3&—Lancaster Farming. Saturday, May 3. 1975
For Doris Ho\
Helping With A Dairy Herd
Is Just One of Her Interests
Mrs. George (Doris) Hough, Peach Bottom R 2, who
always loved animals and as a girl wanted to be a
veterinarian to doctor large farm animals such as horses
and cows, loves to work with their registered Jersey dairy
herd. Last week their herd averaged 82.7 in their fourth
classification by the American Jersey Cattle Club. The
Houghs received the 1974 Red Rose DHIA plaque for the
high Jersey herd in Lancaster County with an average of
10,580 pounds of milk and 496 pounds of fat. They received
a DHIR certificate for 1974, in which 57 cows completed
their lactation with an average per cow of 11,318 pounds of
milk and a 4.6 test or 523 pounds of fat.
The Houghs are relatively newcomers to Pennsylvania
since they moved here only in September of 1971 from
their 100 plus acre dairy farm near Readington, Hun
terdon County, New Jersey. Actually they had never seen
Lancaster County until an American Jersey Cattle field
man from New Jersey took them to Tukey Hill Farm as it
Country
Corner
Don’t Panic Over
Canning Jars This Year
Although many gardens are still waiting to be
planted, the rush for canning jars and lids to
preserve all those vegetables has begun for
another season.
Many homemakers (and their husbands)
remember last year's panic over the possibility of
not having sufficient glass jars and lids. Often
people drove for miles checking in every store and
often at public sales for the items which con
sequently made buying a high-priced business.
A recent report from the Department of Con
sumer Affairs has estimated that some 400 million
new jars with lids will be produced this year with
the bulk of this number going to first time canners
With the increase in gardening this year, it is
evident that there may be some shortages but the
two largest makers of the jars, the Kerr Glass
Company and the Ball Company, have reported
that their production will hopefully cover the
needed amount.
Differing amounts of jars and lids will be sent to
varying portions of the Country according to the
time of expected use. In other words, more lids and
jars may go to the southeastern and southwestern
portions of the United States before coming to
Pennsylvania. This does not mean that
homemakers should panic if they do not arrive at
stores within the next few weeks They will be
coming soon enough
Two good ideas for canners are to save jars from
year to year and if the supply does get tight to
preserve produce by drying or freezing.
If however, jars are used from year to year, they
should be inspected for wear. The tops of the jars
should be smooth and free from nicks and chips
This insures that the seal will be tight without air
leakage. The body of the jar should be in perfect
condition without cracks or chips.
Canning can be both fun and money-saving but
must be done with extreme care and planning. If for
any reason you are unsure of the processes of
canning or need further information, contact your
local extension service or health department.
Many of the local Extension Services will soon be
giving seminars on home canning so be watching
for their announcements.
by
Mrs.
Charles
McSparran
Farm Feature
Writer
with: Melissa Piper
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
was a Jersey milk market.
George proudly states “Now, we wish we’d lived here
all our years.” He had the misfortune to lose parts of four
fingers of his left hand August 10, 1974 when they were
caught in a V belt on the silage auger on the feeder. His
neighbors came in and cut and harvested his second
cutting of hay at that time so it is understandable that
Houghs appreciate their new community.
Their New Jersey farm, being only seven miles from the
suburbs of New York City, went for a development. That
is why they were relocating. Prior to that the New York
Port Authority wanted it for a fourth major jet airport.
That didn’t materialize because of the farm being in
another state. Now the Philadelphia Electric Company is
very desirious to obtain 35 acres of their property for
construction of the Fulton Atomic Generating Station. The
Houghs, as well as other adjoining land owners, have
reason to be concerned over their eminent plight.
Houghs’ farm contains 317 acres of which they till 210
acres. Of this acreage they plant one third in corn, one
third in hay and the other one third in soybeans, oats, rye,
barley and wheat. They use all of their crops for feed and
grind and mix their own feed. They harvest all of their
own crops except they have their com silo custom filled.
Doris named this farm on Cherry Hill Road, Fulton
Township “Milknhoney Farm” because, said she “It was
a natural. We had kept honey bees and produced mUk
from our Jersey herd in New Jersey so when we came
here it seemed like a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Neither George nor Doris were raised on a farm
although they lived in the country. Both of their grand
parents lived on farms and Doris’ father managed a farm
a couple years before she was bom. She spent the sum
mers on her grandfather’s farm. When they were first
married they lived on a ten acre place. They bought a
registered Jersey heifer in 1958 so they could have their
own milk. This was the beginning of their registered herd.
Most of their herd has been sired by H. L. Torono Orator.
He was the highest predicted difference bull in the Jersey
breed ever. They moved from the 10 acre farm to the one
with slightly over 100 acres, near Readington, where they
fanned 13 years. They brought all of their animals with
them from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. In fact they also
brought their 800 gallon bulk milk tank with them. They
wereready to hook it to their pipe line here so were able to
niilk their cows and put their milk in it in New Jersey in
the morning and milked and put their milk in it here in
Lancaster County the same evening. They now have a
herd of 142 registered Jerseys: 69 cows, 68 heifers and 5
bulls, 2 of which they hope to sell for breeding purposes.
They have sold some breeding stock. One bull was sold to
Jersey Genetics, an affiliate of Genetics Inc. in California
and another one to a Syndicate of Breeders and Northern
Ohio Breeding Association. They also sold six or seven
cows for breeding stock.
To have cattle classified the cows must be in milk and
the bulls must be over 18 months old. They classify them
every 16 months so they eventually do them all.
Classification differs from judging in a show ring. Each
animal is judged against a breed ideal for their age.
Houghs had 69 in the classification April 25 which resulted
with this rating; 1 excellent, 15 very good, 3 acceptable, 50
desirable, 1 very good bull and 1 desirable bull. Houghs
have been exhibiting their Jerseys at the Southern Lan
caster County Community Fair at Quarryville for three
Doris Hough working among her many house plants
and seedlings in her small hothouse.
years. They had the grand champion cow there in 1973.
They are planning to exhibit at the fair again this fall.
George and Mrs. Hough do the milking regularly. Mrs.
Hough keeps the breeding and calving records and selects
the bulls to raise. She is interested in pedigrees. She also
takes care of the registrations. She helps deliver the
calves and gives shots to the animals when necessary. She
is very proud of a plaque she received from the FFA. The
boys from Hunterdon Central High School, the North
Mrs. George Hough, Cherry Hill Road, Fulton
Township, showin£ ter pride and joy "Milknhoney
Secret Linda Ann”, who classified Very Good again
last week by the American Jersey Cattle Club. She
produced 15,900 pounds of milk last year on a 305
day lactation.
Hunterdon regional Jersey judging contest, Somerset and
Mercer Counties judging contests were held there several
years and even the state judging contest was held at their
farm one year. The plaque was given to her in ap
preciation as Goerge was working in the evenings when
most of the judging took place. They also held 4-H judging
there.
The Lancaster County Plowing Contest was held on
Houghs’ farm August 6,1974 in which 12 or 13 took part. A
winner in straight plowing and a winner in contour far-
Homestead
ming were selected and went to the regional contest.
Doris and Goerge enjoy working in the garden. Doris’
gardening starts with planting seeds in Jiffy 7’s in her
small hothouse they built on the end of their porch. She
buys the Jiffy 7’s by the carton of 1000. She not only grows
vegetable plants but also flowers, flower plants, herbs and
a few trees. She has a very unusual tree, given to her by
friends, a corkscrew willow. She has given them and other
trees and plants to friends. She says “To me, it’s fun
starting things and giving them away.” She has many,
many kinds of house plants in the hothouse and on window
sills. She grows lettuce and tomatoes to use all winter. She
has an herb garden and has been starting herb plants for
the Robert Fulton Birthplace herb garden which is
planted and cared for by the Drumore Flower Club. She
also goes there once a week to plant and take care of the
herbs. Doris has belonged to it for a year. She has many
spring flowering bulbs blooming now. She grows tea roses
and plants a lot of annual flowers.
Doris is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt Bacorn
who moved to a house on Houghs’ farm from New Jersey
eight months after Houghs came there. They loved the
country here. Mrs. Bacorn enjoys working with the calves
for Houghs. DeWitt is a retired carpenter. They are very
active in church and community activities. Doris
graduated from Summerville High School in New Jersey.
From the time she graduated until she was married she
took care of a man’s horses near Far Hills, New Jersey,
grooming and exercising them. They were hunters and
jumpers, as many as seven of them at times. She rode,
showed and fox hunted them with Essex Fox Hounds.
Doris, a talented artist, has sketched animals since she
was 3 or 5 years old. She says “Every place I go I take a
sketch pad. As a child I had the privilege of taking art
lessons from Van-Dearing Perrine at Millburn, N. J. I also
took a couple adult classes.” She has given away and sold
many animal portraits. She has always been especially
interested in horses and through her paintings she shows
the affection of a mare to her colt, the patience of a horse
being shod, the spirit of the horses at a fox chase, and you
can practically see every muscle at work as she puts a
team to a plow. She paints in oils, pastels and water-colors
flowers.
George also graduated from Summerville High School
and took a correspondence course in radio and TV repairs.
He sold and serviced radios, television and antennas until
he moved to a larger farm and the farm demanded more
time.
Houghs have four children: Glenn, Brian, Neal and
[Continued on Pace 40]
Notes