—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 24,1977
14
Hints for pruning Christmas greens
DOVER, Del. - Many
people like to prune their
evergreens now in order tft
get greens for holiday
decorations. Properly done,
this can provide one with the
needed greens and at the
same time benefit his plants,
points out University of
Delaware Extension hor
ticulturist Dr. Charles
Dunham.
The objectives of pruning
are to improve a plant’s
symmetry and natural form,
to promote better balanced
and healthier growth, and to
control the height or spread
of the plant. A person should
WHAT'S NEW
HUMUS CONVERTER
In the Fall of the year,
after harvest, fields are
usually littered with
agricultural residues such as
straw, leaves, roots, and
stalks. Left to decompose at
their own rate, the process
may take years. But now
farmers may add a product
called Cellu-Gest and
acheive virtually total
decomposition prior to the
next growing season - ac
cording to the maker,
Bioferm International, Inc.
of Moorestown, N. J.
Cellu-Gest is a specially
developed microbiological
complex containing aerobic
and anaerobic cellulose
digesting bacteria and fungi,
plus fulvohumates, surface
tension depressants and
essential growth nutrients.
Its sole purpose is to speed
the decomposition of various
plant residues such as com
stalks, wheat straw,
soybean, and sorghum
stubble plus other plant and
vegetable residues in the
soil.
Cellu-Gest has been for-
Babcock B-300V
1i
20"
Results of the 20th Pennsylvania Random Sample Egg Laying Test confirm the
reports we’ve been receiving from egg producers in Pennsylvania on the outstanding
performance of the Babcock B-300V.
If you’ve been buying chicks based on Random Sample performance, isn’t it time to
buy today’s winner - the Babcock B-300V.
always make his pruning cut
at a joint in a branch, so that
the remaining leaves cover
and hide the cut. Pruned in
this way, any plant can be
shaped without the ap
pearance of having just
received a scalp job.
Both needle and broadleaf
evergreens make attractive
Christmas decorations. To
make arrangements, one
may need a few branches
that are 12 to 15 inches long,
but the majority of materials
for both centerpieces and
wreaths need to be no longer
than four to six inches, says
Dunham.
mulated to include selected
nitrogen fixing
microorganisms to supply
nitrogen to the cellulose
digesting bacterial and
fungi. This symbiotic ac
tivity not only increases the
nitrogen content of the soil
through atmospheric
nitrogen fixation but also
helps to reduce plant
residues to humus. Hence, |
there is a reduced need for
nitrogen fertilizers.
Cellu-Gest is economical
to use. According to the
manufacturer, one pound
mixed in 25 gallons of water
is sufficient to treat one acre
of field. It should be plowed
or disc harrowed within 24
hours of application. Early
Fall is the recommended
time of application.
Cellu-Gest is supplied in 25
pound and 100 pound plastic
lined fiber drums. For ad
ditional information, contact
Dr. Howard E. Wome,
Bioferm International, Inc.,
209 Chester Ave.,
Moorestown, N. J. 08057.
INCOME OVER FEED & CHICK COSTS
PENNSYLVANIA RANDOM SAMPLE TEST
Babcock B-300V
Shaver 288
DeKalbXL
Hisex
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We have received several questions concerning Babcock’s showing in
European Egg Laying tests as advertised in this paper. The Babcock B-3GOV was not entered in
the recently completed Wissinkenke and Putten Laying Tests.
P.O. BOX 280 1 ITHACA, NEW YORK 14850 / U.S.A. I PHONE: (607) 272-5990
A person can obtain the
larger pieces by removing
unwanted branches and by
severe heading back of
vigorous growth. Foundation
plantings, for example,
- should have an air space
between each other and
between each plant and the
house. This often requires
the removal or hard pruning
of some branches:- Such
pruning being done now is a
good way to get the longer
greens wanted.
Short pieces of plant
material are obtained by a
type of pruning called tip
puig. This, as the name
suggests, is the removal of
the tip of the shoot. Tipping
accomplishes two things-it
shortens the branch, and at
the same time it forces
growth of side branches,
thus giving a more' compact
plant. Done with a pair of
hand shears or a pruning
knife, tipping should provide
one with all the four-to-six
inch pieces of greenery you
need for decorating, leaving
a very natural-looking plant
in the process. (Tipping done
with a pair of electric hedge
shears may give greens, but
it also produces the un
naturally shaped plant
mounds that sometimes
appear in the front yards of
homeowners who don’t
understand how to prune.)
Any evergreen can be used
for Christmas greenery, but
some kinds are better than
others. Boxwood, with its
dense, fine texture, is
especially popular. But
many Japanese hollies are a
good substitute. All of the
hollies-American. English
and Chinese-are excellent
for the purpose. And, of
course, they have desirable
red berries.
Of the pines, the fine,
flexible, bright green
INCOME
OVER CHICK
SPEED COST
FLOOR
6.74
6.27
5.96
6.43
CAGE
6.07
5.52
5.85
6.04
needles of the white pine are
best, says the horticulturist.
But other pines are also very
satisfactory. All of the
spruces make excellent
wreaths. However, the
Colorado spruce holds its
needles much better than the
Norway.
Hemlock is another ef
fective green, but it does not
hold its needles well. If used
in an arrangement where the
stems will be in water, this is
no problem, though.
In pruning the larger
evergreens like pine, spruce
and hemlock, a person can
get his greens by removing
unneeded branches. Both
pine and hemlock will
respond to tipping, but more
care should be used with the
spruces and not overprune.
On older trees it’s possible to
remove or tip side shoots
without spoiling the plant’s
basic symmetry.
Both yews and junipers
are good .sources of
greenery, too. The dark
green needles of yew are
especially good and the
plants tolerate pruning well.
The evergreen magnolia is
one of the most handsome of
cut greens. These should be
pruned carefully so as not to
leave branch stubs on the
tree.
Even rhododendrons can
be pruned now for holiday
decorations. Like the
magnolia, one should prune
them bade to forked bran
ches and leave a clean,
smooth cut. Many
rhododendrons need pruning
anyway to keep them in
scale with their setting and
to keep them compact, so
such pruning can be very
beneficial. One may wish to
avoid removing branches
with flower buds, though, if
concerned about the number
EGG PRODUCTION
PER
HEN HOUSED
FLOOR
275.7
273.1
275.7
268.3
CAGE
256.1
245.5
253.3
258.8
given
of blooms one will get next
spring.
In using any greens,
Dunham has one caution. A
person can be aware o£-the
potential fire hazard of these
EVERY
WEDNESDAY IS
M* DAIRY
DAY
AT NEW HOLLAND SALES STABLES, INC.
• Herd of 30 head of Holstein cows, fresh and spring
ers and Fall cows consigned by Kelly Bowser
• Herd of 29 cows and 18 heifers from Clinton
County consigned by H.D. Matz
• 1 load Holstein cows consigned by H. D. Matz
• Wisconsin cows consigned by Hostetter Bros.
• 1 load New York State Cows and several open and
bred Heifers consigned by Norman Kolb.
If you need 1 cow or a truck load, wejiave from
100 to 200 cows to sell every week at your price
Mostly fresh and close springing Holstems
- Cows from local farmers and our regular
shippers including Marvin Eshleman, Glenn Fite,
Kelly Bowser, Bill Lang, Blaine-Hoffer, Dale
Hostetter, H.D. Matz, and Jerry Miller.
For arrangements for special sales or herd
dispersals at our barn your farm, contact
Abram Diffenbach, Mgr.
717-354-4341
OR
Norman Kolb
717-397-5538
%
LAYING HOUSE
MORTALITY
CAGE FLOOR
3.1 1.0
5.2 3.0
2.1 3.0
4.2 7.0
New Holland, PA'
-Special Consignments For
Wednesday, Dec. 28th Sale
SALE STARTS 12;30 SHARP
Also Every Wednesday;Hay, Straw &
Ear Corn Sale 12:00 Noon.
Ail Dairy Cows & Heifers must be
eligible for Pennsylvania Health Charts.
BABCOCK B-300V
Ist CAGE AND FLOOR.
LB. FEED
PER
LB. EGGS
FLOOR
2.33
2.44
2.59
2.36
CAGE
2.36
2.44
2.43
2.43
materials, and remembe
that those which are kept u
water will last much longet
When using greens withou
water, one should avon
burning candles near them
also keeping them avvai
from heaters, electric lights
the TV, and other hea
sources..
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