from the bins themselves by means of proper sampling tubes, provided samples are taken from points well distributed over the face of the bins; or from the bins at the point of discharge, provided sufficient material is drawn from each discharge to obtain samples representative of the material in the bins. In no case should a single composite sample represent over 200 barrels. Samples should be shipped and stored in air-tight containers. Before testing, they should be passed through a 20-mesh sieve in order to thoroughly mix the sample, break up lumps, and remove foreign material. PAVING BRICK. Samples of vitrified paving brick may be taken at the point of manufacture or from cars at the point of delivery. Samples from the plant should preferably be taken from the kiln at the time of emptying. One or more sets of tests, depending upon the size of the kiln, each set consisting of three separate tests, should be made on each kiln. Each test in a set of three should represent approximately a single degree of burning (based on the position of the brick in the kiln), and all 10 of the brick in a single test should be of the same approximate degree of burning. In general, samples selected from piles at the plant should be as nearly as possible representative of the entire run of the brick. Samples from piles should be taken from as many different points corresponding to the length, breadth, and depth of the pile as possible. In no case should they be confined to the upper or outer few layers. Where controversy arises regarding the admissibility of certain types or portions of the lot, entire test samples may be selected from such types or portions having a characteristic appearance in common. When sampled at the point of delivery, a representative sample should be taken from each carload received. Considerations covered under sampling from piles at the plant apply equally to sampling from cars. No bricks should be included in the test lot which would be rejected on the basis of cracks, chips, or other defects covered by the specification clauses for visual inspection. Samples should be shipped in stout boxes or crates in lots of 12, put up in 2 rows of 6 bricks each, separated by a wood partition. cars. STONE BLOCK. Stone block may be sampled for quality and size either at the quarry or from A preliminary sample for quality consisting of at least four standard blocks should be submitted from each proposed source of supply at least two weeks prior to the date of acceptance or rejection. Additional samples of blocks may be taken from time to time during the progress of the work, whenever the quality or appearance of the blocks varies, and at such other times as may be directed. No sample should include blocks which would be rejected on visual inspection. Preliminary samples may be omitted in cases where material from the proposed source of supply has been tested within one year prior to the date of acceptance or rejection, in which cases the report of such tests may be used as the basis for acceptance or rejection. Samples of stone blocks should be shipped in stout boxes or crates. Size, grading or mechanical analysis of broken stone, broken slag, or gravel.. 28 30 Mechanical analysis or grading of sand or fine aggregate............. 30 Washing test and grading or mechanical analysis of road gravel.. 31 31 Washing test and grading or mechanical analysis of sand clay or topsoil RW-2. Broken stone for water-bound base. 5 RS-1. Coarse broken stone for bituminous surface treatment.. 5 RBC-2. Broken stone, sand, and filler for coarse aggregate bituminous concrete wearing course. 9 10 11 13 14 16 GBC-2. Gravel, sand, and filler for coarse aggregate bituminous concrete wearing course Sd-1. Natural sand clay or topsoil mixture for road surfacing.. Ct-1. Portland cement. Br-1. Vitrified paving brick, cushion sand, and grouting sand for brick pavement. 17 18 19 20 21 23 25 RBC-4. Binder course, sheet asphalt pavement.. RC-1. Portland cement concrete pavement. RW-2. Water-bound base.. RW-1. Water-bound macadam.. STONE BLOCK. R-1. Granite block...... TOPSOIL. Sd-1. Topsoil or sand-clay mixtures.. TOTAL MINERAL AGGREGATE. RBC-4. Binder course, sheet asphalt pavement. ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 5 CENTS PER COPY Δ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BULLETIN No. 705 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Contribution from the Office of Farm Management Washington, D. C. July 27, 1918 PROFITABLE MANAGEMENT OF GENERAL FARMS IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON. This bulletin is based on information secured from the analysis of a year's business (1912) on 212 general farms in Marion and Polk Counties, Oreg., and a general farm practice study in the Willamette Valley covering a period of several years. It presents some of the more important factors which influence the profits on the farms. studied, shows why the "valley" or silt loam farms are operated more efficiently than the "red hill" or clay farms, and makes recommendations that should materially increase the profitableness of general farming throughout the Willamette Valley. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. Of the 212 farms embraced in this study 68 are located on the clay soil and 144 on the silt loam soil. 1 The figures presented in this bulletin are those secured in a typical year before the war, 1912. It would be impracticable to offer recent figures, because of the unstable conditions prevailing the last few years. The prime emphasis is not to be placed on the presentation of comparative profits for one year, but on the lessons which these figures set forth. In short, it is the desire merely to indicate some of the fundamentals of farming success in the Willamette Valley, drawing upon one typical year for practical illustrations and showing the relationship between the various factors in farming. 59107-18-Bull. 705-1 Some of the factors which tend to influence efficiency on these farms are: (1) The area of land in summer fallow; (2) the income per productive animal unit; (3) crop yields; and (4) the percentage of the field-crop area devoted to clover and other legumes. Clover seed was a profitable crop in 1912. During that year over 10 per cent of the total receipts of the silt loam farms were derived from the sale of clover seed, though the crop occupied only 4.5 per cent of the rotation area. Comparative yields and values of the cereal crops per acre strongly indicate that the area devoted to oats on both the clay and silt loam farms should be reduced, with a view to growing more profitable crops. The farm income of the clay farms was 4.35 per cent of the capital invested, as compared with 6.64 per cent for the silt loam farms. In other words, the silt loam farms were a half more profitable than the clay farms. The clay farms grow less clover and other legumes than the silt loam farms, had a greater acreage and lower yield of oats, and had a much larger percentage of the rotation area lying idle as summer fallow. Crop yields may be increased materially on most of the farms studied by devoting more of the tillable land to clover and other legumes. A few of the silt loam farms were probably devoting sufficient area to these crops. That clover can be grown successfully on the clay farms is shown by the 53 trials, covering over 1,000 acres, on 83.8 per cent of which successful stands were obtained. AGRICULTURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY. 1 Between 1850 and 1860 most of the prairie lands of the Willamette Valley were brought under cultivation. Even as early as 1844 there was a surplus wheat crop of 10,000 bushels. In the very beginning of the agricultural development of the valley, wheat became the leading crop. Oats were also an important crop, and corn was grown in a limited way. Timothy and cheat were the principal hay crops. Clover was tried superficially and pronounced a failure because the first trials failed to give satisfactory stands. From the most reliable information available it appears that wheat in those early days yielded from 30 to 40 bushels per acre and oats from 50 to 75 bushels. For a number of years the land produced a crop each year. However, the soil soon became infested with wild oats, and about 1865 the farmers began to summer fallow; that is, the land was clean cultivated once in every three or four years. Under this system of 1 Bromus secalinus. |