—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 8, 1976 16 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Some farmers could wind up spending $3,289 an acre for weed control this spring, if they fall for the phony telephone sales pitches of a few unscrupulous pesticide companies, a concerned coalition of Federal, State and private organizations warned late last week. rate of 40 to 200 gallons per acre. At the 220 gallon level, the State has calculated that it would cost a farmer $3,289 to treat one acre. the Federal Trade - Com mission, other Federal agencies, several farm organizations including the National Grange and.the American Farm Bureau, several environmental. and consumer organizations including the Environmental Defense Fund, and farm cheini'cals trade associations. “The vast majority ’of pesticide producers and dealers in this country condem these unethical actions on the part of a 1976 and was made to refund laws quite, well. They will $5,000 in purchases by duped often-avoid a blatantly false customers. Investigations claim but instead rely on also are underwaynow by innuendo or implication or the U.S. Environmental leave our certain vital in- Protection Agency. formation.” “There are few records of The coalition urged far these phone conversations,” mers to help stop the Train said. “The firms in- telephone sales racket by volved are shrewd. They- keeping an accurate, record appear to* know pesticide of such calls and reporting “In most situations, far mers and other pesticide users should buy products only after they have been able to read the products* label,” advise EPA Ad ministrator Russell E. Train. “Telephone pur chases are all right only if the buyer is dealing with a reputable agent personally known to him.” Many State agriculture departments and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have received numerous complaints from farmers and other con* sinners who say they have been telephoned by salespersons making false or misleading claims for some weed control products. “The statements , and dishonest few,” Train said, precautions on pesticide* Besides North Carolina, labels are backed up by compamts of bogus intensive scientific study and telephone claims have also careful scrutiny. The label > c °nie from farmers and provides a guarantee that ® ~r . us * rs in Arizona, the product will do an ef- California, Colorado, fective job in an en- Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, viromentally safe way. £f_ e w . Washington, Users should always read West Virginia and other ot tte «eed control jtaßaHJyngapeaHade, chemlMls [aund ta the 8111 saia * falsely advertised products Pesticide buyers should include 2, 4-D, bromadl, make it unmistakably dear pentachlorophenol, pramitol to any telephone huckster ~ and diguat dibromide. All of tlu# they .are not interested these are legitimate weed in and will not pay control agents, according the weed control products, the EPA, but they may be coalition warned.’ Reports ineffective or illegal for the indicate that waivering uses being claimed, buyers have sometimes been Prosecution of suspected shipped the pesticides firms has been difficult C.O.D. because of the problem of The claims include that the products are non-toxic to people, livestock and fish; that they mil control all weeds when in fact they will only control some; that they can be used on crops or pastures when actually they may damage or destroy these areas; and that they will curb all weeds for up to three years. Prizes are sometimes offered to the fanner if he will buy . The calls are normally made in the early morning or late afternoon. /■ Officials in North Carolina, where some of the deceptive telephone promotion has been oc curing, have reported that one weed killing product is recommended for use at the Other groups concerned about the telephone sales problem are the U.S. Department of Agriculture, n building a legal case on tbe basis of phone con versations. But North Carolina has been active. Two pesticide companies - Dartmouth Chemical Corp., and Oxford Chemical Corp., both of Woodbury, New York - have been prohibited from doing business in the State because of deceptive phone practices. Another firm, Jaguar Chemical Corp., New York, New York, has been suspended from selling in North Carolina until July 1, Bank On Energy Savings In The Attic TO There’s been a lot said about conserving energy and reducing fuel bills since we lined up for gasoline during the famed oil embargo. Yet with all the rhetoric, many of us still face constantly increas ing utility bills “Many homeowners have attacked the high cost of heating their homes by seeking short-term solutions like turning down the thermostat or wearing extra sweaters. Now they discover that those methods still won’t save them much money at today’s rates,” notes Sharon Kay Ritchie, director of the Certain-teed Home Institute. DEPEND ON DEKALB OEKALB i» * ref st«r*d fcrand Numb«'s des |n*ie hyt^.ns “Since about 30% of a home’s heat loss occurs right through the roof, you can reduce your fuel bill signifi cantly by insulating your attic. There should be a min imum of 6 inches of fiber glass insulation (R-19) on the attic floor,” Miss Ritchie says. In the average home (1400 sq. ft.) this insulation pays for itself in three years in utility bill savings. LEECOSTENBADER Kunkletown 381-3004 JAMES DELONG Orefield 395-2036 STANLEY FOX Palm 679-9682> Other long-term energy saving home improvements include adding storm win dows and doors, caulking around windows and door frames and adding weather stripping. ' I. G. AG SALES Silverdale 257 5135 JOHN JOHNSON Orefield 3951823 For more information on saving money on heating and cooling, write to the Home Institute, Certain-teed Pro ducts Corporation, Box 860, Valley Forge, PA 19482. WILLIAM LITTON Phillipsburg 201-859 1485 MARSTELLER GRAIN INC Trexlertown 395 2462 ERNEST MILLER Hamburg 562-8254 Baseball great, Lou Gehrig, didn’t miss a game for years, running up a playing streak of 2,130 consecutive major league games' MOYER & SON INC. Souderton 723 6001 . Zfcv -. i NEE,. F FV...M ULK MILK C LE,.^ [■3 E B m a E E Phony pesticide sales reported Plant a proven, big-yielding hybrid. Order your XL-64a today. - - vSt PHILLIPS FEED SERVICE Germansville 767-3819 PHILLIPS FEED SERVICE Bath 837-0301 TOE RUTH ' Fleetwood 944-7571 DENNIS TREXLER Limeporf 967-3362 FRANKLIN TROXELL Andreas 717-386-5322 WARREN SMITH Saylorsburg 717-629 1356 LORTON ECKROTH New Ringgold 717-943-2367 SCHMALTZ BROS. Doylestown 794-7259 them immediately to a lo agricultural agency or om EPA’s ten regional offi( Helpful Information wo include: date of the c caller’s name, bis compa his phone number, i product, the manufactur ' and the EPA registrat number of the product if ( exists. R ROBERT STOLTZFUS Cochranville 593-5982 IRA NISSLEY, INC. Morgantown 286-9328 NEVIN MYER Chester Springs 827-7414 NORWOOD WILSON Oxford 932-8285 HARVEY BRUBACKER Womelsdorf 589-2632 FRAZER'S FEED Downmgtown 269 0991 ALBRIGHTS MILL Kempton 756 4421 JIM BATZ Richland 717 933-8168 F M. BROWNS Sinking Spring 678-4567
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers