The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-08-13
DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGRICULTURISTS

is very noticeable this year in locali-
ties in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
! Many home orchards in southern Wis
consin are being absolutely ruined by
the disease which has been favored
this season by periods of warm,
moist weather.
Fire blight is caused by bacterial
parasite, say staff men of the division
of plant pathology and botany at
! University Farm. Excessive cultiva-
ton and pruning and overfertiliza-
tion of the trees should be avoided.
Control of insects, which may carry
myriads of blight germs, is extremely
important. Diseased branches of the
tree should be cut off and burned. If
twig blight develops, the affected
twigs should be cut off some distance
from the points to which the blight
seems to have progressed.
Bulletin 1919, Fruit and Vegetable
Diseases" was written for circula-
ton, by plant disease specialists of
the University of Minnesota. Write
the office of publications, University
Farm, st. Paul, for a copy.
| D.
Grades Are Fixed for Prairie
Hays-Under the new grading system
tn federal standards of prairie hay,
as applied to Minnesota, are Upland,
Midland, and Upland-Midland Mix
ed.
Upland consists of upland grasses
and contains not more than 10 per
cent of legumes. Midland consists
of midland grasses, or a mixture of
midland and upland grasses, with
more than 40 per cent of midland
grasses. Upland-Midland Mixed con-
tains upland and midland grasses, not
more than 40 per cent midland and
not more than 10 per cent legumes.
Upland grasses shall be, according to
the rules, those which grow common
! ly in upland virgin prairie meadows
and have recognized feeding value,
| and may include not to exceed 10
per cent of midland grasses or cult
waited grasses. Midland grasses, as
commonly grow in moist meadows and
have recognized feeding value.
Consumers as well as experiment.
ers have long recognized the infer
iority of midland grasses in COMPARE
son with the upland grasses, and that
is why these grades have been estab-
lished.
In grading, an inspection certif-
cate is issued which both Classics
and grades. The classification states
the kinds of vegetation contained and
the grade states quality or condition.
Assuming the hay to be properly
classified, it remains to designate col
or, texture, soundness, and amount of
foreign MARTIAL.
Color is the buyers best indication
of quality. Hay that has been cut in
good season and cured without wealth
er damage will have hight degree of
natural green. If hay is cue late, it
may be low in color or coarse in tex
| ture, both indicating lower feeding
value. Foreign material should be
designed both as to kind and quantity.
With a proper classification and ac-
curate grading an inspection certifii-
cate should serve as a safe guide to
a purchaser.
| Poultry House Week Set for Sept.
! 13-19-September 13 to 10 is to be
Poultry House Week in Minnesota.
Many new poultry houses will be
built in the six-day period and many
others enlarged and put on an i'm
proved sanitary basis.
Country agents and other extension
service men will take active part in
the observance of the week. Farm
ers will be organized into "bees" in
building poultry houses and demon
strating every feature of the work.
Money spent in September for
good poultry equipment will be paid
back in December" says N. E. Chap
man, poultry specialist of the extern
sion division, University of Minneso-
ia. "A good poultry house means
four dozen eggs more per hen per
year, or an additional sum of $1OO
for flock of 100 birds"
Famous Entomologist Here to
Study Pest-John J. Davis, the fore
most authority in this country on the
common white grub pest, is spending
week with University of Minnesota
entomologists in investigating the
white grub infestation in Rock coun-
ty. Mr.. Davis, who was formerly
with the United States Department
| of Agriculture, is now chief of the
department of entomology at Pur-
due University. Oats and corn were
seriously damaged on many different
farms from point eight miles north
of Luverne to the Iowa line and even
beyond on the south. This is the
second year of heavy losses, crops
on some fields having been complely
| wiped out. Mr.. Davis and the uni
versity men will make crop history
study of damaged fields to determine
why the grubs occur in some places
and not in others adjacent, and what
is likely to happen in the same area
next year. Ultimately it is hoped to
work out some system of control.
White grubs are the young of June
beetles and in this latitude have a
life cycle of three years. The dam
age is done chiefly by the grubs the
second and third years.
Farmers Advised to Buy Pyrotol
Freely-Minnesot has been allotted
100000 pounds of pyrotal, or one
third more than it was apportioned
| loo hx, n