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School of Agriculture /
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University Pork, Pq,_ 7
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VOL. 15 NO. 25
Ben Shank, one of many neighbors
who took time off from his own spring
Lueck Cocks Ear for Music
Of State’s Singingest Insect
II you hear the sound of music
whdiv you’re out in the fields
in 'the next few days, you may
not 'just be day dreaming or
nee# a hearing aid
Pennsylvania’s laigest singing
insect is due to emerge from
the ground in force
Arnold Lueck, associate coun
ty agricultural agent, predicts
the insect may be at the peak of
activity sometime next week.
Lueck, who remembers the
last time the insect was at the
height of its glory in 1953, is
looking forward to the occur
ence, Re plans to spend some
time driving around to observe
an#listen to the insect 1
The insect’ It’s the periodical
cicada. Make that 17 year lo
cust lor most of us who might
not recognize the periodical
cicada name tag
According to Lueck. we’ie
now right on the verge of an
outbreak of “brood X” (10) ot
the 17 year locust
Lueck explains that various
broods o< the locust emeige at
various years, all at 17 yeai in
tervals. But biood X which is
slated to emeige in within the
next few days is the laigest of
the broods
He notes that theie's an an
nual cicada also, which is seen in
smaller numbers m late sum
mer. This annual vauety
mustn't be confused with the
17 year locust, he advises
What’s it mean ioi the local
farmer?
Far most faimeis, not much,
according to Lueck He notes
that Lancaster County will not
be as heavily infested as many
areas of the state to the noith
and west. That’s because the
locust operates mostly in wood
ed area* and particularly loves
oak trees.
planting to help a neighbor in distress,
stops to replenish the fertilizer supply.
Lueck. however, expects very
significant numbers of the
locusts in the wooded areas of
Lancastei County, which are lo
cated primal ily in the northern
part of the county and to a
lesser extent in the southern
portion of the county, - -
“Damage could be expected to
orchard and ornamental tree
located near a wooded area,'
Lueck said
He explained that locust in
jury as “caused by the slitting ol
young wood m the process o i
egg laying ”
He added, “The only damage
would be to small .twigs and
branches weakened cby.egg lay
ing punctures and breaking off
of the branches We e.xpect the
egg laying in eaily June "
Tree ownexs can expect very
little egg laying on evergreens,
but the locusts paiticularly like
oaks Should a faimer need to
control the insect, Lueck recom
mends Sevm, a wettable chenu
cal powdel which can be applied
every two to thiee days
Except foi possible tiec
damage, little oi no damage is
expected to fawners by the
locusts “Adults do not feed oil
any faim ciops,” Lueck said
He noted th at the insects
spend 17-yeais matuung in oi
dei to spend loiu to six as
adults Almost all of this time
is spent in the giound Aftei
the eggs hatch in the tiee
blanches, the lauae fall and
buuovv into the giound
The fust evidence of the
insects will be the appeal ance of
then skins on tiee trunks The
insects ciawl out of then skins
They also leave holes in the
giound from which they eraeige,
usually during the night
Under ideal conditions, huge
populations of the insect can
occur in an area. In some areas
Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Ma\ 16. 1970
in 1953, the locusts were so thick
it was impossible to walk with
out crushing hundreds of them,
Lueck recalled
If these large populations
should occur in your woods. Mr
Farmer, you might do us a fa\or
and let Lueck know
He has kept his calendar most
ly free for the next two weeks
in anticipation of this unusual
event and a little help could
save him a lot of time driving
around with one ear cocked out
his car window listening for the
music of the 17 year locust.
It’s not too late to see the Lancaster
County 4-H Clubs’ three act comedy,
“Headin’ for a Weddm’ ” Curtain time is
8 p.m. tonight (Saturday) at Conestoga
Working the neighbor’ l ' tield
Neighbors Save
Day for Farmer
When Elias R Groff of Holt
wood RD2 won the dooi prize
at the Lancastei Livestock Feed
er Auction Friday, May 1, it was
the fust strong hint ot things to
come
What possible use could a
healthy 31-year old farmer have
with a cane' Since then, the
answer has hit Elias hard
“Little did 1 think I’d evei
use that cane foi myself, instead
of for pushing cows around,”
Groff told Lancaster Farming.
He made the remark Friday,
May 8, from his bed. The cane
was on the stand nearby, within
easy reach
Even then, Elias already had
used the cane a lot and since
then he’s had even more use for
u And the cane is going to have
a lot more use in the next sev
eral weeks Elias has rheumatic
fever It literally knocked him
off his feet within three days
after he won the cane as a door
prize.
But while his new ailment,
which his doctor advised would
keep him bed-ridden for at least
six weeks, was a dominant fact
of life for Ehas as he talked on
May 8, he wanted the world to
Valley High School. The cast, shown re
cently in rehearsal, includes, from left,
Darlene Nefl, Jesse Balmer, Joanne Rohr
er and Ray Brubaker.
$2.00 Per Ye*
know about something else
the generosity of his fi lends aae
neighbors
A bed-ridden farmer in early
May is a tragic figuie because
that’s planting time And Groff
had barely started planting when
the rheumatic pain hit him at
hard he could barely stand.
But his neighbors had boea
coming and going all day that
Friday, May 8 Elias and his
wife, Marian, had counted it up.
(Continued on Page 11)
Farm Calendar
Saturday, May 16
Youth Ministries of the
Mennomte Central Com
mittee, Aki on headquar
ters, open to public
6 30 pm Farm Women So
ciety 17, mother-daughter
banquet, Rhoads Spanish
Tavern, Quarryville.
8 00 p m. Lancaster County
4-H play, Conestoga Val
ley High School
Sunday, May 17
7 00 .nm —Fulton Grange Go
(Contfaured on Page 12)