Calag Archive

To evaluate the relative merits of grain sorghum hybrid cultivars and their interaction with environment, seven hybrids were grown in comparison with two established varieties (Meloland and D.D. 38) and one experimental variety in trials conducted at the Imperial Valley Field Station. The trials were planted April 15, June 1, and July 15 in each of five years, 1962 to 1967, on 40-inch beds with five replications. Cultural practices were typical for the Imperial Valley area, except plants were hand-harvested.

These two experiments indicate that once walnut orchards become crowded, hedging to allow light between trees is not effective in alleviating the condition. A substantial loss in production occurs initially and, al-though new growth develops in response to the hedging, it does not result in increased production, or in the restoration of lower fruit wood. Hedging, however, may prove to be a valuable tool in maintaining tree size and production in orchards where the trees have not yet grown together. Work needs to be done to evaluate the effect of repeated hedging where it is started before tree crowding has developed.

Tests were made to determine the effect of different amounts of readily available soil moisture on the growth of plums in California's dry San Joaquin Valley. In the first and second years, when there was practically no available soil moisture in the 6- to 12-ft depth, the dry-treatment plums were not significantly smaller in diameter than the wettreatment ones. But when the soil moisture was exhausted to a depth of 12 ft, the dry treatment plums were significantly smaller. The combination of Japanese plums on apricot rootstock evidently produces a deep-rooted tree, with moisture below the 6-ft depth constituting an important source of supply.

In recent years there has been great emphasis on reducing governmental expenditures at state and federal levels. Reductions have been sought through improved efficiency, elimination of low priority activities, and shifting costs to nongovernmental groups. This last strategy may be particularly applicable to the Federal-State Market News Service program, because many of its users and their commercial interests can be identified. This article discusses the implications of charging for market news services.