The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-09-29
Agricultural Notes

There are so species of oak in
the United States. Only about IA
of these are of commercial import
ance as furniture woods.
Furniture wood at the time of
manufacture should have a mois-
ture content of about 6 per cent.
This is about the average of the
moisture it will contain during its
life, although this fiuctuates with
the seasons and with the humidity
in the atmosphere.
Oats make a splendid feed for
cows if they are ground and prop
erly mixed with other concentrates.
They are about as high in digesti-
BILE crude protein as wheat bran.
They should be mixed with other
feeds, such as corn, wheat bran,
and cottonseed meal.
A flaming f1eteorite, Is pounds
in weight, is required to have caus-
ed a recent forest fire in the Walla
Walla section of the Unlatilla Ma,
tional Forest in Oregon. The met
eorite, according to reports to the
Forest Service, broke off a % inch
tree 20 feet from the ground and
lodged in the stump.
American Cuckoos, with a gen.
orally undesirable reputation de-
rived from observations upon the
European species, are most highly
regarded by scientists of the Biolo-
gical Survey who have studied
their food habits. Cuckoos feed
largely on caterpillars. The stom-
ach tof one cuckoo examined by
biologist showed remains of ESQ
tent caterpillars and another had
eaten PIT fall web-worms. Cue
koos are also fond of such pests as
grasshoppers, saw1y larve, and
other injurious insects.
Twenty-Five persons have been
apprehended and prosecuted for
hunting or killing migratory pat.
erfowl with the use of airplanes
since the Federal migratory-bird
treaty act became effective, in
1918, under the administration of
the Biological Survey of the Unit
ed States Department of Agricul-
ture. Violations of this character
have occurred in IL states. In II
cases the defendants were con-
victed and fines totaling $240 i'm
posed, ranging from $40 to $50
each. In two cases the grand jury
failed to return a true bill, and the
remaining nine cases were dis
missed.
Good dairy cows while milking
should not be overly fat. They
can well he fed enough to put on
some flesh during the dry period
and should be fed so as to keep in
good condition while in milk. The
general principles for correct feed
ing are (1) feed a balanced ra-
ton, (2) feed according to produc-
tion-all the good roughage that
the cow will consume and general
ly 1 pound of concentrates for
each 3 to 31a pounds of milk pro-
duced. If a balanced ration is
fed and the COW gets too fat, the
amount of feed should be reduced
somewhat. If she is producing
heavily and getting too poor in
flesh, she is either not receiving
enough feed or the ration is not
properly balanced.
The most satisfactory method of
controlling field mice in orchards
is by the use of poison bait. Put
the poison in wooden or other con-
tanners, which are accessible to
mice but which will protect the
poison from the weather and also
from birds, and place these near
| the fruit trees. In orchards
where mice are abundant it is ad-
vlsable to place a container under
each tree. The following prepara-
ton is designed for use as a per-
manent bait in poison stations OF
containers and has also proved sat-
isfactory for general use:
Mix together, dry, 1-8 ounce OF
powdered strychnine and 1-8 ounce
of baking soda. Sift the strychnine
and soda mixture over 1 quart OF
rolled oats, stirring constantly ia
insure an even distribution of the
poison through the grain. Thor
oughly warm the poisoned rolled
oats in an oven and sprinkle over
them 6 tablespoonful of a mix.
ture of 8 parts of melted beef fat
and 1 part of melted paraffin, mix
ing until the oats are evenly coat.
ed. When the grain is cool it is
ready to use.
| The Biological Survey of the
! United States Department of Agri.
culture has developed severa
formulas for preparing bats anc
directions for distributing them
This information will be sent fret
upon request to the bureau a
Washington, D. C.
New Booklet Proves
: