Vol. 1 No. 46
Frost Threat
Scares County,
Speeds Work
Threat of frost damage put a
bit of fright in Lancaster County
Ijrmers last weekend, but, al
though some light frost was re
potted. there was no damage
This is one of the highlights
of the week’s weather and crop
report as given by County
Agricultural Agent Max M.
Smith. “It proves,” he told
Lancaster Farming, “we could
get hurt this early in the sea
son. It has speeded up farm
work. Tobacco harvesting is
about 75 per cent completed in
the County, and now is the
tme to make silage of soybeans
and sorghum. Silo filling is in
full tilt right now.”
Lancaster County farmers
should seed winter oats this week
and next on well drained ground.
Winter barley seeding is best
heic the last week of September
to early October, say Sept 24 to
Oct 6 The three best varieties
locally are Wong, Kenbar and
Hudson The Hessian fly-free
date locally will not come until
about Oct 10, he pointed out for
those planning to seed winter
wheat
The bulk of the tomato crop
has moved to market. “It is too
early to figure the County
tobacco yields—lt’s too early,”
Mr. Smith said pointing to the
County average of 1400 to 1300
lbs per acre. Some figures fore
cast 1700 lbs, but Mr, Smith
said he wouldn’t venture a
guess.
In a national crop report is
sued this week, prospects of a
3 300,000,000 bu. corn crop
piomise to break records, de
spite drouth damage in some
parts of the Corn Belt. Soybeans,
estimated at 462 million bu may
exceed last year by 90 “million
bushels.
Fall vegetables are expected
tn be in larger supply nationally,
but fruit prospects are two per
cent below 1955 and three per
cent under average.
Rain was quite general over
Lancaster County Thursday of
last week, with reports oT one
inch to an inch and a half. Fol-
(Continued on page 7)
Broiler Prices
12.42 Cents Off
From Last Year
Bi oiler prices at the Lancaster
Poultry Exchange this week:
aveiaged 19 03 cents, in a range
of 18 75 to 20.25, considerably
below the range of 26 to 29 75
tents for the corresponding week
a \ ear ago, ending Sept. 10, 1955.
the range a year ago last week
was 26 to 29.75 cents
Here are comparative figures;
week ending Sept. 8, 1956:
Listed, 54 lots, 167,400 birds;
53 lots, 166,700 birds;
",o ' 154,000 birds, range
to 20.25, average 19 03
*>eek ending Sept. 10, 1955:
Listed 50 lots, 120,700 birds;
-1., 5° lots, 120.700 birds;
26 t 29 £ tS ’ 110,700 bjrdS > ran * e
t 0 29.75, average 27.45 cents.
Steel has arrived for the new Lancaster
Poultry Center Building, and a derrick is
already on hand to place the .beams in po
sition. The basement of the $30,000 strut-
Fair At York
Op ens Season
Along Tanbark
By ERNEST J. NEILL
■YORK AH the hoopla and
sounds and smells of the tanbark
trail is in progress at York this
week during the 1956 York In
terstate Fair
Lancaster County triumphed
by conquering the Shorthorn
Show completely, with War-
wick Farms, R 4 Lititz continu
■ ing the winning streak that has
taken them to victories this
season at the Maryland State
Fair and the Indiana County
Fair.
Warwick Beaming Boy, three
year-old roan bull named grand
champion at Maryland and In
diana County, topped all as
senior and grand champion win
ner aj York. Owned by Irl Baf
fin, shown by herd manager Orus
King, seven victories were rack
ed up by the Lancaster County
entries. Others winning for War
wick included; Warwick Prin
cess, senior and grand champion
female; Waiwick Flying Prince,
junior champion bull; Warwick
Flying Eddie, reserve junior
champion; Warwick Flying
Thyme, junior and reserve
champion female; Waiwick For
tress Model, reserve jury or
champion female.
In all, Warwick garnered 10
championships and 12 blues.
Crowds thronged the fair*
' grounds *ll week, and, acoord
ng to John M. Rudisill, man
ager in charge of the livestock
(Continued on' page ID
viuai'ryvuie (Lancaster County)' Pa., Friday, Sept. 14, 1Q56
Steel for Poultry Center
Flying Farmers in
Atlantic City Visit;
New Officers Named
Labor Day weekend found sev
eral Pennsylvania Flying Farm
ers going by plane to Atlantic
City. Making the..trip were Mr.
and Mrs. L. L. Logan of Kennett
Square, Mr. and Mrs. Russell
Pisor of Portersville, Mr. and
Mrs. Elmo Travis of Smicksburg,
Mr and Mrs. John Gehman of
Barto.
At ,a director’s meeting, Mr.
Logan resigned as a state director
due to his recent election to the
governing board of the national
Flying Farmers Association.
Mr Gehman was elected pres
ident for 1956-57, Gail Kimmel
of Enon Valley as vice president;
Mr. Travis treasurer, and Mrs.
Logan secretary.
Soianco Fair
Next Week to
Open Season
Opening the Lancaster Coun
ty fair season next week will be
the Southern Lancaster County
Community Fair at Quarryville,
beginning Wednesday, extending
through Friday,
Dairy judging and-judging of
swine and beef cattle will high
light events opening day. Date
of dairy judging was moved up
to permit exhibitors to show in
the State event at Harrisburg
Thursday.
Dick Adams of the University
of Pennsylvania will judge dairy
stock beginning at 1 p. m. Baby
beeves will be judged at 2. Pa
rade night is Wednesday with
ten prizes from $lO to $25, coro
nation of a Harvest Queen that
evening, a Baby Parade Thurs
day afternoon, followed by a
Pet Parade, the LanChester
Chorus Thursday evening, and
the County 4H Tractor Driving
Contest Friday.
mre is complete, and volunteer laborers
are urged to call-Lewis Mortensen, secre
tary, at his home in East Petersburg.
(Lancaster Wrnhng'Staif Photo). -
Cool Weather,
Damaging Frost
Curtail Crops
HARRISBURG Continued
cool weather ana some damaging
frosts in the northeastern quarter
of Pennsylvania reduced farm
crop prospects, especially for
corn, during the week ended
Monday, the State Department of
Agriculture said today.
Corn for grain is an excellent
crop in the southeast and cen
tral sections, but jnuch soft oit
immature 'corn is expected in
northern counties, a Federal-
State survey showed Week-end
temperatures dropped below
freezing in the Phillipsburg
area and brought early frosts
to some localities.
The outlook for the next few
days shows little change in tem
peratures with scatterd showers
about Thursday.
Elberta peach harvest is about
at peak in the southeast and pro
gressing in all other sections, the
Department reported. Picking of
apples for processing gained
volume during the week. Harvest
of tomatoes and corn for pro
cessing continues, but is past the
peak.
Killing of late potato vines
preparatory to harvest is under
way in many sections of the
State. Potatoes are yielding well
but some are rotting in the
ground due to wet conditions, the
survey found.
For the State as a whole,
field work on farms progress
ed satisfactorily in most areas.
In northwestern counties wet
soils continued to hinder har
vesting of-oats and wheat, also
preparations for fall planting.
Seeding of wheat and barley
is underway in northern and
central areas.
Second and third cuttings of
hay are being made. Some diffi
culty in drying was experienced
in the northwest. Spring scod
ings for hay are in excellent con
dition.
?2 Per Year
Garden Spot
Ninth in IL S.
Farm Products
Lancaster County in 1954
again led the nation’s non-irn
gated counties in value of all
farm products sold a stagger
ing $80,150,566, according to
figures just released by the
United States Department of
Commerce.
Topped by irriated counties
of California, Arizona, Wash
inton and Colorado only, Lan
caster County ranked 13th in
the United States, moving
down the line from ninth
place in 1949. However, sales
totals moved much higher,
from the $69,681,490 figure of
five years earlier-
Lancaster County is the only
county east of the Mississippi
represented in the first 18 by
rank, with Polk County, Fla, in
19th place. Aroostook County,
Maine, famed for potatoes, stood
23rd, against 16th place in 1949-
Sussex County, Delaware
ranked just above Aroostook an
22nd place, also dropping from,
a higher rank —l3th place
in 1949.
: "Chester County, * Pa., re
ports sales ol $32,730,526 in
1954, against $31,107,184 in
1949, standing in 60th place
for the current report against
47th in 1949.
Another Lancaster County
neighbor, York, placed 87th in
1954, where in 1949 it-was 65th.
Sales in 1954 totaled $27,178,-
969, and in 1949 the total was
$25,756,944.
These were, the only three
Pennsylvania counties among the
first IOCTin the nation.
Total Value
Total value of products sold
from United States farms in
1954 was $24,643,068,087, with
$4,926,148,983, or 20 per cent,
in 100 leading counties, according
to 1954 Census of Agriculture
figures for ranking counties re
leased today by the Bureau of
the Census, U. S. Department of
Commerce. The comparable total
for 1949 was $22,051,129,389,
with $3,838,910,612, or 17.4 per
cent, in 100 leading counties at
that time.
Fresno County, Cal., rank
ed first in value of farm pro
ducts sold in 1954 with $208,-
212,800 0.8 per cent of the
U. S. total; in 1949 Fresno
County ranked second with
$144,006,192. Kern County, Cal.
was second in 1954 with $173,-
with $122,066,240 in 1949. Eos
with $122,066,240 in 1949. os
Angeles County ranked third
in 1954 with $170,452,397; in
1949 Los Angeles County was
first with $156,962,336. Tu
lare County, Cal.; Maricopa
County, Ariz., and San Joaquin
County, Cal,, ranked fourth,
fifth, and sixth, respectively,
in both 1954 and 1949.
The top 100 counties in value
of farm products sold in 1954
were distributed by States as fol
lows; California, 24; Illinois and
lowa, 13 each; Texas, seven;
Florida, five; Washington, four;
Arizona, Arkansas, Nebraska,
North Carolina, Oregon, and
Pennsylvania, three each; Idaho,
(Continued on page 11)