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About St. Helens mist. (St. Helens, Or.) 1913-1933 | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1915)
nojrn and farm magazine section United States Department of Agriculture Special Page J l li.il Vf Al 1. Rulk'tins and Special Articles Issued by the (.'overnment, 01 interest to inc iwmwesi, ns Covering a Wide Range of Activities; Result of Federal Investigations, Ktc. Suggestions Para-Dichlorobenzene Is a New Insecticide UpAn.V-IUCHl.OUONKNZKNE" Is the formidable name of a chemical compound which lias only recently boon used as nn insecticide, but which, In being non-inflammable and comparativoly Inexpensive, pos sesses advantages over other funil gauts. The United States Depart ment of Agriculture's new bulletin (No. 16") is entitled, Tara-dlohloro-benzene as nn Insert Funilgant," and points out that the rompound, al though deadly to Insivts, is harmless to human beings under ordinary con ditions and does not hnve nu odor which clings to fabrics as do many insecticides. l'ara-dlchlorobeniono is applied in most Instances In the same manner ns camphor and naptlialene. It is nut, however, necessary to Bprlnklo it around in corners or over rugs and other material, as is often the case with camphor and napthnlonc, but merely to expose a sufficient quantity in one or two open or par tially open receptacles, placed over, or higher, than the Infested cases, goods, and materia which requires fumigation. I'ara-dlchlorobcnzene at the pres ent time is sold In 5, 10, 2", BO and 100-pound nnd barrel lots, the prices for which are as follows: 23 cents per pound in 5, 10 and 25-pound lots. 18 cents per pound in SO-pouud lots. 1 cents per pound In 100-pound lots. 15 cents per pound In barrel lots. If any considerable quantity Is to be used, it is much better to purchase of some wholesale druggist or direct from the manufacturers. Pnra-dlchlorobenzene Is applicable to many insect pests living under various conditions and environment, and therefore requires specific meth ods of application, and, unlike car bon bl-sulphid, It Is nt the present time used only Indoors and In other places where Its vapors can be close ly confined. As there is a groat variation in the tenacity of life among Insects, tho existing condi tions should bo carefully noted be fore para-dlchlorobetizeno la applied. Beetles, such as the rice weevil, granary weevil, the confused flour beetle, the cadelle, the yellow nicnl worm, and a few others less com mon ore particularly hard to kill when In the adult stage. Tho larvae of certain other mealworms are like wise found by experiment to pos sess great tenacity of life. It Is therefore recommended that a pro portionately larger amount of para diehlorohenzene bo used when com bating these species. Mollis, files, roaches, ants and aphides are readily killed by para diehlorobenzene when used In the ordinary strength ns previously rec ti mmended. Rural Community Organization Fumigation Meihod for Imported Seed A SATISFACTORY method for de " stroying injurious Insects in Im ported seed without affecting the value of the seed has been used by ine tnited States Department of Ag riculture, and is described In a new bulletin (No. 180) entitled, "A Meth od of Fumigating Seed." Interested individuals who apply to the depart ment at Washington, D. C, will be bent the bulletin. Jn the new method the infested i-ed Is placed in a chamber In which a partial vacuum has been created. The chamber is then filled with o very deadly gas-hydro-cyanlc acid, which penetrates more effectively into the seed because of the previ ously created vacuum. It has been found that a considerably shorter exposure was necessary in using this method of fumigation than in the usual method. Tho bulletin de scribes tho experiment completely, giving details and Illustrations of the chamber used In the experiment. Hydro-cyanic ncid Is, of course, a most dangerous poison and should not be handled by any except those who are thoroughly familiar with it. Another gas carbon bi-sulphld- is to bo lined by tho department In a similar experiment, the resultB of which will be announced, later. Alfalfa should never be allowed to dry thoroughly (n the sun. It makes the leaves shatter and otherwise In jures tho hay. Tr SC11KM1C for the organization L of rural communities for both business and social purposes Is worked out In an artlclo which is to appear in the forthcoming Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, and which has already been printed as a pamphlet for the ubo of the Depart ment's office of markets and rural organization. The scliemo calls for 10 commit tees, five of which are to deal with business needs, nnd five with aoriul needs. Kvery member of the organ ization is to serve on some one or those commit toes. In addition, there is to be n central or executive com mittee composed of the president of tho organization. Its secretary, its treasurer, and tho chairman of tho 10 other committees. This central body Is to direct tho general policy of the organization, raise all funds and control their expenditures. The committees that are to deal with tho business interests of tho community are ns folows: Business Committees. 1. Committee on farm production. 3. Coinmiteo on marketing. 3. Committee on securing farm supplies. 4. Committee on arm finance and accounting. n. Committee on .communication and transportation. Social Committor. Similarly, the flvo committees that attend to the community's loelal In terests will deal with: 1. Education. 2. Sanitation. 3. Hecroatlon. 4. Beautlflcatlon. 5. Household economics. The work of most of these com mittees Is Indicated sufficiently clearly by their titles; for example, tho rommlttco on production ran do much good y improving the breeds of live stock in a community through ro-operntlvo purchases of pure-bred males. It can encourage the formation of corn, poultry, pig, cattle, canning and gardening clubs which have al ready demonstated their value In the sections where they have been estab lished; and it enn carry on useful studies of the type of agriculture best fitted to local conditions. Marketing. Ill the samo way. the committee on marketing can secure the stand ardization of the community's prod ucts and thus obtain better prices than are possible when nondoKcrlpt goods are dumped upon tho market. The committee can also search out tho best markets, make contracts on a large scale which will bo moro fa vorable than any individual can se cure for himself, nnd in many other ways eronomizo in the selling of the community's goods. Kvcn if co-operative marketing Is not actually ro sorted to, the information which the committee collects can hardly fall to be of great assistance to the Individ ual shippers. Just as the committee on market ing can facilitate selling, tho com mittee on farm supplies can econo mize in buying. Farmers are warned, however, not to underestimate the cost of running a storo or commer cial agency, and not to overestimate the saving which this can effect. The co-operatlive society, of course, does away with the necessity of the Btoro's mnking a profit, but somebody must manago the store and that somebody must be paid for bis time. His sal ary, therefore, corresponds In n wov to the ordinary Btora'g profit, and it is not always possible to secure a good man for less than be would be able to make In business for him self. 1'urclin.slng. There are, however, several meth ods of purchasing farm suntilles co- operatlvely, which will be found to be of advantage. Tho Blmplest is tho Joint order, in which a group of farmers can buy a given artlclo in large quantities, thereby effecting n considerable saving In the expense of handling, commissions, etc. Some times when this method Is adopted a Kurenousc is added which Is owned or rented co-oneratlvelv. nnrt in which the goods are stored until the associated purchasers need them If these two methods hnvo been tried and found Buccennfni it mi, bo desirable to carry them out to meir logical development and con duct a co-operative store which rru ders tho samo eorvlco to Its cus tomers that a private enterprise would. This, however. Inevitably loads to complications and should only be undertaken after some ex perience with similar methods of co operation. With tho committee on farm finance and accounting, tho first duty is to ascertain what farm en terprises can safely be financed. This Is only posslblo when accurate ac counts are kept and carefully ena bled. After this has been done tho next step li to lecuro the most fa vorable terms for financing proper and sound enterprises. This Is fre quently not difficult If the commit tee has thoroughly mastered the sub ject and is able to put it clearly be fore local bankers. Securing Capital. Whore the local bunkers aro un willing to flnanco genuinely product ive enterprises at n reasonable rate of Interest tho committee must con sider other ways of securing capital. One of tho simplest plans for accom plishing this Is a credit union or co operative credit association. Tho es sential features of this plan are that a group of farmers nrgunlxo them selves to receive deposits aud nuiko loans. Uy keeping the expenses down to a minimum It has been possible in some cases for such associations to pny interest on deposits that Is within 1 per cont of the Interest It charges on loans. Tho committee on communication and transportation should deal pri marily with the roads and telephones. Tho keynote of tho work should bo organized self-help, not appeals to get (tovernment help. Just an the five business commit tees are to grapple with tho funda mental problems of producing and selling In their various forms, the five social commluees should direct their efforts to tho Improvement of living conditions In tho country. Incrouhlng Average Income. To Increase tho farmer's Income Is not tho only thing needed to make ruial life, what It should be. As n matter of fact, sas this article, it tho prosperous farmer who Is more Inclined to move to town than hit less fortunate neighbor. Having accumulated a competence he wishes to enjoy It, and there are flvo principal reasons which lead him to bellevo that bo ran do this better in the city: First, there are usually bettor facilities for educat ing his children; Bcrond, the Banl tary conditions are frequently much better in towns, and the time does not seem to bo fur distant when the cities will be actually moro health ful than tho country. Again, house hold conveniences such as hot and cold water, heating and lighting sys tems, etc., are more abundant in the towns and add greatly to the coin fort of living. Finally, thero Is more opportunity for recreation In the city, and frequently, strange as it may ap pear, more to appeal to tho senso of beauty that is Inherent in practically every man. Co-operation on tho part of rural communities ran do as much to al ter these conditions ns It can to In- creaso the average cash Income The committees that have these matters In rhargo should, therefore, bo re garded ns quite as Important as thnso which deal with business questions, and they should receive tho same support from the entire community which they are. endeavoring to benefit. The result will bo a community spirit which. In Its way, Is capable of producing as valuable resultB as the National spirit. In fact, says the article in cloning, "Patriotism, like charity, begins at. homo Hint 1", In tho neighborhood." Out of the Moulds of Youllis. "RememtiAr lmia " , ....jo, i.. tit, luu 1I1UB- tor, "Hint in tho bright lexicon of juinii wn-re is no sucn word as fall. After a few momenta a boy raised bis hand. "Well, what Is It, my lad?" asked the master. "1 was merely going to suggest," replied the vounirKter. "thnt if , Is the case It would bo advisable to write to the publishers of that lexicon and call their attention to the omis sion. Kansas city Star. January Movement of Apple From Storage ACCOIID1NO to investigations ducted by the Office of Market t'nlted Slate Department of Agri culture, thero whs ftn Increuso lu the movement of cold storage apples dur Inn January as compared with De cember. It la impossible to glvo Ui loiai quantities of boxes and bar rels In atorugo on February 1 b. causo many firms withhold Inform. tion as to tncir holdings. However It Is thought that a sufficient num' ber aro co-operating with the Offlc of Market to warrant concluBloni aa to tho total movement throughout tho country. Basing estimates upon the returns from a large unmoor of commerrt.i npple cold storage and grunting th conditions for tbl number aro rep- ifnt'iniiiita ui mn wnoie, h appoari (1) that holding ou February 1, 1915, were 28.4 per rent greater than on tho same date two vonr. ago; (3) that 25.3 per cent of th ioiui noiuing nnvo been moved sine December 1. the derrense of burrrtift lock being 28. 4 per cent and bine 17 per cent; (3) that during Janu ary 17 per cent of barreled apple and 10.6 per cent of boxed apple were inKen out or cold itoruge, th total dcrrenso on tho basis of hold ings December 1 being Id. 6 percent. It was not thought that tho de mand for rold storage apples In Jan uary would bo very much greater than In December, owing to tho fact, as pointed out In a previous report, that the large supply nt common storage tork, together with ChrlBt iiihs purchases, would restrict th movement of apples from cold (tor age during Inst month. The attention of those Interested Is railed again to the fart that prao tlcally all common storage, apple, ns a rule, pass Into consumption by the first of February, if this con dition has boon true of the present season. It Is thought thnt the move ment of cold Rtoisgo apple will b very large during February and March. The supply certainly Is bountiful nnd, us tho result of low price and a largo demand. It Is thought tho consumption during the next few months will bo sufficient to exhaust the supply. The advisability of moving tho stocks as rapidly us possible I urged upon growers nnd dealers o that tho uuusually lurge holdings may diminish sufficiently to prevent dli aster In April or May. Progress in Campaign Against Powdery Scab Till-: cKiupuIgn against powdery scab In Maine potatoes has now resulted In the froelnu of the fol lowing districts; The town of Mid way, Wood villi, Maltewntnkcag, Winn, Kingman and Prentiss, and tho plantations of Webster and Drew, In I'enobseot County; nnd tho plantations of Molunkus nud Mac Wtthoc. In Aroostook County. Table potatoes grown within theso arras may now be uhlped In Interstate commerce without restriction. It Is also announced in the servlro and regulatory announcements of th Federal Horticultural Hoard that tho Island of Ilornholm, in Denmark, has been freed from tint dlseuso, and thnt potatoes ran now bo Imported Into this rountry from there. These Importations wore stopped In May, 1914, when powdery cub was found In two bags among a consignment of 480 from the Island. Tho regulations governing the po tato quarantine have also been amended In one or two respects. Un der tho new regulations potatoes transported In packages can only b put In containers which aro either new or bnvo been Btcrlllscd alnco last used. Knrh container must also have a card Initialed by the Inspector who Issued It. In tho case of car load lots, however, ono card I suf ficient. Car or schooner lot mnBt bo kept separate, in cuse of rcshlp inent, from other potatoes. The service and regulatory an nouncement of tho Federal Horti cultural Hoard also contain notice of three fines, of $25 each, Imposed for vlolution of tho gipsy moth and brown-tall moth qunrantlno by per son who shipped Christmas tree out ot Massachusetts; and two other fine, of $25 and $15, for shipping forest products out ot the amo state. .1 '7
