Container grown trees useful on strip
UNIVERSITY park -
Tree seedlings grown in
small containers m a
greenhouse can be used to
revegetate land strip-mined
for coal, forest scientists at
riK N
X
PIT MANURE PUMPS
JPnwCTOKw • I IdllS
\ v " v
r. ERNEST SNOOK
The Pennsylvania
University are finding.
This method of growing
plants, long used with
vegetables and flowers, is
being applied to forest
■ -
i - v ' ml
'-m
seedlings, e
conifers, according to
Russell J. Hutnik and Edgar
H. Palpant of the
Agricultural Experiment
Station at Penn State.
State
One of the major ad
vantages of this system, they
claim, is that the container
keeps the root system intact
and protected in a fertile
growing medium. In con
trast, conventional nursery
grown tree seedlings are
planted in a bare-root
condition and are subject to
injury durmg processing for
shipment.
For many years relatively
large container-grown
seedling trees were used in
the high plain country of the
West, the Penn Staters said,
to establish windbreaks
where moisture was limited.
These container-grown
seedlings proved to be more
vigorous than bare-root
nursery stock and survival
improved greatly.
According to recent
Garden Spot
(Continued from Page 118)
Ed Harsh, son of Edward
and Joan Harsh, Strasburg
Rl, was also a beef winner.
Ed raised and showed a beef
steer. He was cited for
having worked a great deal
with his project.
James Meek, the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Meek,
Willow Street, was crop
production winner. He
carried a tobacco project
and was a very active
member of the chapter.
James also served as
reporter and was on the state
FFA chorus.
For his general good
management in the horse
area, Jeff Keemer was
awarded the horse
proficiency award. Jeff, the
son of Joe and Susan
Keemer, Lampeter, has a
Vl*
- •*'■*
♦ s
OUTPERFORMS ALL OTHERS:
Nesseth Open Pit Pumps are years ahead of competitive
models. With pumping capacities of 3500 to 6000 gallons
per minute, no single pump can break up thick crusted manure
and turn it into pumpable slurry as fast as a Nesseth.
You’ll save time and you’ll save fuel, but ]ust as important
you’ll save money because you don’t need two units (one
for agitation, one for pumping) when you buy Nesseth
A single unit does it all and Nesseth offers a choice of six . , . , .
models so you can select the model best suited to your ®* asts a stream manure U P to
needs. Choose from either 3 point hitch or trailer mount,
20" or 24" impeller, 540 or 1000 rpm PTO operation
studies at Penn State,
however, the container
grown seedlings are not
always superior. In fact,
survival and subsequent
growth have sometimes
been less than with standard
nursery-grown seedlings. "
At the same tune, the
basic problem is one of cost,
Dr. Hutnik observed. To
compete with nursery-grown
seedlings, containerized
seedlings must be grown for
no longer than one year prior
to transplanting, in contrast
to the two to four years
normally needed to produce
certain conifers m nurseries.
The older seedlings, if was
noted, are better able to
withstand competition from
other vegetation and tolerate
late frosts and droughts that
often occur following spring
plantmg.
“If the springtime has
sufficient, well-distributed
rainfall and no severe late
frosts, and if weed and grass
cover is not too dense,
purebred quarter horse. He
also helps with the breeding
on his parents horse farm.
Susan Shenk, daughter of
Harold and Barbara Shenk,
Willow Street was first place
winner m the ninth grade
creed contest. Susan was
awarded the public speaking
proficiency medal.
Work experience with 250
head of hogs, won"- Tim
Brown the swine proficiency
award. Tim also works for
his father.
Cindy Shank chapter
sweet heart was in at
tendance. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.
David Shank, Refton. Rohm
Balmer was named the
chapters new sweetheart.
She is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Henry Balmer,
Lampeter.
* V
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 7,1979
containerized seedlings
survive as well or better
than bare-root stock,” Dr.
Hutnik affirmed.
“This apparently explains
’ the good results we had with
our container-grown
seedlings in 1978, as com-'
pared to relatively poor
results in 1977,” he added.
The container-grown
method has several at
tractive features, it was
pomted out. It conserves
seed that is expensive or in
short supply, such as seed
from genetically superior
trees. It improves flexibility
m planning and in respon
ding to unexpected
developments, since the
tune from sowing of seeds to
outplantmg is shortened by a
year or more. And it permits
the plantmg season to be
extended later than normal
mto the growing season,
since the roots in containers
are distributed only slightly.
“For these reasons, more
Ag preservation
workshop slated
The Board of Chester
County Commissioners is
sponsoring the second in a
series of agricultural
preservation workshops on
Saturday, April 7, at the
Schmucker Science Center
on the campus of West
Chester State College. The
workshop is open to anyone
interested in agricultural
arid open space preser
vation. Registration Begins
at 8:30 a.m. The Conference
is expected to last from 9
a.m. to Ip.m.
Invited speakers include
Pennsylvania Secretary of
Agriculture Penrose
Hallowell, Professor
Frederick Steiner of
Washington State Univer
sity, and officials from
neighboring Pennsylvania
Cheek these feefates
• Performs both agitation and pumping
• 300 degree rotation agitation spout
• Easy to transport, easy to operate
• No pier required in storage area
• Extra rugged construction for longer life,
dependable trouble-free service.
119
mines
and more containerized
seedlings are likely to be
planted as part of
reclamation programs on
newly mined land as well as
to rehabilitate old strip
mines lacking adequate
vegetation,” Dr. Hutnik
predicted.
He indicated, however,
that bare-root nursery stock
will continue to be the chief
means of refrostmg strip
mined land, at least in the
near future.
Meanwhile, research is
underway at Penn State to
develop and evaluate new or
improved containers and
methods of handling them.
Experiments are seeking
improved greenhouse en
vironmental systems. The
latter stress interaction of
various types and com
binations of irrigation,
fertilization, supplemental
night lighting, and sup
plemental cooling and
heating.
counties. Topics for
presentation range from an
overview of agriculture in
Whitman County,
Washington to a farmland
preservation strategy for
Chester County, an
agricultural easements
program in Lancaster
County, and agricultural
zoning efforts in Berks,
Bucks, and York Counties.
The purpose of the
workshop is to promote an
exchange of views on
agricultural preservation
issues and strategies. For
more information, or to
preregister for the Con
ference, please contact
either Stephen L. Kehs or F.
Robert Bielski at the Chester
County Planning Com
mission (215431-6285).
j