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I The Houston Home Journal News Os Interest To Houston County Families PAGE 2-B ■ 'll Houston County Agent Says ■ By Emmet Wheldiel PRUNING PEACHES If you haven’t pruned your peach trees yet, there’s still time. In fact, our Extension horticulturists say March and April are the best months to do this chore. Once upon a time, most pruning was done in the fall and winter October, November, December and January Research has now proven these months to be the most critical times for pruning peaches. Pruning in the late spring is better. It | FARMERS | GROWERS j JB jf ms KSISISIm »ufc H A debt consolidation loan can save you a lot of head- :•: aches. It's just one of the services available to :|: $ farmers and their families through the local Land :|: Bank Association. g | ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT US. | P.O. BOX 111 Montezuma, Ga. 31063 | I L “iST Phone 472-7355 1 The standard deduction is up this year. But maybe you should itemize. Your best buddy Lenny might have told things about your income tax that you you to itemize your deductions because it never knew existed Things that we know, would save you more tax dollars. because income tax returns are our only Your neighbor possibly suggested taking business, the standard deduction because you'd pay H A R Block's fees start at $5 and the icaa taxes that way average cost was under $12.50 for And Frank down at the office over 7 million families we served , . he helps everybody with A | M t year their return . . what did Furthermore, if your Frank recommend 0 j return ls , udlted WF will II there’s some way to M| M accompany you. at no ■•ve you money on your extra cost, to the In income tax. H A R W . ternal Revenue Service Block will know how \,J|K 'I Xyu and explain how your **- r f return was prepared. Itemised and stand j even though we will not ard deductions ate noth- .->> act as your legal repre ing new. We’ve been ** senutive preparing returns for years t ' •» .JB, It means that H A R using both Well figure out • "* Block also offers you year your situation both uoys and round Ux service for just one then prepare your return using the low fee. with no extra charge for method that's best for you. audits snd estimates You see, for only a few dollars mote than Yea. it's true The standard deduction is it coats to do it yourself (with advice maybe up this year from some other amateur*, you can have It's one of the many things well consider your tax return prepared with complete when we do your return, confidentiality by a specially trained mem her of the HA R Block team There are DON’T LET AN AMATEUR DO thousands of them in over 6,000 conven u . IAB iently located office. "" BLOCK 9 JOB. Each member of H A R Block is warm, friendly and anxious to help you. A visit to 11 g% Tl I*l 1 HA R Block usually takes just a short fl Ar JC 011101., time. Once in our office, you sit down over _ , . a free cup of coffee and possibly learn Tie ■KHM tu pMfle. WEEKDAYS 1023 BALL STREET PHONE NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY , PERRY, GEORGIA, THURM)AY I __*PRll__J : makes for better survival of flower buds after late frost, and thus a better set of fruit. FIRST GENERATION Tests have been conducted many times over the past years, and the results are always the same. That is, an adapted FI (first generation) hybrid corn will outyield an F 2 (second generation) crib com an average of 20 to 25 percent. In 1971, due to a shortage of FI hybrid seed resistant to southern com leaf blight. some of our growers were forced to use F 2 seed. And thanks to excellent weather, many of them made good yields. However, research and grower experience showed they would have made higher yields - SM) to 25 percent higher - had they been able to plant first generation adapted hybrids. SOYBEANS NEEDED 1 For several years now we’ve been saying that Georgia needs more soybeans. Well, we are saying it again for 1972. Our Extension economists tell us that U.S. soybean output last year was around 1 to 1.2 billion bushels. This is more than 100 million bushels under the amount needed for domestic consumption and for exporting. It is the second year in a row that soybean use has exceeded output. The shortages have been made up from carryover stocks. However, the 1971 carryover was projected at about 75 million bushels This is very close to the minimum safe level of stocks that should be maintained. Os course. Georgia has been doing its part to increase soybean production over the past decade. During the 1960- 63 period, production in this state averaged 1 to 2 million bushels a year. But in dications are that the 1971 crop was well over 16 million bushels. It was a third larger than the 1970 crop. A record yield of 26 bushels per acre on 639,000 acres helped make this possible NETS Again. Off Again Weather - May Have Damaged Pecan Buds The cold weather in November and December was just right for the pecan trees, but when the 80-degree weather occurred in January some pecan buds started swelling and there may have been some damage done to these buds later in February and March by low tem peratures. If the first or second buds on the ends of the twigs swelled enough to pop the overwintering black to brownish cap off, then this would leave these buds subject to cold weather ' ——i n damage if the temperature went below 28 degrees later in the winter months. The temperature certainly went much below 28 in February two or three times, and there is expected to be some damage to these ter minal buds. Lateral buds farther back up the shoots will grow but they may not have the capability of producing nuts as the buds have that are located closer to the terminal. We shall wait and see. PECAN DISEASE CONTROL A fungus disease called scab is a most important one that attacks pecans. The most critical time for in fection is early in the spring when the leaves and the pecan flowers are young and tender. Therefore, a spray program must be started early and growers should by all means remain on schedule. I would guess that about half the Georgia pecan growers miss applying the first pecan spray, and this is certainly dangerous from the standpoint of disease infection. The first ap plication should be applied when the leaves have just begun to unfold and are about the size of your thumb nail. Pecan insects and diseases can be controlled best by following a spray guide which is available from the local county extension of fices throughout Georgia. Growers must prevent scab from becoming established. Prevention, rather than cure, must be the rule. Soybean Growers Encouraged TlFTON—Soybean growers who are faced with unusually low seed germination this season have at least one alternative for helping the situation. According to Samuel B. Thompson, area Extension plant pathologist, application of fungicides can increase seed germination. "Much of this reduced quality can be traced to fungus infection of the seed during the wet 1971 harvest season,” Thompson said. ‘These fungi can largely be controlled, and thereby increase germination, by treating the seed with fungicides.” Thompson said seed treat ment with the fungicides “captan” and “thiram” can increase germination from 10 to 30 percent. “Growers who produce seed for certification are required to have the seed tested for germination,’’ the plant pathologist said. “Growers who are saving seed for their own u» are strongly urged to have these seed tested for germina tion. too. This is the only accurate way to determine seed quality.” Thompson said this can be accomplished by treating a bushel of each lot of seed and by sending a seed sample from these bushels for the germi nation test. He said this is suggested because once the seed are treated, they cannot be used for oil, meal or as food for humans or animals. “If only a small quantity of seed is treated and germination iS still too low for seed.” Thompson said, “the remainder of the beans still could be sold for oil or feed purposes, "If germination is high enough for seed purposes, the seed could be treated with a fungicide at a later date.” Thompson said "captan” and “thiram" are sold under several different trade names and in different formulations. Houston % Home & Food Dec Weems AS A MATTER OF FAT There is a growing trend in this country - and in this county - towards obesity. Why? Who knows? I’d venture an offhand guess the burgeoning problem is a result of more leisure time for the average person, coupled with an increasing abundance of food. Par ticularly the taste tempting high calorie variety. Maybe we would all benefit by losing surplus pounds, if we kept some fat-associated problems on the top of our minds. MENACING POUNDS One of the greatest problems in preventive medicine today is obesity. Excessive weight is closely related to heart and kidney diseases, degenerative arthritis, gout and gallbladder trouble. It's also a serious risk for those who need surgery. In addition, being fat constitutes a physical handicap. Obese people are uncomfortable during warm weather because thick layers of fat serve as an insulator, keeping in the heat. And it takes more effort for an overweight person to do the same amount of work as his lighter counterpart. Because they are less movable, corpulent men and women are more accident prone. Fatigue, backache and foot troubles are common complaints. THIN IS IN There was a time when being moderately over weight was considered a sign of good health and beauty. Not anymore. The slim look is fashionable in today's society, but few of us trim down and STAY slim. The national preoccupation with slimness is in itself sur prising. as it adds to existing problems. Too many people turn to bad diets, pills and gadgets which result in nutritional inadequacy, economic loss, and some times serious effects on health. This is not the way to lose weight. It takes a steady, balanced diet to take weight off and keep it off. WHICH WEIGHT FOR YOU? The best weight for a person's height, age. bone The Dodge Boys say: Iff you want to know about trucks/ ask the owner not the maker* W.C. Birchmore owned Fords and Chevys before switching to Dodge. * t s a like a truck. That’s why the new Dodge s' “ ~ looking truck." pickup has independent coil springs up This year, if _ |D The new Dodge Pickup front to give you a smooth, car-like ride. iT has been re-designed “•••rides a little better than the Ford with 3 \na^' >''3* from the wheels up. the twin I-beamT says Mr. Birchmore who heapa trouble. That makes it the only has driven them all. V. J WjPBI fm "h’s so brand new!" \{S^\ dilionai Dodge toughness comhme/wnh’ L C ; k B 'f chn J. or ' U H' he ‘“fc?" great s.yhng and gid looks, a . nd 'J' J andl ‘ n S «». P “* U P' C '/TT?^O . And he knows that he s talking about t yfr it does ride better and drives because he has owned both Fords and r as good or bener than the Chevy Chevrolets. Find out for yourself. XUs yh\ , . Take a test drive in the only all-new / ' There is no reason why a truck should nde pickup for 1972 at the Dodge Boys. ' V n V ' McLendon Auto Company OOWRTOWR structure and muscular development is not known precisely. Height-weight tables classify people as having a large, average or small frame. The person who is large-boned may weigh five to ten percent more than the weight for average build without being overweight, while a small-framed person should weight five to ten percent less than average. It is reported that ideal weight comes around the age of 25, although it seems many young people today are victims of a premature middle-aged spread. A great many people tend to gain weight until late middle life, but this tendency impairs physical well-being. Con trary to popular belief, putting on pounds is not one of the necessary evils of growing old. Probably the best standard to keep in mind concerning proper weight is this: If it's not muscle, if it’s not bone, that bouncing surplus of sub cutaneous tissue is good-old fashioned fat. WHAT IS OBESITY? The term “overweight” is usually applied to those who are 10 to 20 percent above proper weight. “Obesity” applies to those who exceed the norm by 20 percent or more. A person eating 100 calories a day more than his body needs (one rich cookie does it) could feasibly gain nine pounds in a year. Ob viously, over a period of ten years obesity is inevitable. And our unfortunately fat* cookie-eater didn't really make a glutton of himself. Half of all men over 30 are at least ten percent over weight and a fourth are obese. About 40 percent of all females are obese before age 40. STARV ATION V ERSUS MODERATION You can maintain a slim figure only through sensible dieting and exercise. This doesn’t mean skipping meals, crash or starvation diets. It is possible to lose weight without starving yourself to death. This means cutting down on the amount you eat, but mainly it entails a change from immoderate eating patterns and rich foods. Georgia Farmers Indicate What They'll Grow in 72 ATHENS-What are Georgia farmers planting this year? More acres of soybeans, cotton and hay, according to the Georgia Crop Reporting Service, and fewer acres of corn, tobacco, sorghum and oats. CRS’s latest planting inten tions survey also indicates a slight increase for peanuts. Frasier T. Galloway, agri cultural statistician in charge, said the purpose of the CRS report is to aid fanners in making final plans for planting this year’s crops. He explained that acreages actually planted may be more or less than the report indicates, depending on weather, economic conditions, seed supply, labor, farm pro grams—and how farmers react to this report. Acreage figures from last year show only one crop with over a million acres. This is corn, the leader by far. with 1,7 51,000 acres in 1971. Growers indicate corn acreage will be reduced six percent in ’72, to 1,645.000 acres. Galloway said this is even more of a reduction than they reported on the January survey. Two Georgia crops— soybeans and peanuts occupied more than one-half million acres in ’7l, and two—cotton and hay—took up over 400,000 acres of space. This will be the situation in ’72, too. 1 n fact, soybeans—which have been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years—leads all crops in percent of increase (14 percent) for this year. Growers indicate they will plant 750,000 acres, compared to 660,000 acres in 1971. Ten years ago there were less than 100,000 acres of soybeans in this state. Georgia’s leading money crop, peanuts, will be up slightly this year, according to planting intentions expressed by growers. Indications are that 520.000 acres will be planted—2,ooo more than last year. The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Cotton, and other segments of the cotton industry, are pushing for “A Half Million Bales from A Half Million Acres” this year, and it looks like they will almost make it— at least acreage-wise. CRS figures indicate 445.000 acres of cotton will be planted. This is 19,000 acres more than last year. Hay crops are in for a 7,000-acre increase. Grower intentions are to plant 430,000 acres of these crops, compared to 423,000 in 1971. Other information on the Prospective Plantings report includes: Tobacco down three per cent: Basic tobacco allotments and poundage quotas, as well as grower intentions, point to 57,650 acres compared with 59,630 acres last year. Oats down: The increase in oat acreage indicated earlier did not materialize. CRS officials say the prolonged period of wet weather may have prevented some intended plantings. At any rate, acreage of oats in Georgia this year is now indicated at 198,000. Sorghums off sharply; A calming of the corn blight scare and marketing problems last year have apparently promoted a 19 percent cutback in sorghum acreage—to 110,000 acres. 33 Persons Die Daily in Fires ATHENS-Fires, like automobile accidents, always happen to someone else—never to you. However, if this is a typical day in the United States, 33 persons—also unsuspect ing—will be killed by accidental fires. And most of the victims, says Cecil Hammond, engineer with the University of Georgia Extension Service, will be children and elderly persons. Hammond, studying figures which show that 12,200 U. S. citizens die in fires every year, explains that smoking and matches consistently rank *s the No. 1 cause of fires in buildings. Electrical fires, usually caused by faulty or misused equipment, destroy nearly 150,000 buildings each year. The average daily toll of fires in this country is tremen dous, Hammond points out. In addition to the 33 lost lives, it includes: 1,486 homes, 315 apartment buildings, 30 schools, 10 churches, 127 farm buildings, 215 stores, offices and restaurants, and 139 industrial plants. Hammond believes these figures should be sufficient to cause all of us to guard against accidental fires—both at home and where we work.