V0i.21N0.22
Lamb crop
shows decrease,
high
Ry MRI-ISSA Plikßß s^v-r-
COCHRANVILLE - The week before
Easter traditionally sees area livestock
markets filled to capacity withthe annual
offering of slaughter lambs. Again this
year, the lambs were sent to auctionTbut ~
the decreased number of young animalsT
caused amazingly high prices.
Earlytrading intheweek revealed’that
the average per poundfor slaughterlambs -
was about 57 cents. Some of the highest
prices were paid in southcentral Pa.
auctions with quotations
cents with a few at’-1.00 per pound; 1
In the weston parts of the Com- -
monwealttCtfae prices ranged from 58-76 -
cents with a few jumps closer to 1.00 per
pound. And in the immediate marketing .
facilities, prices creeped toward.
average figure and leveled off
cents per pound.
* Hie inflated market prices surprised
some buyers but many producers had been
predicting the increase as fewer animals
were produced this year.
With a four percent decrease in animal
production noted in the state and a
national decrease of nine percent, the
summer market prices will probably stay
high at least untU September, according to
Ben Morgan, extension specialist from
Penn State.
During a Sheep shearing clinic held here
on Tuesday,, Morgan explained that the
marketing future looks good for the sheep
producers with a leveling off of about 50
cents per pound.
A number of reasons point toward the
decrease in sheep production both on a
state and national level with the most
prominent being the age-old stigma of
unpopularity that sheep seem to carry
with them.
“There just seems to be more glamour
in raising cattle than sheep,’’ explained
Morgan. “How many times do you hear a
producer brag about his flock of sheep
when he can talk about his cattle?”
Morgan noted that although a producer
can raise about six ewes for comparatively
the same costs amount as one beef cow,
many people do not try making money on
sheep.
“People just don’t seem as concerned
(Continued on Page 13|
In this issue
Farm Calendar 10
Farm Commentaries 10
life on the farm 18
Classifieds 25
Country Corner 42
Homestead Notes 42
Womens’ Calendar 44
Womens’ feature 45
Rome on the Range 49
Bicentennial forms 54,64
Dairy talks 65,67,75
Lebanon DHIA 78
FFA land judging 80
Thoughts in Passing 82
Egg marketing meet 88
Berks dairy meeting 01
Public Sales Register 93
Sale Reports 102
Serving The Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas
The Pieta - The Virgin Mary mourning
over the dead body of Christ
Mushroom industry hurt
By DIETER KRIEG
KENNEIT SQUARE
Imported mushrooms are
squeezing many Penn
sylvania mushroom farmers
right out of business, says
Tim King, executive director
Hendrik Wentink honored
Hendrik Wentink, assistant to the
president of Pennfield Corp., Lancaster,
has been selected as the Maryland egg
industry’s “Friend of the Year” for 1976.
The “Friend of the Year” award is
presented annually by the Maryland
council to an individual in the egg in
dustry, or allied group, whose activities
have made outstanding contributions to
the industry.
Recipients are selected on the basis of
personal contributions of time and effort to
public programs and activities designed to
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 17,1976
of the American Mushroom
Institute (AMI).
Last Monday a delegation
of Pennsylvania mushroom
growers and a few from
other states went to
Washington, D.C. to present
improve the economic welfare of the
nation’s egg industry.
Wentink is the present chairman of the
National Commission on Egg Nutrition;
immediate past president of the Northeast
Poultry Producers Council, secretary of
the Pennsylvania Poultry Federation, a
member of the marketing council of the
American Feed Manufacturers
Association, and a U. S. delegate on the
Sub-Committee on Health and Nutrition of
the International Egg Commission.
(Continued on Pace 12]
Xdtitz Kecord Expr*»« Photo
their case to Congress and
the President. They’re
hopeful of a favorable
response. King regards
congressional reaction up to
this point to at least have
[Continued on Page 13]
Fruit damage
considerable in
southern areas
By DIETER KRIEG
LTlTTZ—Orchards in southern portions
of the state took a beating earlier this week
when temperatures dropped into the teens.
Northern fruit growers weren’t struck
quite so hard since their trees weren’t
advanced as far.
Dean Asquith, professor of entomology
at Penn State’s Biglerville Fruit Research
Laboratory, estimates that 40 per cent of
the plum and cherry trees in the area were
damaged to some degree. He’s quick to
add, however, that the degree of damage
ranges from zero to almost total, depen
ding on the variety of the fruit and location
of the trees.
Hie professor told Lancaster Fanning in
a telephone interview on Thursday that the
higher locations got off relatively easy
with no damage of buds evident Lower
lying areas were struck hard as tem
peratures dropped to 24 degrees at the
station and Asquith guesses it was five to
six degrees colder than that in some
sports. He observed that cherries and
plums were hit the hardest, -adding that
they had been damaged earlier in the year
as well. “Injuries in flatlands and hollows
is considerable—l’d say 50 to 60 per cent,’’
he said.
Questioned furfater, Asquith remarked:
“We’re enjoying the sunshine ... but we
wish things weren’t quite so early.” The
remark was echoed by others interviewed
later. He claimed that orchards in the area
have advanced to the point where bees will
soon have to be brought in and some early
season apple blossoms are beginning to
open.
( T hope we’ll get through the full moon in
May,” the professor continued, “if we do I
think we’re off and running. There’ll be
critical days ahead for the next three to
four weeks... other than that I think the
fruit crop will be in good shape.”
Terry Bortz, from the Schuylkill County
Extension Service, says the fruit crop in
bis vicinity “looks real good.” Tem
peratures dropped down to 19 degrees last
Monday, but the blossoms weren’t ad
vanced far enough to be killed. “We found
very little damage,” the agricultural
agent announced. “But we’re worried
because things are two to four weeks
ahead of schedule apples are pushing
too,” he continued. “The pink on the bud is
showing on some varieties,” he said.
Schuylkill County fruit growers include
very few cherry trees in their orchards,
but plums and peaches are abundant.
Some plum trees were damaged, Bortz
reported, but in spite of that he expects a
fine crop. “We’re really surprised that
things look so good, if we make it through
the Spring now without frost we’ll have lots
of picking to do,” he concluded.
Robert Hodge, who owns a 250-acre
cherry, plum, peach and apple orchard
near Marshalltown in Chester County,
says he’s noticed some bud kill on bis trees
but he wouldn’t be able to assess the
damage for several weeks yet His wife
explained that the story will be told in
early June when the phenomenon known
as “Spring drop” occurs.
Only the good and viable blossoms will
(Continued on Page 17]
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