GROWTH OF 5TR A WBERRY INDUSTRY
DUE TO INTELLIGENT MARKETING
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Paper ii-abels for Special Shipments.
- In the district utilize overripe and soft
stock In the preparation fruit for
the Ice cream and soda fountain trade
in northern cities.
. : Perhaps the principal reason for the
prosperity enjoyed by" Louisiana's
berry growers Is that they keep them
selves closely Informed upon day-today
market conditions. The producers
appreciate that "knowing the markets"
enables them to meet the consumers'
desires as regards quality and quan
tity, and that to overstock one mar
ket when another market Is undersup
plied is unsound 'from both an econom
ic and financial viewpoint. Every da"y
during the marketing season a dally
report of conditions and prices at tile
principal marketing centers through
out the country is issued by the local
representative of the United States
Department of Agriculture. This in
formation is obtained by trained mar
ket reporters at consuming points.
The growers are also informed as to
daily cariot shipments everywhere in
United States. Thus the pro
. ujcers not only know the prices be
ing paid for berries at the various con
suming markets, but exactly what
competition may be expected from
other sections shipping strawberries
, at about the same time. The depart
ment also furnishes daily information
regarding temperature and weather
conditions, so that the Necessary icing
and refrigeration can be provided for
the shipments. 1
y Information for Growers.
The department's station at Ham
mond was opened in 1915, and was the
first field station established anywhere
by the United States Department of
Agriculture for the Issuance of mar-'
ket news reports. Here, in the heart
of Louisiana's strawberry producing
district, arrangements were.first made
to study methods of packing, ship
ping, and distributing strawberries in'
the United States ; to keep growers In
formed of strawberry movements from
other regions, and to Inform them dally
of prices and conditions in the lead
ing consuming markets. Hammond
was selected as the location for the
department's first field station because
-' of tlfe large proportions that the Louis
iana strawberry industry had attained.
Louisiana then ranked fourth In com
mercial strawberry importance. To
day the state ranks second in cariot
shipments. '
(Praparad by ih United State Department
i of Agriculture.)
Within, six years Louisiana has
taken first place among the states as
regards value of strawberry produc
tion. The 1921 season was the best
ever known In the industry, 1,400 car
loads of Louisiana berries being mar
keted in 74 cities In the United States
and Canada. In Chicago the 24-pin t
crates brought as much as $6.50 each,
and during practically the entire mar
keting season . Louisiana strawberries
sold at a higher price than any other
benies on the niarkef, due to the
high quality of the product.
With such a record of achievement,
much Interest centers in the opening
of the 1922 marketing season. As
heretofore a field station of the United
States Department of Agriculture will
be maintained in the Hammond dis
trict during the season to keep pro-
ducers and shippers informed dally of
strawberry marketing conditions in the
principal consuming markets, prevail
ing prices, cariot shipments from com
peting areas, and other marketing data
essential in the scientific marketing
of agricultural products, and granted
favorable conditions the 1922 season
should surpass even the 1921 record.
Nation-Wide Distribution.
The Louisiana strawberry industry
is of national importance. The crop
has nation-wide distribution, the car
lot shipments spreading out like a
fan from the Atlantic coast to the
Hooky mountains. Last year 29 cur-
ROUND POSTS MOST DURABLE
One Kind of Timber Will Last as Long
as Others if Amount of Heart wood
Is the Same.
Is a spilt fence post as durable as
a round fence post? This is a question
frequently asked of the United States
Department of Agriculture. The fact
Is, says the forest products laboratory,
one kind of post will last about as
long as the other If the amount of
heartwood is the same in both. But if
the Dercentasre of sapwood is In
creased by splitting, the split post will
be less durable and if the percentage
of heartwood is Increased, it will be
more durable than a round one. Posts
of spruce, hemlock, or any of the true
firs are exceptions to this rule, be
cause their heartwood and sapwood
are about equally durabltr.
When posts are to be treated with
creosote or other preservative, a round
post is preferable to a split post, be
cause of the comparative ease with
which the sapwood can be treated.
The heart faces on split posts do not,
as a rule, absorb preservative well.
Split red-oak posts will take treat
ment, because the wood Is very porous,
but the heart faces of split posts of
many other species, notably' white oak,
red gum, and Douglas fir, resist the
penetration of preservative, even un
der heavy pressures.
i
weeds and ooos
DESTROY CROPS
Best Time to Kill Garden Enemies
Is Before They Appear in.
the Spring. "
CULTIVATION IS G3EAT AID
Cutworms,' Potato Bugs, Flea Beetles
and Plant Lice Are Most Trouble
some Insects -Some Excellent .
Control Measures.
(Prepared by the United State Department
of Agriculture.) .. ,
Weeds and insects are garden ene
mies, and the time to kill both Is be
fore they appearl.
Careful stirring of the soil destroys
the little weed seedings just after the
seeds have sprouted. Likewise, culti
vation keeps the garden in such shape
that insects do not find a hiding place,
and are not so liable to injure the gar
den crops. However, Insects are al
most sure to attack certain of the gar)
den crops and it will be necessary to
take precautions against them. Cut
worms, potato bugs, flea beetles, and
plant lice 'are the most troublesome
garden insects. Do not give , them a
chance to get started.
The common cutworm does its work
during the night, cutting off the plants
just below the surface of the soli
within a day or two after they are set
In the garden. One of the best ways to
prevent this Injury is to surround the
stem plant with a tube made of stiff
paper or light cardboard, extending
an inch or so beloav the ground and
two or three Inches above. These col
lars, or cutworm protectors, can be re
moved after the danger of Injury Is
past generally not until about 30 days
after the plants are set in the ground.
When Potato Bugs Appear.
The old-fashioned Colorado potato
beetles, or "hard shells," come out of
the ground usually when the potatoes
are about four or five Inches high.
These beetles themselves do not do a
great amount of harm except that they
lay clusters of yellow eggs on the un
SUCCESSFUL TOMATO
V 'GROWING. DESCRIBED
Bulletin Gives Different Methods
Used in Industry.
Much Depends on Good Farm Prac
tices. Seeds, Plants, Fertilizer, Plant-
ing, Cultivation and Thorough
Spraying.
(Prepared by te United States Department
of Agriculture.)
About 2 quarts of canned to
matoes is the yearly, per capita con
sumption in the United States, accord
Ing to figures of the-United States
Department of Agriculture. How the
tomato is grown, put up, and shipped,
together with practices followed In
communities where its cultivation is
highly specialized, are given in Farm
ers' Bulletin No. 1233, recently issued,
copies of which may be obtained free
of charge upon application to the De
partment of Agriculture at Washing'
Tray Used'for Shipping Berries.
TOO MUCH MANURE INJURIOUS
Fertiliser May Burn Crop if Season Is
' Very Dry No Fear of Harm
. If Worked In.
The claim that too much manure
will burn up the crop is only partly
true. It may if It is a very dry sea
son and the manure is not worked well
into the soil. But there Is little like
lihood of injury from a heavy applica
tion. If worked in right. Far more corn
has been lost through too little than
through too much manure.
PLANT ENGLSH PEAS EARLY
Seed Should Be - Put Into Ground
as Soon as Soil Will Permit
Some Good Varieties.
nvicrlich nana should he nlnnfed Inst
as soon as the soil will permit Thom
as Laxton, Alaska, Horsford's Market
!:mlen, and Telephone are excellent
i-.r e;ie., iuk". the Telephone late. The
ifl should be sown thickly In the
f1!-! ! in rows J! feet wide and covered
ri G Inches deep.'
loads also went to four cities in Can
ada. Chicago is the principal market
f6r the fruit, Detroit, Boston; Pitts
burgh and New York ranking next In
the order . given. Heat, cold and
distance marketing obstacles that
seemed insurmountable a few years
ago have, been overcome by the grow
ers and shippers, and with continued
careful selection, grading, packing and
shipping, marketing experts say that
the Industry will enjoy increasing
prosperity.
During the early years of the straw
berry industry In Louisiana several va
rieties of berries were grown, and Chi
cago was the main market outlet. To
day the Klondike variety is grown ex
clusively, and Louisiana strawberries
have a wider distribution than the
strawberries from any other section
of the country. The quality of the
fruit is dependable, and there is every
where a demand for the berries. When
picked the berries vare carried to pack
ing sheds, where practically each one
is handled separately. Both the 24
pint Hallock crate and the 24-pint
ventilated crate have been used In
packing the fruit, although during the
past few seasons there has been a con
siderable decrease in the use of Hal-
lock's crates, which are known locally
as "coffin" crates. Practically all grow-
ers are now using ventilated crates, as
berries shipped in such containers ar
rive at market in sound condition and
usually command a premium over the
price paid for berries in non-ventilated
crates.
Trains of Strawberries.
Fully 90 per cent of the marketed
crop is shipped by express, the rail
road company providing two or three
express fruit trains daily. These trains
run on a schedule of 40 miles an hour,
"which puts the fruit on the Chicago
market before daylight the second
morning. Less '-than carload ship
ments are cared for by the express
company, which operates local Iced
cars to pick up small shipments. The
growers have good transportation fa
cilities, deliveries are prompt, and few
Instances are known where cars have
not arrived at destination on time.
Strawberry buyers from the large
consuming markets establish head
quarters at Hammond during the mar
keting season, sales being made on
a cash f. o. b. shipping point basis. The
fruit is Inspected at shipping vo'nt
and acceptance taken br-f'ire t;u car-i
move. At Ponchato'iln nil c:irs arc
sold at public aucticr..
Several strawberry preserving plants
0 Ww
Hardy Tomato Plant Started in Pot.
One of the Best Known, But Not Al
together Reliable Ways of Bugging
- Potatoes.
der side of ttie potato leaves, in a
few days these eggs hatch into soft-
shell beetles or slugs as they are some
times called. In the soft shell, or slug
form the potato beetle has an enor
mous appetite and a colony of them
will soon strip the foliage from a hill
of potatoes.
Hand picking is perhaps the best
method of getting rid of the hard
shell beetles. They may be killed by
either crushing them or dropping them
Into boiling water. The slugs or soft
shell beetles cannot be gathered to so
good advantage, but they may be pois
oned by sprinkling the plants, while
the dew is upon them, with a -mixture
consisting of a heaping teaspoonful of
paris green to a pint of air-slaked lime
or land plaster. The easiest method
of applying the mixture Is to place It
in a cheese cloth or thin burlap bag
and dust the plants by shaking the bag
directly over them. It is not necessary
to apply the poison to all the plants,
but only where the bugs have made
their appearance. The plants should
be Inspected every day or two to see
that the bugs are not getting a start.
Flea Beetles Eat Holes.
Flea beetles are small insects that
eat round holes similar to shot holes
in the leaves of beans,- tomatoes, and
a number of other garden crops. They
can be poisoned with the mixture of
parls green and lime referred to for
potato beetles, or they can driven
away by dusting the plants with fine
road dust, air-slacked lime, or with
very dry, powdery, sifted coal ashes.
Plant lice are more difficult to con
trol, as they do not eat the leaves,
but stick their beaks into the leaves
and suck the juices. They are rather
difficult to control, as they are found
mainly on the under side of the leaves.
One remedy Is to spray with some
form of tobacco extract or nicotine
sulphate, using about one teaspoonful
In o gallon of water In which there
has previously been dissolved a one
lncli cube of laundry soap. The mix
ture should be thoroughly stirred and
applied underneath the leaves espe
cially, using some .form of sprayer or
atomizer that will create a fine mist.
If the gardener finds some insect
v-tMi which he Is not acquainted he
- !: write to the extension division
of his. state college of agriculture.
ton, D. C. The bulletin also coiitiiins
valuable suggestions to growers as to
methods which are profitably followed
where the crop is most successful.
The story of the tomato is that of a
delicacy which has lived down a had
name a fid come into its own after
years of effort. Of American origin, it
attracted unfavorable attention first
about 1800, and for a long time was
branded as poisonous ami consequent
ly avoided. Later, designated as the
love apple, it found favot witll a few
lovers of delicacies and with growers.
By 1887 the total pack of canned to
matoes in the United States was about
3,000,000 cases of 24 one-quart cans
each. Now the commercial pack, ex
clusive of soups, purees, ketchup, and
pulp exceeds 10,000,000 cases of 24
No. 3 cans. Those figures do not in
clude the millions of cans put up by
housewives for home consumption or
the fresh tomatoes which grace Amer
ican tables during the growing season.
Chief among the states where to
matoes are raised for canning are, in
order named : Maryland, Indiana, Mis
souri, Delaware, New Jersey, New-
York, Utah, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and
West Virginia. The acreage planted In
tomatoes for canning purposes only
in 1920 was 244,715. The yield from
that acreage was 1,003,358 tons.
The bulletin follows the methods
used from the seed to the can,
describes methods of planting, soils
best adapted for the vegetable's
groyth, tells how the crop may best
be harvested, and sums up the chief
requirements for good results as fol
lows :
"Successful tomato growing depends
on- good farm .practices, good seed,
good plants, proper fertilizer, careful
planting, clean cultivation, and dis
ease control through -spraying and
through the use of disease-resistant
varieties. Growers who pay attention
to these factors produce crops which
give them satisfactory returns."
EPilBING
too:
PORK
E OR SELL
Selling Hogs and Buying Pork Is
- Not a Profitable Practice
for Farmers.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF CURING
Young Animals From 8 to 12 Months
Old Are Best for Furnishing Home
Meat Supply Avoid Danger
of Disease.
(Prearad by the United States Department
oi Agriculture.
Every' farmer can well produce the
pork and pork products which are con
sumed on his farm, for selling hogs
and buying pork Involves profits, but
not to the farmer engaged in the prac
tice. This point Is brought out In
Farmers' Bulletin 1186, published by
the United States Department of Ag
riculture, which tells how hogs should
be killed and describes different meth
ods of curing and canning pork on the
farm. Highly nutritious and palatable
pork products for home use are easily
made, says the bulletin. Pork can
be cured and canned in a number of
ways and the variety of products af
fords a supplement to the daily meals.
Young Hogi Yield Best Meat
A hog of medium condition, gain
ing rapidly in weight, yields the best
quality of meat. A reasonable amount
of fat gives juiciness and flavor to the
moat, but largo amounts of fat are
objectionable. Smooth, even, and
deeply-fleshed hogs yield nicely-mar
bled meats. The meat of old hogs
will bo Improved if they are properly
fattened before slaughter, but young
hog.-; from eight to twelve months old
are best for furnishing the home meat
supply.
The bulletin emphasizes especially
the importance of selecting only
lpalthy hogs for slaughter and of
thoroughly cooking all pork products
usiiti for food.
E.en if the hog has been properly
fed and carries a prime finish, the
I TpperaiT' Pastes Thsaght
Specialists Give Valuable Pointers
; On Care Of Flock
For health and for economical use
of the pasturage it is undesirable to
keep sheep on the same ground more
than from 10 to 14 days, say special
ists of animal husbandry, Division of
Extension, in discussing the question
Of raising sheep on temporary past
ures. The most generally useful size
lot Is 1 acre to 25 sheep. This area,
on the average, furnished In experi
ments 14 days' feed.
Arranging the size of lots on tho
basis of 1 acre to 25 sheep is more sat.
lsfactory than seeding larger areas and
using hurdles to permit advance fresh.
feed each day. Less labor Is neces
sary, and by going to entirely new
ground after 10 or 12 days the danger
of picking up parasite larvae on
ground grazed over earlier Is prevent-
ed. With a 1 acre lot for 25 ewes, or
correspondingly larger Ones for larger
flocks, it is an added advantage if
their length is two or three times the
breadth.
V3th a heavy crop of forage that
would last longer than was considered
safe to hold the flock on the same
ground, a short piece of cross fence
can readily be put down to divide the
pasture into two parts. The smaller
lots are also convenient with purebred
flocks to provide for the separate
pasturing of smaller lots of ram and
ewe lambs.
Movable fencing is not likely to be
satisfactory for the outside-lot fences
unless the whole area to he used lies
n a long strip with side fences, when
only two end pieces need to be In place
at one time for the ground being graz.
ed.
Preventive measures are best
against insect enemies. Ilotate rhu
crops, avoid introducing insects uu 1
diseases, practice frequent cultivation,
and employ fertilizers to stimulate
plant growth. A vigorously growing
garden jnay produce a crop in spite of
injurious insects, but in fighting in
sects be thorougn.
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GOOD EMERGENCY FEED CROP
Sudan Grass Is Rapidly Replacing Mil
let in Many States Useful Sum
mer Pasture.
Sudan grass is admirably adapted
for use as an emergency hay crop,
and Is rapidly supplanting millet in
many states. It is being used success
fully by thousands of farmers as a
summer pasture. For this purposa
there are few crops that give better re
turns and serve so well to supple
ment the permanent pastures and the
feed lot.
FEED CROPS ARE CONVENIENT
May Not Bring In Much Money, But
They. Take Care of Animals
Which Can Be Sold.
Feed crops may not bring much cash
but they are very convenient to take
care of the animals. The animals may
be converted Into cash or the prod
ucts from animals such as milk, cream,
etc. It Is not an easy matter to pro
duce too much feed. It Is hoped that
the money generally paid out for feed
will be kept at home this year.
GIVE SOY BEANS ATTENTION
Crop Should Not Be Overlooked by
Progressive Farmer in Adjust- .
ing Corn Acreage.
Soy beans should not be overlooked
by the progressive farmer in the re
adjustment of his-orn acreage. They
require careful attention like corn, but
they will make his c.ecreased acreage
of Cera worth more money. It Is a
high protein, high oil crop in ono.
Proper Equipment for Rapid end Skill
ful Work at Killing Time Is Impor
tant. best quulity of meat cannot be .ob
tained if the animal is not healthy.
There is always some danger that
diseases may be transmitted to the
person who eats the meat, particu
larly if it Is not thoroughly cooked.
Hogs Before Killing.
Hogs intended for slaughter should
not be kept on full feed up to tho
time of killing. It Is better to hold
them entirely without feed for IS to
24 hours prior to that time, but they
should have all the fresh drinking wa
ter they want. It is essential to have
the proper equipment for rapid and
skillful work at killing time. Such
equipment includes a straight stickin
knife, a cutting knife, a 14-inch stee
to keep the knives sharp, a hog hool
for holding the animals, a bell-shaper
stick scraper, a gamhrel for holding
the hog to facilitate cleaning and cut
ting the meat, and a meat saw. If
the hog is not too large, a barrel -is a
convenient receptacle for scalding.
Complete directions for killing and
cleaning a hog, properly cutting the
portions of meat, rendering lard, mak
ing sausage, smoking cured meat, and
home canning of pork and pork prod
ucts are described In the bulletin.
copies of which can be obtained free
on application to the Department of
Agriculture.
RIGHT TIME TO PLANT CORN
In Central Com Belt Seed Planted in
April Is Slow in Coming Up and
Is Not Hardy.
There Is a right time to plant corn,
and usually the better farmers wheth
er they figure by the calendar, by the
size of oak leaves, or by the phases
of the moon. In every neighborhood
"know when that right time comes.
It . is suggested, however, that more
corn is planted too early than too iate.
Co-n is a hot weather plant. In the
central corn belt the seed that Is
planted in April Is usually slow in
coming up and less hardy than the
seed planted about the middle of May.
The distribution of rainfall affects the
yield, and this varies from season to
season, but the corn experts say, a no
tills theory I-' ei :f!ri by common ex
perience, i.- ; '.! : s; yields and most
rapid grovti may
FORMULA FOR MAKING
CCVERNMENT WHITEWASH
Whitewash properly made is almost
as serviceable as paint, for rough
wood, brick or stone and much cheap
er than the cheapost paint, according
to the rural engineering specialist, Di.
vision of Extension.
Directions for making the Govern
ment whirsvvasli are as follows:
Take one-half bushel of unslucked
lime, slack it with boiling water, cov
er d'.::'- V e proccsi-, to heo.. i;i th
steam, y, .: In through a fine sieve 0?
strainer and add to it a peel; of suit,
previously dissolved in wnnii waiei.
three :;nds of ground rice boiled t
a tli : n ; .Tile and strain while hct, half
a pound of Spanish whiting and one
pound of glue, previously dissolved by
soaking in clean water and then hang
ing over a slow pot hung in a larger
one filled with water. Add five gallons
of water to the mixture, stir well and
let stand for a few days, covered to
protect it from dirt. The wash should
be applied hot for which purpose it
can be kept in a kettle or portable
furnace. A pint of this mixture If
properly applied, will cover one square
yard.
Show Aero Development.
A remarkable collection of pictures,
which will be more highly prized as
years go by, Is the series of American
aeronautical photographs which ex
Major Ernest Jones, army air service,
has gathered during his fifteen years
in this work. They cover the develop
ment of aeronautics, particularly avia
tion, from 1803 to 1917. The 1,800
photographs visualize the successive
steps made by the Wright brothers,
Curtiss, Thomas, Wittemann and other
pioneers in this country. Some of these
are the only pictures in existence of
certain machines and events. "It Is
probable," says United States Air Ser
vice, "that this Is the most complete
collection of air photographs in America."
Deserved That Deer.
Frank Pettingill of Sanborntou, N.
H., while hunting alone wounded a
big buck deer. The buck turned and
ran ; Pettingill was out of ammunition
so he dropped his gun and gave chase,
as he saw that the deer was badly
wounded. He overtook the animal in
a mountain brook, got a strangle hold
on its neck and the pair went to the
mat. The buck managed with its feet
to tear Pettingill's trousers complete
ly off, put finally succumbed to Pet
tingill's blows. Then, trouserless, In
the 15 above zero air, Pettingill ran
two miles to his home, donned dry
clothes and returned for his prize.
Boston Globe.
Bird Strictly in Fashion.
Thelma's folks had been taking her
to vaudeville quite a bit and the
youngster enjoyed the dancing acts
especially.
One day she was out in the back
yard pUylng with her dolls when she
suddenly noticed a sparrow taking its
daily dust bath ruffling out Its feath
ers and shaking out the dust.
Thelma came running in. her eyes
sparkling with fun. saying, "Oh, mam
ma, look at that little bird out there
la the y.'jrd, shimmying In the dust."
the medium planting dates.
One Theory.
'Why do you have a Btool at the
piano instead of a chair?"
"So thatHhe performer can swing
plause,"