The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-10-30
DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGRIClJLI URISTS
country-are working together for
the 1924 exhibit.
k*&*V8sEessV|*Ee4t*1*s%x*s

Farm Spark Plugs-The best, time
to trim grapes is in the fall after the
wood has ripened, says w. G. Brier-
ley, horticulturist, University of Min
nesota. The removal of excess wood
will make the work Of covering the
vines with dirt much easier.
r.
Bird Bulletin Worth Having; Send
for It-"Some Useful Birds and 9th
ers Found in Minnesota-Their Eco
nomic Relations to the Agriculturist"
is the title of a revised bulletin pre-
pared by F. l.. Washburn, professor
of entomology and economic zoology
and published by the agricultural ex-
tension of Minnesota. Useful birds,
birds of doubtful utility, and birds
which are decidedly bad are classified
and described in the "a pages of the
bulletin which is beautifully illustrat-
ed with the pictures of common bird
favorites and of others not so we'll
known or liked. Copies of the bulle-
tin can be had without cost upon ap-
plication to the Division of Publica-
tons, University Farm, st. Paul.
r.
1924 Wheat Analysed for Protein
Content-Five hundred ninety samp-
les of spring wheats from 500 diff
ferent fields in Al Minnesota counties
showed an average of 11.50 per cent
protein, while 81 sample of winter
wheats averaged 1918 per cent pro-
tein, according to bulletin just is
sued by the State Department Of Ag-
giculture. The samples were an
alyzed at the State Testing Mill in
Minneapolis, and R. C.. Sherwood, di-
rector of the plant and member of
the faculty of the University of Min
nesota, has prepared Bulletin No. SO,
which reports the results of the sur
vey. Two pages are given to an out
line map of the state, showing the
origin of spring wheat samples with
symbols to mark the approximate
protein percentages. Copies of the
bulletin can be obtained on request
from the State Department of Agri-
culture, St. Paul, or the State Test
ing Mill, Minneapolis.
r.
New Bulletin Deals With Farm
Business-Farmers of southwestern
and west central Minnesota will be
interested in Special Bulletin No. 80,
EARN Management Principles for
Southwestern Minnesota" written by
William L. Cavert and George A.
Pond and issued by the agricultural
extension division of the university.
The purpose of the bulletin is to as
sist farmers in those sections where
corn is surplus crop to plan a better
balanced farm business. The facts
submitted and conclusions reached by
the authors are based largely on cost
records for four years on an average
of % representative farms in Cotton
wood and Jackson counties. Copies
may be obtained on request to the
Division of Publications, University
Farm, St. Paul.
Quick and Effective Method of
Killing Pocket Gophers - Poisoning
has proved to be the only method of
control whereby great deal can be
done in short time with minimum
amount of work and expense. Pois-
on, of course, should be handled with
the utmost care; all utensils used in
mixing the bait should be thorough
ly washed and cleaned after using
them; and particular pains should be
taken to see that none of the poison
is left where there is a possibility of
i injuring human beings or domestic
animals.
In reducing and eliminating the in
jury caused by pocket gophers, the
following poison has been used with
considerable success. 1t has the adj
vantage of being inexpensive, con-
venient to prepare, and of requiring
but a small amount of time and labor
to apply to the fields. The poison is
mixed according to the following
formula: 1-8 ounce powdered stry-
CHINA alkaloid, 1-8 ounce sodium BIZ
carbonate (baking soda), and 1-80
ounce saccharin. The poison, after
being mixed according to this form
ula, is light, fluffy powder and
should be put into a sitter top can
ready to be sifted on vegetable
bait. This amount of poison is suffi-
cient to prepare four quarts of vege-
table bait. Potatoes, sweet potatoes,
carrots, parsnips, beets and turnips
are especially good for this use. The
bail should be cut into " inch cubes,
washed with water, and thoroughly
drained. The poison is then sifted
on the bait, while stirring with an old
spoon, so that each piece received a
portion of the poison. They are ready
to be placed in the pocket gopher
runways.
How to Locate the Runways;
to Put the Bait-The poisoned bait
must be placed in the main runway
of the pocket gopher's burrow in ord
err to be at all effective, and must be
placed there without disturbing the
runway in any perceptible manner.
The runway can easily be located by
finding a fresh mound and Identify
ing that part of it known as the
"plug, (the little pile of dirt about
the size of ones fist, or little larg-
er, which the gopher pushes out last
when closing up the lateral, and
which is always located at the side of
the mound). When the plug has
ben located, probe the ground with a
piece of No. 9 wire, on the same side
Of the mound as that on which the
lplug is located, and from IL to 10
Inches away from it. If one is sue
Icessful,, the wire probe will drop
through suddenly when it strikes the
runway. A hole should then be made
| into the burrow with a broomstick
sharpened at one end. Drop a COUP