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Steamed-crushed Oats. Cafeteria-type acceptance tests have indicated that 

 steamed-crushed oats are preferred over corn. Further acceptance tests, using 

 different grains, are being conducted by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service this 

 fall. 



---John W. Peterson 



Assistant District Agent 



U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



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POMOLOGICAL PARAGRAPH 



Strawberry Acreage in California 



According to The Packer , strawberry acreage in California has decreased from 

 20,700 acres to 11,700 acres in the last four years. This is due to the large 

 imports of frozen strawberries from Mexico, The acreage in Mexico has increased 

 from 1900 acres in 1952 to an estimated 15,600 acres in 1961. 



—William J. Lord 

 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION WITH ORCHARDISTS 



The Northeast Worcester Soil Conservation District was formed in 1947. 

 Since that time, 490 landowners have become District cooperators. Most of them 

 now have a basic conservation plan which has been developed with them to utilize 

 their soil and water resources. 



Soil conservation district supervisors have developed a long-range program 

 which recognizes the soil and water conservation needs for the District, They 

 also have an annual plan for accomplishing various parts of the total job each 

 year. The District has had technical assistance from the Soil Conservation 

 Service in the amount of about two and one-half men per year. Technicians' time 

 has been spent about equally with orchardists and dairymen. 



The major soil and water conservation problems facing orchardists deal 

 mainly with erosion control and drainage. Most orchards are located on sloping 

 land. Erosion would be very severe if orchards were clean tilled. It is effec- 

 tively controlled by having almost all of the orchards in sod. Thousands of feet 

 of underground drainage pipe have been Installed by the orchard owners. 



In the Northeast Worcester County District, underground drainage is one of 

 the most important conservation practices in orchards requiring technical assis- 

 tance. Soil maps are generally made of all landholdings and a conservation plan 

 is developed with each owner. Most growers know a good deal about their own land. 

 They have watched their trees grow, have observed conditions in the early spring, 

 know about wet areas, about operating equipment, and, of course, know how each 



