3&—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Nov. 6. 1976
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Meadowview Farm, located among the rolling hills west of Middletown, has beef cattle, swine, and chickens as primary enterprises.
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took some European families 200 years to
regain the equivalent of possessions they
had held prior to the Thirty Years War
(1618-1648, fought primarily on political
and religious issues involving Catholics
and Protestants m Central Europe )
The early settlers in America had their
share of problems too;
A new and strange land, an ocean apart
from familiar surroundings and people; no
“modem” or cultural background the new
settlers could latch on to, some hostile
Indians, diseases, to name a few.
But they were able to acquire some land
comparatively cheap, and the right to
work and worship as they pleased.
So begins the family tree of many an
American family.
Clair Nissley’s present property was
nearly twice as large at one tune - running
all the way from the Susquehanna River on
the west to the Conewago Creek to the east
and south. Up until 1920 there was also a
grist null, which reportedly had a rather
thriving business during its lifespan. When /
the old mill was taken down, as many of
the materials as possible were used in the
construction of a bam. Very little was ever
wasted by these people.
Nissley describes his farmland as
“pretty good,” and notes that it holds
moisture especially well. The hills set this
area apart from more level areas to the
east and south. Nissley notes that this part
of Dauphin County was once a part of
Lancaster County.
A seventh generation farmer of this
property, Nissley’s primary concerns are
150 head of beef cattle, 100 hogs, as many
as 5,000 chickens, and a produce route in
Middletown. The sales project in town is
unique, and a family tradition for several
generations. Remembering when more
than a half dozen farmers had such routes
in Middletown, Nissley today admits it’s a
practice which has seen its day. He still
considers the weekly trips worthwhile,
however, and some of his customers are
Leader serves 40 years
w
NEWARK, Del. - Mrs. Lola
Gibbs started the Woodside
Silverleaf 4-H Club back in
1936 when she was teaching
in a one-room schoolhouse.
She’s been the dedicated
leader of this club ever since
and now, 40 years later,
works with the children of
some of the original mem
bers. Kent County,
Delaware, 4-H’ers decided
this record was something to
crow about, and at their
recent annual achievement
banquet at Caesar Rodney
Junior High School in
Camden, they honored Mrs.
Gibbs for her long years of
service.
The former teacher says
she has no idea how many
young people she’s worked
with in 4-H during this time,
but it has to be a lot
Silverleaf membership has
often numbered 50-60 and at
one time got as high as 70
Officially, 4-H serves kids 9-
18, but Mrs Gibbs has never
been able to turn away the
younger brothers and sisters
who clamour to participate
Bicentennial farm
So there are usually a
number of 6, 7 and 8 year
olds in her group, as well.
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families which have purchased his
products for generations.
The only tractor found on this farm prior
to 1948 was an old Allis-Chalmers U for belt
, power. Prior to that all field work was
done with horses, and Nissley can easily
remember following a one-bottom plow.
Other experiences he can bring back to
mind vividly include shocking com and
operating a one-row, horsedrawn
cultivator. Electricity came to the farm in
1938. A “light plant” provided electricity
prior to that. When the telephone was
installed in about 1937, “neighbors from
pretty far around would come to use it,”
Nissley said with a smile.
The Nissley’s 4-bedroom house once was
home for 13 family members. Constructed
of logs and mortar, the aging building is
still very sturdy. But, says Nissley, it’s had
to be treated for termites. A large
fireplace once dominated the interior, but
it has been taken out and the house’s
present owners speculate that the brick
cellar floor may have been the fireplace at
one time.
Aside from the main house, there’s also
an old summer house, which in more
recent years has been put to use as regular
living quarters. It’s original purpose was
for butchering, summertime cooking,
laundering, and applebutter making.
Com is the main crop on the farm.
Powerline towers might count as a close
second. “Meadowview Farm” has 23 such
steel monsters constructed on it, and a
total of 80 acres is registered by the tax
office as right-of-ways for power lines.
Nissley had a chance to sell his farm for
pretty good money when the atomic plant
sought more land to expand with. But he
turned it down.
“I suppose that having had it in the
family for so long had something to do with
it,” he explained. Both he and his wife
expressed a closeness to the farm, and
their heritage, adding that they hope their
children will continue the tradition of
owning a “Bicentennial farm.”
Snowmobiles must be licensed
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Rep.
Kenneth E. Brandt, R-
Lancaster, has urged new
snowmobiles owners to
immediately register their
vehicle or face a chance of
fines when the Fall and
Winter snows arrive.
Brandt said the present
registration which began
last December 1, runs until
November 30, 1977. The
registration fee is $lO but will
drop to $5 on December 1
when half of the current
registration period remains.
Applications can be obtained
by contacting the
Snowmobile Unit of the State
Department of En
vironmental Resources.
“If you are caught without
a registered machine a fine
BE ALERT
* *
KERT GIVES TOP CONTROL
OF QUACKGRASS AND CHICKWEED
ALONG WITH OTHER
GRASSES AND WEEDS IN ALFALFA
Quackgrass, and other perennial and
annual grasses like bluegrass, ryegrass,
cheatgrass, and wild oats, along with
weeds like chickweed and others need
no longer lower the quality of your
alfalfa hay. A fall or winter application
of KERB herbicide from Rohm and
Haas Company controls the 15 most
common grasses and weeds that rob
your forage crop of water and nutrients
and deprive it of growing room. Stands
can stay productive and profitable
longer and produce higher protein.
of $lO or more can be levied
by Bureau of Forestry
personnel, game wardens,
police, or state parks per
sonnel.
“Some 55,000 snowmobiles
are registered in this new
two-year program designed
for snowmobile safety.
He said all questions
concerning regulations of
snowmobile use can be
directed to: Department ot f
Environmental Resources,
Snowmobile Unit, P.O. Box
1467, Harrisburg, Pa. 17120;
or telephone 717-783-1364.
more digestible hay for feeding to dairy
or beef animals.
Hay buyers, sellers, and those who feed
their own, all know the dollar value of
the superior quality hay, which weed
control can help produce.
ROHMn
iharsES
PHILADELPHIA PA 19105
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