v>i«i«:«*»»»»»iexe»:; THURSDAY, DEC. 3, 1964 programs are under way. V V •5 Oernonia Cagle Don Coin Walrod V -. Xz z— < WeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXeXexeX«eXeXeXele>XeXeXeXeXeXsSiCeXeXeXeXe2»S«»XeXeXeXeíí' Because of the prevalence of o- possuni to Western Oregon areas as a relative newcomer it seems appro­ priate that we quote a short item from “Science News Letter” for No­ vember 7 on the subject as a means of providing local inhabitants with more information about this unusual animal. “The Virginia opossum, Didelphis (marsupialis), is the only pouched animal living wild in the United States. “A member of the marsupial order, the female opossum has a warm, fur- lined pouch on her abdomen into which creep the tiny babies as soon as they are born, only 12 days after conception. At this time the babies weigh about l/15th of an ounce-over a dozen could fit into a teaspoon. As soon as the babies struggle into the pouch, they attach themselves se­ curely onto one of her 13 nipples which are no bigger than the head of a pin. If there are more than 13 chil­ dren in the brood; the ecxess soon starve to death. “The surviving babies grow rapid­ ly. In about a week they are ten times as large as they were at birth. When they are ten weeks old, they start to emerge from their snug pouch and climb onto their mother’s back, holding tightly to her long hair. After about 14 weeks, they are inde­ pendent and on their own. “When fully grown, the opossum is an unattractive creature, about the size of a cat, with a pointed ra t’s face, naked ears and long black or grey hair growing over a dense, cream-white undercoat. Its tail, bare or scaly and burred at the base, is prehensile and can be used as a fifth paw to hang from a tree or hold onto food. “Considered one of the ugliest and stupidest of creatures in the United States, the opossum has the peculiar habit of ‘playing possum,’ or going into a coma-like state of shock when frightened and rolling over as if dead. “Yet this unattractive tree-climb­ ing nocturnal animal is aiding re­ search, for scientists are able to ob­ serve the tiny babies at different stages of their embryonic develop­ ment. Other animal embryos develop inside the mother’s uterus and hence are inaccessible.” As additional information, opossum seldom live to be more than seven years old. They are solitary in nature and may range a mile or more in one night acting as scavengers but feed­ ing also on small rodents, insects, frogs, berries, fruits, chickens, or eggs. Apparently he finds food sup­ plies abundant locally, since we have been surprised that relatively few complaints have come in about poul­ try and egg losses due to opossum. Americans have the most plentiful and most diverse food supply of any people in the world, for which we need to be thankful, but even so there Ls no room for compla­ cency. A cereal leaf beetle, an immi­ grant from foreign lands, this year infested 115,500 acres of wheat, oats and barley in 85 counties of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. And a virus com­ plex of com -the nation’s most valu­ able grain crop-appeared in the south and is now invading the Corn- belt. Nearly a million acres of U. S. com was infected this year. Heavy infestations ef the cereal leaf beetle have been treated, and quarantines have been set up to pre­ vent its spread. Adequate control measures are now lacking. Our scientists are now (1) search­ ing for strains of small grains and com with built-in resistance to pests, (2) seeking parasites and predators that will control the cereal leaf beet­ le. and (3' determining how the virus is transmitted in com as a means of finding a method of control. These threats to our productivity are serious, but just as research has solved serious problems in the past, we are confident that research will proride the necessary answers >rder blanks for forest seedlings m state nurseries should be filed soon as possible by landowners o are planning planting activity -ing December. January. F e b - iry, or March. While several mil- i seedlings are available, supplies some species are limited. Dates future deliveries can be specified orders sent in at this time, lost of the conifer stock offered is the form of two-year old seedlings )), but small supplies of three year )) and one year (1.0' seedlings are o available. Christmas tree grow- should be particularly interested the <3-0’ noble fir, a top quality Christmas tree species recommended for cultivated plantings and cooler slopes where competitive vegetation, particularly grasses, is at a mini­ mum. There are presently many small areas of the county which are non­ productive or have low levels of pro­ duction, although most of them once supported fine stands of timber. Na­ ture will eventually restore the for­ est, where seed trees are adequate and intervening land use practices do not interfere, but the process is slow. Planting can speed up the process. Cost sharing assistance is available in most cases upon application to the county ASCS office, St. Helens. Threats to the nation’s grain crop by the cereal leaf beetle was referred to in this column last week witlwut any explanation of the pest other than that it had been introduced into our country. To really understand the seriousness of the situation, a few more facts are in order. Cereal leaf beetles are black and red and about 3/16 of an inch long.. The wing covers and head are a met­ allic bluish black. The legs and thor­ ax are red. These insects feed on grass and grains. Damage by the adult is iden­ tified by longitudinal holes in leaves while the larvae chew out long strips between the veins. Heavy feeding by high numbers of the insect can de­ stroy a crop. Cereal leaf beetles have been a ser­ ious pest in Europe, Asia, and north­ ern Africa for many years. The beet­ les are thought to have entered the United States by way of the St. Law­ rence Seaway about 1959, but it was- not until 1962 that the beetles were identified on American crops in Mi­ chigan and Indiana. Plant quarantine inspectors had previously intercept­ ed cereal leaf invaders, but somehow another importation occurred. The presence of this beetle in the Michigan, Indiana, Ohio area poses a threat to the entire cereal grain production of the nation and to Cana­ da if it cannot be contained within its present area of occupation and controlled in some manner. Although several insecticides a r e effective more information is needed, particu­ larly on timing. Extensive research Christmas tree growers will be able to add another species to their many kinds already being produced, ac­ cording to information Barney Doug­ lass, U. S. Forest Service, related to us recently while reviewing herbicide uses in relation to this crop. Douglass indicated that state nur­ series have Jeffrey pine in plant beds, but none of the seedlings will be available for planting until the 1965 season. A native of the Pacific Coast region from Oregon to Califor­ nia, this species may fill some spe­ cial needs. Resembling the ponderosa pine but slower growing, and with even longer needles and larger cones, the Jeffrey pine is expected to work out well on southern slopes where it has been difficult to establish Doug­ las fir or some other normally well- adapted species. Slower growing habits of the Jef­ frey pine may fit them to Christmas tree uses while the trees are small, but the tree is normally used for lum­ ber, being sold as ponderosa pine and having the same uses. Farmers Tax Guides, a publication of the Internal Revenue Service in­ tended for use by farmers in filing federal income and social security taxes, should be available within a few days, Manning Becker, Oregon State University Farm Management Specialist, tells us. Farmers wishing to receive copies of this booklet might do well to ad­ vise us of their desires now, since only a million copies of publication are printed annually-far less than enough to supply all farmers. A card or telephone call will assure your copy. Success doesn’t come by laying awake nights, but by keeping awake in the daytime. Please advise us of your new ad­ dress if you are planning to move. TH B M IG H T Y M ID O B T WANT AOS WORK Senior Football Statistics SENIOR FOOTBALL STATS RUSHING Danny Steele Dennis Holsey Lloyd Johnston Jim Bellingham Mark Medges Terry Larson PASSING Jim Bellingham Dennis Holsey PASS RECEIVING Terry Larson Terry Smith Dennis Holsey Danny Steele Lloyd Johnston SCORING Danny Steele Terry Larson Dennis Holsey Jim Bellingham Terry Smith TOTAL YARDAGE Danny Steele Dennis Holsey Jim Bellingham Lloyd Johnston TACKLES Terry Larson Jim Bellingham Terry Smith Danny Steele Lloyd Johnston Dennis Holsey John Weller Mark Medges Bill Pringle Ray Hartzell Russ Redmond Charles Robertson Jerry Hays 14 Permits Issued The Columbia county building de­ partment news release states that during the month of November there were 14 permits issued at a total valuation of $56,970.00. For the month of November, 1963. a total of 34 per- imts were issued with a valuation of $83.959 00. The reason so many present day girls are live wires is that they wear so little insulation. .Dirgi vtfor 1962 1963 1964 Total 278 29 26 698 247 211 51 11 791 432 283 40 8 -5 1767 708 520 91 19 -5 247 547 849 99 1643 99 3-86 4-80 1- 8 1- 8 1-6 15-148 15-208 2- 29 10-218 1- 11 18 6 0 54 14 6 6 6 Rush. Receiv. 1767 470 708 99+112 1643 9+Rush 39 520 1962 1963 3 4 4 26 4' 9 4 16 43-544 34-465 6-112 20-470 3- 39 Total Points 60 138 24 44 24 30 17 23 12 18 K-O&Punt Return Total 575 2752 167 1076 1739 5 14 573 1964 Total 25-360 15-177 3- 75 9-244 1- 22 46 27 2 4 10 23 38 49 16 4 24 ’ 33 7 28 40 83 26 28 27 79 7 - 24 4 10 6 76 10 37 113 24 67 39 139 54 106 31 4 16 MARR & STAFFORD MEAT CO. Rt. 2, Box 379, Forest Grove, Or« EL 7-7281 Slaughtering, Cutting. Wrappinc and Curing Meat for sale, any quantity. C attle Received Sunday and Monday until noon. Hogs received Tuesday and Wednesday until noon. Come through Banks, taka Tillamook road X V, mile, take first ¡efihand road.