40-F —Lanotter Farming, Saturday. Fab. 21, 1976 Corn highlighted at crops day LANCASTER -. The sixteenth annual Lancaster County Crape and Soils Day passed by last Tuesday with a sizable crowd taking ad vance of both morning and afternoon programs. In addition to lectures and discussions on pesticide certification, alfalfa problems and prospects, tobacco disease, weed control, corn and bay production, the event in cluded exhibits from a variety of agricultural companies, with representatives being on band to answer specific questions from farmers. Speakers included Ex tension personnel from the local level as well as Penn State and specialists from both academic and business circles. In the presentation on can production, John Weidman from the Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed Co., noted that a farmer has 23 production criteria under his control and that farmers themselves are more responsible for hurting crop yields than weather. The four management factors which affect yield more than anything else are: 1. planting time, 2. depth of planting, 3. imbalance of soil nutrients, and 4. population, Weidman indicated. The ideal planting days for corn in this part of Pennsylvania are April 25 to May 15, ac cording to Weidman. Even within this 20 day period, a farmer isn’t likely to have more than seven or eight days which are fit for planting, he added. If the ground is fit and soil temperature is right, a farmer should notice very little difference in yields in corn which was planted within the above prescribed period. However, a 10-year study shows that a five bushel per acre drop can be realized if planting time is between May 15 and 20. A farmer who waits even longer takes the risk of losing 15 bushels of corn per acre. Fewer potatoes Potato stocks in the United States are down six percent from tins time a year ago, a USDA report revealed last week. Stockpiles in eight eastern states totalled 19.7 million hundredweights, which is down 29 per cent from a year ago. 303 Mable Avenue Smoketown. PA Bus. 717-397-3579 Res. 717-392-1900 \Wr.i Lika a g—4 naigfttear. Stefa Farm la thara '"Sr-ISTATC FARM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY JEtSei HaMOfte* ■iiaami.MMli V mmmmJ Depth of planting is critical, Weidman continued, observing that the even depth planter is “the greatest thing that ever happened to a corn planter. “For every inch deeper you go, you’ll get less yield,” he warned the nearly 200 people present in the Farm and Home Center’s auditorium. Weidman also advised fanners to “know their fields and the potentials of them to match best fields with best varieties of corn.” Seed varieties are of utmost importance, especially when one considers the com paratively small share of investment they represent, the seed company official exclaimed. Present costs per acre as far as seed corn is concerned, are around |8 to $lO per acre “very small in view of the (150 to $2OO per acre total cost,” he ex plained. In conclusion, Weidman stressed the need for the right decisions being made on the part of the operator. “You can add a yield of three to five bushels per acre without any extra cost,” he said. William Brubaker from the Organic Plant Food Co. then took the podium to talk briefly about fertilizer needs. The supply situation looks favorable this year and lower prices are even in store, according to talk New Margin L. Stout, Jr. has accepted the position of program director for Holstein - Friesian Asso ciation of America. His territory is the eastern region of New York state. As a program director, Stout will be responsible for coordinating Holstein programs and services in this region. Stout brings to this position a background in animal insemination and dairy management. He is a former sales coordinator and GMS evaluator for American Breeders Service. THERE'S A FETTER THAT’S BETTER FOR YOUR APPLICATION Compact Mini-Diesels Ranging from \Vz H.P.to2OH.P. HOOVER DIESEL SERVICE Fetter Diesels Sales t Service Ph. 215-445-6272 or 717-354-7469 RO 2 Hew Holland. PA 17557 heard around the auditorium. Nevertheless, Brubaker’s talk centered on efficient and proper use of soil nutrients. The first step in determining fertilizer requirements is, of course, the soil test. Penn State agronomists and industry specialists strongly recommend it. A corn yield of 160 to 180 bushels per acre requires the following amounts of fer tilizer, Brubaker revealed: 220 to 240 pounds of N; 100 pounds of P2OS; and 50 pounds of K2O. If the crop is taken off as silage, then an ' additional 170 to 190 pounds of K2O are used. Just as critical for good crop production are Calcium, Magnesium and Sulfur, Brubaker pointed out. Soil tests reveal the requirements for these substances to maintain proper nutrient balances. “The crop needs it, there’s no question about it, but you don’t have to buy it all,” be continued. Crop residues, soil organic matter, limestone and manure contribute to the total soil nutrient picture. Speaking of these criteria and soil tests in particular, the fertilizer spokesman said: “If you aren’t looking at these things, you’re missing a part of the boat.” A farmer can cut his nitrogen needs by careful soil management and York Holstein director named Stout’s experience, from being reared on a dairy farm and later owning and managing his own herd of registered Holsteins, will be a valuable asset to the rapidly expanding field services offered by Holstein- Friesian Association of America^ While dairying, Stout served as a director for the New Jersey State Holstein Association and president of his county Holstein club and the Central Jersey Holstein Club. A 1963 graduate of the University of Maryland with MILKING PROBLEMS! CALL YOUR NEW SURGE DEALER JAMES LEFEVER BUS. PH. (717) 786*1533 HOME PH. (717) 529-2618 SERVICEMAN ROUTE SALESMAN CHARLES WAGNER JIM CARPENTER (717) 529-2358 (717) 464-2361 COVERING SO. LANC. CO. & SO. EASTERN YORK CO. AREAS. 24 HOUR SERVICE - 7 DAYS A WEEK JIM'S SURGE SALES & SERVICE S. CHURCH ST., P.O. BOX 37 QUARRYVILLE, PA LOC. NEXT TO POST OFFICE manure applications, Brubaker noted. For example, if a crop needs 240 pounds of N per acre, the farmer might get 40 pounds from soil organic matter, 50 from manure, and 40 from alfalfa sod. Planting corn after corn year after year might still only require the purchase of ISO pounds of N per acre to achieve a 180 bu. per acre yield if manure was applied properly, the specialist explained. Having fertilizer ingredients present in the soil in proper amounts is in many cases as important as having them there in the first place. Too much potassium in the soil will, for example, prevent a plant from making use of available magnesium. This fact has been proven in experiments at Brubaker’s company as well as elsewhere. “We have got to watch the Mg-Ca and Mg-K ratios,” be warned. To help in overcoming this problem, he advised a closer scrutiny of the depth of soil samples. Recommended depths for soil samples are not more than three inches for ground which is either no-tilled or chiseled, and to plow depth in plowed ground. The corn program was concluded by Kenneth Zurin, Salunga; and Hugh Lesley, Oxford two Lancaster County com growers who described their individual operations. a Bachelor of Science degree in dairy husbandry, Stout was selected for mem bership in Alpha Zeta honorary fraternity as well as the collegiate dairy judging team. Stout and his wife Glenna have four children, two girls, ages 13 and 11, and two boys, ages 10 and 8. Stoat’s mailing address is Box 25, Schoharie, New York. Try A Classified Ad > It Pays! Zurin annually puts out about 62S acres of the “King of Craps” with most of the ground always having been plowed up until this year when money was spent for a chisel plow. Some land was double-cropped; plant population was 22,000 per acre. Cost per bushel (all inclusive) was figured to be $2.40, but only $1.86 if only direct monetary expense items such as seed, fer tilizer, fuel, insecticides, etc. are counted. An experimenter and it -ninir SWEET BULK ’N FLAKES is a highly digestible and palatable dairy feed which can be used in calf-growing, heifer developer, and mature cow feeds. It stimulates consumption and adds bulk to dairy rations. It also contains 10,000 units of vitamin A in every pound. So, to get your herd in gear for maximum production, feed SWEET BULK 'N FLAKES ... the great tasting way to boost consumption. For complete details, call us soon or stop in next time you’re in town. LEROY M.SENSENIG INC. u . ▲ Ephrata. PA HlaSlCr (717)733-8668 |j|j^ ROSS H. ROHRER & SONS, INC. Quanyville, PA (717) 786-3372 GRUBB SUPPLY CO. Elizabethtown. PA (717)367-1525 SPANGLER & SPRENKLE INC. York. PA (717)843-8889 SERVICE FEED & SUPPLY CO. Cardiff, Maryland (301)452-8444 (717)456-7433 12 years, Lesley had been strictly no-till in recent years until he decided last Fall to break Us ground up with a chisel plow. Some fields, be explained, had accumulated considerable amounts of surface trash after not having been worked for eight consecutive years. He estimates' his per acre planting costs to be in the neighborhood of $lOO not counting eq:iipment ex penses. Lesley plants some of his crop on 22 per cent slopes iroblems. STEWARTSTOWN MILLING Slewartstown. PA (717) 933-2055 HOLLINGERFARM & HOME SUPPLY Littz, PA (717)626-2330 VAN-MAR FEEDS. INC. Leesport. PA (215)926-2121 PARADISE SUPPLY Paradise. PA (717)687-6292 m
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