The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-04-10


which starts from a seed but soon
detaches itself from the sell to live
entirely upon the juices of the plants
which it attacks, is dangerous in
clover and alfalfa fields, and, accord
ing to A. C. Army of the FARM crops
section at University Farm, has OBJ
tanned foothold in few sections of
Minnesota.
"Dodder is a plant with stems about
the size of the lead in an ordinary
z pencil, says Mr.. Army. "These stems
Irvine around and take their food
from alfalfa and clover plants. AS
the dodder plants become mature they
turn a golden yellow and are easily
seen. They should be watched care
fully and destroyed before they have
opportunity to produce seed.
GLOVER and alfalfa seed containing
dodder should not be purchased or
planted anywhere in the state. Par
ticular attention should be given to
keeping fields free from dodder in all
seed producing sections"
o.
IS Enter Half-Acre Plum Orchard
Contest-Thirty-five fruit growers
OF the state have entered the four
year, half-acre plum orchard contest
started by the Minnesota State Hor-
ticultural Society, says R. S. Mack
intosh of University Farm, secretary.
The orchards must be planted this
spring, and any trees failing to grow
may be replaced in the spring of 1925
and scored the same as other trees.
Trees set later than 1925 will not be
counted. Each orchard must consist
of at least four varieties.
Prizes offered by the horticultural
society are: First, 500 and silver
medal; second, SIS and bronze med
al; third, $50 and bronze medal, and
fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and
eighth, $25 each. The prizes will be
awarded in July, 1928.
The awards will be based on growth
and vigor of trees, form of head,-
alignment and uniformity of size and
shape, freedom from disease and in
sect injury, health of foliage, and
perfection of fruit.
Secretary Macintosh says the so
ciety has enrolled more than $500
annual members for 1924. This is the
largest membership the society has
ever had. In 1916 it had 3,457 men,
bers, which was the maximum to that
time. Officers of the society have set
the goal at 1000 members and con-
fidently expect that number will be
enrolled before the close Of the year.
-
Twin City Business Men Back
Club Work-The Civic and Com
merce association of Minneapolis and
the st. Paul association, organiza-
tons of twin city business men, will
again give financial support to jun
ior club work in Minnesota.
The former has appropriated ST.
500 for the Junior Livestock Show
and dairy calf club work at the state
fair. 1t has also set aside $3.50 for
banquet to the boys and girls at
tending the state fair as exhibitors in
the junior calf clubs and will give an
additional $500 for the encourage
ment of corn club work provided the
next show of the Minnesota Crop I'M
provement association is held at Uni
versity Farm During Farmers and
Homemakers' Week next January.
The st. Paul association will give
the same total amount, but will put
$1,000 into abanquet for the juniors
during the livestock show at South
St. Paul and $3.50 into corn club
work. The Remaining $4,000 will
match similar sum given by the
Minneapolis business men for Junior
Livestock Show and State Fair ex-
hibits.
Five members of junior garden
clubs which made superior records
last year will be given 20 Latham
raspberry bushes each for perma-
ment part of their garden, according
to w. H. Alderman, chief of the d.
vision of horticulture, who has taken
steps to provide 400 bushes for dis
tribution among such clubs. Each
recipient must continue advanced
work in gardening and make reports
to the University Farm leaders. Dis
tribution of the raspberries will soon
be commenced.
Cow Testing Groups Nearing the
00-Mark-More than $4,000 dairy
cows in 70 active COW testing as
sociations were under. tests in March
as supervised by the dairy specialists
of the university's agricultural extern
sion service. Four more associations
got under Roadway April and three
more only await the employment of
testers to begin operations. These
VIII Hldk6 d COCdl u 90 dCIlVG dSSOC-
iations before the end of the month.
Interest in COW testing continues
to grow in all the dairy areas of the
state" says E. A. Hanson of Univer-
sity Farm who, assisted by Charles
C. Geddes, is in charge of the work.
During February 1900 more cows
were on test than in January. 1t is
becoming increasingly difficult to find
testers as they are needed"
Butterfat records and gains over
feed costs in February were decided
ly encouraging, according to the re-
ports of testers to the University
Farm headquarters. Smith & Hol-
ley's herd of IL grade Holsteins in
the South Dakota association averaged
55. pounds of butterfat for the
month and was the high herd of all
those reporting. The high associa-
ton was the Nicollet, its 200 cows av-
eraging 37.S pounds Of butterfat.
That cows with good testing records
command the best prices is again
shown by reports of the testers. The
Jackson county tester says that test
ed cows sold at recent public auc-
ton brought an average of $50 more
per head than was offered for cat
tie not tested. Just how the rule
works out was demonstrated quite as