Vol. 1, No. 27
Light Showers
On Wednesday
Aid to Crops
' Light showers that fell Wed
nesday, and forecasts of continu
ed moisture will help alleviate a
drying condition that has beset
Lancaster County farmers since
the end of a cobl, wet spell per
mitted them to resume field
work.
Spring burst out over the Co
unty over the weekend, as flow
ers broke into bloom, peach-trees
began to blossom, other wild
flowering shrubs and trees came
into color. There’s a pink cast
over many peach orchards.
Red Tulips Abundant
Red tulips are abundant, Moun
tain Pink is at its best and jon
quils are strutting their tones
Magnolia trees, Japanese cherry,
and other cherry trees have blo
omed, adding to a most colorful
spring.
Suddenly changing from cold
to hot, temperatures Saturday
roared about the 80-degree mark,
but moderated Tuesday.
“The weekend was really a
boost,” Lancaster County Agri
cultural Agent Max M Smith ad
pises, “It helped farmers catch
up, a few days were shaved off
behind where farmers found
themselves two 'week behind-
Some tomatoes are being planted
this week, and we could use a
good, soaking rain”
Advice on Ryegrass
Mr. Smith gave a word of ad
vice on winter rye pastures ad
dingthat smallgrains are advanc
ing fast. “‘Domestic ryegrass as
a cover crop on corn or tobacco
should be plowed under right
away. The value lies in the root
system instead of in the top
growth.
“It will be too much trouble
to plow under ryegrass that is
six or eight inches tall ” he add
ed
A drive through the country
side tells that summer’s here,
even if spring was missed. But
some plows kicking up dust -indi
cate more rainfall right now
would drawn no objections.
Almost 600.000
More Birds on
1956 Auctions
Comparing four-month figures
for 1955 and 1956, the Lancaster
Poultry Exchange reports re
ceipts this year so far have ex
ceeded the corresponding figures
foi 1955 by 592,931
In the January-Apnl period
last year, 1,556,260 birds were
marketed at the auction in
Rohrerstown, and in the same
period this year, 2,149,191 For
the month of April, last year re
ceipts totaled 442,780, while last
month the figure was 565,225.
Prices by weeks last year rang
ed higher, averaging for 1955
week ending Apnl 9,31 c; April
16, 27.8 c; April 23, 26 2c, April
30, 24 9, and for 1956, weeks
ending April 7, 20 7c, April 14,
20 8c; April 21, 22,1 c, and April
28, 22.5 c.
Rural Boxhoider
Conestoga, Pa.
SAMPLE COPY
See—SPECIAL OFFER—Page 13
Down on the Twin Oaks~Angus Farm in
Lancaster-County, typey cows
and two excellent bullsform the basis for
one of the area’s outstanding herds. ‘Here
New Engraving
- -s'
Machine Added
By Farm Paper
Installation of a Scan-A-Grav
er Cadet at Octoraro Newspap
ers will enable the publications,
of which Lancaster Farming is
a member, to bring latest farm
news pictures to readers.
Produced by Fairchild Graphic
Equipment, Inc, the electronic
engraver was installed here by
James P McHugh, customer en
gineer, Jrom Wormlesburg, Pa
with Mr. McHugh Tuesday was
Sam Dean of State College, Pa
Pictures may be engraved on
plastic for newspaper use within
minutes. In a test run Tuesday, a
photograph was taken at 12'20
noon on a Polaroid camera. A
few minutes later the picture and
engraving were removed from
(Continued on Page Three)
Quarryville, Pa., Friday, May 4, 1956
Good Cows, Good Shade
Cattle Showman at Six Now Angus
Breeder at 23 in Lancaster County
By ERNEST J. NEILL
Purebred Angus cattle are
moving into the winners’ ring
at major eastern livestock shows
and into the beef market as
choice quality from a Southern
Lancaster County farm that is
under operation of a 23-year
old producer as enthusiastic as
you’ll find in the business
Fred Frey might be called
more energetic, for he has been
showing cattle Angus cattle
since he. was six years old,
and only ten years later was
operating a 345-acre Lancaster
County farm for his mother,
three sisters and four brothers.
Showing Champ at Six
Just as Fred was to start his
junior year at Southern Lancas
ter County Joint Community
High School, his father passed
away. There was tfo choice but
to leave school and take over
“I was always interested in
cattle,” Fred told Lancaster
Farming, “and had been showing
every year since I was six My
first grand champion steer was
at the 1939 Garden Spot show.”
Since the Garden Spot, Fred
and his 'Black steers have placed
between first and seventh. In
the 1952 Eastern National Live
stock Exposition at Timmoniuip,
he showed the reserve grand
champion over all breeds, mov
ing up from grand champion 4-
H steer and reserve grand cham
pion Angus steer
Atlantic Royal Champ
In 1953, Fred’s steer was open
class Angus champion at the
Atlantic Royal Show in Rich
mond, Va., and only last fall
one of his Angus placed fifth in
a carcass class of 35 at the In-
Fred Frey is making a careful selection of
purebred males and females to build up a
herd' gaining wide recognition in show
circles. (Lahcaster Farming Staff Photo).
ternational Livestock Exposition
the highest of shows in
Chicago.
There’s still time for Four-H
work, although Fred left it as
an active member in November
Fred Frey, Jr., 23, has added
touch of range country to the
rolling hills of Southern Lan
caster County, at the *ame
time developing one of the
topnotch herds of Angus in the
Garden Spot. (See accompany
ing story). (Lancaster Farm
ing Staff Photo).
1952. But two months later, in
January 1953, and ever since, he
has been a club leader- He is
one of two leaders in the com
munity 4-H Tractor Club, and
(Continued on page 1%) ,
$2 Per Year
Temperatures
Jump; Growth
Of Buds Rapid
HARRISBURG Mid - sum
mer temperatures over the past
weekend brought rapid develop
ment of fruit buds, grasses and
all vegetation on Pennsylvania
far ms, the State Department of
Agriculture reported today.
Temperatures are expected to
average near normal this week,
warmer Thursday through Satur
day and cooler Sunday, the U.
S Weather Bureau said. Rain is
likely again late Saturday or
Sunday Total precipitation may
run one-half inch to an inch.
Weekend temperatures in
the 80’s and 90’s caused early
blooming fruit trees to burst
into bloom in a very short time.
Reports to the Department
from Adams County were to
the effect that apple, cherry
and peach orchards are bloom
ing simultaneously for the
first time in years. Cool weath
er had delayed cherry and
peach bloom but thousands of
these and early apples should
be showing this Sunday when
organized blossom tours will
be conducted out of Biglerville,
Adams County and Boyertown,
Berks County, according to
fruit growers in those areas.
During the week ended last
Monday Federal-State surveys
found that continued cool weath
er and showers, Monday through
Friday, hindered farm operations
and growth of vegetation. Field
activities ranged from practical
ly none in the north to very
heavy in the southeast near tha
end of the wee,k. Rainfall was
light to moderate with some lo
cally heavy amounts in the
mountains. Soil moisture ranges
from adequate to surplus.
Hay, Pastures Good
Hay and pasture fields look
generally good but growth is
slow, the Department said. Some
seeding that were severely dam
aged by drought last summer are
making poor stands Some spray
ing for spittlebug is reported.
Winter wheat and barley seem
to be in good condition but cool
weather delayed growth. Oats
are being sown generally in the
southeast. Some early planted
oats are sprouting A few early
planted potatoes aie showing
above ground.
Asparagus is reported nearly
ready to cut Harvesting of spin
ach, beets and parsnips con
tinues Some onions, peas, let
tuce, radishes and cabbage are
being planted for fresh market.
Vegetable acreage for processing
has been confined mostly to peas
and cabbage Strawberries are
reported in good condition.
REPORT TO APRIL 23
Further delay of spring weath
er kept Pennsylvania fanners out
of their fields in most sections of
the State during the week ended
Monday, April 23, the State De
partment of Agriculture said to
day Cold, rainy weather with
snow flumes in northern and
western counties slowed up
spring planting and plowing, ac
cording to the weekly-Federal-
State weather and crop survey.
(Continued on Page Three)
21 CARS DERAILED
Twenty-one freight cars were
piled up along the right-of-way
and six or seven cars tumbled
into the Susquehanna River near
Fishing Creek Tuesday morning.
The cars, on the Port Deposit line
of the Pennsylvania, were part
of a 135-car string. Cause has
een undetermined.