Almanacs Were Popular Farm Information Source Two books shaped the liven of Colonial farmers One, of course, was the Hlhle The other hook, although not os highly revered, was certainly respected and considered (|uite indispensable It was the far mers’ almanac Prior to the Civil War, few farmers gleaned any mforma lion about agriculture from (he printed page Many were illiterate Most of those who tould read and write were (■intent with thi simple wis dom found in almanacs Hooks, memoirs of agncultur nl souelies and farm period ■(■its were read only by gentle men farmers Most tillers of the soil considered "book farming ’ purely theoretical and hence impractical Agri-King Through the Eyes of an Average Lancaster County Farmer Richard 801 l Lititz, PA “We started on the Agri-King feeding program in February, 1973 with a rolling herd average of about 12,000 pounds milk. By April, 1975 our rolling herd average is 15,309 pounds milk and we’re averaging 56 pounds milk shipped per cow on milking cows. Two years ago I did not think this was possible with our quality cattle. Most all our cows are grades and we raise our own replacements. I feel that one of the biggest things that helped us get this production is the quality of roughage we have to feed our cows and feeding it in a balanced feeding program We treated all our corn silage, haylage and hay with Silo King last year and it was the best quality roughage we’ve made. Our haylage juiced a little but that was because I chopped it over 75 percent moisture. wmdrowed my hay too tight and the Mrs. 801 l Says, “Farmers’ wives have to be patient because Agri-King doesn’t work over-night.” Southeastern Ptnna. George F. DeLong Regional Manager PO Box 683 Lititz. Pa 17543 Call Collect 717 6260115 Pastern Lancaster Cfl_ Mehiin Herr RR2 New Holland Pa 17557 Ph 717 354 5977 North Western lancasl Earl B Cinder RD2 Manheim Pa 17545 Phone 717 665 3126 Lehuh Co Area J H Moore 1213 Zorba Drive Henry Delong, Jr Whitehall Pa 18052 RDI Quarryville Pa 175bb ph 215 432 5987 ph 717-284-2683 The almanac was by far the most important means of dis seminating information on ag riculture It was the literate farm family's newspaper, ra dio. TV and inagn/me rolled into one Manv families stitched the annual csltlions together, and hung them on a nail bv the fireplace These wen- sometimes preserved in unbroken sequence for 50 vears or more Needless to say no well brought up farm ihild would destroy or mu tilate an almanac To do so would be an unpardonable act of vandalism Not only did the almanac serve as the farmer’s weather reporter moral guide and practical advisor, it served also the function of notebook. RD2 Southwestern Lancaster Co Ben Greenawall RD2 Conestoga Pa 17516 Ph 717 872 5686 Lebanon Co Marvin Meyer RD2 Box 157 Annville Pa 17003 Ph 717 867 1445 diary and account book. Blank pages and margin* woru cover (<d with notes and commcnlH, some of which no doubt could only be deciphered by the writer himself. For example, a copy of Conrad's Agricultural Alma nac for the year 1825 contains these notes "First Month, slh Bought hour pig of John Pascal >) wcs'ks old, 1 dollar Fourth Month, 12lh . Finish sowing oats llinsl Josiah Webster for one month ul *J dollars Sixth Month, L7t h Cradled wheat 12 bushels on one mre and one half laghth Month, Hth Carl run tame oil Ihe earliest alnian.it puh hsht d in Amtnt.i was origin aIK issutdln William Pnteal Cambridge Mussnchusetls in Ih) 1 ) Comparatively few al nianucs were distributed how ever. until after 1732 when Benjamin Franklin began Testimonial: Monti Cy Arnold 739 Rosewood Drive Douglasville Pa 19518 Ph 215 385 624'* Chester Co William Wmdle RDI Alglen Pa 19310 Ph 215 593 6143 Northeast Berks Co. Roger Heller RD#l Robesoma Pa Ph 215 693 6160 Belleville Area Louis S Peachy, Sr RD#l #5B C Reedsville Pa 17084 Ph 717 667 3291 KEY TO PROFIT AGRI KING, PERSONALIZED FEEDING PROGRAMS air could not get through it. 1 thought this haylage would stink and the cows wouldn’t like it. I’m in the bottom three doors of that silo now and the cows eat it like candy. I feel it pays to take good care of my young stock - grow my heifers and yet not get them too fat. My heifers are freshening at 2 years old and some are milking as high as 70 pounds milk. My cows get mostly corn silage (about 40 pounds per cow), 12 pounds haylage, 5 pounds hay; and gram is fed according to production. The gram ration is made up of corn, a little oats, and the protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, and trace minerals necessary according to my roughage tests. I think samples should be run every 4- 6 weeks to get a good job done." iotnery & SE Berks Co publication of hi* "Poor Rich ard’s Almanac". This was the most famous almanac, and become next to the Bible, the most widely quoted publica tion in America. In Inter years, Franklin told how he had started this book whith was a milestone of American history and agncul lure "In 1732 I first puh hshetl my Almanac, under the name of Rithard Saunders it was continued hv me about Iwenlv-hve vears (17)2 1757) and was uunmonlv called Poor Hu hards Alinan.it I indeavored to make it both enit naming and useful anil attordmglv it tame to he in siu h demand (hat I reap (I umsiderahle profil from it vtmhng near ten thousand It was generallv read stane am neighhorhod in the pro vinie being without it Some of Poor Richard's more pithv savings were ILION, ILL. Smith Central Penn; James L Yoder Regional Manager R R 1 Box 81 Chambersburg Pa 17201 Call Collect 717 264 9321 Adams Co. Area Menno N Rissler RR4 Gettysburg Pa 17325 Ph 717 528-4849 tedford Co . Pa Area [Kenneth iSonny| Yoder RD#2 F V 150 Bedford Pa 15522 Ph 814 623 6856 Lancaster Farmim. Saturday. May 10,1975 Franklin Co Pa Area Eldon Martin RD#5 Waynesboro Pa 17268 Ph 717 762 3576 Mark H Yoder 2004 Philadelphia Ave Chambersburg Pa 17201 Ph 717 263 1808 Western Washington Co. Area Charlie Campbell Newville Pa Ph 717 776 7573 The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise - If you know how to spend less than what you get, you have the philosopher’s stone that turns into gold • Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterward "Poor Richard's Almanac” was succeeded by ‘‘Poor Richard Improved”, which was published from 1757 until 1773 It devoted space to such items as “For a foundered horse”, and “Easy methods of increasing the milk of cows” Many of these were bits of experience contributed by subscribers The weather forecasts m all almanacs were a mixture of whimsy and hocus pocus, and usually more entertaining than enlightening Statements like, “It may gather up for a storm today,” or “It looks like rain but there probably will be none.” were common One almanac, with pungent humor, states, “This year the sun will repeatedly rise before many people leave their beds and set before they have done a day’s work After the Civil War, literacy and printing presses spread rapidly through America Farm papers and country journals were more widely read This competition for the reader’s attention was more than most of the almanac publishers could withstand, and so they turned to other endeavors Aghfacts . . . One or more Guinea hens were placed in flocks of fowl to prevent molestation from hawks COMPLETE FARM PAINTING WE USE BRUNING QUALITY PAINT AND IT DOES STAY ON'!! AERIAL LADDER EQUIPMENT: * Modern and Efficient Method * Reasonable Prices * Spray On and Brush-In Method * Sandblasting if Necessary FOR FREE ESTIMAIES WRITE' DANIEL S. ESH (C RALPH MILLER) SPRAY-ON AND BRUSH-IN PAINTER BOX ibUA RONKS PA 17 •i 17572
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers