The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-11-25
since they reached the peak of ex-
pansion at the close of the war.

%
Cyanide Dust Attack Destroys Rat
Colony-So far as known no one
has yet suggested Rat Killing Week,
although it is common knowledge that
the rats of this country destroy food
stuffs worth many millions every
year. Rat colonies in barnyard re-
fuse, around straw stacks and un-
der and adjacent to small buildings
can be quickly cleaned out by pump
ing calcium cyanide dust into their
burrows, says M. S. Johnson, asso-
cite professor of zoology, University
of Minnesota.
Soon after fumigating a rat col
ony on farm in Cottonwood county,
! Mr.. johnson and the farmer collect
ed Fl dead rats which were near
enough to the surface to be easily
found. The rodents had succumbed
to the cyanide gas. This demonstra-
ton by the university man was wit
messed by MANY farmers and made a
very favorable impression, says the
Cottonwood county agent.
| But the most generally useful
method of getting rid of rats es-
pecially when they are not held in
narrow confines, is to poison THEN
food with barium carbonate. This
should be used in the proportion OF
one part to four parts of any fooG
that is not otherwise available to the
rodents. AS they eat any food that
human beings eat, a great variety OF
poisoned bait can be used. Bariun
carbonate is a deadly poison anC
must be handled carefully. The
cyanide method is more costly thar
the barium, but the extra expense il
well justified when the conditions are
favorable for the gassing of entire
communities of the pests.
o.
Corn Exhibitors Are Expected t.
Repeat Northern Minnesota corr
growers will likely repeat at thi!
years International Grain and Hay
Show which is held every fall in con
nection with the International Live
stock Exposition at Chicago. Fol
several years now they have exhibit
ed the sweepstakes corn in Region ]
which includes all the northern state.
on the west and the northern part!
of states on the east. In addition tt
corn, samples of all the small grains
alfalfa, clover seed, etc., will be ex
| hibited.
Southern Minnesota is in Region {
and its exhibitors will compete il
corn varieties with northern Iowa
southern Wisconsin and Michigan
southeastern South Dakota and por
tons of Ohio and New York. Com
petition is sharp in this region, bur
Minnesota is expected to share a.
usual in the prizes.
c.. H. Lien of ISt. Cloud has beer
delegated by the Minnesota Crop I'm
provement association to look after
exhibits from this state.
| o.
Junior Show Praised AS a Destin,
Symbol-Like many another citizen
Mayor L. C.. Hodgson of St. Pau
has been strongly impressed with
boys and girls club work and the
Junior Livestock Show at South St
Paul. After attending the 1926 show
he said:
''This event is the finest symbo
of what Minnesota is to be. Around
it revolves the destiny of the state
LII Is Cne fnODlllZaLlOn OF Une power
the hope and the faith of the citizen.
ship of tomorrow.
~ have always felt that the mer
and organizations that established
this institution deserved to be re-
corded on an enduring roll of fame
And at the same time I do not for.
get that the boys and girls who have
made this work success by then
energy, enthusiasm and ability de.
serve especially to be hailed as
Soldiers of the common glood'."
| Minnesota Selects Stock judging
Team-Twenty-two teams from 2S
colleges of agriculture will take part
in the intercollegiate livestock judg.
ing contest at the International Live
stock Exposition in Chicago, Satur-
day, November ~. Members of the
Minnesota College of Agriculture
team have been selected, as follows
Harold G. Alton, Grand Rapids; Har.
Ian A. Boyer, Faribault; George
Chambers, Owatonna; Hugh Firmage