsatisfactory irrigation systems a closer approximation to the best system should be found. …

Bulletin No. 185 - The Influence Of Nitrogen In Soil On Azofication, J. E. Greaves, D. H. Nelson

UAES Bulletins

Many soils of the arid west have a rich active azofying flora. This is due in no small measure to their composition. They are high in calcium and magnesium carbonate and contain a good supply of available phosphorus and potassium but have a low nitrogen content. They are poor in organic carbon; hence, their native supply of energy is limited. It is well-known that a liberal supply of rapidly decaying organic matter is beneficial, and this is being supplied to some soils in the form of manures. This will increase the nitrogen content of the soil. What effect will this …

Bulletin No. 184 - A Farm-Management Study Of The Great Salt Lake Valley, George Stewart

UAES Bulletins

This survey had for its purpose the study of farm organization in Great Salt Lake Valley. It is hoped that some conclusions may have been reached as to how to improve farming conditions. The records were taken during the summer of 1915 and consequently represent the farm business for 1914. Ordinarily the period of time that has elapsed since the records were taken would be too long to justify their being published. In view of the fact, however, that the World War began in 1914 and that its effects on the prices of farm products lasted until 1921, it is …

Bulletin No. 183 - Water-Holding Capacity Of Irrigated Soils, Orson W. Israelsen, Frank L. West

UAES Bulletins

All information that will 'enable the irrigator to use water economically is valuable to arid-climate agriculture. In many arid-climate regions, including the western part of the United States, excessive waste of water occurs in the irrigation of highland porous soil areas, as a result of lack of information concerning the capacity of the soil to hold water. Following the waste of water on the uplands by excessive percolation through open soils, vast lowland areas are rendered partially or wholly nonproductive by water-logging. To illustrate, a gravelly bench soil four feet deep, if underlain by a coarse open gravel to a …

Bulletin No. 178 - The Irrigation Of Barley, F. S. Harris, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

The proper use of irrigation water is one of the most important problems of every comnunity and of every farmer in an irrigated district. The irrigation farmer has largely under his control one of the most important factors in determining the yield and quality of his crops and one over which all other farmers have little control at all. On the other hand, in an arid district there is generally less available irrigation water than is needed to give the optimum amount to all the land, or if one region receives an excess there is generally an accumulation of alkali …

Bulletin No. 181 - Duty-Of-Water Investigations On Coal Creek, Utah, Arthur Fife

UAES Bulletins

Coal Creek flows from the west slope of the part of the Wasatch Mountain range which is located in the southeast part of Iron County, Utah. Its drainage area is almost 100 square miles.

Seasonal and daily stream-flow fluctuations are very pronounced. During the high water of spring the flow has reached more than 600 second-feet. At the time of high water, the daily fluctuations are the greatest. During the low water season in July and August, the flow has dropped as low as 12 second-feet since 1917, when accurate records were first kept; and, from the accounts of early …

Bulletin No. 182 - The Net Duty Of Water In Sevier Valley, Orson W. Israelsen, Luther M. Winsor

UAES Bulletins

The Sevier River is one of the most important sources of irrigation water in Utah. It rises in two main branches. The south fork rises in Kane County and flows almost due north to Junction in Piute County, where it joins the east fork, which rises partly in Garfield County and partly in Sevier County. The Garfield County branch of the east fork flows north, and the Sevier County Branch flows south to Coyote where the two tributaries join and flow westward into Junction. From Junction, the river flows northward past Marysvale, Sevier, Richfield, Salina, Gunnison, and Mills, where it …

Bulletin No. 180 - The Irrigation Of Alfalfa, F. S. Harris, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

In the United States alfalfa-growing has gone hand in hand with the development of irrigation. Alfalfa did not become an important crop in the country until after irrigation began to be practised in the West. Very soon after the pioneers reached Utah, alfalfa was brought to the state where it found conditions well suited to its growth. Wherever settlement extended alfalfa was raised as one of the most important crops, and finally from the West it has spread eastward into the humid parts of the country.

Bulletin No. 179 - Apple Candy: A Commercial Use For Cull Apples, T. H. Abell

UAES Bulletins

Utah annually produces many tons of apples that never reach the consumer. These apples remain on the farm for various rwasons: (1) because there are not adequate marketing facilities, (2) because the fruit is of inferior quality, (3) because orchard units are too small for buyers to consider, and (4) because home orchards are so large that the crop cannot be utilized. On the other hand, apples of inferior quality go to the market alongside apples of high quality. The result is a lowering of the price of apples in general and dissatisfaction on the part of the retailer and …

Bulletin No. 177 - Some Types Of Irrigation Farming In Utah, E. B. Brossard

UAES Bulletins

As ordinarily used "type of farming" suggests general contrasts in the nature of farm business. The bases used in making these contrasts are: (1) sources of farm income, (2) number of farm enterprises, (3) amount of labor, capital, and management applied to each acre of land, and (4) farm practice with reference to maintenance of soil fertility. When based on sources of farm income, farms are classified as grain farms, hay farms, fruit farms, dairy farms, etc., according to the proportionate magnitude of the income from the different sources. When the number of farm enterprises is used as the basis, …

Bulletin No. 176 - Potato Improvement By Hill Selection, George Stewart

UAES Bulletins

Potatoes are such an important food and are grown on so many farms in Utah that any method of permanently improving the crop is highly desirable. Commercial producers can of course capitalize any practical method of potato improvement.

This field of experimentation is not new, for many workers have attempted to improve the potato crop by selection. Success, however, has been neither uniform nor always appreciable; many of the experiments were of short duration, and many were not conducted on a sufficiently large scale to be good tests. It is apparent from this meager statement that the possibilities" of potato …

Bulletin No. 175 - Sixteen Years Of Dry Farm Experiments In Utah, F. S. Harris, A. F. Bracken, I. J. Jensen

UAES Bulletins

The demand for reliable information on dry-farming is increasing every year. As the area that is being cropped by dry-farm methods extends to less favorable regions, it becomes necessary to utilize the most effective methods of culture. In choice dry-farm sections crops may be produced without special care; but when an attempt is made to farm where the rainfall is low or where other conditions are not favorable, it becomes necessary to use every possible means of moisture conservation in order to get satisfactory yields.

Since the demand for information is so insistent, it seems desirable at this time to …

Bulletin No. 174 - A Variety Survey And Descriptive Key Of Small Grains In Utah, George Stewart

UAES Bulletins

Standardization of the varieties of small-grains in Utah is highly important. A mixed condition of grain causes both direct loss and inconvenience. The loss comes about in two principal ways: (1) by the decreased yields resulting from mixed grain, and (2) by the lower price paid for each bushel of mixed grain. This latter loss is especially noticeable in wheat on account of the grading system which penalizes mixed wheat by reducing the grade or by barring it from one of the six market classes and designating it as "mixed" wheat. The inconvenience arises from the fact that some varieties …

Bulletin No. 172 - The Value Of Barnyard Manure On Utah Soils, F. S. Harris

UAES Bulletins

New countries rarely appreciate the value of barnyard manure. It is not until the soil begins to be depleted of its fertility and the yield of crops begins to decline that manure is given the attention that its value justifies. In new countries it is not uncommon to see manure hauled into a rut in the road or left in scattered heaps along the roadside or the ditch bank. Often a year's accumulation of manure is drawn out of the barn or corral in scrapers and added to a pile containing the accumulation of previous years.

Bulletin No. 173 - The Duty Of Water In Cache Valley, Utah, F. S. Harris

UAES Bulletins

The greater part of this bulletin is devoted to a report of experiments on the relation of the amount of irrigation water applied to the yield of crops. As the agriculture of Utah develops, it becomes more obvious each year that the chief factors limiting the production of crops is irrigation water. It is desirable, therefore, to have available all possible information on the subject. Water is so scarce that none should be wasted either directly or by attempting to spread it over so much land that it is not economically applied. Wasteful extravagance on the one hand and undue …

Bulletin No. 171 - Alfalfa Seed Growing And The Weather: With Particular Reference To Conditions In Utah, J. Cecil Alter

UAES Bulletins

The demand for alfalfa seed has far outrun domestic production. Since the labor and expense of producing the crop are light, and the profits attractive in favorable years, a desire is manifest wherever alfalfa is grown, to save a crop for seed whenever the meteorological elements favor its setting and maturing. Climate is generally acknowledged to be the limiting factor in alfalfa seed production, and the current weather the major factor affecting the yearly yields.

Bulletin No. 170 - A Study Of Methods Of Determining Soil Alkali, D. W. Pittman

UAES Bulletins

There is a great lack of uniformity in the methods of testing soils for alkali salts and in the forms of expressing the results in a way that will show the relative toxicity of the salts. This has been pointed out by numerous investigators and has been shown to complicate the determinations so much that the results of different investigators are hardly comparable. It is of further disadvantage in that the toxic limits of an alkali as worked out by one system of analysis are often difficultly applicable to a soil that has been tested by another system. However, it …