Progress Toward A method for successfully freezing boar semen brings the swine industry one step closer to artificial insemination (AI), according to a USDA report. Frozen semen has been widely ased in the cattle industry for 20 NEW 18 CAN MILK COOLERS - Rugged Construction - Modem Insulation - Better Refrigeration - Cabinet Measurements 98” long, 51” wide 32” high including lid. These coolers have a 1 year warranty against defects in workmanship or materials. Thank you for youn business. LLOYD L. MARTIN EPHRATA RD3 PH.717-733-1883 2» *y Wouldn t you rather keep your farm in the family than have it sold for taxes? Planning your estate can help you avoid the unnecessary costs and heavy inheritance taxes that often require selling a farm intended for children and other heirs. But that’s just one of the advantages of planning your estate to protect your family's future. As a typical Lancaster County farmer, you’re probably worth more than you realize and it’s so important to plan your estate for handling by spe cialists. At the Friendly First, our trust officers, George Sload and Rick Ashby, are the experts who can help set up your estate for the best interests of you and your family. Regardless of how little or how much you’re worth, you’ll get personal interest and plenty of time for discussion with a Friendly First trust officer. You can arrange a meeting at any of our branch offices ... or even at your home . . . wherever and whenever it’s most convenient for you. Tragic losses can happen without proper estate planning. Don’t let them happen to your estate. Call George Sload or Rick Ashby today to arrange a discussion that can be very valuable to you and your family. Call them TODAY at 397-4733. Put your trust in the hands of the Friendly First. LANCASTER WILLOW STREET STRASBURG 397-4733 464-3421 687-7617 years, but freezing boar semen has met with many failures. Although some boar sperm motility survived freezing, the main problem has been damage to the sperm’s acrosome of head cap. The acrosome contains I 'm Hke First < notiorul (fecrfih of* Stna&bung. MEMBER F.D.I.C. Hog AI Reported enzymes that the sperm uses to enter and fertilize the egg. Ap parently, acrosome damage prevents this vital process. Another problem is that billions of sperm are needed per in semination to obtain fertilization in sows. The uterus of a sow destroys sperm in great quan tities so that few are available for fertilizing the eggs. The mechanism of this destruction has not been discovered. With all these problems, however, ARS physiologists Vemon A. Pursel and Lawrence A. Johnson have developed a procedure for freezing semen that increases acrosome survival and sperm viability of thawed semen so that fertilization is possible. Workers at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, and at Cambridge University in Englard have also recently reported progress in preservation of boar semen using some what different procedures. In tests at Beltsville, Md., the use of frozen semen has resulted in the birth of 72 piglets from 9 sows. Other sows, inseminated and then slaughtered, were carrying embryos. In all, AI led to sucessful fertilization in 45 of 83 gilts. Though AI has been successful Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Februai with the new freezing, procedure, some gilts checked for pregnancy have been only partially fertile. That is, there were fewer em broys than in a natural-service pregnancy. Dr. Pursel thinks this can be remedied with refined procedures. For AI, fresh semen is collected and diluted with an extender developed at Beltsville. The extender prevents the destruction of sperm cells during freezing. A key factor for success ap pears to be the addition of glycerol to the extender during cooling and its subsequent removal before the semen is acually frozen. Glycerol removal is essential for both sperm motility and acrosome integrity. With cattle semen, leaving glycerol in the extender has no harmful effects. Cooled semen is poured into small indentations in a block of dry ice and frozen into pellets. These pellets are then collected and frozen at 196 degrees C. The semen is thawed just before use. Thawed semen had 5 to 20 per cent motility and 28 to 54 per cent normal acrosomes. Sows are inseminated with a long rubber tube that has a corkscrew-shaped end. One man can conduct the inseminating if a boar is kept in the pen next to the gilts. When a boar is present, a gilt in heat will remain still and can easily be inseminated. AI could eliminate many of the ~ problems of natural service, including the spreading of disease by the boar, the labor needed for hand or pen mating, and the injury to young gilts from older boars that are too heavy Problems that must be solved for AI to be commencally practical include detection of heat, determination of the fer tility of thawed semen from a particular boar, and use of only one insemination per sow for economy. While much research and refinement are yet necessary, the scientists are hopeful that their procedure will open the door to breeding genetically superior sires with large number of sows. 12. Return Goods Constructively An often forgotten dimension of the consumer’s responsibility is the art of returning goods con structively. The responsible retailer wants and needs to know when products have not performed satisfac torily, reminds Mrs. Carol Rothermel, assistant Chester County Extension home economist. Consumers can help by returning unsatisfactory mer chandise. Mrs. Rothermel suggests the following procedures when returning defective textile products: Clearly explain the problem in writing. Be specific. Was the difficulty in shrinkage, piling, construction, color loss, or something else? Include the date of purchase and the price. When possible, give model or style number and send copy of sales receipt with the complaint. State length of time the item was used or worn and the ap proximate number of laun derings and-or cleanings. Describe briefly the laundering or cleaning procedure used, along with the names of special chemical or laundry products used for pre-treatmg or stain removal Send or take the merchandise with accompanying letter to the manager or buyer of the ap propriate department of the store where you bought the item When returning by mail, be sure to insure the parcel or send by registered mail Include your name, address, and telephone number with the letter Constructive returns made in this manner may require time and patience on the part of the consumer, says Mrs. Rothermel. But they also serve your best interests by helping the manufacturer and the retailer constantly improve the quality and value you receive for your clothing dollar. 1972 23
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