20—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. February 12, 1972
Frpm Local Aa Teacher*:
Editor’s Note: “Can you afford to put your hay crop
second?" is the third of many articles in a special column
written by various agriculture teachers in our service area.
Designed to be of interest to and have educational value for
all farm people, the articles offer an opportunity for the farm
community to become better acquainted with the teachers
and for them to express their own interest in the local
agricultural community.
By Donald Robinson,
Adult Farmer Advisor,
Eastern Lancaster Co.
School District
When we see alfalfa hay prices
go over $6O a ton at local sales
and a lot of our Lancaster County
land has the potential of over six
tons per acre, can we afford to
put off making hay in order to
plant corn’
The keys to top alfalfa
production are attention to
details, doing what needs to be
done WHEN it should be done.
What needs to be done?
1. Select a variety for your soil
and cropping situation. If you
have a north slope or fields that
freeze out on you and you desire
long rotations, go with the winter
hardy, high yielding vanety-
Iroquois.
If you are shooting for shorter
rotations with highest yield
Last Request
Andrew Johnson, 17th
US. president, was buried
wrapped in the Stars and
Stripes, with a copy of the
Constitution under his head.
The patriot’s last request
was “Pillow my head on the
Constitution of my country.
Let the flag of the nation be
my winding sheet ”
sustain top
production
with the
BABCOCK
B-300
Keeping production up...cost*
down... Is the profit key In poultry
operations. And more and more
records on commercial flocks of
Babcock B-300’s...“The Busi
nessman’s Bird”...show sus
tained production of top quality
eggs...often with an additional
20 to 30 eggs per bird housed
over other strains. Come in...
look at the records and the B-300
..."The Businessman’s Bird”.
BABCOCK
FARMS, INC
Telephone (717) 6264561)
Thoughts
in Passing
potential, quick regrowth and
early maturity, use Saranac or
Promor variety.
2. Establish well—either Fall
or Spring seedings can be suc
cessfully established.
Prepare a firm seedbed; those
alfalfa seeds are very small; if
they don’t get in firm contact
with the soil, you’ll have trouble.
Cultipack before and after
seeding if necessary to get firm.
Of course, you should fertilize
to soil test recommendations
before seeding, and don’t skimp
on the lime or potash.
3. Control grass weeds before
seeding with an incorporated
herbicide. Broadleaf weeds can
be controlled when the alfalfa
plant forms the first trifoliate
leaves. Don’t cut corners and say
they’ll get shaded out after the
first cutting.
4. Maintain once established.
Top dress annually with 0-80-240
with boron. We recommend split
applications, 400 pounds of 0-10-30
after first cutting, and 400 pounds
of 0-10-30 after third or fourth
cutting, and be sure to maintain a
pH above 6.8, with necessary
lime applications.
5. Control insects. When you
saw the weavil eating leaves, you
sprayed to control him. Now you
aren’t bothered much with the
weavil so you figure you have no
problems.
But very few alfalfa fields are
not reduced in yield because of
the leafhopper. And most of you
argue that you don’t see him or
his damage. That’s because most
of you don’t know how to catch
him or identify him once you
have caught him.
R
ALFALFA
...for Professionals
Growth Habit: upright, broad leaves, dark green
Vigor: excellent, in seedling and after cutting
Maturity: very early
Disease resistance: very wilt resistance, tolerant to
common leaf spot and downy mildew.
Insect resistance: tolerant to pea aphid.
Winter hardiness: exceptional.
five or more years under good manage-
Longevity
ment.
Yields: Exceptionally high, and high in protein
Call
pEDSj
Sweep the top of your alfalfa
with you hat, look real quick for a
tiny, thin, pale green insect that
will most likely hop or fly away
immediately. The adult spittle
bug is often confused with the
leafhopper, but his is larger and
more brownish. Aphids are small
and green but more roundish and
won’t fly away.
Chances are you won’t find
leafhoppers on the first cutting.
They come into the area after the
middle of June when the weather
is warmer.
If you catch one or two hoppers
in 10 sweeps, it is time to spray.
Their damage is done by
sucking juices from the plant, no
holes will be in the leaves.
Symptoms of damage are stunted
growth you usually blame on the
weather, later on crop will begin
to yellow. Slow regrowth after
cutting is often present.
You must control this insect if
you are going to realize top
production.
6. Time of harvest. It’s hard to
convince farmers that first
catting alfalfa, cut a the proper
stage of maturity, full bud, and
even lightly rained on, will
produce hay with more feeding
oar Hoffman Seed Man
Donald Robinson
value then the same hay allowed
to go 10 more days till the
weather is “just right.” But if you
get in the habit of getting you hay
analyzed for protein and TDN,
you will soon realize this.
In addition to loss of feeding
value while waiting, you are
losing those days of regrowth and
pushing each successive cutting
later. Other cuttings should be
harvested at EARLY bloom
(about 35 days later).
7. To prevent freeze out or
winter damage do not harvest
last cutting between September
15 and a killing frost. After frost,
cuttings should be made by
leaving at least 4 inches of
stubble. Purpose for waiting is to
allow root reserves to be built up
so plant can overwinter and
JL
nr I\EW HOLLAND
SPREADERS
New Holland
Model 675 S
Spreader
jriW
A. B. C. Groff, Inc.
110 S. Railroad Ave
New Holland
354-4191
Roy A. Brubaker
700 Woodcrest Ave.
Lititz
626-7766
survive the freezing and thawing
of the ground.
For details on herbicides, in
secticides, or fertilizers, check
with your local agriculture
department or county Extension
agent. Attend the winter
meetings of Young Farmers,
Extension meetings, and com
merical dealers.
But don’t wait until June to put
these ideas into practice. The
beginning of top yields are being
made now by purchasing the
needed materials so you won’t
have to wait on them later when
you have to move. Be ready to go
when the time is right.
Six tons at $6O per ton is a lot of
return per acre, but you won’t get
it by treating your hay crop
second best.
L. H. Brubaker
350 Strasburg Pike
C. E. Wiley & Son, Inc.
101 S. Lime St., QuarryvUle
786-2*95
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Lancaster
397-5179