News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Farming has always been risky business and current economic pressures mean more is at stake with each decision farmers make, but Mississippi farmers can get additional assistance through a new Extension Service effort.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has always worked with the state's farmers in whatever conditions exist. Today, that emphasis is turning to managing the risks associated with farming.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

2000 will prove to be a banner year for the world of verbenas with new series such as the Babylon, new colors such as the Tortuga Peach and new growth habits like those in the Temari Patio series. Each one deserves a place at your home.

Verbenas have come so far in recent years that gardeners consider them a staple in the mixed-flower garden. Specifically, I am referring to the perennial, vegetatively propagated verbenas, not their annual cousins.

By Suzanne Berry

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Job-related stress can affect a working dog's health much like it does humans, but diagnosing problems in an animal that cannot communicate feelings can make treatment a challenge.

Hurricane Bob, an 8-year-old labrador retriever worked as an arson-sniffing dog for the Jackson Fire Department until an unknown illness began to take a serious toll on his health last fall.

By Laura Martin

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's white-tailed deer face hard times during the winter and early spring, but planting food plots during this time of year can provide the nutrition they need.

Dean Stewart, wildlife specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service said the spring and summer are critical times for white-tailed deer when protein is needed for antler growth for bucks and reproduction of fawns. Planting food plots in late winter or early spring can play a critical role in providing the nutrition they need.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A new species of termites is munching its way across the coastal South and Mississippi State University scientists have joined forces with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and several other coastal states to take aim at this intruder.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Since moving to Mississippi almost five years ago, the mock orange or English dogwood (Philadephus coronarius) has really climbed the ladder in my mind of choice landscape plants. The huge, fragrant blooms last for weeks and make it one of the showiest plants of late spring.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cotton may be king in the Mississippi Delta, but research at Mississippi State University is helping the white gold grow in hilly sections of the state as well.

Cotton breeding and development is conducted by Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station breeders Dr. Ted Wallace and Dr. Roy Creech in Starkville, and Dr. John Creech at the MSU's Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- U.S. Highway 82, the internet and telephone wires connect a Mississippi State University father-and-son research team who work on opposite sides of Mississippi.

Both Dr. Roy Creech and his son, Dr. John Creech, are looking for ways to improve Mississippi's leading row crop, cotton. One has a lab at MSU in Starkville and the other conducts research at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Southern weddings are full of customs, but the most challenging traditions are those related to fashions.

"People in the South tend to be more conservative and traditional in their approach to weddings," said Everlyn Johnson, apparel and textiles program leader with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Usually, the more formal the wedding, the more we expect rules to be followed."

By Laura Martin

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Couples planning a short engagement should focus on simple weddings.

Sudden changes in jobs or living arrangements may prompt couples to get married within three months or less. Planning an elaborate wedding in such a short time can be difficult and expensive, but simpler weddings can be elegant and low-cost.

Nancy Freeman, Harrison County home economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service and an experienced wedding director, suggested that couples begin by making a list of what they need to do first.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Quick weight loss programs capture the attention of many soon-to-be-married couples, but health experts warn the weight loss is often temporary and can even do physical harm.

With enough time, most people can safely lose the weight they want and even keep it off after the big day. Crash and fad diets often help people shed pounds rapidly, but are not recommended for health or long-term results.

By Jennifer Wesson

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The honeymoon can be the most exciting vacation a couple takesñand the most expensive.

With the average cost of today's wedding approximately $20,000, couples must be flexible and creative in planning their honeymoon to avoid financial hardships at the beginning of their marriage.

"A honeymoon does not have to wreck a budget," said Jan Lukens, consumer management consultant with Mississippi State University Extension Service. "It doesn't take a lot of money for a couple in love to have a good time."

By Jennifer Wesson

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Planning a wedding can be stressful for any couple, but for those who elope or choose to get married away from home, pressure from family and friends can be overwhelming.

Many factors, including the desire for simplicity, could inspire a couple to opt for a quiet wedding.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Talking about potential hot topics before the wedding helps many couples avoid marital problems that could drive them apart later.

Dr. Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said preventing problems before they ever start is much better than trying to solve existing ones in a marriage.

"Preparation for marriage is vital," Davis said. "For the sake of their marriage, there are many questions couples should answer before they come to the one that ends with ëI do'."

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The Mahonia is one of those plants that you don't think about growing until you see your neighbors' Mahonia blooming in January. Anything that blooms this time of the year is worthy of a closer look.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

In a recent Southern Gardening television segment, I urged gardeners to lighten up and be a little whimsical with yard art. We can do the same thing with our selections of plants. For instance, why not plant a rose garden with a theme since it is getting close to rose planting time?

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Subfreezing temperatures send many people seeking warmth any way they can, resulting in deadly house fires each winter season.

Preventing fires involving gas water heaters and flammable vapors is the emphasis of this year's Burn Awareness Week Feb. 6 through 12. According to information released online by the International Shriners, water heater and flammable vapor fires account for about 2,000 fires a year in the United States and lead to more than 300 deaths or injuries.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Food stored for a year-end computer glitch that didn't happen now must be stored safely until used or given away, an option food banks nationwide are welcoming.

John Alford, executive director of the Mississippi Food Network in Jackson, said the charity's parent national organization, Second Harvest, has set aside Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 as a food drive for excess Y2K stockpiled food.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Revolutionary new food safety standards are presenting a challenge to meat companies committed to providing top quality products, so Mississippi State University is serving as a resource to help meet the new regulations.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Tabloids are chock-full of predictions for the New Year, decade and next millennium -- most of which are absurd. I have a prediction of my own about some new plants that I think will be hotter than your car's hood in August. These plants are called Tidal Wave petunias.