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NEWS LETTER

3

F E D E R A L

Vol. 9, No. 10

R E S E R V E

B A N K

OF

D A L L A S

DALLAS, TEXAS

October 15, 1954

D o n ’t G i v e A w a y S t o r e d G r a i n
Hundreds of southwestern farmers will
“give away” as much as 10 percent of the
grain they have stored from this year’s har­
vest. Rats, weevils, and other insects will take
a toll in virtually every storage bin unless
adequate precautions are taken to protect the
grain.
The first step in protecting stored grain is
the use of a storage place that is constructed
in such a manner as to give maximum protec­
tion from rodents and insects. The building
or bin should be rat-proof and provided with
suitable ventilation. Steel structures are the
easiest to make rat-proof but may be the most
expensive. Properly constructed wooden bins
can be used satisfactorily if they are placed
well above the ground, in order to give cir­
culation underneath the building and to per­
mit the use of rodent barriers—strips of tin
to prevent rats and mice from climbing sup­
porting piers.

lons should be applied to every 1,000 square
feet of surface.
The job is not complete when the grain
has been stored properly in a well-cleaned
and disinfected bin. Weevils and other insects
are present on most farms and will infect
stored grain if proper precautions are not
taken. Grain should be inspected at least
every 2 weeks for the presence of weevils. A
probing rod should be used in order to sam­
ple the grain in the bottom of the bin. This
also will enable the farmer to watch for over­
heating of newly stored grain.

If weevils or other insects are detected, a
suitable fumigant should be applied imme­
diately. A number of fumigants are on the
market and can be purchased from a feed
store or drugstore. One of the more common
is made by mixing one part carbon tetra­
chloride with three parts of ethylene dichlo­
ride. Ten gallons of this material are recom­
In the case of rice, storage bins should have mended for fumigating 1,000 bushels of grain
provisions for artificial drying of the grain sorghum stored in a wooden structure. Seven
and one-half gallons should be ample if the
by the circulation of air through the areas.
building is of steel construction. Other grains
The second step in protecting stored grain will require similar amounts.
is making certain that the storage bins are
The fumigant should be sprayed over the
cleaned adequately and disinfected before
placing the grain in the bins. All old grain surface of the grain with a coarse spray. It
should be swept out; all debris cleaned from then will penetrate into the stored material,
corners of the bins; and the walls, ceilings, usually giving effective control to a depth
and floors swept thoroughly and sprayed with of 10 to 12 feet. The bin should be closed
DDT, methoxychlor, or TDE. About 2 gal­ up airtight for at least 24 hours following

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

treatment, in order to give the fumigant time
to penetrate all areas. Some entomologists
recommend keeping the bin closed for 4 or 5
days and reopening it for an airing before en­
tering to make the next 2-week test.

used verjr successfully in growing dairy calves.
The first results of the feeding program,
which is still under way, are reported in the
Station’s Progress Report 1710.

The formula used consisted of 537 Va pounds
of nonfat dried milk solids (dried skim milk),
450 pounds of dried whey, 10 pounds of
Aurofac 2A, and 2Vz pounds of Quadrex
“10” (stabilized Vitamin A and D supple­
ment). This formula mixture was kept in a
dry place until time to mix the feed for the
Many farmers follow the practice of fumi­ calves. Then, it was mixed with water to form
gating grain as soon as it has been stored to a gruel.
destroy any infestation that may have oc­
curred during harvest. The same procedure
The formula contains approximately the
should be followed as that for grain which same percentage of protein as whole milk.
The cost of the formula at present wholesale
has been in storage for several weeks.
prices is approximately $11.40 per 100
The small cost and the relatively little time pounds. Dried skim milk can be substituted
required to give proper care to stored grain for the dried whey, pound for pound, up to
will more than repay the farmer for his effort. nearly 99 percent of the ration.
It is estimated that each rat eats well over
$2 worth of grain each year. A severe infesta­ In these tests, two groups of calves—one
tion of weevils not only may destroy a sub­ composed of Jerseys and the other, of Holstantial portion of the grain but also may steins—were fed the milk-replacer formula
lower the grade to the point where the sale after 12 days of age. The first 5 days, all
price is only half that which could have been calves were given the colostrum milk from
received if the grain had been cared for the mother cows, and from 5 to 12 days of age,
properly.
the ration was shifted gradually from whole
milk to the milk replacer. A few of the calves
Rice growers should inquire of local county were changed abruptly at 5 days of age from
agricultural agents as to the newest develop­ colostrum milk to the milk replacer without
ments in storing rice. This grain requires spe­ any apparent detrimental effects.
cial care because of its high perishability and
high moisture content at the time of harvest.
The calves fed the milk-replacer formula
showed a substantially faster rate of gain dur­
ing their first 60 days than similar calves did
A New “Formula” for Dairy
on whole milk. This is a period when dairy
Calves
calves frequently show very slow rates of
gain when being fed milk replacers. Com­
Dairymen have long sought a suitable re­ pared with the control group of calves, which
placement “formula” for dairy calves. It is not were fed whole milk until they were 4 weeks
economical to feed dairy calves on whole old and then fed reconstituted skim milk, the
milk if the dairyman is producing Grade A calves fed the milk-replacer formula gained
milk. However, dairy calves frequently do from 11 to 21 percent faster.
not do well on substitute rations.
The specialists in charge of these tests indi­
In a recent test by Texas A. & M. Col­ cate that the results during this first period
lege, a so-called milk-replacer formula was of feeding should be fairly reliable, in view
Extreme care should be exercised when
applying the fumigant. The fumes from such
material are harmful to humans and should
not be inhaled. A mask should be worn when
applying such materials.

AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

of the number of calves included and the
conditions under which the tests were carried
out. They emphasize the fact that the milkreplacer formula is relatively simple to pre­
pare and, compared with other milk substi­
tutes, is relatively easy to feed. Additional tests
are being conducted to compare this simpli­
fied milk-replacer formula with some of the
leading commercial formulas and several of
the more complicated experimental formulas.

Insured Loans for Soil Conserva­
tion and Water Facilities
A new type of credit for financing soil con­
servation measures and for developing irriga­
tion systems and farmstead water supplies is
now available through the Farmers Home
Administration. An amendment to the Water
Facilities Act by the recent Congress pro­
vides this additional credit service to farmers.
In general, loans under this provision can
be made to pay the cost of materials, equip­
ment, and services directly related to the
application or establishment of soil and water
conservation practices, water facilities, or
drainage. These include the construction or
repair of terraces, dikes, and ponds; pasture
improvement; the basic application of lime
and fertilizer; and tree planting.

3

willingness to provide the funds for such a
loan. After proper processing, the bank is
informed that funds should be advanced to
cover the loan. In turn, the Farmers Home
Administration provides the bank with a
written guarantee for the full face amount of
the loan.
The loan is serviced by the Farmers Home
Administration, and the payments, including
instalments and interest, are made directly
to the bank once a year. The interest rate cur­
rently is 31/2 percent to the lending agency
and 4Vz percent to the borrower, with 1 per­
cent going for loan insurance and servicing.
Loans can be made to some tenants, pro­
vided they have suitable leasing arrange­
ments to insure their operation of the farm
during the period of pay-out on the loan. All
loans must be made to the operator of the
farm. They cannot be made to absentee
owners.

Actual terms and conditions of these loans
will vary with the location and the purpose
for which the loan proceeds are to be used. It
would be well for interested bankers and
farmers to obtain complete details from their
local Farmers Home Administration super­
visor. These insured loans would appear to
fill a gap that has existed for some time, par­
ticularly in Texas, in the financing of soil
The loans are made through the local conservation and land improvement practices.
Farmers Home Administration office. How­
ever, funds for the loans are derived from
either local lenders or a group of national pri­ Methyl Brom ide Controls Insects
in Stored Rice
vate lenders. In either case, the funds come
from private sources rather than from appro­
Circulating methyl bromide through stored
priations.
rough rice resulted in effective control of in­
To illustrate the procedures in obtaining sect infestations in tests by the Rice Pasture
such a loan: If a country banker has a cus­ Experiment Station at Beaumont, Texas.
tomer who needs a loan for any of the abovementioned practices, he may direct this cus­
In the tests, which were conducted on
tomer to the local Farmers Home Adminis­ rough rice stored on the farm in buildings de­
tration supervisor. The customer makes the signed for drying rice by aeration, the methyl
necessary application for the loan, and the bromide was circulated through the rice by
bank furnishes the local Farmers Home Ad­ introducing the gas over the grain, drawing it
ministration office with a letter indicating its through the stored grain with a circulating

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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER

fan, and returning it to the bin from the ex­
haust side of the fan. The gas was introduced
into the circulating system at an average rate
of 1 pound per minute and was circulated for
20 to 30 minutes.
The total amount of gas used in the test
was 1 to 3 pounds of methyl bromide per 1,000
cubic feet of bin space. The dosages of 1 and
1V2 pounds did not give complete kill in all
tests, while 2 or more pounds gave a 100-percent kill in all cases.

areas, such as the barn, machine shed, and
storage tanks of gasoline and kerosene. Re­
charge extinguishers according to manufac­
turers’ directions.

(4) Have an adequate supply of water
available for the use of fire trucks and port­
able pumps.
While adequate equipment for fire-fighting
measures is essential, a program of fire pre­
vention, cannot, of course, be overempha­
sized.

The surviving insects in tests using IV2
to 2 pounds of methyl bromide were found in
Publications
the lower part of the bin near the bin wall.
Further investigation revealed an improper
seal between the wall and the floor in this bin, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Col­
thus preventing complete circulation of the lege Station:
fumigant.
Southern Pea Variety and Strain Test,
Lower Rio Grande Valley, Fall 1953,
Fire-Fighting Tips
Progress Report 1705, by R. T. Correa,
Jr.
It is often said that fires that are not con­
trolled within the first 5 minutes after they
Control of Early Weeds and Grasses in
start usually cause extensive destruction be­
Cantaloupes, Progress Report 1706, by
fore being brought under control. This em­
H. C. Mohr.
phasizes the importance of farmers making
provisions to fight fires that may occur on
Terramycin in Rations for Fattening Steers,
farm buildings. Most rural areas do not have
Progress Report 1712, by P. T. Marion
available the services of fire-fighting equip­
and others.
ment; even in communities serviced by such
equipment, 10 to 15 minutes generally are re­
American-Egyptian Cotton Variety Tests,
quired for the arrival of such assistance.
El Paso Valley Experiment Station,
1953, Progress Report 1708, by L. S.
The Louisiana Agricultural Extension Serv­
Stith
and others.
ice offers the following suggestions with re­
spect to equipping the farmstead with proper
The Effect of Temperature and Rainfall on
fire-fighting equipment.
Peach Production in Northeast Texas,
Progress Report 1709, by H. F. Morris.
(1) Have ladders long enough to reach
the highest roof on the farm buildings.
Copies of these publications may be ob­
(2) Have enough garden hose and a filled tained by request to the publishers.
water bucket for each 400 to 500 square feet
of building.
(3) Maintain approved fire extinguishers
in convenient locations near all hazardous

The Agricultural News Letter is prepared in
the Research Department under the direction
of C arl H. M oore, Agricultural Economist.