—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 20. 1974
16
A Threat to Christmas Trees . . .
Researcher Tells How
To Control Needlecast
Needlecast of Scotch pine
Christmas trees, a disease
causing 2V* million dollars
damage annually for tree
growers in Pennsylvania,
can be controlled with a
fungicide program
developed at The Penn
sylvania State University.
The disease is caused by a
fungus and should be treated
about July 20 and again
about August 15, according
to Dr. William Merrill,
associate professor of plant
pathology at Penn State.
Field studies by Dr. Merrill
and associates show that two
fungicide treatments will
control the disease.
The Penn State scientist
said the fungus infects the
DO YOU NEED
USED PARTS
FOR FARM TRACTORS
and
FARM MACHINERY
CALL HARRY STOHLER AT
WENGER FARM MACHINERY
South Race St.
Myerstown Pa. Ph 717-866-2138
current year’s needles in late
July and August but no
symptoms develop until the
following spring. Then in
April the infected needles
suddenly turn reddish-brown
and fall from the tree during
April to June.
Trees sprayed in 1973 have
developed no needle
browning or needle loss, Dr.
Merrill said recently. On the
other hand, unsprayed trees
are currently undergoing
needle browning and needle
loss throughout the bottom 50
per cent of the tree, on the
average.
Christmas tree growers
can obtain information on
the proper fungicides to use
and the rates of application
from county agricultural
extension agents, he stated.
During July and early
August the fungus forms
characteristic fruiting
bodies on fallen needles.
Those structures can be seen
with the naked eye. They are
black, football shaped, about
Ms to 1 millimeter long, and
have a slit down the middle.
The disease appears first
at the bottom of the tree. It
gradually works its way
higher up the tree so that
after two or three years
much of the tree is defoliated
Pa. Conservationist
Sees Rapid Changes
In Land
Pennsylvania’s landscape
is changing at a rapid rate as
shifts in population make
new uses of the land ac
cording to State Con
servationist Benny Martin,
U. S. Soil Conservation
Service.
Martin said about one-half
million acres change from
one use to another every
year. Nearly 150,000 of these
acres are used for new
developments which include
homes, shopping centers,
roads, schools, and
recreation areas.
Urbanization is one of the
major causes of land use
changes in the Com
monwealth. Other factors
include strip mining,
changes in agriculture and a
second home in the country.
Martin said an important
factor in selecting land for
new uses is a knowledge of
the soil. In Pennsylvania, he
said, there are over 1,000
different kinds of soil. Many
of the soils, Martin cautions,
can be real problems to
home owners, land
developers, farmers, and
road builders if they are not
used correctly.
The state conservationist
every spring. After two
complete defoliations the
tree often is killed. Even if
the tree is not killed, usually
all of the lower branches are
killed or the tree appears so
sparsely needled that it
cannot be sold.
Needlecast of Scotch pine
trees has forced some
growers out of business. It
has forced many others to
shift from Scotch pine to
other species such as
Douglas fir, the true firs, or
the spruces.
Utilization
said problems associated
with poor selection and use
of the land are wet
basements, inadequate
sewage disposal, excessive
erosion, cracked foun
dations, and stream
sedimetation. Many of these
problems could be
eliminated or greatly
reduced, he stated, if the
land users understood the
land they selected and ap
plied corrective measures.
Martin reported that soils
information is now available
for 80 percent of the land in
the Commonwealth. All the
Are \4>u Ready
to go Whole Hog?
HERSHEY EQUIPMENT Co., Inc.
215 Diller Avenue New Holland Pa
Phone (717) 354-5168 or (717) 872-5111
Growing
Degree
Days
In Lancaster, the average
temperature for the week
was 76 degrees, 2 degrees
over the average.
Growing degree days for
crops that start at 40 degrees
totaled 2422 which was 103
days over the average.
For crops starting at 50
degrees, the days totaled
1418, 79 above the average.
Rainfall for the week was
.02 inches and total from
April 1,13.44 inches which is
.29 less than average.
w
jl^l
• • 0 ,1
- V ,s ' •
Medieval legend talks of a
monster who had no head,
the eyes and mouth being
placed elsewhere.
soils have been rated to show
the problems associated with
their uses for town and
country planning,
engineering, woodland,
recreation, wildlife, and
agriculture. Field offices of
the Soil Conservation Ser
vice and county agents have
the information which is
available to the public in all
counties in the state.
The soil survey of Penn
sylvania is being done by the
Soil Conservation Service in
cooperation with The Penn
sylvania State University
and the Department of
Environmental Resources.
authorized Si*! Dutchman. distributor
/LANCASTER N
' SILO CO., INC. '
2008 HORSESHOE RD.
AND
2436 CREEK HILL RD.
LANCASTER, PA. 17601
KIM Hint
OUR SILOS HAVE
“VIBRATED” CONCRETE
STAVES FOR QUALITY.
~YOUR BEST mm BUY"-”
A CONCRETE STAVE SILO
For A Complete Feed
Lot System, We
Feature
STARLINE LABOR
SAVERS
SILO UNLOADERS:
Model #7O & #lOl
CONVEYORS:
6". 8” or 11” Width
BUNK FEEDERS:
#B5 - Shuttle Feeder
#217 - Auger Feeder
Also Custom Boilt Units
ALSO:
“AUTOMATIC” ROLLER MILLS
For Any Type Gram
Need a Good Blower to fill ypur
silo 7 We sell the Demuth
“HUSTLER" 56 inch blower
with 20” shaker pan height
RITCHIE and FAIRFIELD
LIVESTOCK WATERERS
(Gas or Electric)
WATER Fowl?- STALLS "barn
EQUIPMENT - FANS
"round hay Tacks
“WESTERN" GATES
(6 ft x 14 ft)
Sales - Service
Installation
FOR COMPLETE PLANS
Ca 11—392-9062
In the Lebanon Area Dial
717-273-7394
LARRY HIESTAND
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Big Dutchman will let
you know if you've got
what it takes to
profitably raise hogs
in confinement.
We will help you
develop plans for
complete hog confinement
systems. Our pros will
help you get whatever you
need to go whole hog.
Our systemated hog
components work so
well that hogs couldn't
be happier . . . and that's
no boar.
AUTHORIZED
S'm Putchman.
DISTRIBUTOR
raising