A34—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 5,1980
Incredible eggs make way to Governor’s
HARRISBURG In honor
of April Egg Month, Vicki
Wass, Pennsylvania Egg
Promotion Specialist,
presented Gmny Thorn
burgh, the Commonwealth’s
First Lady, with a special
egg. The egg was a
beautifully decorated
Ukraman egg created by
Ron Markvan.
According to Markvan, it
took him about six hours to
complete the intricate task.
This is his eighth season for
making the colorful eggs, an
art he said he was taught by
his roommate while a
student at the Indiana
University of Pennsylvania.
Markvan recently taught a
course in Ukraman egg
pamtmg, or as he corrected,
egg-dyeing. His class con
sisted of folks ranging in age
from 11 years old to 81.
“When they came into the
course, they thought they
could never do it, but by the
fourth week they were
creating beautiful eggs,” he
said.
The egg-artist said that he
is not m the least bit ar
tistically talented and
claims to have an unartistic
background. But he turns out
egg shells with traditional
Ukranian designs that would
rival the canvas of many
famous painters.
Instead of a paint brush,
Markvan uses a tool called a
kistka to create his
masterpieces. The wooden
tool is used to apply beeswax
to the shell of a fresh egg.
The art of egg-dyeing, or
pysanky, begins with
sketching a design on the egg
shell with a pencil, said
Markvan. Using the lead
markings as a guide, all
areas to remain white are
covered with beeswax, using
the kistka.
Lancaster Swine Producers
to hold show/sale
Stables, with the judging The county president said
beginning at 4 p.m. followed there will be five placings in
by the sale at 6:30p.m. each class. He pointed out
According to Dean, pigs that exhibitors are limited to
will be in pens of six ac- two winners per weight
cording to their weight, class.
There will be three weight “There will be many high
classes, ranging from 30 quality pigs at the sale for 4-
pounds to 75 pounds. H and FFA summer
projects,” Dean concluded.
temporary | I
UNIVERSITY PARK - 2
Although the beef pnces I
have dropped in the past two X
weeks, Penn State economist X
Louis Moore says that this is I
only a temporary trend. 5
He predicts the price per |
pound will go up for feeder f
cattle because the numbers Z
of animals will remain low I
for the next four to five * t
years i Since SOIL CONDITIONER improves soil I
The 1980 figures on cattle I texture an( j wa ter penetration, root develop- *
X ment a,so improves. Root growth goes deeper I
depletmrTof beS I the subsoil for stored moisture and I
m the meat industry, said | minerals. Roots produce more fine roots and |
Moore. I root hairs, which allows roots more places to I
The amount of beef eaten | take up nutrients in the soil. »
per person in the U S has 1 The now available nutrients in the soil are due I
dropped as a result to 100 I jn part to increased soil life. Because SOIL f
pounds in 1979 This is * CONDITIONER has helped to cause an increase X
considerably lower than the aj n Sol | | ( f e there are now more available I
1976 pr capita consumption | nutnents In the soil. Let SOIL CONDITIONER ?
been i LEND “a helping hand” in your soil and water i
rationed by its high pnces,” f management x
.fa, cauie | L. W. ZIMMERMAN JR. |
pnces temporanly reflects 5 Rehrersburg, PA 19550 X
the total economy and its jj PH - 717-933-4360 I
runaway gas pnces, Moore
concluded
NEW HOLLAND - The
Lancaster County Swine
Producers Association will
be holding their annual
feeder pig show and sale on
April Bth, announced Gary
Dean, president.
The event will be held at
the New Holland Sales
Beef drop
Ukranian pysanky add another dimension to the
versatile egg.
Then the <»gg is dipped in
dyes, be£ 'ining with the
lighter colors and ending
with dark blue or black for
the background. Markvan
said he starts with yellow,
and after that color dries, he
adds orange and red,
covering the areas not to be
colored with wax every
stage of the way.
After the last color is
added to the egg, the
beeswax is melted off. To do
this, Markvan carefully
holds the egg beside the
flame of a candle. He
stressed the egg should not
be held too close, otherwise
the eggshell would be
scorched by the flame.
One the wax is melted off,
the egg is completed. But,
said Markvan, a layer of
FARMERS:
Now Is The Time To Topdress
Wheat, Barley, Rye
With 30% Nitrogen Solution or Liquid
Blend Fertilizer
Also Seed Corn & Soybeans Available.
Soil Conditioner Can Be Added
To Nitrogen or Liquid Fertilizer.
ASK US ABOUT IT.
varnish painted over the egg
gives it a gloss and will keep
the colors bright for years.
Why go to all the trouble of
dyeing the eggs? Markvan
says it is customary for
Ukramans to present them
as gifts to friends and
relatives. He said he finds it
a relaxing hobby after he
returns from a day of work
at the Beaver County Mental
Health and Retardation
Office.
What happens to the inside
of the fresh egg? They dry up
after a while, Markvan said.
He pointed out he does not
try to blow the insides of the
egg out because he’s afraid
he’ll crash the egg. “After
domg all that work, I
wouldn’t want to take that
chance,” he said.
Markvan, who lives in
Ron Markvan, Ambridge, visited the Governor's
Mansion on Wednesday, in honor of April Pa. Egg
Month, bringing with him his collection of
decorated eggs
Ambndge, near Pittsburgh,
said he uses commercial
dyes when creating this
pysanky. Originally in
Europe, he explained, the
dyes were made from
berries, grasses, roots, and
onion skins. “Red onion
skins would make red dye
and yellow onions would be
used for yellow colors. Of
course they weren’t strong
colors.”
Make more money
Higher litter average
Healthier animals
Faster weight gain
Easier to clean
More time for other
activities
Investment credit tax
deduction
8. Fast depreciation tax
deduction
You Can't Afford Not To Have
a Confinement Barn.
• PUNNING LAYOUTS • SALES • INSTALLATION • SERVICE
SHENK'S FARM SERVICE
501 E. Woods Drive Lititz, Pa. 17543 Phone 717-626-1151
Paul Repine-717-626-2837 Mervm Nissley 717-872-4565
Our Service Trucks Are Radio Dispatched 24 HR. SERVICE OFFERED
The talented egg decorator
has a personal collection of
over thirty of his best
creations. When asked which
was his favorite, he said the
goose egg because it took
him the longest time 13
hours —to complete.
To use a phrase adopted by
the American Egg Board,
Markvan’s eggs are truly
“incredible”, but as he
points out, not too edible.—
SM
What Can HML
Confinement Barns
Do For Me?
9. Controlled Environment:
Cool in summer, warm in
winter
10. Low maintenance:
Metal exterior, fiberglass
interior
11- Get highest prices at
market
12. Easier to medicate
through the automatic
watering system
13. Unit is easily managed by
anyone
MansioA
MEMO
HAY,
STRAW &
EAR CORN
SALE
EVERY MONDAY
At 11 A.M.
{ NEW HOLLAND SALES
i STABLES, INC.
| > Phone 717-354-4341
i i Lloyd H Kreider, Auct
ikesoeeeeeoeeoea
BLU-KOTE
15 SPRAY
For cowpox '
r i Wr rln g worm sk
T in abrasions
JsiU'KO Covers wound
I ' with quick
drying deep
wS$. penetrating
coating
STOP-ALEAK
For cows’
teats that leak
milk A liquid
to be applied „
over end of i :
teat after each WdtffPi
milking for a
few days only
ZIMMERMAN’S ANIMAL
HEALTH SUPPLY
Wood Corner Road,
3 miles West of Ephrata
RD#4, Lititz. Pa. 17543
717-733-4466