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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.
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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.