■ a ** ****** n
Vol II- No. 46
Harry H. Ranck
Herd Average
Tops Red Rose
The registered. Holstein herd
of Harry H. Ranck, R 1 Ronks,'
completed the highest yearly pro
du'ction average in the Red Rose
DHIA, it was anounced at the
association’s annual banquet-
Tuesday night at Blue Ball Fire
Hail.
The herd, which averaged 24.
03 cows for the year, produced
an average of 612 5 pounds of
butterfat and 15,526 pounds of
milk
Second was -the Guernsey herd
of Raymond F. Witmer, R 1 Wil
low Street. With the herd aver
aging 4614 cows, the average
production was 578.5 pounds of
butterfat and 11,536 pounds of
milk.
These two dairymen were
among six breed leaders cited at
the meeting. Other breed leaders
are Brown Swiss, John M. Beil
er, R 2 Gap, 374 5 pounds butter
fat, Ayrshire, Eli N. Martin, R 1
Stevens, 386 pounds butterfat;
mixed, Raymond R Landis, R 4
Lancaster, 486.7 pounds butter
fat; and Jersey, Willis M. Groff,
R 1 New Providence, 413.5
pounds of butterfat.
Others of the top 10 herds are
Job Stoltzfus, R 2 Elverson, Hol
stein, 533.3; Marvin A. Eshle
man, Strasburg, Holstein r -524.2;
Jacob L. Kurtz, R 2 Elizabeth
town, Holstein, 515 9, Gene Wit
mer, Churchtown, Holstein, 507;
Harold K. Book, R 1 Ronks, Hol
stein, 501.1; Albert R Fry, R 2
Manheim,, Holstein, 5011; John
G Metzler, R 1 Christiana, Hol
stein. 501; and J Lester Stauffer,
R 2 Manheim, Holstein, 500 6.
The association board of direc
tors was elected for the follow
ing years. Elected for one year
were Jay Garb°r, R 6 Lancaster;
Irwin Musser R 1 Mt Joy, Robert
Mast, R 2 Narvon; and D Martin
Zimmerman, R 1 East Earl
Elected for a two year term
were Ezra Martin, R 1 Ephrata;
Donald S. Eby, R 1 Gordonvdle;
Henry H. Hackman, R 2 Man
heim, Marvin E. Hershey, R 1
Gordonville; and Robert Groff,
R 3 Quarryville; J. Everett Kreid- j
THESE ARE THE OWNERS of herds top
ping their breeds in the past testing year
of the Red Rose DHIA. They are, left to
right, Harry H. Ranck, R 1 Ronks, Holstein;
Quarryville (Lancaster County) Pa., Friday, Sept. 27. 1957
OWNERS OF FIVE OF THE herds mak
ing over 500 pounds of butterfat during
the last year in the Red Rose DHIA are
shown here They are, left to right, Har
old Book, R 1 Ronks; Jacob L. Kurtz, R 2
Elizabethtown; Rohrer Witmer, R 2 Willow
er, R 1 Quaryville; J. Rohrer Wit
mer, R 1 Willow Street; and
David F. Harnish, R 2 Quarry
vilHe.
Eby, Hackman, Witmer, Mast,
Heishay, Zimmerman and Kauff
man were- re elected Jo the boards
“Witmer is the present president.
Head tester, Curtis Akers, Me
chanic Grove, was named out
standing tester of the year.
Speaking at the meeting was
Herbert Gnlmoie, head of the
DHIA program at Penn State
He explained some of the pro
blems that have arisen in con
nection with the 'change-over to
machine record keeping j
Gilmore sa.d that no improve
ment in the return of racoids to
the farm can be anticipated untiT
December or January. At that,'
time, he said, the promised 10
day return may be possible. I
Record returns are now run
ning a month to six weeks be
hind the test date
Gilmore gave lack of machines
and lack of trained personnel as
(Continued on page 14) I
Eli N. Martin, HI Stevens, Ayrshire; R. F.
Witmer, R 1 Willow Street, Guernsey; and
Raymond Landis, R 4 Lancaster, mixed.
(LF Photo)
Street, Red Rose president; Harry Ranck,
R 1 Ronks, Raymond F. Witmer, R 1 Wil
low Street: and Albert Fry, R 2 Manheim.
Ranck’s Holsteins set a new record for the
association by producing an average of
612 pounds of butterfat. (LF Photo)
Fall Plowing Underway Throughout
State; Corn Prospects Better
i Late maturing corn, pastures
_ and spring-seeded grasses were
stimulated by statewide rains ac
companied by warm and humid
■ weather during the week ended
Monday, according to surveys an
nounced today by the State De
i partment of Agriculture.
| Fall plowing was underway in
j all counties in preparation of seed
l beds for planting winter grains.
Corn yield prospects were much
better than expected two or three
weeks ago because of favorable
growing conditions of the past
week, the survey showed. Pas
tures impioved but were still
short. Grazing was limited to
areas not so senouply affected by
the prolonged dry period Silo
filling should draw to a close by
the end of this week
Most areas across the State re-
ceived at least one inch of rain
during the week. The least rain
fall was recorded in the State Col
lege area where slightly more
than one-half inch fell. The Pitts
burgh area had 3 64 inches during
the week while southeastern
drought cunties had from one to
nearly two inches of rain.
Warm temperatures favored the
ripening of tobacco, although
there are still some green fields
in Lancaster County. These areas
ire vulnerable to early frost, ob
servers said.
With sufficient rains in the
Now Is The Time . . .
By MAX SMITH
County Agricultural Agent
TO BEWARE OF THE CORN PICKER In
reality very few pieces of machinery are actually
dangerous; it’s the operator who "usually permits
the accident to happen. At this time of the har
vest season we recognize the mechanical corn pick
er as a great labor-saver and also a machine that
has injured many people. We repeat the warn
ing to be extremely careful with them, follow
the manufacturer’s directions, and never adjust
or clean the working paits when the Machine is
in motion. The accident can happen TO YOU.
TO SOW COVER CROPS Land allowed to re
main bare over the winter months may not be as
good next Spring, soil losses through both water
and wind erosion on open land will reduce your
top-soil Cover crops such as domestic ryegrass, winter rye, or most
jf the winter grams may still be planted and do a lot of good.
TO BE SURE WINTER GRAINS ARE TREATED Before seed
mg any of the winter grams it is recommended that growers check
to be sure that the seed has been treated for the control of smuts
and other seed-borne diseases; most reliable seed distributors will
be handling treated seed. Farmers who plant their own gram
should treat the seed before it goes into the ground.
TO IMPROVE CALF RAISING PRACTICE Your future in the
dairy business depends largely on the kind of replacement stock that
is being raised not only on your farm but on ail dairy farms. Many
calf pens, stalls, and barns are too dark, damp, cold, and drafty for
the health of young calves. The proper growth and development
the first year is so very important in the future production of the
animals A leaflet “Raising Dairy Calves” may be of help to you.
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR CATTLE TOUR The date is
Tuesday, Oct. 8, to Franklin and Adams County, we travel by bus to
see how other feeders save labor and visit the great fruit belt of
Pennsylvania. Reservations to be made at this office by Oct 5.
$2 Per Year
Garden Spot
Entry First
In Egg Contest
A pen of Juniata County
White Leghorn hens was declar
ed the winning entry in the 1956-
57 Pennsylvania Official Egg Lay
ing Test supervised by the State
Department ot Agriculture.
The White Leghorns of Leo J.
Graybill, McAlisterville, produc
ed a total of 3 757 eggs for 4,038
points during the test period of
11 and one-half months. Second
place went to a New Jersey pen
of White Leghorns that produced
3,750 eggs and scored 4,000
points, a point being equivalent
to one two ounce egg.
Seven Pensylvania pens placed
among the top ten out of 63 en
tries from 11 states A Pennsyl
vania White Leghorn from the
Keystone Poultry Farm, Ephrata,
took top individual honors with
333 eggs and 361 points in 350
days.
The Pennsylvania pens, and
their placmgs, include: Greider
Leghorn Farms, Mt. Joy, fourth
and tenth; Guy A. Leader and
Sons, York, fifth; Leo J. Gray
bill, sixth; Spring Run Poultry
Farms, Parkesburg, seventh, and
L. E Tice, Hummelstown, eighth.
All were White Leghorns except
the Tice entry of Rhode Island
Reds.
The average number of eggs
produced by the birds during the
test was 250.52, more than seven
eggs above the 1955-56 test aver
age. Through improved breed
ing practices and flock manage
ment the mortality rate was
down 3.23 per cent from a year
previous.
heavier apple producing areas,
orchardmen expect late varieties
to improve in sizing. Harvesting
of grapes in the Erie County fruit
belt is expected to get into full
swing by the end of this week