VOL. 10 NO. 23 ' i+\ V v V + •> ■c'VT * ** K'i- * $ . - ♦ GERALD SNAVELY, LITITZ Rl, glances back briefly as he heads down the field planting part of his 126-acre corn crop. He has used wheel track planting a minimum tillage technique for the past eight years. In this practice, a seed bed is fitted in plowed land by the action of the tractor wheels and an extra wheel mounted in front of the planter. This is the first year Snavely has used a four-row planter. The offset effect that he managed by his hitching arrangement can be seen from the angle of this picture. “It’s the little refinements in equip ment and in technique which makes this practice work,” ’Jerry tells us. Grumbling, Cloister FFA Chapter, Wins Area Land Contest Kenneth Giumlbling of Stev ens Rl, a junior class mem ber of the Cloister FFA Chap ter of Ephrata High School, topped the field in the York- Lan'easter area land judging contest held this week at the Susquehannock High School, Glen Rock, York County. He was one of four Cloister mem bers placing in the top ten. This- was Grumbling’s first jear in competition in land judging. In fact, he had no experience in Land judging prior to this year’s course in vocational agriculture. When asked-by teacher Lewis Ay ers how he managed to do so well, he replied that he studi ed very hard over last week end in preparation for the contest! Runner-up was Eichlard Smith from the Solaneo FIFA Chapter. This contest serves as a fi nal examination for the top hoyis taking the land judging unit in their vo-ag programs. (Continued on Page 4) Farm Calendar May 10 Fulton Grange #66 will host Granges of Lan caster County at Oakryn 720 pm Soil and Water Conservation District Di rectois at County Court House. May 111 10 am to 3 p.«n. DHlAmemiber tour of dairy (barn (remodeling and ex pansion; starts at Jay Gar- Iber farm, Lancaster R 6 6 pjn. Garden Spot 4hH IComtounity Olu'b at Smoke (Contmued on Page 12) Governor Scranton Dedicates New Pennsylvania Agriculture Building From the seat of a tractor Governor William Scranton cut the rihlbon in a dedica tion ceremony “officially” opening the 'Pennsylvania De partment of Agriculture’s new building 'The Governor told the group assembled for the cere mony that “seventy years ago the Department of Agricul ture was founded in the be lief it could help assure us an adequate food supply and help many of our people elim inate some of the slavery and drudgery then prevalent in farming. “Seventy years ago in its little one room headquarters in the old iOapitol Building, THE NEW PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURE BUILDING WAS DEDICAT ED BY GOVERNOR WILLIAM SCRANTON this week in a ribbon-cutting cere mony which featured the Governor on a tractor. The building has been in use since last December 16, and is the official home of the Pa. Dept, of Agriculture. The one-story, connected building on the right rear is a laboratory extension and greenhouse. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 8, 1965 the 'Department was and stall is today a pait of government intended as a seivlce for the people “Today we stand on the thieshold of both a new budd ing and a new era in this NEW Pennsylvania,” the Gov ernor proclaimed. According to Pennsylvania Secretary olf Agriculture Le land H Bull, the new build ing, in use since last Decelm ber 16, has enabled his de partment; to exlpanid its vari ous services to the general public For example, use of the conference facilities by an increasing number of farm organizations confirms the (Continued on Page 6) Jerry Snavely Saves Soil And Tillage Costs With WheelT rack Corn Planting Eight yeais ago, Jerry Snavely was a sophomoie in high school He chanced to lead a college reseaach pa pei on wheel track planting, and felt that the method might be piactical for open ing up some of the fields for continuous coin on the 175- acre home farm “The equipment was pretty primitive that first year. The method was so new there was nobody around to ask about the details so we just had to figure it out as we went along,” Snavely recalled. Us ing pictures and a sketchy understanding of the principle involved, he developed a two row planter and adapted a 30-year-old CaterpiUe<r tractor to pull it by adding a three point hitch They managed to plant 40 acies in corn by wheel-track that first year The farm nOiw has 126 acres L. F. Photo. Special Meeting Will Launch Youth S & W Conservation Projects A special meeting on the 4-H Soil and Water Conserva tion Project bias been set for Thuisday, May 13, at the Farm Bureau Bldg, in Lancaster, ac cording to Winth'rop Mernam, associate county agent. The program is open to any present 4 J H Club member, or any other young person of 4-H Club age. There are no restrictions regarding place of residence. Farm, rural-non farm, and urban youngsters may take part. At Thursday’s meeting the conservation project will be thoroughly explained, record books will be distributed, and the awards program outlined. (Continued on Page 12> $2 Per Year in continuous corn, and Suave ly becomes moie sold on the “new” method each year. Although yield has in creased each year, with the exception of last year, Snave ly feels this advantage is leally secondary. The mam advantages come from re duced tillage costs, which he estimates at about a $5 sav ings per acre, and from a re duction in soil erosion. He also noted that the soil tilth and water-holding capacity have steadily imfproved. •The Snavely farm does not contain much limestone soil; most of it is Berks shaley silt loam Accoiding to coun (Continued on Page 5) Vo-Ag Teachers Plan For County Institute Days At their regular monthly meeting held this week in the Warwick High School, _ the county teachers of vocational agriculture made plans for pai ticipation in the County Institute Days to ,be held! next Fall The tiwo-day meeting will he general the first day, and Ibreak up into special in terest gioups the second day. The agriculture section will be held from 8 30-11 ,- 30 aim. on the second dlay. A committee Was named (Continued on Page 6) Ivanhoe Dau. Gains National HIR Prominence A Registered Holstein cow owned by Sinking Springs Farms, 'lnc, York, hlas en tered the select teir'cle of na tional and state leaKJers on Dairy Herd 'lmprovement Registry test Holstein-Frifesian Associa tion of America reports that Sinking Springs Twain Bright (VG) has completed the fouitb highest official nation al milk record made toy a Junior threte-year-old milked two times daily in the 365- (Continued on Page 4) Weather Forecast Temperatures for the five day period, Saturday through Wednesday, are expected to average above the normal of 73 degrees high and 49 low. It will be generally warm throughout, but will become cooler about mid-week. Precipitation is expected to total more than Vz inch. This will occur as showers on Saturday and again on Tuesday.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers