—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Mar. 16, 1974
12
ORGANIC LIVING
By
Robert Rodole
COMFREY; THE VERSATILE HERB
Americans in record numbers are rediscovering tbe charm
and lore of herbs. Starting your own kitchen herb garden is
now tbe trendy “in” thing among apartment dwellers in New
York and other major cities. And suburbanites and others
with land are planting herbs outdoors for tbe same reasons:
herbs add taste excitement to foods, and carry with them an
aura of old-fashioned “home remedy” folklore.
Comfrey is a good example of an easy-to-grow, health
giving bob that also has practical value on the farm.
Country folk of England have used it to speed tbe healing of
broken bones at least since medieval times. Other Europeans
use comfrey poultices on open wounds, bonis, insect bites
and other skin irritations. And a tea made from comfrey
leaves and roots is taken for intestinal disorders.
Godfrey’s reputation has a basis in scientific fad, not
superstition. Early in this century, British physician Charles
J. Macalister succeeded in isolating cosnfrey’s healing
component, aßantoin. That substance has since become part
of tbe pharmacist’s arsenal because of its ability to heal
wounds, cots and lacerations while inducing healthy new
tissue growth. Taken internally, it helps core ulcers and
intestinal irritations.
Comfrey has more going for it that just allantoin, however.
Its leaves contain vitamins A, C and E, as wdQ as the £
vitamin complex. Unlike other vegetation, comfrey even
contains some 812, the anti-anemia vitamin usually found
only in meat products. Because its roots dig down deep into
the subsoil (eight feet or more), comfrey is a rich source of
minerals, including iron, manganese, potassium, copper and
nnc.
That makes comfrey an eiceDent food for livestock as well.
Smart farmers add a concentrate of comfrey to their poultry
and calf feed because it is rich in calcium and phosphorus it
is also richer m protein than most plants, containing almost B
percent more protein than alfalfa,
Comfrey leaves are a good soil builder. Chopped and
disked into the soil, they make an excellent green manure
Gardeners find them a perfect ingredient for the compost
heap. And British municipal composting dumps grow
comfrey to use m their heaps to keep the other materials
from binding together and rotting imperfectly.
English agronomist and comfrey expert Lawrence D Hills
Dutch School
Natural Foods
LARGEST SELECTION OF
NATURAL FOODS AND VITAMINS
IN CENTRAL PENNA.
RT. 222, AKRON. PENNA.
PH. 859-2339
Costs hundreds of dollars
less...unsurpassed in heavy,
down, tangled hay...
Cut/ditioner
5 5 s - ""a:- -* * "
Zc' Vs-es a - :'2«>
.W'
* N?" S*C^
'See it at
N G. HERSHEA & SON
Manheim
LANDIS BROS. LNC
Lancaster
KINZER EQUIP. CO.
Kmzer
LONGENECKER
FARM SUPPLY
Rheems
ROV H. BUCK. ISC.
Ephrata. R.JD 2
. a *l"' 5 sc- -= ra'
A. L. HERR & BRO
Quarn.TQ]e
CHAS J McCOMSEA
& SONS
Hickon Hill. Pa
STOLTZFUS
FARM SERVICE
CochranviUe. Pa
A B.C. GROFF, INC
New Holland
Cumfrey s s great producer, although it does not set seed,
and must be propagated from root cuttings. Both suitable
roots and alpeady-startsd plants are available from man
order bouses. The plant grows quickly to about three feet in
height, wife imge rough leaves that can be harvested at least
five tunes dunngthe growing season. One plant m fee corner
of fee garden will supply fee average family
Here are some of fee ways comirey can be put to use;
TEA. Most people know of eoanfrey as camfrey tea. Take
four small fresh leaves, cat them up and steep them m a
teapot lust as you would any other tea
Some people complain feat fee tea tastes like weeds, but
others annk it cheerfully for its value as a gentle, effective
healing agent ft you onn*t like the taste, try mixing fee
cumfrey wife aL Emus of mint and herb teas, either fresh or
dried
SALADS Pick fee youngest, most tender leaves for raw
eating as cumfrey is a pncsly type of plant Shred the young
leaves very fme aim mix wife fee other salad greens
COCKED GREENS For centuries. Europeans cooked
cumfrey snc ace them just as we do spinach or beet
greens. loot:fear your favorite way. m a very small amount
of water Or as: acc a comfrey leaf or two to any of your
family s favorite cootec greens
SOUPS. SoL cr a few comfrey leaves very tightly and
place men: n. a sour* or Slew feat is cooking Before serving,
lift the roll out mowing feat you nave added minerals to
your food
DRIED You can presarvg cmnfre} for future use by
washing the leaves anc caning ttwtt an. shrsddmg them
with kitchen shears anc espiamc mere to me sue They can
also be dried at low nea: u me pvsn Tnen puhreme the
leaves with a rolling pm or a uunar anc pestle, and store as
a fine powder m glass jars for wnnsr use m saLads,
“HeOp Is on the Way' is e 4f-page nniate: da wD answer
yoor questions abom growing rnmgs arganicaZy ■soemeru’s
delicate herbs nr your own garden vegecaaies T: ae: a copr.
send fifty cents to Honert Hodaie Orgamc ' .it: 33 tsre of
this newspaper Please ask im me nanrierny name and allow
four weeks for dehvery
1 c 1 1P74 by The Chicago Tnnune TTarid Highs Reserved.
n- __ - J t'.e p-w st-s-s- *ns* provides stable milking
vsCjj- s -5’ e-s - pe-o- d' stsnrnon bam —with a low
J' -g,- vo- o '-or ir o-c « tno-t -niec*,og air into the
‘ ltS - r ‘ ° l ' e ■ *• »tr stao.e >acuum and no^ir
zsr o_ "nope 't 'eo-C- e_,oo:vie counts lid to 65%
f.ouc-.cr as ~ , -c - as 2?% ano or-.ent off-flavor
~n f
? a -
. a -' , .£ 13s tossip eby a patented, scientific
w whe'-ov one vacuum milks the
5.'- vacjj— mines me muk through a separate
r ">"7; v r -fT 1 ' ” =° : ton tnenks to ZERO'S patented
j ‘77-?-”7} ,s ''- i ' l '- sno new, improved, high-ca-
S3= - ***■ '-'S'SPS'S ' »ar J" * i'jj nave buill-m, ‘push-button"
g s ''' =' the entire system without
n 6 C'lere a-e ~aij omer advantages.
Zi'Z
MILLER DAIRY EBUR’MENT
X s
/ CONIWSE\ \
/
describes the plant as “a mine of potash and phosphate.'' two
nta] soil-bnfldmg elements
Yon can buy cumfrey at a health food store, either as
chopped roots or dned tea leaves. But if yon have even the
smaTtest pilot of garden, it would be more fun to grow your
own.
Come m. Write or Phone for Full Informationl
1352 Union SL
Phone 717-393-6055
This ts Joe Your Milker Fixer
I*-**'
Lancaster, Pa. 17603
Ressler is Retiring
From New Holland
Robert L. Ressler, vice
president for Manufacturing
at Sperry New Holland for
the past 26 years, will retire
from the company on May 3,
it was announced today by
Kenneth F. Thompson,
company president.
Ressler, who is taking
early retirement, plans to
purchase and operate a
machine tool rebuilding
business.
Ressler was born in Earl
Township, Lancaster
County, where he attended
school. At the age of 14, he
began working as an ap
prentice machinist for New
Holland Machine Company
which at that time
manufactured gasoline
engines, rock crushers and
other farm and quarry
machinery. He left the
company in 1933, returning
as machine shop foreman on
August 17, 1942, soon after
the company had been
reorganized to manufacture
the automatic hay baler. He
later became plant manager
at New Holland. In 1948, he
was named vice president in
charge of all company
TRY A CLASSIFIED AD
PHONE
Wash Your Own Cage House and Save sss
WITH OUR High Pressure'
Rental Washing Rig.
CAN BE USED FOR HOG PENS. FARM
MACHINERY. CALF PENS,
MANY OTHER USES.
After much washing and disinfecting experience, we un
derstand the proper high pressure high \olume equipment
needed to do an effective job We now hate sprajers available
to rent w hich giv es vou an opportunity to save money This ng
is on a trailer and can be towed with a pick-up truck We will
deliver and nick up sprayer in the event you are not equipped
to tow it
BMUMraa
2820 Horseshoe Road Lancaster, Pa. 17601
(717) 397-0035
There Is No More
CHEAP
FERTILIZER
TEST YOUR SOIL, DON'T WASTE
IT WHERE IT IS NOT NEEDED.
• Who should test your soil?
• How important is organic matter?
• Who should test your feed?
• How important is a balanced ration?
• Should you feed urea?
• Can phosphorous be substituted?
These questions can be answered
March 18, 1974
8:00 P.M.
at Ephrata High School Audiom
Bill Solomon, agronomist &
animal nutritionist
from
TRIPLE S LAB
Loveland. Colorado, Will Conduct Meeting
Robert L Ressler
manufacturing operations,
and in 1969 was appointed to
a world-wide manufacturing
staff.
A member of St. Stephens
United Church of Christ
(Reformed), New Holland,
he is married to the former
Beatrice Richwine of New
Holland. They reside at RD2
New Holland, and have two
children, James and Roberta
Lee.