m fit Hft v ft ' f i " J IIOME AND FAKM MAGAZINE SECTION States Department of Agriculture Special Page Bulletins and Special Articles Issued by the Government, of Interest to tho Northwest; United Suggestions Covering a Wide Range of Activities; itcsuits 01 jtcucnu wvbbubuuuim, w. !' Remedies for Keeping White Ant From Timber THI2 ravages of the white nnt which, becauso or Its Insidious work In timber and wood.slructures, Is one of the most destructive Insects of North America, can be limited by comparatively simple measures, ac cording to the entomologists of the lTnlfnrl Cfnfdu HrktifipffMnn, nf Af-rlfltl. ....tVM V.fcV0 UVIII llllVUh Jfc .f..l tare. This pest, known scientifically as tho termite, attacks bridge Um bers, wells, alios, (olograph poles, bean poles, mine props, fenco posts and railroad tics, nnd tho sudden crumbling of whnrves, caving In of mines, and tho settling In of floors aro sometimes directly due to its hld ' den borings. Homo of the recommendations of tho DopartniCHt's entomologist for dealing with this pest arc as follows: Forest produetH In contact with the ground should be Impregnated with roal-tar creosote, which Is n perma nent preventive against attacks by our nntlvo termites. Coal-tar croo soto has many properties which would recommend Its use in this respect, for it is also a fungicide, and, being Insoluble In water, will not leach out In wet locations. These require ments furnish objections to many chomlcals that othorwlso are very effective Insecticides. The various methods of superficial ly treating timber, as by charring, by brushing, or by dipping with various chomlcnl preservatives, among which aro creosotos, carhollncums, etc., have proven to bo temporarily effective, in preventing nttack, It the work is thoroughly done. If not thoroughly done, termites outor through the un treated or imperfectly treated por tions, especially through weathering chocks and knots. Whore the bases Of nolAA. Ill Inn tirnnu nfx nr li.fr untreated, tormltes ontor tho timber iruiu uuiow, nnu, avoiding mo treated portions, come up through tho inter ior. Charred timber is effective against tormlto attack for a period less than a year, although -It Is not seriously damaged at the end of one year. It will readily be seen that neither brushing nor spraying the exterior after placement, us Is sometlmos prac ticed, is effective In keeping out ter mites, since the portion that sets In the ground could not be treated, and It is usually at this point that ter mite attack occurs. Before treating timber with ehera leal preaervatlves, especially where the brush method Is employed, It Is oesentlal that the timber he thor oughly seasoned, otherwise penetra tion by the preservative will be re tarded. Many patentod wood preservatives, advertised as effective against wood borors, often merely contain slmplo preservative, as for Instance, llnsood oil, to which a slight odor of oil of eltronolln has been Imparted, or con tain simple poisons. For timber to bo sot In the ground, brush coatings with llnsoed oil nro not offectlvo against termites. Impregnation with chlorlnntod iiapthnlone winy prove ofjecttvo against tormltes, as n preservative for woodwork, in Interior finish, whero It Is Important that tho pre servative should not 'sweat" out, or stain tho wood. Treated wood blocks burlod In tho ground with tormlto-ln-fested logs woro not attacked after a tost of neatly six months. Improg lintlon with paraffin wax was not offoctlvo In tho bureau of Kntomol ogy's oxporlmonu. If tho wood Is not In contact with the ground, im pregnation treatments with bichloride of morcury and zinc chlorido nro of fectlvo. Tho morcury nnd zinc in this form nro both soluble In water. Fanning In Hawaii. The Army Is n most important factor in tho development of dlvcrsl- lied funning in Hawaii. This branch f our Government usoa largo qunn- lltlo Of Corn. Pies. lintnln ...... Ii.... and other products, and tho authori ties aro doslrous of bating tho terrl toiy dolop an Independent bourco of food supply, ns tho possibilities of development along thoao lines aro very great In theso Islands. Sudan grass, sorghum, logumoH nnd other lorngo plants Imvo already boen planted by the Department's experi ment Station In co-opeiatlon with tho military pott In ordor to furnish ureon feed for tho horse. Hod and white liormudn onion sood are doing well in Hawaii. Eight aires of onions yloldoa 32,210 pounds ast ear, not counting small oulous of Pickling size. . Co-Opcrnlivc Marketing for Hawaiian Pineapple 7T MARKETING division to assist "Tk pineapple growers has been or ganized by tho U. S. Department of Agriculture's experiment station in the Hawaiian Islands. Prices which canncrs have been offering for pine apples are less than the cost of pro duction. The Hawaiian pineapple grower today has to expend from $12 to $15 per ton to produce his fruit, whereas tho prlco offered by tho can nors range from $5 to $11 per ton for first-grade pineapples and ono-hnlf these prices for sccond-grndo prod ucts. As a rosult the small grower Is now seeking a market for his fresh fruit In tho United States. However, tho business of shipping can hardly be carried on satisfactorily without organization and It Is to help out In this connection thnt the new division has been organized, according to tho latest report of the Hawaii experi ment station. It Is also suggested in tho report that better arrangements could be mado If there woro a branch of the marketing division In San Francisco, which should act as a central office for fresh pineapple shipments. This office could undoubtedly prevent the succession of baro and flooded mnrkets which has characterized the previous condition of plnonVplo ship ments. The samo office could also do val uable service In handling other Hawaiian products, such as sweet po tatoes, onions, bananas, beans, coffee, cocoanuts and kukul nuts, Tho last mentioned product Is particularly val uable on account of Its largo oil content. Prune Peaches ( HEN' Is tho propor tlmo to J8Y pruno peach trees?" This is a question fre quently asked of tho United States Department of Agriculture's special ists. In general, the answor Is: "Dur ing tho dormant period, preferably late WJntor or early Spring, juit be fore growth starts. This Is true ex cept In roglons where bleeding from wounds Is likely to occur, wbon It! should probably bo dono In early Winter." The subject of pruning peach trees Is more fully explained In a new Farmers' Bulletin (No. G32) on "Growing Poaches," which deals ulso with tenewnl of tops, thinning, In terpolated crops and other spoclal practices. Somotimos tho owner of a peach orchard will find It necessary to pruno his trcos throughout tho Win tor whonover tho woather Is sultablo for men to work In tho orchard, par ticularly If tho operations nro very extensive. But It tho fruit buds aro ondangored during tho Winter by advorso tomporaturcs, it may bo ad vlsablo to delay pruning as much ns economic conditions pormlt until set tled Spring weather arrlvos. This Is especially advisablo If heavy heading In of tho previous season's growth Is luvolvod, ulnco tho proportion of llvo buds may detormlno tho oxtont to which tho cutting back should bo carried. Summer Pinning. A limited amount of Summer prun ing can usually bo dono to advantage. Tho trcos should bo obsorvod con stantly throughout tho season of tie tlvo growth. Whenever ti branch Is soon which Is so placed that it obvl oiiHly will need to bo removed at tho annual pruning for tho shaping up of tho trco, It Is well to tako It off at onco. In this way tho annual prun ing can bo reduced to n minimum and tho romoval of largo limbs will rarely bo necessary. Then, too, it frequently happens that a slnglo branch in tho top of a trco will grow considerably faster than any of tho others, thus making tho troo unsymmotrlcnl If Its growth is not checked. A slight heading in as soon as such a tendency is nppar- out win usually Keep tiio top well balanced. Thero Is a wide dlfferonco of onln- Ion regarding tho practice of pruning trees, uut tno most successful fruit growers usually pruno their trees. Tho principal objects may bo summed up briefly as follows: 1. To modify tho vigor of tho tree. 2. To keep tho treo shapely and within bounds. 3. To mako tho treo more stocky. 4. To open tho tree top to admit uu mm suusnine. Movement Satisfactory in Cold-Storage Applca n L.TI10UGH donlorH gonernlly ro- r port that the holiday demand for apples did not prove to bo as ex pected, tho rosult of Investigations conducted by tho office of innrkotn of tho United States Depart ment of Ag rlculturo would Indicate. Hint tho movement of cold-sUirngo apples dur ing tho month of December nB satis factory under tho conditions. Three hundred and six firms reported for January 1, of which number 231 re ported for December 1. If tho uv erago condition for thin number of storages situated In all parts of thu country Is n criterion, approximately 13 per cent of tho total cold-utorngo holdings December 1 woro marketed prior to January 1. Tho decroaso In barrel holdings wnB much greater than for boxos. Tho porcentngo of movement In December for box apples wns small, but It Is to bo remembered that largo quantities of this pack aro hold In common storage In tho box applo pro ducing areas, and that box npplcii placed In cold storago under condi tions existing this year wero held largely for tho lator Winter jnarlcufit. Tho cold-Btorngo holdings of ap ples aro admittedly largo, and a reg ular, vigorous movement throughout tho remainder of the season mny ho necessary to prevent disaster In tho Spring. Growers and dealers .aro urged neither to dump tholr holdings nor to stand for arbitrarily high prices. Panicky selling usually means grief, but nil concerned should Hook to movo cold-storngo applet) gradu ally and with such rapidity an tho market allows, so that tho denl mny bo wound up In relatively good ahupo. in Early Spring G. To loduco tho strugglo for ex istence In tho trco top. G. To removo dead or Interfering branches. 7. To aid In stimulating tho devel opment of fruit buds. 8. To thin tho fruit. S. To mako thorough spraying pos sible. 10. To facilitate the hnrvostlng of tno fruit. Priuiliif niul tiio Future. Obviously thu pruning which a tree recolvos during tho first two or throo years nfter It Is planted has much to do with Its future. Mlstakos in form ing thu head or tho rc.iultu of noglcct during tho early years In tho llfo of u ireo nro prncncaiiy irroparauio. uu tho other haud, if tho treo la well formed and m-nnni-lv urimml il urine Its first years, the foundation for a goou ireo is C8iniiisiieu; miuscqouut crrora In pruning, If they occur, muy admit of correction without perma nent hnrm to tho treo. Tho now bulletin oxplulns why In certain reglona whero warm periods of considerable length occur during tho Winter. It Ih well to nmlnni Din growth of trees until Into ovory sea son, tiio rest period uurliig which treoa generally remain dormant Is ono which is fairly decided by Na ture. Until that porlod Is past, when onco tho trees bnvo become dormant they do not rospond readily to tom pornturoB which later would causo tllOlU to rOSUllln u morn nr Inna nollvn condition. If tho growth of the trco la con tinued actively until tho near ap proach of cold weather each season by means of Into tlllago, nitrogenous fertilizers, or In other ways, tho por lod of rest for tho treo will not bo completed until n later tlmo in tho Winter. Then If a spoil of warm weather occurs in January, for In stance, tho treo which would ordinar ily respond to It, will remain innctlvo until many of tho dangers of frost Imvo passed. A great many practical polntors on renowlng tho tops of peach trees, changlug tho top by budding nnd Kraftlm;. tlilnnlnir tlin fruit mntrni. ling insect pests, nnd on growing. buiiio annual crop in potweon tho trees, nro included in tho new bulle tin. This, along with nnothcr Farm ers' Bulletin (No. G31) covers tho gonoral subject of peach growing and treats of fundamental orchard opera tions. A third Fnrmora' Bulletin (No. 033) will deal with tho varie ties and classification of peaches, any of theso publications may bo obtnlncd by Interested farmers who apply to tho editor and chlof, Division of Pub Mentions, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. 0. Birds Useful; Destroy Insecl3 and Weed Seed) flJOW birds whi.h destroy hatmhl Insects and ucp,i RCC(8 m,u useful to tho fanner la described (a a now Farmci..' Ilulletln (No. 630) of tho United Slates Department ot .iKi'uiimirp, cimueii "Homo Common Birds Useful to tiit, rnrmor." Whothor a bird Is beneficial or In. Jurlous depends almost entirely on what It cats, Hn ilio Introduction to tho now bulletin. In tiio casa ot spe clos which are very abundant, or which feed to mine extent on the crops of tho fanner, tho question el their average diet becomes one of Hiipremo Importuiiro. nnd only by Htomnch oxunilnnllun ran It bo satis fnctorlly wilvod. Field observations are at best bot fragmentary nnd Inconclusive and load to no final results. Birds ire often accused of rating this or that product of cultivation, when' an ci unilnallon of tho stomachs shows th accusation to he unfounded, Ac cordingly, tho biological survey bit conducted for sonic jonrs past a sjs tematlc Investigation of tiio food ot those species which aro most com mon about (ho farm and garden. Within certain limits birds cat the kind of fond thnt is most accessible, especially when I heir natural food It scarce or wuntlng. Thus they some times Injure tho crops ot tho farmer who has unintentionally destroyed tholr natural food In his Improvement of Hwnmp or pasture. Most ot the damage done by birds nnd complained of my farmors and fruit growers urines from .thin very rausc. Tbe bcrry-bonrlng shrubs nnd coed-bearing woods huvo been cleared away, and tho birds hnvo no rccttarso but to nttnek tho cultivated grata or fruit which linvo replaced their nat ural food supply. Tho great majority of land birds subsist upon Insects during tho period of nesting nnd moulting, and also feed tholr young upon thew during tho first few wookH. Many species llvo nlmoat entirely upon Insects, taking vegetable food only when other aulislBtonco falls. It Is thus evident that In tho course of a year birds destroy nu Incnlcuublo number of Insects), nnd It Is difficult to ovcr oHtlmnto tho vnluo of their services In restraining tho groat tldo of Insect In Winter, In tho northorn part ot tho country, Insects lioromo 6carcoor entirely disappear. Many -P'cs. birds, howovcr, lemaln during wo cold season nnd nro able to inalutam llfo by eating vegetable food, as tno soods of weeds. Bore again s an other useful function of birds In ae stroylng theso weed seeds and there by lessening tho growth of tho nen HTho new publication discusses tho food hnblts of moro thnn CO i birds Be longing to 12 families. Many nro eastern forms which aro represented In tho West by slightly ,'""?? spoclos or subspecies, but unless tne food habltB dlffor thoy nro nof sep arately doscrlbed. Among tho lP ulnr birds Included nro thp robin, bluebird, wren, brown thrnstieri cat bird, bobolink, oriole, crow, cuckoo, nnd tho American sparrow. Oltru Fight Feet High. An Aniorlcan variety of oira which haB attained a height of from 7 to 8 feet has been grown on heavy clay boI: n our llttlo l-,0lhu Guam, tht out on tho Pwlfle. Tw variety Is called White Velvet, and tho Department's oxpcrlmont station In Guam expects much of tms i rlcty A great number of American vego tablea havo been found to sr r lly In Gunm, Including cucumbers, lettuce, radishes and beans. r-BB plnnt produces heavy ylo ds oi collont quality. Ono variety Intro duced with success has been tlo jvb York Improved Spineless. Tho pep per Is also produced with the great est ease and Is much relished by tM natives. For five years special at tontlon has been given to fi-ffiE tho tomato In Guam, b-.un,1!.l,n! year all efforts havo failed. TOaUW tho past season, howovor, a nmoer of tomatoes woro Prduced',rlnd although very email, wero mlW ana savory and should prove Pr,0"c,ve7i sect enemies havo so far been vw easily controlled In tho caso of pra tlcally all these vegetables. When wo reach our last ""IJS earnestly wish that all tho otner. bad been as big as It looks.