4. No. 11 ncaster County Fa |®PARING THE equipment supplied for the new Penn |Ke Forage Testing Program, John S Shenk 11, Willow laset RD 1, left and Max Smith, county agent, check in actions with the kit. They are using an electric drill, the zSk Sampler cutting tube, special tampmg-rod, and mailing Muster supplied by the university BORES the first sample (after switching to a larger em), while Smith observes and brings the rest of the BKpment along. Each bore is only half the corer length, MFthe end of a bale. About 12 such cores are required for HIS first lest, Shenk taps the core of finely ■rent 3 n , om le sampler tube into the cannister. By Hff t levels in his mow, he was able to obtain a rep »- 7° sample with minimum effort and time. Within K e receive his completed test, telling the B ltlVe value and giving recommended feeding pro- B —LF PHOTOS Lancaster, Pa.. Saturday. January 24. 1959 rmer Submits First Forage Test Initial County Hay Sample , ShowsEaseof PSU Program Wednesday morning, County Agent Max Smith visited the John S. Shenk II farm, southwest of Lancaster to as- sist in obtaining Lancaster County’s first Penn State Forage Testing Program sample. In a matter of minutes, Shenk and Smith had complet ed taking samples from several tons of hay. When analysis is completed by Penn State of the sample Shenk will know his hay’s content of crude protein, digestible protein, crude filler and total digestible nutrients. On both a dry matter and “as fed” basis.” The analysis also will re- every farmer would take ad veal moisture content, give vantage of the testing ser a quality grade and even vice and carry it out to this more important conclude with a complete recommend ed feeding program for Shenk’s 70-cow dairy herd. ' Shenk’s operation includes three separate land holdings in connection with his fath er. All told, they operate 300 acres, including 100 acres of meadow and 25 acres in sil age crops Aside from their milking herd, their forage goes to about 50 young heif ers on the farms They use crimpers, fans and natural curing in hand ling hay Thus the tests will indicate which methods of handling will result in the best quality and feeding val ue. Also how much damage occurs from over-curing and excessive rainfall in growth, as well as on down-hay. John has absolutely no re servation about the testing program. He says, “This is a chance for me to know what is good forage, what isn’t and what to do to improve quality. In addition, with this know ledge, we can know exactly how to feed our homegrown roughages. Saving a few bushels of gram or bales of hay will pay for the tests, and I’ll still have the knowledge of what to do in the future for greater forage quality, and increased milk production from feed management.” After Shenk completed his first sample of baled Timo thy, he surprised Smith by asking for four more cannis ters. He planned to sample Alfalfa and Clover hay lots, and two lots of silage on the farm. By this, he would know exactly what to do m feeding each separate rough age The county agent’s react ion to the request was, “that is what we like to see. If Farm Calendar aan 26—8 pm Fulton Gran ge, Oakryn Grange Hall Jan 27—8 p m , Lane Co Extension Association, Farm Bureau aud. 1 pm, Lane. Co Farm Bureau Cooperative. Jan. 29—7 p m , Lebanon Valley Poultry Assn An nual Banquet, Mt Zion Fire Hall, Mt Zion Jan. 31—Producers Live stock Cooperative annual meeting. Feb. 6—4-H Baby Beef Club Annual Banquet. Fob 12—County Extension Assoc. Annual Banquet, Hostetler’s, Mt. Joy. Feb. 14—Poultry Assn. Bar becue, 2-5 p m at Center. extent, this could become al most as valuable to Lancast er County as Soil Tests have been.” To obtain a test, he said, all a farmer must do is se cure a sample carton at the county extension office. Cost of the carton is S 5 00, which pays for the complete test. You will place a $12.00 deposit on the tool-steel core sampler for drawing samples of hay and silage The depos it will be refunded when the sampler is returned. Read ALL instruction in the sample can and with the Sampler. Proceed, according to in structions until the cannister is full Mail, again, according to instructions. Actually the procedure is simpler than it sounds here, as is evinced by Shenk secur ing all his samples and re turning the Core-Sampler to the Extension Office within an hour. Basically the $5 charge is a minimum fee for having the analysis conducted by the laboratory, as basic feeding recommendations are com pleted by extension special ists at no cost. Thus, through coordination of efforts, state farmers are offered an op portunity to improve their feeding operations’ efficiency Besides, a s John Shenk says, “It’s worth the $5 ]ust to know what kind of hay I have ” Fruit Growers Meet Tonight The annual Lancaster County Fruit Growers Assn banquet is scheduled for this evening (Saturday) at Hag strom’s Smorgasbord”, on the square in Lampeter, at 6.30 p m. Penna. Grain Bins Bulging Stocks of com for grain on Penna. farms on Jan. 1 were at a record high of 54 mil lion bushels according to the Pa Crop ‘ Reporting Service. The stocks resulted from "5S record production and only normal disappearance. Jan. 1 wheat stocks stored on farms at 4 9 million bush els were the largest since 1954 Oat stocks at 21 mil lion bu. were 15 per cent a bove last year. Barley stocks on farms at 4.6 million bu. were the largest ever. Hay supplies were 2,603,- oo tons. This is 37 per cent above last year and second only to the record 1947 stocks. $2 Per Year FIVE-DAY WEATHER FORECAST Soturdoy - Wednesday Cold Sat., temperatures about 3 - G degrees below normal. Warmer Sunday and Monday. Colder Tues day and Wed. Chance of some snow or rain Mon day. Normal temp, in county range from 24 - 39. '59 Pa, Turkey Forecast up 8% ' Results of the State Crop Reporting Service’s Turkey- Intentions - Inquiry indicate that if Penna. turkey pro ducer plans materialize, they will grow 1,309,000 heavy breed turkeys during 195.9, eight per cent above the ’5B estimate Indications are that the heavy bronze'breed will in crease 12 per cent, but the heavy white breeds will in crease only one per cent. The survey further indi cates that there may also be an increase in light breeds, a reversal m trend of recent years. Growers indicate that they plan to raise 168,0000 light birds in 1959, or nine per cent more than in 1958 Turkey growers in the na tion intend to produce about five per cent more birds than last year. They plan increas es of 16 per cent in light breeds and three per cent in heavy breeds, with heavy whites up 18 per cent, but other heavy breeds down one per cent. If growers carry out their intentions, about 81.9 million turkeys will be raised, com pared with 77.9 million in 1958. All regions show plan ned increases except the North Atlantic and South Central areas Main fcatuie of (he pro gram will be selection of the 1959 Lancaster County Apple Queen. Contest mles require con testants to be between 17 and 21, single, a resident of the county, related to a fruit grower or handler, have a desire to be an active Queen and be free to attend (lie Winchester Apple Blossom Festival this spimg Mrs Robcit Heir Lancas ter RD 2, and Roy B, Eib, of Lancaster, are in charge of arrangements lor the Queen contest Mis Herr reports girls from adjoining counties which do not ha\e Apple Queen contests June been pei milted to enter here un der special rulings The program also will in clude brief remarks by Glor ia Brubaker, 1958 County Apple Queen, concerning last year’s state contest
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