vehicle signs as needed. Keep machinery in good working order. Know and follow confined-space safety rules. Learn basic first aid, CPR and emergency response.

Drink plenty of water before you feel thirsty. In hot weather that means at least eight large glasses a day, and more if you are really working up a sweat.

Wear cool clothes. Light-colored, loose-fitting clothes made of natural fibers such as cotton will help you stay cool. Socks made of materials such as Polypropylene and Thermex will help your feet stay cool and dry. A wide-brimmed hat can help you stay comfortable in addition to shielding your face and neck from the sun. Also use sunscreen.

Take time to cool off. Splash yourself with water occasionally. Take breaks in the shade. Five minutes spent cooling off is less time from work than a trip to the emergency room - or months in physical therapy due to a stress-related accident.

Plan work around the heat. Think about the heat forecast as well the rain forecast. Avoid strenuous work if it is very hot; save it for a cooler day.

Watch the sweat factor. Sweat helps cool your skin as it evaporates. However, it can also make your hands slippery and impede your vision. Be extra careful when performing everyday tasks when you are sweaty.

For more information on summer weather safety, visit the agriculture preparedness website at http://aes.missouri.edu/swcenter or call Marney at (417) 669-4362.

University of Missouri Extension programs focus on the high-priority needs of Missourians. Each county extension center, with oversight by locally elected and appointed citizens, is your local link to practical education on almost anything.

Source: Amanda Marney

Soapless Detergents Effective in Cleaning Tile Floors

Q: I have white ceramic tiles on my bathroom floor. How do I clean them to get them to shine? Can I use a no-wax floor cleaner? I have my grout really white, so should I seal it? -- V.H., Neosho, Mo.

A: Getting glazed tile to shine requires a soapless detergent. Trying to buy such a product may prove difficult because most lay people would have no idea what this means.

A 'soapless' the detergent does not use a 'fatted soap' or saponific solution. The trouble with fatted soaps like dishwashing detergent or oil products like pine-oil or Murphy's oil soap are that they leave a residue or 'soap scum' that can actually attract more soiling.

One common brand of soapless detergent that consumers recognize is Spic-N-Span, but other like products would work. For a slightly more aggressive cleaning, light abrasive creams

like SoftScrub or powders like Comet or Ajax would work.

Considering how these products are installed will shine some light on the topic as well. After the tile is fastened with thinset mortar or organic mastic adhesive, a grout material is troweled and pressed into the gaps between tiles. As the grout sets, a series of light sponge rinses are used to smooth the grout's surface and remove excess material from the face of the tile. The final step is an actual polishing by using damp towels to buff and pick up the remaining grout dust.

If the grout is bright white now, you might consult a tile store about a sealer for the grout only as the ceramic glazed surface is already sealed.

It sounds like you plan to be diligent in your cleaning with the 'soapless detergent', which will most likely keep the surface looking like new. If you do find that the grout begins to look a little grimy, I suggest the powdered cleanser.

For more information contact Barber in the Greene County Extension Center at (417) 862-9284 or via e-mail: barberj@missouri.edu.

Source: Jeff Barber

Summer Calf Working Can Add Weight for Fall

Summer Calf Working Can Add Weight for Fall

Beef cattle producers have the opportunity to boost their late winter-early spring born calves' weaning weights during the next few weeks according to Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

"Mid-summer is not a very desirable time to work cattle, but some practices sure pay off with extra weight this fall," said Cole.

Among the economical practices Cole recommends for nursing calves are deworming, growth promoting implants for non-breeding animals and external parasite control.

"The benefits from these could add 40 to 50 pounds additional weight come weaning time," said Cole.

Unfortunately, hot weather, hay making and fescue or wheat harvest usually hit about the ideal time to work the calves. Cole says that it is also a good time to check for other herd problems such as eye infections and lameness. In addition, the bulls can be removed from the herd in many cases at this time.

"The way this summer has gone there will likely be a rainy day that will permit cattle working to take place," said Cole.

For more information, contact any of the MU Extension livestock specialists in southwest Missouri: Eldon Cole in Mt. Vernon, (417) 466-3102; Gary Naylor in Dallas County, (417) 345-7551; and Dona Funk in Cedar County, (417) 276-3313.

Source: Eldon Cole

cycle.

Second, to help manage blight, disease free plants should be planted in fertile soil based on the proper planting dates.

"Plants stressed prior to planting or following planting may lead to disaster," said Byers.

Third, it is important to avoid ground contact with plant foliage.

"Stake tomato plants and mulch underneath them to reduce the incidence of blight transfer from the soil to the plant," said Byers.

For the home gardener wheat straw is an excellent mulch source. Blights are soil borne diseases and anything that inhibits the transfer of spores from the ground to the plant will help increase the chances for control, according to Byers.

Fourth, good air circulation around the plants (aided by proper spacing and pruning) will reduce blight infections. If room allows, 30 inches between staked indeterminate plants is suggested. Basic pruning is the removal of side shoots or suckers when they are three to four inches long.

Fifth, avoid overhead irrigation during the evening. Trickle irrigation or bottom irrigation is best to avoid moisture contact with the leaves reducing conditions ideal for disease.

Sixth, if all procedures fail to control blight, be prepared to replant transplants about the middle of July for a fall crop. Typical summer conditions of heat and dry weather result in less incidence of disease thus providing productive plants until

frost.

Seventh, chemical fungicide application is often needed but application timing is crucial. Home gardeners may use chlorothalonil (Daconil) at seven to 14 day intervals.

For more information, or answers to your specific lawn and garden questions, contact Byers or the Greene County Master Gardener Hotline at (417) 862-9284. Guide sheet 6203, "Common Diseases in the Home Garden" is also available online at http://extension.missouri.edu.

Source: Patrick Byers

Take Steps to Keep Safe on the Farm During Hot Weather

Summer's high temperatures and humidity can add an element of danger to farm work, according to Amanda Marney, agriculture preparedness specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are real risks for people exposed to excessive heat.

"Heat can cause direct harm if you get so hot your body can't handle it," said Marney. "It adds to the stress that can be a big contributor to accidents. This is even truer when you can hardly see because of sweat dripping into your eyes."

Marney offers these tips to help keep safe during hot weather:

Think about safety basics. Make sure all tractors have rollover protection. Replace missing shields. Maintain and use lights, flashers and reflectors on machines. Replace slow-moving

Seven Factors Help Reduce Diseases that Plague Tomatoes

While tomatoes are popular and easy to grow, both the home gardener and commercial grower find it challenging to maintain productivity throughout the growing season.

Diseases such as Septoria leaf spot and early blight affect the lower portion of the tomato plant and shorten productivity.

Environmental conditions play a role in presence and severity of certain diseases. Abundant rainfall and high humidity pose a threat to severe blight conditions.

Little resistance to blight is available through variety selections, so proper cultural management techniques are important for control.

"Disease management must start early in the season. Once you have the problem, control is difficult," said Patrick Byers, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

One key factor is site and ground selection. If possible, a three to four year rotation with crops outside of the Solanacea family should be followed. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are within the same family and these crops should not be included in the rotation planting

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