UAES Circulars Copyright (c) 2013 Utah State University All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars Recent documents in UAES Circulars en-us Sun, 27 Jan 2013 06:45:57 PST 3600 Circular No. 96 - Crickets adn Grasshoppers in Utah http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/91 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/91 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:36:42 PST In the written history of Utah, especially that which is reflected in diaries and journals of the pioneer settlers and that found in the oldest publications, there is ample evidence that one of the most serious handicaps to progress in this "far-western" territory was the cricket and its near kinsman, the grasshopper.

Three basic resources on which the first permanent settlers counted were: (1) Good soil suitable for raising crops to sustain life; (2) suitable climate to make possible the maturing of wheat, corn, and vegetables; and (3) sufficient water of good quality not only for home uses but for the purpose of irrigating crops which could not thrive in a desert. The first company of travelers had not seen their first springtime in Utah before they were convinced of the presence of the three necessary conditions. They soon felt, therefore, that the colonization of Utah and contiguous territory could be promptly and successfully carried out. They had thought carefully of the wild and savage man who lived here and who might constitute a serious enemy, but they thought they knew ways of getting along on friendly terms with him. They had thought of the possibility of dangerous wild beasts and poisonous reptiles and were prepared for such events. But crickets and grasshoppers in such numbers as to bring on plagues and pestilences constituted a surprising obstacle of which, apparently, no one had thought.

]]> W. W. Henderson Circular No. 99 - Utah Snow Sampler and Scales for Measuring Water Content of Snow http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/90 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/90 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:35:56 PST Snow survey are usually conducted in uninhabited and mountainous areas, The surveyor must travel on snowshoes or skiis; therefore the necessary equipment must be light, strong, and compact.

]]> George D. Clyde Circular No. 98 - Insects in Relation to Alfalfa-Seed Production http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/89 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/89 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:33:25 PST Various insect pests have been suspected of causing the unsatisfactory alfalfa-seed yields that have been obtained in Utah during recent years. No specific information was at hand giving the amount and nature of the damage which these insects were suspected of doing.

]]> Charles J. Sorenson Circular No. 95 - Annual Summary of Publications http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/88 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/88 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:33:23 PST Circular No. 95 contains a summary of publications issued by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, through its Editorial and Publications Division, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1931.

]]> Blanche Condit Pittman Circular No. 94 - Control and Eradication of Bang's Abortion Disease http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/87 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/87 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:31:24 PST The seriousness of Bang's abortion disease in Utah has made it necessary to promote more definite plans toward its control and eradication. The economic losses encountered are brought about not only through the loss of the calves but by the lessened milk production and lessened sale value of the animals themselves. Breeding efficiency is lower and such cows are more subject to udder infections. Many states now require that cattle shipped into them be negative to the abortion test; indications are that more states will adopt similar regulations. The passage of such regulation by some states would seriously interfere with the shipment of surplus dairy cattle from Utah.

]]> D. E. Madsen et al. Circular No. 97 - Growing Alfalfa-Seed http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/86 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/86 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:31:02 PST SEED SHOULD BE GROWN FROM SUPERIOR VARIETIES AND STRAINS OF ALFALFA

The present tendency in alfalfa improvement is to establish narrow types or strains for special purposes and which are adapted to a particular set of conditions. It was at one time thought that an alfalfa variety with numerous types of plants would have a wider range of adaptability to diverse conditions and that inter- crossing among the different plants would maintain the vigor of the variety.

]]> John W. Carlson Circular No. 93 - Better Sugar-Beet Culture for Utah http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/85 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/85 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:28:57 PST Utah was one of the first states to begin sugar-beet growing. The industry grew rapidly, favored by the climate, by the naturally productive soils, by the freedom from pests, and by the system of intensive irrigation agriculture. California and Utah were among the leading beet-producing states at the time of the World War, and under the stimulus of high prices they remained so until the great depression of 1920. After that, the frequent occurrence of curly-top and the rapid spread of nematode, together with the low price resulting from increased cane sugar production in the tropics and from other causes combined to cause a decline in the importance of sugar-beets.

]]> George Stewart et al. Circular No. 89 - Rules and Regulations for the Seventh Utah Intermountain Egg-Laying Contest http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/84 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/84 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:28:14 PST This contest is conducted on a part of the Utah State Agricultural College Farm near the experimental poultry yards. It is managed by the Poultry Division with an experienced poultry raiser in direct charge of the feeding and care of the hens in the contest. The buildings, grounds, and fences were built and furnished by the Agricultural Experiment Station.

The purpose of the contest is (1) to impress on the poultry raisers the importance of greater care in the selection of their fowls and in the value of proper feeding and housing, (2) to stimulate a greater interest in the breeding of better fowls, and (3) to give all poultry raisers an opportunity to obtain trapnest records of their birds, thus making possible better breeding through the use of returned trapnested contest birds with official records. The contest also makes it possible for any breeder to have his strain of fowls tested for production and compared with other strains under the same conditions.

]]> Byron Alder Circular No. 92 - Torrential Floods in Northern Utah http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/83 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/83 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:26:28 PST On account of the recurring nature and the destructive character of the floods which have devastated property in Davis County and elsewhere in recent years, it appeared advisable to make a special study of the situation, I, therefore, in 1930, appointed a commission of citizens whom I deemed especially qualified, including practical engineers, geologists, foresters, and stockmen, asking them "to study the origin and cause of floods in Davis County and other parts of the state, and to ascertain whether any flood prevention measures are feasible".

]]> Circular No. 88 - Annual Summary of Publications http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/82 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/82 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:24:52 PST Circular No. 88 contains a summary of publications issued by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, through its Editorial and Publications Division for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1930. The publications of this Station are no longer sent to a general mailing list (except in the case of libraries, state editors, Utah county agricultural agents, state vocational teachers, and state agricultural inspectors) but are sent only on request. Therefore, copies of any of these publications listed will be sent without charge to those requesting them as long as the supply is available. However, in the case of reprints (abstracts of technical and scientific articles) the supply is limited, and requests for these should be confined as far as possible to those only who are especially interested in this phase of experimentation.

]]> Circular No. 91 - Establishing Snow Courses and Making Snow Surveys http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/81 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/81 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:22:34 PST The major portion of the annual precipitation in the semi-arid west falls as snow. It piles up in the mountains and forms the main source of the water in the creeks and rivers draining the mountainous areas. Some of these streams flow the year around while others and intermittent, flowing only as long as the snow in the mountains lasts. The water-supply for irrigation, power development, and municipal purposes is derived largely from winter snows. A knowledge of the extent of the snow cover and its water content is, therefore, necessary for the proper utilization of this great natural resource. Forecasts of reasonable accuracy are of major importance for proper distribution of water-supplies and in flood protection.

Measurement of the accumulated snowfall at the end of the precipitation season furnishes an important index as to the probable water-supply to be derived from the snow cover. A system of snow surveying has been developed by which it is possible to measure the depth and water content of the snow cover at the end of the precipitation season. Snow surveys are now being made on the principal watersheds of Utah, California, and Nevada, as well as in parts of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. These surveys form the basis of water-supply forecasts which are made annually at the beginning of the runoff period.

]]> George D. Clyde Circular No. 87 - Raising Dairy Calves http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/80 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/80 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:21:38 PST Too much importance cannot be given to the number and kind of calves raised. The life of an average cow is 6.5 years. To maintain the present number of cows in Utah about 15,385 heifer calves should be raised annually. One-half of all calves born are males and are usually disposed of in a few weeks; the other 50 per cent are females from which selection must be made to maintain the herds. In many parts of Utah the number of dairy cows should be increased and probably the best way to accomplish this is to raise carefully selected calves.

]]> George B. Caine Circular No. 90 - Swine Production in Utah http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/79 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/79 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:19:24 PST During the last 20 years there has been a marked change in the type of hogs from the short-legged, wide-bodied or "hot-blood" type to a longer, somewhat more narrow-bodied, "leggier" type. For development of size in hogs they must have (1) length and depth of body, (2) length of leg, and (3) large but not coarse bones. The long-bodied rather "leggy" pig grows rapidly and makes the larger hog. While the modern hog is still a lard hog, it is not as thick and broad as were its predecessors. It is logical to assume that the hog of the future will be required to make his gains more largely in growth on cheap roughages and less in fat on heavy grain feeding . It must also be noted that the hog which makes its gain by putting on a thick layer of fat probably will show a loss to the producer, while the hog which makes its gains by increasing its muscles will show a profit because it costs less to produce lean meat than it does fat. There is no demand on the market for the ultra-fat hog because lard is worth less after it is put in the pad than the packer pays for it on the hog; neither does the present-day consumer desire fat on meat purchased.

]]> Harry H. Smith Circular No. 86 - Coccidiosis of Chicken http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/78 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/78 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:18:57 PST Coccidiosis is a highly contagious disease of chickens and other fowls which is widespread and destructive, especially to half-grown chickens. The heaviest losses occur in chicks from 2 to 10 weeks of age. Just prior to and during their first laying season, pullets sometimes become affected with the disease in a chronic form. The cause is a microscopic protozoan parasite, the oocyst form of which is present in the droppings of diseased birds in large numbers. At least three species of the parasite have been recognized in fowls. The severity of the outbreak is thought to be determined by the species of parasite present.

]]> D. E. Madsen Circular No. 85 - Chlorosis Yellowing of Plants: Cause and Control http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/77 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/77 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:15:13 PST Chlorosis is a disease of plants, the characteristic symptom of which is the yellowing of the leaves. The disease is of sporadic but widespread distribution in Utah and the aggregate losses caused by it are undoubtedly greater than those of any other one disease. Not only are many plants killed, or weakened to such an extent that only inferior crops are produced, but many areas of land which might otherwise support profitable orchards have been abandoned or planted to other crops because of the disease.

]]> F. B. Wann Circular No. 79 - Rules and Regulations for the Sixth Utah Intermountain Egg-Laying Contest http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/76 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/76 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:13:40 PST This contest is conducted on a part of the Utah Agricultural College Farm near the experimental poultry yards. It is managed by the Poultry Department with an experienced poultry raiser indirect charge of the feeding and care of the hens in the contest. The buildings, grounds, and fences were built and furnished by the Experiment Station.

The purpose of the contest is (1) to impress on the poultry raisers the importance of greater care in the selection of their fowls and in the value of proper feeding and housing and (2) to stimulate a greater interest in the breeding of better fowls. The contest also makes it possible for any breeder to have his strain of fowls tested for production and compared with other strains under the same conditions.

]]> Byron Alder Circular No. 84 - Building Young Deciduous Fruit Trees http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/75 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/75 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:12:12 PST The modern fruit tree in a commercial orchard, to survive in present-day competition, must bear heavy crops. The mechanical strength which determines whether it can hold its heavy load successfully or whether it will be broken down and become a liability to its owner is determined to a large extent by the training it has received the first two or three years after planting.

]]> Francis M. Coe Circular No. 78 - Annual Summary of Publications http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/74 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/74 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:11:16 PST Circular No. 78 contains a summary of publications issued by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, through its Division of Publications, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1928.

]]> Circular No. 83 - Planning, Planting, and Caring for Young Orchard http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/73 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/73 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:08:43 PST Fruit growing offers many advantages to the farmer of the intermountain west, chief of which is the high return possible from a relatively small farm. Few crops will give as high an acre-yield or return as a properly located and managed orchard. Acre-yields of from 500 to 800 bushels of apples, pears, or peaches are not unusual. The work is pleasant, interesting, and healthful, as well as remunerative when properly conducted. Fruit Growing Attractive, Profitable

]]> Francis M. Coe Circular No. 77 - Measurement of Irrigation Water http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/72 http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/uaes_circulars/72 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:08:19 PST Water is the limiting factor in Utah's agricultural development. In spite of its admitted value the farmer knows less about the measurement of water than about any of the other commodities which he handles. He knows how to measure his land, his crops and his cattle, but he has little conception of how to measure his most valuable asset, viz., irrigation water. The importance of water measurement is not appreciated until the water-supply becomes over-appropriated and users begin interfering with each other's rights. Expensive litigation, which always follow controversies over water, is gradually convincing the farmer that water should be measured as carefully as beets, grain, sugar, coal, flour, or any other commodity which he uses.

]]> George D. Clyde