News

By Allison Matthews
Southern Rural Development Center

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- More adults in the South are reaching a higher educational status than in past years and job numbers have increased significantly over the past decade, but rural citizens may be less likely to see the same economic improvements that are occurring in metropolitan areas.

By Charmain Tan Courcelle

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Researchers believe the discovery of new uses for poultry litter will expand the market for this byproduct.

Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researchers are working with the Southwest Mississippi Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. One new application they are considering is the use of litter as a horticulture fertilizer.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Some of our prettiest landscape plants for fall and winter are sitting in black plastic containers at garden centers across the South. Unfortunately, flowering kale and cabbage seldom receive the same attention as pansies, violas and snapdragons.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A three-day short course in early December will give Mississippi cotton, soybean and corn producers valuable information about how to succeed in agriculture.

Registration for the Dec. 5-7 Row Crop Short Course is free until Nov. 25 and $40 a person after that. The event is hosted by Mississippi State University’s Extension Service and will be held on campus in the Bost Extension Center.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

I always dread the first frosty morning when I look out at yesterday's glorious bed of colorful lantanas and salvias and see instead a colorless, tumbleweed-like mess. It is especially frustrating if the mess is near the main entrance.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Bicycles are such popular items on wish lists and under Christmas trees that it's easy to forget that these can be dangerous gifts.

Linda Patterson, health education specialist at Mississippi State University's Extension Service, urged parents to make sure their children have the equipment and training necessary to make bike riding a safe experience.

"A bicycle is not a toy. It's a vehicle," Patterson said. "Every year about 1,200 bicyclists are killed, and more than a half million others are injured in bicycle-related accidents."

By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The good news is, most people don't gain as much weight as they think they do during the holidays. The bad news is, the weight people do gain then is not likely to be lost during the new year.

In early 2001, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases concluded a study about holiday weight gain with some surprising results.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Toy manufacturers' goal each year is to produce the most popular item, but tolerance may be this holiday season's hottest gift.

Holiday shoppers have enthusiastically purchased Cabbage Patch and Tickle Me Elmo dolls and Sony Playstations in recent years, but this may be the year Americans turn to more traditional expressions of the season.

By Carrie Reeves

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- People should remember to consider the special needs of the family pet when going down the checklist and loading the car with presents, luggage and family members.

Whether taking your pet on vacation or boarding it, pack so that your pet may maintain its home environment.

By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Take rich foods, shining tinsel, laughing guests and fragrant plants, mix with curious pets, and you have a recipe for holiday distress. Give your pets special consideration as you make your holiday plans.

Dr. Cory Langston, service chief of community practice at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said an increase in activities and guests in the home can be very stressful for a pet, depending on the animal's disposition.

By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Since the holidays are a time of giving and love, many pet owners may feel compelled to give others the chance to have the love of a pet. While the sentiment is a good one, the idea is not.

"Pets take a commitment, and you can't make that commitment for someone else," explained Dr. Cory Langston, service chief of community practice at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Today's headlines are enough to scare adults, but ignoring them around children may do more harm than good.

"It is good to minimize the amount of television reports children watch, but it may not be realistic to think they won't hear and be frightened by the news that has been saturating our world since Sept. 11," said Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Health professionals usually recommend flu shots primarily for at-risk groups, but this year will be a good year for greater numbers to consider increased protection.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Fiber Optic Grass and Strawberries and Cream Ribbon Grass will no doubt cause a stir when they arrive in Mississippi, so you will want to shop early.

These two new grasses are part of the impetus that Proven Winners/EuroAmerican Propagators has been giving toward using ornamental grass as a vital element in mixed containers. This rage may very well have started when they introduced their Fall Magic line of plants that included the dwarf sweet flags.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Pansy and viola planting season is one of my favorite times of the year, and it is evident that many of you feel the same way. I was at a garden center the other day and saw several landscapers loading up dozens of these plants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cute, chewable vitamins are a part of many people's memories of their daily childhood routine, but kids who eat a well-balanced diet actually don't need these supplements.

Parents often give children multivitamins to ensure they are getting the vitamins and minerals their bodies need to stay healthy. Many adults take supplements for the same reason.

Rebecca Kelly, human nutrition specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said eating right is the best way to get needed nutrition.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Insects and humans seem to like similar weather, so when damp and cold winters set in, people often find they are sharing their house with unwanted guests.

James Jarratt, entomologist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said most insects are simply opportunistic, seeking protected places to live.

"Cold usually doesn't kill insects, they just move inside looking for a comfortable place to stay," Jarratt said. "Most insects just wander in houses and stay when they find them warm and dry."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most of Mississippi's Christmas trees made up this year for lost growth over the last couple of dry years, but the summer rains also increased the challenges from diseases.

Steve Dicke, forestry specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said 2001 was a much better year for growth, but growers had to control twig and shoot blight with fungicides, especially on Leyland cypress. In recent years, Leyland cypress trees were especially susceptible to Cercospora, which is associated with drought stress.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hunters who bag a great buck now have another shot at the attention they deserve through a recognition program that honors quality deer across the state.

The Magnolia White-Tailed Records Program was started in late June to serve as an unofficial record book for white-tailed deer in Mississippi. It is a joint effort of the Mississippi Wildlife Federation and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in Mississippi women, but early detection and treatment mean a better chance for survival.

"Many deaths occur each year because women do not have regular mammograms or practice thorough breast self-exams," said Linda Patterson, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "Some breast cancer victims discover lumps that could be treated successfully, but fail to get treatment in time."