Servina The Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas - Also Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware
VOL 23 No. 9
(flap/*/./feus Vea/L
Reviewing 1977, some of the major agricultural
news stories would have to include the severe
Winter which forced factories to close and
threatened agricultural markets. In March a
landfill threatened the Abe and John Barley farm,
(second picture from the top) and that ordeal made
heaidines for six weeks. Soybean prices jumped
$lO per bushel in April. Planting conditions last
Spring weren’t the greatest. A prolonged heat
spell scorched farmers during mid-Summer,
sparing no one. Tomato growers were among the
hardest hit. in the Fall the rains and fairs came,
while farmers dodged showers to get their crops
>n. In the end, the harvest report was nearly
always good, thank God. Like any year, 1977 had
Its ups and downs. We hope it’s been a good one
for you, and that 1978 will be even better.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 31,1977
USDA is reorganizing
By DIETERKRIEG
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
The United States'Depart-
ment of Agriculture has been
going through a recon-
struction period for the past
two months, and the results
are drawing both fire and
praise from onlookers. In at
least one case, USDA is
being challenged by outside
Poultry disease still a threat
By KENDACE BORRY
HARRISBURG - Out
breaks of Laryngotracheitus
(LT) have been increasingly
detected, with ap
proximately 20 infected
chicken flocks reported,
according to Dr. E.T.
Mallinson, V.M.D., Chief,
Avian Health Division,
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture. Most of the
Agricultural zones considered
By BONNIE SZYMANSKI
» , .
LITITZ - Warwick
Township farmers are being
given the opportunity to take
part in local governmental
action which could mean the
beginning, or the end, of
area farming as (hey now
know it.
On Wednesday evening,
Dec. 28, about 30 residents of
Wet soybeans finally harvested
By DIETER KRIEG
LITITZ - Thanks to
temperatures which haven’t
climbed above freezing - or
even the twenties - for
nearly a week, the soybean
harvest got a boost after
having been at a standstill
for close to six weeks.
Reports now are that
combining has been com
pleted nearly everywhere,
and yields are holding up
Tobacco buying activity quiet
By JOANNE SPAHR
LANCASTER - Three
weeks after the first major
buy of Type 41 tobacco in
Lancaster County, buying
and selling activity is still
relatively quiet.
Up to this point, both
United States Tobacco and
John Berger & Son, Co.,
Farm Calendar 10
Letters 10
Nowisthetime 10,76
Classifieds 28
Homestead Notes 50
Ida’s Notebook 32
agencies and Secretary
Bergland is preparing to
fight. (See story on page 13).
A number of agencies will
be merged, including the
Extension Service, the
Agricultural Research
Service, the Cooperative
State Research Service and
the National Agricultural
Library. Details on that
cases have been in
southeastern Pennsylvania,
with a concentration of the
disease found in East Earl
and Caenarvon Townships,
Lancaster County, and the
adjacent areas. Scattered
cases have also been
reported in the western and
northeastern parts of the
state.
The disease has been
Warwick Township-most of
them Coiicemed in one way
or another with agriculture-
gathered in the township
municipal building on Clay
Road to take part in an in-
f ormal meeting of the
Warwick Township Planning
Commission. Discussion
centered on whether or not
the concept of an
agricultural district would
fairly well considering the
beating the crop took earlier
in the season.
But the beans are wet,
which comes as no surprise
to area residents who have
been plagued with rain, ice,
and snow ever since the
beans were ripe enough to
combine. Some growers are
reporting moisture readings
of upwards of 30 per cent.
Mark Hershey, a Lebanon
LandisviUe, have completed
their purchases with only
A.K. Mann, Lancaster, out
in the field. Although the
company temporarily
suspended buying for the
week, A. Kenneth Mann,
executive of the company,
stated he intends to begin
again shortly.
In this issue
Home onthe Range S3'
Brucellosis 55
Jr. Cooking Edition 56
Somatic cell test 57
Joyce Bupp 58
Doris Thomas 62
particular move can be
found elswhere in this issue,
under the headline: “New
USDA science agency is
taking shape.”
Secretary of Agriculture
Bob Bergland expects the
various reorganizational
moves to be complete and in
effect by Jan. 3. A
spokesman at USDA ex-
found in all types of chicken
flocks, with both large and
small, meat and egg types
affected.
According to Dr.
Mallinson, backyard flocks
pose a real threat to the
situation because in many of
these farms, sanitation
procedures are not as good
as they should be. Birds of
these flocks could be in-
be desirable or workable in
the township.
Zoning Officer Marvin
Feiler told those in at-
tendance that he had mailed
out approximately 30 letters
to township residents living
on class I and H soils (prime
farm lands). He noted that
he was pleased at the
response, as almost
County soybean handler,
says he’s getting beans
containing anywhere from 15
to 25 per cent moisture.
The high water content is
one of the costly con
sequences of the late har
vest. Although farmers
aren’t complaining too much
about their yields - realizing
that they could have been
much worse, - they’re
having to sacrifice con-
Mann is offering 60 cents
for good, clean pull off, and
had been paying 70 cents for
24 inch and above binder
leaf, sorted and tied in
hands. He statcu on Friday,
however, that he has nearly
finished all his purchases erf
this particular type leaf.
Eighty-five cents is the top
Jerry Webb 63,64
Vegetable feature 66
Lifeonthefarm 68
Farm co-op birth 69
Leb. 4-H livestock 74
Land-use proposal 82
$6.00 Per Year
plains that the
reorganization is primarily
being under taken for ef
ficiency’s sake. The actual
workings of various
programs will most likely
not be directly affected,
One proposed move which
has come under con
siderable fire is the plan
(Turn to Page 12)
fected and the infection
carried to other birds in an
endless cycle. People en
tering the area of the in
fected flock and then
travelling to other flocks
may carry the infection with
them and spread the disease.
To protect flocks, both
large and small chicken
(Turn to Page 16)
everyone contacted was at
the meeting.
In inviting them, planners
had hoped that the farmers
would use the meeting as a
platform for discussion on
their opinions and attitudes
about establishing an
agricultural district in the
township.
Questions from the
(Turn to Page 21)
siderable income if beans
need to be dried down to 13 or
14 per cent moisture. One
farmer reports being
charged three cents per
moisture point per bushel.
Another method employed
by dryer operators amounts
to deducting two per cent of
the weight of the beans for
each point of moisture
removed.
(Turn to Page 22)
price the company is of
fering for high quality
Maryland type tobacco with
number two Maryland going
for7scents.
Although by last year’s
standards, the buying and
selling activity is slow, on
the average with other years
it is normal.
Farm outlook 85
Remembering... 86
Kendy’sKollumn 87
Trees for sale 88
Dairy outlook 89
Public Sale Register 90