Bl2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 10,1980
In the Guernsey competition, Cindy Barto,
Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County, was the
champion fitter.
Fungus may
turn straw
into alcohol fuel
LANCASTER A fungus
found growing on cow dung
may help turn straw and
com stalks into alcohol fuel
for cars and feed for cattle,
says a U.S Department of
Agriculture scientist.
Donald T. Wicklow, a
microbiologist with the
USDA’s Science and
Education Administration in
Peona, 111., said the fungus
makes straw more digestible
bv breaking down the lignin,
a natural cement plastered
around cellulose fibers m
plant stems.
When the lignin cement
covering m removed, the
cellulose inside is exposed
and becomes available for
digestion. Then, the enzymes
in fermenters or in ruminant
stomachs can change the
cellulose to glucose sugar.
Scientists call the fungus
“Cyathus stercoreus.”
Because of its cupshaped
visible part, it also is known
as “fairy goblet” or “bird’s
nest.”
At the USDA northern
regional research center, the
fungus digested 45 percent of
the lignin in wheat straw and
exposed 21 percent of the
cellulose. Wicklow, Robert
W. Detroy and Brent A
Jessee grow the fungus on
pressure-cooked straw for 62
days.
While few living things can
digest lignin, Wicklow points
out that almost all cells,
including those m cattle and
in yeast colomes, use glucose
for energy. Some yeasts that
grow on glucose produce
ethyl alcohol.
One of USDA’s goals at its
Northern Agricultural
Energy Center at Peona is
to produce fuel alcohol from
cellulose in plant stems.
A fungus with the ability to
digest lignin, particularly
lignin in grasses, is the kind
of natural digester that
Wicklow, a fungal ecologist,
expected to find in rumment
dung on grasslands. He
searched for a fungus that
specialized in using
materials left over when
cattle, insects and
microorganisms digest
grass.
In a cow pasture at
Hickory Comers, Michigan,
Wicklow found the fungus he
was looking for. Although
the fungus had never before
been tested for ability to
digest lignin, it was well
known to naturalists,
Wicklow said.
The “goblet” or “nest” is
less than two-tenths of an
inch wide.
Expo scenes
No matter what style you use, chugging a quart
of milk is not as easy as it may seem. Gary Baxter,
right, the Expo’s show chairman isn’t crying over
spilled milk.
Martha Gregory, Lititz, was the champion
Ayrshire fitter at Saturday's Expo.
MARYLAND - Grangers
from across the state
gathered recently at the
Wacohu Grange Hall in
Washington County for the
annual State Youth Night.
Rodman Myers, State
Grange Master, announced
the State Grange session will
be held on October 16,17 and
18th at the Sheraton Inn,
Fredenck.
Lester Stem, co-chairman
of the newly funded Deaf
Scholarship Fund explained
the program and asked each
Grange to contribute money
towards this program.
Maurice Wiles, State
Overseer and Membership
Chairman, reported June 30
is the deadline for Maryland
Grange to have another net
gam membership year. The
annual State Grange picnic
will be held on July 27th at
the Carroll County Farm
Museum.
Ethel Brauer, State Jr.
Grange Leader, announced
Junior Grange Camp will be
held the first weekend in
October at Camp Airy m
Thurmont. Grange youth
from across the state will be
serving as camp counselors.
Nancy Wolfe, State
Grange Lecturer, announced
Fun In The Sun weekend will
be held on June 27-29 at the
Wolfe Farm in St. Mary’s
County.
Maryland State Grange
Youth Night held
Folowing the business
meeting, Faye Zimmerman,
State Grange Princess,
presented a skit entitled,
“The Perfect Granger” with
State Prince David Wiles
and past state princes, Allen
Stiles, Larry Wolfe, and Jim
Roderuck.
State Grange Master
Rodman Myers and State
Youth Director Janet Wiles
Maryland State Grange Youth Officers from left seated are: Donna Mills
Carroll Manor; Faye Zimmerman. Glade Valley. Standing, second row from left:
Faye Reese, Linganore; Kathy Grimm, Wacohu: Helen Eyler, Linganore- Patty
Myers, Thurmont: Lynn Vantz, Hancock. Back from left: Larry Wolfe Bran
dywine: Roger Troxell, Thurmont; Warren Gray, Beltsville; Bradley Grimm
Wacohu: Allen Stiles, Medford: and David Wiles, Glade Valley.
The black is easy, the white is the hard part.
Mom's chlorine bleach doesn’t only get clothes
bright.
presented the State Youth
Representative Awards to
Brian Wiles of Glade Valley
Grange and Andrea Myers of
Thurmont Grange. The
applications of these two
young people will be gomg to
the National competition.
The National Youth
Representative Award
Winners attend travel paid
assignments to camps,
conferences or conventions.
Theresa Duvall of Glade
Valley Grange entertained
with a demonstration of
“America the Beautiful” in
conjunction with the
National Grange Deaf
Awareness project.
And an entertaining skit
called “Pushbutton Radio
Skit” was performed by
Dave Harmon, Brian Wiles,
Cheryl Myers, Mary Lee
Dom, and Andrea Myers.