f rpm Local Aa Teachers:
Editor’s Note: The article this Alfalfa. A Second Rate Crop?
week was prepared by Michael J.
Burton, Young Farmer In- Alfalfa has long been a
structor at Penn Manor High neglected crop in Pennsylvania.
School, Millersville. It has taken second place to corn
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- FLY SPRAYS
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AARON S. GROFF
Farm & Dairy Store
RD3, Ephrata. Pa. Phone 354-0744
17572 (Hinkletown) Store Hours 7 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Closed Tue. & Sat. at 5:30 P.M.
Improve the profitability of your
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from
MORIARIY ~
the farm building
Prafessioials
ot Wickes
Ephrato, Pa.
oca
MEMBER.
Thoughts
um
er
in Passing
in research and, consequently,
on-farm management.
Field trials and demonstration
plots have been non-existent for
alfalfa or other hay crops. On the
other hand, research field trials
and demonstration plots have
long been used to develop and
promote new corn management
practices such as higher
populations, chemical weed
control, better fertilization,etc.,
which have doubled corn yields
over the past 30 years nationally.
Meanwhile, hay yields have
virtually been at a standstill
when compared to corn.
This gap in advancement of
yields has generally followed a
gap in research and demon
stration plots. Government,
industry, and Universities have
done mountains of research with
Michael J. Burton
Young Farmer Instructor
Penn Manor High School
corn, while doing “just enough”
to get by on hay crops.
But even worse is the fact that
vo-ag teachers, county agents,
and other personnel working to
educate farmers have not
promoted good management
☆
Moriarty
☆
■& SUBSIDIARY OE~THE WICKES COUP
*****
MORIARTY BUILDINGS, Inc.
P. 0. Box No. 300
Ephrata, Pa. 17522
Vila J
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 3,1972
practices or conducted field trials
with hay crops as they have done
with corn. The one-acre corn
contest, five-acre com contest,
local Young Farmer corn con
tests and others have done an
excellent job promoting new corn
management practices.
The next point brought out by
many people is the fact that
alfalfa won't return as much as
com so why the fuss. But using
last winters prices of $1.30 per
bushel for com and $5O for hay, it
is quite easy to refute that
argument With a yield of 150
bushels for com you gross $195
per acre. Costs come to about $95
per acre, leaving $lOO profit.
Alfalfa should yield about six
tons per acre, or gross $3OO per
acre. Your costs will come to
about $l2O per acre, leaving a
profit of $lBO. If you can raise
your yield to eight tons per acre
your profit goes up to $2BO per
acre after costs.
These figures are estimates at
best, but they do reflect the
potential of alfalfa when com
pared to corn
With this type of earning
potential available to the farmer,
he should evaluate his farming
program and see how hay would
fit in The Pennsylvania Young
Farmer’s Association, in
cooperation with Penn State, is
conducting a much needed farm
research program on hay crops
and affords the farmer a chance
to evaluate his hay crop program
while helping complete the
University to farm research
cycle that doubled corn yields
Anyone for 12 ton hay yields 9
Anyone interested in par
ticipating in this program contact
their vo-ag instructor for more
information
Such vine crops as cucumbers,
squash, pumpkins and musk
melons, do best on a rich loam
soil containing plenty of organic
matter, say extension vegetable
specialists at Pennsylvania State
University Vine crops also need
plenty of fertilizer and insect
control If irrigation is needed,
supply it during the day. For
further information about vine
crops, contact your county agent
STIHL
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Vine Crops Need Rich Soil
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JOHN L. STAUFFER
Repair Service
Box 67 R.D.2
East Earl, Pa. 17519
215-445-6175
"See our Field Da>
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