Full text of Agricultural News Letter : Vol. 11, No. 5
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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER F E D E R A L Vol. 11, No. 5 R E S E R V E B A NK OF DALLAS, TEXAS D A L L A S May 15, 1956 The East Texas Field Station is at Henderson, in Rusk County; the Coastal Bend Field Station is near Taft, in San Patricio County; and the West Texas Field Station is at Merkel, in Taylor County. The High Plains Field Station will be established this summer. These are in addition to the 850-acre main station at Renner, in Collin County. 2 AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER TEXAS RESEARCH FOUNDATION ESTABLISHES FIELD STATIONS Business leaders and farmers are co tions throughout most of the State’s corn operating with the Texas Research Founda growing areas. tion at Renner in the establishment of four Grass and legume studies at Renner are regional field stations in Texas, according to C. L. Lundell, Director of the founda of major significance to the State’s live tion. The purpose of the stations is to evalu stock industry and to the formulation of ate forage crops and to test new crop varie proper farming systems for soil and water ties for adaptability to the soils and climates conservation. As a result of prolonged of the regions in which the stations are drought, the re-establishment of grasses and legumes for increased production of forage located. is one of the more critical problems over The field stations are being set up on a much of Texas. Thorough evaluation of 5-year operational plan. Leading business promising grasses and legumes with a view men and farmers in each region are under to solving this problem will be possible at writing the operating expenses of the station the regional stations, according to Dr. Lundell. in their area. Earl H. Collister, Chairman of the Plant Science Department at the Texas Research Foundation, is supervising the regional field stations. These stations will evaluate im proved varieties and strains of grasses and legumes, corn hybrids, soybeans, sesame, and sunflowers for commercial production. If the crops studied prove to be profitable, they may contribute toward much-needed diversification in the areas. The stations are enabling the foundation to carry to the major farming and ranching areas of the State hundreds of new crop strains that have been produced by the 12year plant investigation and breeding pro gram at Renner. The foundation already has pioneered successfully several new crops in various regions of Texas. Among the more important of these are sesame, button clover, soybeans, and corn hybrids. Sesame has spread to 15,000 acres in the State since its introduction in 1953. Button clover is grown on more than 150,000 acres in north and northeast Texas. Corn hybrids produced by the Renner foundation are meeting with widespread acceptance as de pendable producers under droughty condi At the East Texas Field Station, spring planting started during the latter part of M arch and will continue through early June. Several species of grasses, white and yellow corn hybrids, and improved varieties of sunflowers already have been planted. Soybeans, sesame, and selected legumes also will be grown. The 8-acre station has been divided into half-acre plots for trial plantings of various row and forage crops. Plots this size are small enough to accommodate a wide vari ety of plantings and, yet, are large enough for interested farmers and businessmen to observe the growth and adaptability of the crops. Soybeans, sesame, and sunflowers are among the new crops to be grown at the East Texas Field Station. New corn hybrids, which are capable of increasing the region’s per acre grain yield, also will be introduced. Comparisons will be made of many pasture grasses to determine their relative merits. An initial test will be a comparison of Coastal and Common Bermuda grasses. The adaptability of Blue Panic — a new grass for the region — also will be evaluated. AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER 3 Eliminate Cotton Bandits The Texas Agricultural Extension Service recently released its 1956 Guide for Controlling Cotton Insects. Included in the guide are suggestions on early and lateseason control, early stalk destruction and farm cleanup, timing of insecticide appli cations, and seed treatment with systemic insecticides; and general information on spraying and dusting. The 1956 Guide for Controlling Cotton Insects, L-218, can be obtained from county agents in the State. Controlling Cotton Insects Progressive cotton farmers in the State have attained rec ord-high levels of yields, effi ciency, and profits in recent years, according to C. B. Spencer, Agricultural Direc tor of the Texas Cottonseed Crushers’ As sociation. The farmers have utilized the knowledge gained through research, as well as the new equipment and materials developed by in dustry. In addition, they are active in soilimprovement and other conservation pro grams in their communities. Part of the success of the Texas cotton farmers is attributed to their ability to con trol cotton insects. In this connection, they follow these essential steps. 1. The farmers learn to recognize insect damage and to identify the pests causing the trouble. There are about 16 insects that damage cotton. 2. They keep a sharp lookout; and if a cotton plant is not growing or fruiting prop erly, a careful check is made to determine the cause. If control measures are needed, immediate steps are taken. 3. They are prepared. D ust or spray equipment is kept in first-class condition, and a sufficient supply of insecticides is on hand for any emergency. 4. They recognize that it is their respon sibility to kill the pests. Effective insecticides must be applied properly and at the right time. A careful check just before and 24 hours after each application gives an accu rate picture of the effectiveness of the ap plication. 5. They follow the Guide for Controlling Cotton Insects in Texas. The recommenda tions contained in the guide are based on carefully conducted research projects. Poisonous Plants Cause Livestock Losses Livestock losses will occur if animals are permitted to graze ranges on which poison ous plants are growing, according to A. H. Walker, Extension range specialist at Texas A. & M. College. The continuing drought has limited the growth of desirable forage, and stock will graze new plants, even if they are poisonous. Therefore, livestock should be removed from pastures where poisonous plants are growing until the danger period has passed. • Bitterweed, a plant especially toxic to sheep, is controlled best by deferred and rotation grazing. • L ocow eed and pea vine are o th er plants which can cause trouble. Mr. Walker says that animals should not be allowed to graze pastures containing these plants until 4 AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER other plants attain sufficient growth to satis fy the forage needs of the animals. • The cocklebur in the seedling stage is very poisonous to grazing animals, espe cially hogs and cattle. Change in Beef Grade Effective June 1, the Commercial grade of beef will be divided into two new grades — designated as Standard and Commercial, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This revision originally was recommended by the Cattle and Beef In dustry Committee. The Standard grade will apply to beef from young anim als, w hile Commercial will be retained for beef from mature ani mals. It was the committee’s opinion that the change in grades would lead to a greater proportion of the younger beef being fed erally graded, resulting in increased market ing efficiency fo r the S ta n d a rd grade of meat. Increased efficiency would be bene ficial to both producers and consumers. Fattening cattle should consume V2 ounce to IV 2 ounces of salt per head daily. Loose granulated salt is the best form for these animals and should be kept before them at all times. Cattle Need Dental Care, Too Officials of the American Foundation for Animal Health cite the following example to illustrate the problem that can be caused by faulty teeth. A cow that had exhibited a poor appetite for several days finally refused to eat any feed. When the veterinarian examined her for a possible throat obstruction, he found that the cow had two extremely sharp teeth that caused severe pain when she chewed. After these teeth were clipped and her other teeth were dressed down to a normal chewing level, the cow started eating again. Publications Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station: Performance as a Guide to Beef Herd Selection, Bulletin B-809, by J. K. Riggs and L. A. Maddox, Jr. Environment Affects Market Value of Eggs, Bulletin B-810, by Floyd Z. Beanblossom, Kermit F. Schlamb, and William S. Allen. Photosensitization of Cattle in Texas, Bul letin 812, by O. E. Sperry, R. D. Turk, G. O. Hoffman, and F. B. Stroud. Sweetclover in Texas, Bulletin 791, by R. C. Potts. Some Economic Effects of Drouth on Ranch Resources, Bulletin 801, by C. A. Bonnen and J. M. Ward. Bindweed Control in the Panhandle of Texas, Bulletin 802, by A. F. Wiese and H. E. Rea. Silo Construction Costs and Silage Pro duction Practices, Bulletin 798, by A. C. Magee. Stockmen are urged to give more attention to the dental care of cattle that fail to eat properly or that do not produce a normal sup ply of milk or meat, according to specialists Copies of these bulletins may be obtained at Louisiana State University. by request to the experiment station. Many cattlemen apparently overlook the fact that defective teeth may cause digestive upsets and general unthriftiness in otherwise healthy cattle. The Agricultural News Letter is prepared in the Research Department under the direction of J. Z. R owe, Agricultural Economist.