Thirty Years of Agricultural Experimentation in Utah

Thirty Years of Agricultural Experi- mentation in Utah By F. S. Harris, Ph. D., Director

Anything that will contribute either directly or indirectly to the welfare of the farmer or that will help him to have a better and happier home comes within the province of the Agricultural Experiment Station. The Station is not only interested in making two blades of grass grow where one grew before, but it wants to see that this grass remains free from diseases and pests and that it is in the end economically consumed by some profitable kind of livestock that will make a net cash return to the farmer. On the farm, numerous complex problems arise every day. The uncertain factors Utah Agricultural Experiment Staassociated with the soil, the tion (background). One of the most sunshine, the rain, the frost, important agencies in the subduing of the wind, plant and animal Western deserts. diseases, insect pests, uncertain markets, and many other variables make agriculture one of the most precarious of all industries. The farmer cannot meet all the problems unaided. He needs the help of some public agency that can assist him to solve some of the most important problems that arise. Research the Mother of Knowledge Anciently people considered themselves as mere victims of the conditions in which they found themselves. If their crops were destroyed with a blight they threw up their hands, considering that nothing could be done since the trouble probably resulted from the caprice of a displeased god. The remedy was directed toward appeasing the god rather than to studying and conquering the trouble itself.

858 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Fortunately the whole spirit of the times has changed. Now, whenever either a physical or economic difficulty arises it is made the subject of the most careful investigation. An attempt is made to find the source of the trouble in order to discover a remedy. The present atti- tude is that man is master of his surroundings and that he can conquer any diffi- culty if he can only get a proper understanding of it. After about 1888, which marks the establishment of agricultural experiment sta- tions supported by Federal funds in all the states of the Union, a means of securing exact information that would be useful to the farm- Not a pleasure outing but the camp er became available. It did ofan entomologist in a Utah orchard. not take many experiments When all the enemies' moves are ac- to learn that numerous farm curately known the battle is half won. practices handed down from father to son through countless generations were based on superstition and not on fact. This led to immediate improvement in many respects and laid the foundation of even more far-reaching changes. Subjects Investigated by the Utah Station Provision was made for the establishment of the Utah Station in 1888, but actual work did not commence until 1890, when J. W. Sanborn took charge of the Sta- tion. Director Sanborn showed rare judgment in selecting problems for investigation. He sensed the needs of the arid West and spent considerable of his en- ergy on such funda- mental problems as ir- rigation and water con- servation. During the The value of irrigation experiments, thirty years that the Ex- These peaches grew in the same orchard pe riment Station has and received the same amount of irriga- i » een m ... operation it has tion water, but at different stages of growth. investigated numerous

THIRTY YEARS OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION 859

Experimental plats on the Station farm at Logan, the scene of irrigation investigations that have become known the world over. problems in all phases of agriculture, but it has confined its principal efforts to fundamental problems of arid agriculture rather than to the problems common to both humid and arid regions.

Irrigation and Drainage

The irrigation investigations conducted by the Utah Experiment Station are known the world over. The water requirement of crops is the basis of efficient irrigation; Utah was first to determine the exact amount of water which must pass through various plants to produce one pound of food substance in arid regions. In this work it was found that poor soils require much more water to produce the ear yield of crops than do fertile ones. The efficiency of the soil as a reservoir for storing water was also demonstrated. Amlong the important Thousands of Utah's desert acres findings are those relating to could be made to look like this with the economical use of water the proper use of the present supply o) by applying it at the proper ligation water. period in the growth of the crop. The amount of water required by crops was found to be probably not more than half that ordinarily used by farmers. Proper methods of applying water could easily double the irrigated area of the State.

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860 IMPROVEMENT ERA

At present more than one million acres of land are irrigated in Utah, and irrigated land is worth at least $75 per acre more than unirrigated land. Doubling ' the area that could be irrigated would therefore increase Utah's gross wealth at least $75,000,000.! The average an- nual income on this sum at 6 perj cent would be I

$4,500,000 or c ons ide rably more than the present income W from taxation. Keeping in mind scientific investigator must go the credit for that the Exneri- ", the fine fruit we today enjoy. His sprays settled the c ment Station nas Ues tion of whether the pests or the fruit industry should q shown this in- survive. crease in wealth to be possible by the proper use of the present water supply, gives us an ideal to work toward in increasing the wealth of the State. This alone makes the investment in •

experimental work, money well spent. Since the Station was established about thirty bulletins dealing with irrigation have been published. Many hundreds of thousands of acres in the State need drainage. Some of this land will be classed with the most fertile in the State when drained. The Experiment Station has made tests to discover the best methods of draining various kinds of land. It has also made numerous analyses of soil and water to determine which lands need reclamation. Dry-Farming Itearly became evident, to Experiment Station workers that there is much more good land than can ever be served by the present water supply. This led to a study of the possibility of raising crops by special cultural methods without the use of irrigation water. A number of experimental dry-farms were established in various parts of the State and the best methods of using the natural precipitation were investigated. Following these studies a great stimulus was given to dry-farming.. At present several hundred thousand acres of Utah land produce crops under the methods developed by the Experiment Station.

THIRTY YEARS OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION 861

Better Crops

The Experiment Station is constantly alert to secure better crops for the State. Its activities in this respect are directed _____ along two main lines. (1) The introduction and test- ing of crops from any part of the world where prom- ising strains can be had; (2 )

the breeding on the Station farms of better types. Most of the ordinary farm and A crop of grain destroyed by ro- garden crops have been indents. Effective methods of control cluded jn these tests and have been found for this pest. several improved crops have resulted from the investigations. The possibilities along this line are almost limitless.

Control of Plant Diseas- es and Pests

It is probable that When our livestock urns all like this their each kind of crop is sub- diseases did not cause much worry or loss. ject to about as many diseases as is the human race. Add to this the numerous insect pests that prey on every plant, and it is realized that agriculture is a constant struggle with crop enemies. Often a disease or an insect would practically elimi- nate a crop if some method of control could not be found. This means that the Station must have a staff of trained specialists constantly on the watch to keep these various troubles in check. The cod- ling moth, the alfalfa weevil, the rhizoctonia and fusarium of potatoes and tomatoes, the California peach blight, and Would it pay to put water on this grasshoppers, are examples of land? A soil' survey will in most troubles that the Station cases answer the question. 1 he state , , i i i •

is now being carefully surveyed and workers have helped in conmapped, trolling.

862 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Animal Diseases Diseases and parasites are continually threatening to destroy the livestock industry. Take for example hog cholera. This disease if unchecked would in a short time practically eleminate hogs from a district. All diseases are not equally as destructive as hog cholera, but there are many kinds of troubles that must be constantly studied and treated. Private individuals would be unable to cope with many of these diseases. It remains for some public agency which can handle the whole situation to take care of such important problems. The Experiment Station is admirably fitted to look after these big matters because of trained specialists kept for this purpose.

Soil and Water Survey The Utah Experiment Station is attempting to make a survey of all the agricultural resources of the State. The founda- tion of this general study is a soil survey. County after county isbeing gone over and the soils analyzed and mapped. A survey of the waters for irrigation and culinary purposes is also be- ing made. Where there seems to be undesirable quantities of alkali salts in the water, analyses are made An alkali tragedy A farm that had to determine the seriousness to be abandoned because the settler c , _. .

did not understand alkali. ot the condition.

An especial effort is being made to locate the sources of underground water suitable for irrigation. A study is being made of the types of wells best adapted to the various formations together with the best pumps for each kind of well.

Soil Fertility-

It is realized that no matter how fertile a soil may be it will not always continue to produce large crops without receiving special care. Accordingly studies are being made of typical Utah Soils to determine what manuring and rotation treatments will best maintain them in a high state of production.

Alkali

All arid soils are likely to contain excessive soluble salts which if concentrated in one place interefer with the growth of crops. Utah is no exception to this rule. There are millions

Vast areas of the State will never be cultivated but much of it can be utilized for range land. Range management is now under investigation.

of acres of land in the State on which alkali may become detrimental. Studies are being made of these lands to determine the best means -of reclamation as well as the crops best adapted to them. An effort is being made to find the toxic limit of alkali that crops may endure. If the points can be definitely enough located, a person will be able to tell from a chemical analysis whether or not a given soil contains too much alkali for crop production.

Stock Feeding and Range Management Realizing the importance of the various phases of the livestock industry to the State, the Station has conducted numerous feeding tests with different kinds of stock. Different combinations of our local feeds are being tried that we may learn which can Jje used most efficiently. Special attention has been given to such feeds as by-products of the beet-sugar industry. Utah celery, a very promising crop for the The greater part State.

R61 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Strawberries are a very important crop and need constant attention by scientists to keep them at their best.

of the state of Utah will doubtless always be used as grazing land for sheep and cattle. The Station is making studies of methods of managing these ranges so they will yield the largest returns.

Human Nutrition A large part of the products of the farm is ultimately used as human food. Many problems in connection with human

To many people milk is milk, but it has long been known that children do not do as well on one cow's milk as on another. The human nutrition work is designed to throw somt light on this subject.

THIRTY YEARS OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION 865

nutrition are still but poorly understood. Infants that cannot nurse their mothers have great difficulty in finding foods which agree with them. As a result the death rate of children under two years of age is very high. The Station is making a special study of the problems of nutrition during early infancy. This leads into an examination of the milk of individual cows to see Peas, one of Utah's important canwhat are the qualities ning crops which is new and has many making some milk more problems. suitable than others for children.

Fruits and Canning Crops

Utah is well adapted to the production of certain kinds of fruitsand the fruit industry has become a very important part of the agriculture of some sections. The State has developed a very important canning industry particularly in tomatoes and peas. The experts of the Station are, through their researches, doing all they can to protect Utah's fruit and canning industries. Among other things that need study in this connection is the frost situation and arti- ficial heating.

Poultry Studies

A discussion of agri- culture would not be com- plete without mentioning the poultry industry. Poul- try products give an enor- A garden is something in which nearly every one is interested. The dissemina- mous total return. Almost lion of information among the people everyone living on the of the State on the subject is very im- farm or in the small and portant. medium-sized town keeps a few chickens. If well managed these give excellent returns for money and time spent. The Station has done extensive breeding work through which it has built up strains with unsurpassed laying records. The problems associated with incubation have also been under investigation for years.

Proper housing has been found to be a big factor in egg production. These houses are now being used to determine the value of artificial light on egg production. The newest line of work to be taken up is the lighting of poultry houses during the winter. It has been found that by using electric lights early in the morning and keeping them on till late at night hens, because of the longer light period, lay heavier at a time when eggs command the highest prices.

Outlook for Research

The possibilities of research in Young, but there are many agriculture are just beginning to big problems yet to be solved in getting him this far along be realized. Instead of the prob- in life. lems all being solved, the openings for investigation be- come more apparent every day. A few dollars spent wisely in scientific investiga- tion will be returned many- fold through practical im- provement in conditions. A day of wonderful promise for the farmer is dawning. The To the man in the laboratory is difficulties that in the past due much credit for our present de- made farming a disagreeable velopment, and yet the field has and uncertain business are hardly been touched. gradually yielding before the scrutinizing eye of scientific research. The future promises a prosperity and happiness for the farmer beyond the most optimistic dream of a generation ago.