River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-09-01
County Agent Notes


| have noticed and have had reports
come in to the effect that large
amounts of smut are present this year
! on corn. There seems to be more of
it than any previous year which is
caused mostly by the perfect weather
conditions for the growing of smut.
Several farmers have asked me if it
was poisonous for cattle when fed
from the silo. | have written to the
state veterinarian and have been in
formed that if it is left on corn in any
| large amounts it will reduce the palat-
| ability of the silage, but that there is
not much danger of injury to cattle.
They probably would not eat it as
well. If the smut is removed from
| the con and is left on the ground it
will affect the succeeding crop of
corn as the spores causing smut live
over in the ground and not on the
kernel. The corn can not be treated
in any manner to prevent smut. 1t
| should be taken from the field and
buried so that infection will be re-
duced for next year. If three or
four year rotation of crops is carried
on there will not be much danger of
| infection.
The time for the Pierce County Fair
is coming on fast and we are prepar-
| my for the largest fair that has ever
been held in this county. I have sent
] entry blanks to nearly all the live
stock exhibitors and they should be
| filled out and returned by September
18th SO that the secretary can have
| the books and exhibitors tags all
ready when you arrive at the fair with
your exhibit. If there is anyone who
| would like to get entry blanks, they
can do so by writing to me of o.
A. Halls, the secretary.
Special prizes not given in the
premium list are being offered for the
best sheave of soybeans and alfalfa,
also for the COW producing the most
butter fat in COW testing association
in the county and any dairy COW sired
| by pure-bred sire producing more
butter fat than her dam.
The Ellsworth Cow Testing Associ-
alton has been reorganized and the
| following officers have been elected:
Pres, Geo. Mumford; vice pres, Ross
Bartlett; secretary treasurer, Howard
Bartlett, and directors, Frank Ander.
Eson, p. Bjerkeng and Albert Kline
The association has just issued its
first annual report which | think is
the first one issued for any associ'
| alton in the county. 1t would be vel
for anybody keeping dairy cows tc
look over one of these reports ano
notice the advantage of testing cows
for butter fat production.
The same can be gotten at this
| office. Cow testing association work
| was introduced in this state 10 years
ago and in that time 500 associations
have been organized and more than
| 300. 900 cows tested. Thirty-six thou
sand farmers last year paid out $175,-
900 from their own pockets to have
his work done. 1t is one of the big
factors in making Wisconsin the
dairy state of the Union.
| l have just received a letter from
the Minneapolis Employment Com
pany stating that they have list of ;
large number of reliable farm hands
returning from the North Dakot;
harvest fields looking for MONTH,
work on farm. If there is any one j.
the county desiring such help, let M
know and | shall send you an applica
ton blank.
Approximately twenty-five hens GU
of every farm flock of 100 could b
discarded without reducing the egg
yield. Just about % per cent of tn
hens are non-producers that are SUP
ported by the rest of the flock. Som
information and an hour some morn
: ing will allow one to save the feed o
2 those twenty-five hens which wi
amount to twenty-five cents per da!
There are five main points by whic
| production can be detected. 1t is M
advisable to use any one OF thes
points alone, but by combination {
them all, judge the hen to be prt
Queer or boarder. If she is pre-
Queer feed her for egg production,
she is a boarder sell her for mea
These five ints are the age, moul'
t ing, fermentation, activity and tn
: pelvic bone test. Save the hen whic
: is active, late moulting and has pal
g colored legs and beak. Discard tn
hen that is inactive, has complete
moulting, is rather ancient and ha
! bright yellow legs and beak. Re
member the last week in Septembe
a series of poultry culling demonstrs
ton meetings will be held in thi
:, county and all interested in poultr
should be at one of the gathering