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April 17, 1998 - Filed Under: Vegetable Gardens

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Spring temperature have been great for planting gardens, but rains have kept gardeners out of their plots until recently.

Dr. David Nagel, horticulturist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said favorable weather in the growing season should allow the gardens to recover from lost time and still yield good harvests.

April 16, 1998 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The Mississippi Medallion winners are proven, season-long performers in climates where summers are tough with heat and humidity. The three 1998 winners are Zinnia angustifolia, Salvia farinacea Victoria Blue and the Natchez crape myrtle.

April 10, 1998 - Filed Under: Cotton

By Linda Breazeale

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi cotton growers are keenly aware of insect control every year because it is one of their most costly issues, but after this year's mild winter, they are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

The Mid-South region has the highest costs to produce cotton. To be competitive with state's that have eradicated boll weevils, Mississippi needs 3 to 5 cents per pound more at the market. The 1997-98 winter was one of Mississippi's mildest winters in 20 years, which is a major concern for 1998 boll weevil control.

April 9, 1998 - Filed Under: Landscape Architecture

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Temperatures are fairly moderate now as are utility bills, but we all know what is ahead. We can take decisive action today which will pay great dividends in subsequent years.

April 6, 1998 - Filed Under: Farm Safety

WAYNESBORO -- The success of a relatively new program in the state aimed at increasing the independence of agricultural workers with disabilities has made a Waynesboro man's job easier.

April 6, 1998 - Filed Under: Insects-Human Pests

By Kelli McPhail

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Head lice have a reputation for spreading at school, but parents should not dismiss the problem during summer months.

Head lice are tiny insects that lay eggs, or nits, that stick to hair very close to the scalp. The nits are grayish white and oval-shaped.

Linda Patterson, health education associate specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said lice are easily transferred, and early detection should improve control efforts.

April 6, 1998 - Filed Under: Vegetable Gardens

By Amy Woolfolk

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Planting a garden may seem as simple as tossing seeds on the soil, but deciding what to plant in the garden takes careful planning.

Dr. David Nagel, horticulturist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said gardeners need to consider their personal preference for vegetables, how the produce will be used, the amount of available garden space and the amount of sunlight needed.

April 6, 1998 - Filed Under: Economic Development

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University is heading a new statewide economic development effort to be kicked off at an April conference in Jackson.

The Agricultural Economic Summit on April 21 and 22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Jackson will focus on growing the Mississippi economy through agriculture, forestry and community development. The summit will feature several industry leaders addressing issues important to the state. Follow-up meetings around the state will identify goals and areas for improvement during the five-year endeavor.

April 6, 1998 - Filed Under: Dairy

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dairy herds in Mississippi put up some good numbers in 1997, with dairy cows having the second highest increase in milk in the Southeast.

Mississippi dairy cows produced 587 pounds of milk more than last year, bringing the average to 13,489 pounds per cow. This was the greatest increase seen in milk production in any other state in the Southeast except North Carolina. At about $14.50 per hundredweight, the milk increase brought additional income of $85 per cow to dairy farmers, or $3.7 million for the state.

April 3, 1998 - Filed Under: Cotton

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi cotton growers are expected to plant less than 1 million acres for the second consecutive year -- a trend that could hurt cotton's support industries in the state.

"We have significant concerns about cotton's infrastructure as acres are converted to crops that generate less economic activity," said Dr. O.A. Cleveland, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Cotton is a high cost crop with a large support industry surrounding it."

April 2, 1998 - Filed Under: Tomato Pepper and Eggplant, Vegetable Gardens

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

An audience gathered at the courthouse in New Jersey to watch Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson die from eating a basketful of tomatoes. Colonel Johnson's physician warned he would, "Foam and froth at the mouth ...double over with appendicitis ... and expose himself to brain fever." Johnson didn't die that day in 1820, and a new era for tomatoes slowly began.

March 27, 1998 - Filed Under: Wheat

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some Mississippi wheat fields experienced minimal damage from the freezing temperatures the second week of March, but for a few, the damage was beyond recovery.

"Severe damage has been found from as far south as Natchez to throughout North Mississippi," said Dr. Erick Larson, agronomist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Growers need to closely inspect their fields to evaluate the extent of the freeze injury."

March 26, 1998 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Before the National Bureau designated 1998 as the Year of the Geranium, I couldn't remember the last time I planted geraniums or even paid them any attention. Now guess what I have in my landscape and in mixed containers?

March 23, 1998 - Filed Under: Family

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Spring is an opportune time for thorough cleanings and home maintenance that could prevent costly repairs later.

El Nino can even get the blame this year for a dirty house. The wet winter has likely left enough soil on carpets to justify a thorough spring cleaning. Changes in the seasons always offer a good chance to clean closets and discard old clothes.

March 23, 1998 - Filed Under: Family Financial Management

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- "Putting it on plastic" has become second nature to many American buyers, but not reading the fine print has gotten a lot of them in trouble.

Dr. Beverly Howell, family economics specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said consumers are responsible for the credit choices they make and should always be cautious with their decisions.

"The responsibility lies with the consumer to use credit to their best advantage," Howell said. "Sometimes that means not using credit cards at all."

March 23, 1998 - Filed Under: Food

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- One of the last things college students look for is more work and responsibilities, but some at Mississippi State University do just that, and call it rewarding.

Each semester, students from MSU's dietetic internship program volunteer an hour a week at Crossroads International Friendship House in Starkville to teach cooking and nutrition to spouses of international students. Jessica Partridge, now a registered clinical dietitian at Arlington Memorial Hospital in Texas, was the first volunteer.

March 23, 1998 - Filed Under: Beef, Technology

By Amy Woolfolk

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Most cities in Mississippi do not have a cattle auction barn, but that doesn't mean cows can't be bought and sold in every town.

CyberStockyard, a joint venture of Scott Sanders, his father, David, and Scott Calhoun, all of Starkville, is the first interactive livestock auction available on the Internet. Although some services offer online purchasing for livestock producers, this site allows buyers to view cattle and bid in the auction without traveling to the actual sale location.

March 23, 1998 - Filed Under: Forestry

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Idle land does not benefit the owners, the community or the state, but recent forestry programs taught African-Americans how to profit from better management of their underused timberland.

An idea that originated with the Marion County Forestry Association resulted in programs that reached almost 300 minority landowners in three counties: Marion, Jefferson Davis and Walthall.

March 19, 1998 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many homeowners are asking me what they can plant as a screen to increase privacy. The Leyland Cypress certainly is a good choice, as is the Eastern red cedar, but there are several other great choices for screens.

March 12, 1998 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Few plants are as tough and more deserving a place in the Mississippi flower border than the Ruellia (Ruellia brittoniana). Not only does it endure high heat and humidity, but it is also a performer in drought-like conditions. This may be very important if the second half of the El Nino prediction comes through. That prediction calls for very little rain this summer.

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