Vol. 1 No. 45 State’s Peach Crop at Prime; Northeast Wet HARRISBURG Harvesting ol the mam crop of late varie ties of Pennsylvania peaches is appioachmg its peak and sup plies should be plentiful on local markets over the next two weeks, the State Department of Agricul tuie announced today Giant-sized Hales and early Elbertas are being: picked in the Adams-Franklin-York and the Berks-Lehigh fruit belts with the big crop of late El hertas still to come, a Depart* ment survey revealed. Summer varieties are still-being picked in Erie County with chances that some late Elbertas may not ripen due to the late, cool season. In an average year peach har vesting in Pennsylvania usually is completed shortly after Labor Dav, but cool weather greatly changed the situation this year, obseivers said. - Weather and working condi tions on Pennsylvania farms during-the week ended Monday v\ ei e generally good with the ex ception of the northeastern por tion where ram and wet ground icstncted activities, the Depart ment said.' Farmers were busy plowing for winter grams, mak ing hay, filling' silos and harvest ing oats Cora is in excellent condi tion in southeastern counties, but elsewhere in the State warmer nights are needed for best progress. Third cuttings of hay are underway in the southeast while second cuttings continue in the rest of the rest of the State. Pastures gen erally are in good condition. Digging of early potatoes in noithern areas has been handi tappd by wet ground with some tubers reported rotting in Ithe holds Cutting of tobacco con tinues m Lancaster County Har ios ting of late summer apples continues. Harvesting of the staked toma to ci op in Luzerne Coujity is about completed. Most fresh 'egetables are in good supply, cabbage and sweet corn in heavy supply. l onghin Ayrshires tiled for Mouth The purebred dairy herd of C. Ell wood Laughm of Chester Springs, has achieved top recog nition during a recent month for outstanding production. The 11 cow producers are credited with a 'waging 1-108 IBs of 4.5% milk and so lbs of butterfat, actual, " hl °h placed them among the nation’s top Ayrshire herds m the Ayrshire Herd Test Division 01 cow's In accordance w ith the rules of the Association, ' registered cows m the herd, milking or dry, are included m me average. With 16,000 cows on test, the s'rshire holds the record among 11 dairy breeds as having the test GSt percenta S e of cows on Peaches-are at their-prime in the-Gar* den Spot, as “excellent growing and Har vesting conditions have aided in moving Loss $75,000 in County Bam Fire - Loss was estimated at $75,000 when fire caused by lightning Saturday night destroyed the stone and frame bank-bam and machinery shed, a frame mach n ery shed and corn cnb on the Arthur ajjd Chester Tout Farm, R 1 Lancaster, a mile north of Oyster Point Saturday afternoon Lightning caused other across the county In the Tout fire, 75 tons of baled hay, 50 tons of straw, and 2000 bushels of oa s were lost- The barn was bui’t at least 150 years ago. Broilers Listed, Offered Increase During August A marked increase in listings md offerings in broilers is shown n comparison of August 1955 md August 1956 receipts at the Lancaster Poultry Exchange in Rohrerstown However, total sold ieclined by 2117. In seven sales last month, 234 ots, 623,880 birds were, listed, '■ompared to August 1955 with ->ight sales, 245 lots, 570,847 birds l is ted; for Aug 1956, 232 lots, >18;630 birds were offered, for Aug. 1955, 245 lots, 568,622; and sold in Aug 1956 were 203 lots, 517,455 birds, compared to Aug. 1955 with 220 lots, 519,652 birds sold. Eurther military manpower re ductions could be possible with the introduction of new weapons, according to Admiral Radford. yuanyville (Lancaster County) Pa., Friday, Sept. 7, 1956 Lancaster County Peaches Northern Parts Of State Slow In Crop Growth By ERNEST J. NEILL COUDERSPOHT, Pa Crop development in the northern reaches of the Commonwealth is slow, a trip through sections of Potter County into New York State last weekend showed. Rainfall is more than adequate, especially with the 19156 crop of potatoes about ready for harvest around the Potato capital of the world Potato City, Pa. Temperatures Friday and Saturday were decidedly warm with rains that made humidity 'high and ground underfoot most soggy. Monday morning a reading of 36 degrees chilled the neighbor hood. There is one bright note, for ests seem to be in prime condi tion and the supply of deer is heavy feeding on good growths of vegetation as a rule. In one drive through Potter County mountains, 14 deer were sighted, and in another trip just across New York State line, 17 were seen. Gladioli are just in their prime, but many fields of hay are in bad shape, soaked after cutting: by continuous rains. Some residents say it rained 28 days out of the 31 in July. Some 40 members of the Quar ryville Memorial Methodist Choir and families, spent their 11th an nual Labor Day weekend at the Quarryville Rod and Gun Club in the mountains between Gale ton and Coudersport. Due to heavy rams, the choir attended the Park Avenue Methodist Church in Coudersport Sunday morning and sang one hymn for the host congregation and choir. * th-e. 1956 crop.. Best buy, according to the - experts, will be at the groves during the next week. Dairy Show Sept. 19 At Quarryville Fair Farm Prices in Pennsylvania Up Seven Points HARRISBURG The index of prices received by Pennsyl vamavama farmers for their principal products during the month ended August 15 showed an advance of seven points, the State Department of Agriculture said this week. Federal-State surveys set the overall index at 242 per cent of its 1910-14 aver age. For the same period the na tional farm price index declin ed seven points, to 237. The'’ Pennsylvania increase was at tributed by observers largely to marketing advantages held by Keystone State farmers, the seasonal advance in milk prices and the inclusion of potatoes in the August is survey. These prices were omitted in the July 15 survey due to light movement at that time. This price index report gives an Au gust 15 average of $3.00 per hundred pounds, 77 cents above the national average. Pennsyl vania potatoes early this week were down to $2.00-$2.30 per hundredweight wholesale, the Department pointed out. The price index fof ail Penn- Due to a conflict with the state show, judging of dairy cattle at the Southern Lan caster County Community Fair in Quarryville will be Wednes day afternoon, Sept. 19 at one o’clock. Dick Adams of the state ex tension service will judge the event, which will permit ex hibitors to move on to the Har risburg show the following day. Dates for the Solanco Fair are Sept. 19, 20 and 21. (Continued on page 12) $2 Per Year Tobacco Here Moving Quick, Crops Excellent There was no Labor Day holi day Monday in the tobacco fields of Lancaster County, where the heavy 1956 crop is at its peak of movement into drying sheds. Farmers are working on a full schedule to get the crop housed, and many are hanging the new cutting on outside racks for in itial wilt and drying, until that already filling the barns shrinks enough to permit additional hanging. “Things are about normal crop-wise,” M. M. Smith, Lan caster county agricultural agent said this morning, “we’ve had no drouth, tobacco is being harvested rapidly, and some farmers are already fin ished. This is rather early for September, in fact the entire crop is a bit earlier than nor mal. Ripening was rapid.” Silo filling is underway every where Mr. Smith adds a word of caution on _ sorghum-soybean combinations: “Cut when sorg hum heads have seeds heads in the dough stage, and when there are small beans in the soybean pods, put in silos with no wilt ing and no preservatives. Sorg hum provides the necessary sugars.” Winter oats seeding: should be completed by Sept. 15-20, Mr. Smith tells, using the lead ing varieties, LeCo'nte or Du- Bois at a seeding rate of two to two and one-half bushels per acre on well drained soils. “Fertilize heavier grounds with 0-20-20 at the rate of 300 to 400 lbs per acre. If the soil nature is such that there is no danger of lodging, use a com plete fertilizer at the same rate, such as 4-12-12 or 5-10-10.” Right now Lancaster County peach producers are in the midst of their harvest, and the crop looks good/ Here are other crop reports is sued by Associate County Agent Harry S. Sloat: Corn: Maturing rapidly, that planted prior to May 20 has suf ficient moisture for maturity. Prospects indicate one of the heaviest crops in years. Alfalfa: Third cutting progres sed rapidly last week, weather favorable for good cure. Sorgo and soybeans, maturing rapidly. Peaches: Crop moving to mar ket in considerable volume, sup ply will be excellent for at least another week. Consumers advis ed to get tree-ripened peaches at orchards for best dessert, fresh, canning or freezing use; quality good. Early Potatoes: Harvest start ing, yields favorable; prices weakening with heavy digging in progress in Delaware, New Jer- (Continued on page 14) Warwick Shorthorn Bull Tops Maryland Txmonium, Md Warwick Beaming Boy, shown by Warwick Farms, R 4 Lititz, won honors as grand champion bull m the Shorthorn show at the 1956 Mary land State Fair. Orus B King as herd manager, won six first place blue ribbons for the owner of Warwick Farms, Irl A. Baffin. Eight herds were in, competition in the Shorthorn show.