News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Halloween festivities designed to provide fun for children can be scary events for pets.

Dr. Cory Langston, service chief for the community practice at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said Halloween activities can make otherwise mild-mannered dogs turn aggressive. When making a to-do list of Halloween preparations, don't forget to make allowances for pets.

"Dogs are easily agitated by changing circumstances," Langston said. "Some are simply frightened, but others become aggressive in certain situations."

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Orange will continue to be a hot, trendy color next year in the world of flowers, thanks to a couple of All-America Selections Winners. One is a compact Mexican sunflower, or tithonia, called Fiesta del Sol and the other is a dwarf cosmos sulphureus called Cosmic Orange.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Halloween is supposed to be a fun time for kids to dress up and collect bags of candy, but the night can bring more danger to youth than an upset stomach.

When parents think of dangers, they often think of candy that has been poisoned or tampered with, and dark streets filled with strangers. But other more common dangers haunt kids.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi home thermostats have some major adjustments ahead as the record high temperatures of summer are replaced by a nip in the air.

Dr. Frances Graham, housing specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said many Mississippians are not accustomed to cold weather and may be tempted to run heaters more than necessary. Cutting the thermostat down to 68 degrees, at least at night, can be the first step in reducing heating costs.

Graham suggested several other ways to keep heating bills at a minimum.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Depressed markets and the summer drought may discourage row-crop farmers, but Mississippi's emerging sod industry glistens as one bright spot in this year's agricultural picture.

Dr. David Nagel, horticulturist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said almost all of Mississippi's 45 sod growers have already sold out of their crop. The good news for those who haven't sold their crop is that failure to sell this year's crop should result in a better quality grass next year.

By Jana Foust,
Southern Rural Development Center

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The future of the rural Southern workforce show signs of hope, but rural development specialists temper hope with caution as the new millennium approaches.

"The 1990s have shown a significant migration of people to the rural South that have higher levels of education and income," said Dr. Bo Beaulieu, director of the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at Mississippi State University.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Houses that look good from the road carry higher price tags, a fact that turns landscape investments into money in the bank when selling a house.

Dr. David Tatum is the state nursery specialist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. He has tips for homeowners looking to increase the value of their home before it's sold.

"Money spent working on the landscape is a good investment and will bring actual returns," Tatum said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Football fans can break out of their tailgate ruts with a little creativity, but that does not necessarily mean turning their backs on traditions.

Cary Sutphin, culinary researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said tailgate traditions vary from region to region and season to season.

Regions and Seasons...

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Fuel stockpiled for emergencies can cause an emergency of its own if not stored and used properly.

As temperatures drop, many people store extra fuel for heating, grills and to run machinery such as generators. While some preparation is wise, it can be dangerous if proper safety measures are not followed.

Herb Willcutt, farm safety specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said stored fuels present safety challenges if not handled correctly.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Garden snakes can certainly perform valuable services around outdoor plants, but finding a 6-foot chicken or king snake when you are reaching for a weed can cause some people to have a coronary.

There is one reptile I do love having around the garden, and it is called the anole, pronounced "a-know'lee." Like many of you, I grew up calling these green lizards chameleons. They probably got that name because of their ability to change colors.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Six Mississippi State University representatives were U.S. Department of Agriculture guests in Washington, D.C., as they saw first-hand the secure way this agency compiles its monthly crop production report.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The drought that began the middle of July has taken a harsh toll on Mississippi's cotton crop, but October would be the worst time for that drought to end.

In September, growers began harvesting their first fields, typically among the lowest yielding acres in a year's crop. Rains during harvest will further reduce the fiber quality.

John Coccaro, Sharkey County agent with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said the first 25 percent of the crop were feast and famine fields.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The growing problem of drugs is reaching many farmers who have become targets for theft of a crop fertilizer that is a key ingredient in the manufacture of an illegal drug.

Anhydrous ammonia is a common liquid fertilizer often used on cotton. It is also a necessary chemical in the manufacture of crystal methamphetamine, an illegal drug. It is stored in pressurized tanks in fields and is highly corrosive, burning skin if it comes in contact.

By Laura Martin

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Six months of preparation earned a team of four Mississippi teenagers a trip to Kansas and a second place win at the 1999 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program National Contest.

The Lowndes County 4-H team received higher honors at the Aug. 1 competition than any other Mississippi team in years past. They also placed first in the wildlife management plan team activity.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If you are one of those gardeners with more silver and gray on your head than in your landscape, you are passing up a group of plants that lends an artist's touch.

In a gardening world dominated by a sea of green, well-placed pockets of plants with silver and gray leaves is ever so striking. We have choices here from perennials, herbs and even shrubs.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- State growers had every reason in mid-summer to expect one of the largest soybean yields ever, but then saw that chance stolen by drought.

Dr. Alan Blaine, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the lack of rain since mid-July ruined yields of late-planted soybeans, while doing less damage to yields of early planted, early-maturing varieties.

"We had the potential to have the best crop we've ever had," Blaine said. "A lot of the crop was one rain away from making an excellent yield."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- With no end in sight to the drought, the only people with successful gardens this fall will likely be those willing to trade high water bills for the fresh taste of homegrown vegetables.

Dr. David Nagel, Extension vegetable specialist at Mississippi State University, said fall gardens without irrigation have almost no hope across most of the state.

By Jana Foust,
Southern Rural Development Center

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Rural development specialists say four major trends are shaping the workforce of tomorrow -- technology, service sector growth, changes in how companies do business and globalization.

"Technology is changing the way that we work," said David Freshwater, director of the Tennessee Valley Authority Rural Studies Program headquartered at the University of Kentucky. "For workers to adapt to these changes, they must be willing to stay abreast of technology, learn it and use it.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

One of the most drop-dead gorgeous camellia sasanquas will soon be showing up at a garden center near you. It is obvious that most gardeners haven't really learned about this awesome variety called Shishigashira.

When you consider the waxy leather leaves of these evergreens coupled with blooms as pretty as a rose, you wonder why people would plant anything else. The Shishigashira is a dwarf-to-compact form of camellia sasanqua with rose-pink blooms.

By Jamie Vickers,
Coordinator, Pine Belt Family and Youth Center

HATTIESBURG -- Most people do not know what is required to be a successful homeowner, but with help from local specialists, buying and maintaining a new home can be easy.

Dr. Frances Graham, housing specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said many loan and mortgage companies require individuals to receive homebuyer education training to secure a loan.