Top sellers at New Holland Holstein sale f ~ ~~*BSsl «>» *■ * .*» •*s/,**. Storms fail to solve heat, dryness problems HARRISBURG - Despite mid-week rainstorms during the week ending July 21, Pennsylvania farmers say they need more rainfall to help dry crops. Farmers rated five days as suitable to fieldwork, according to ™ Pennsylvania Crop Reporting Service. Soil moisture levels across the state were rated as mostly short to adequate. Northern Pennsylvania farmers rated soil as 59 percent adequate and 32 percent short. Central counties were rated at 69 percent and 25 percent adequate. With the hot dry weather, com is tassehng throughout the Commonwealth. Com is now averaging 43 inches statewide, two mches taller than a year ago. Average height of com is 40 mches in the north, with central and southern com reported at 41 and 53 mches respectively. Early apple harvest is beginning and peaches have begun to appear on roadside stands. Snapbeans and green peas are reported as above Q)erage and early. " Some storm damage was reported as a result of the storms during the week, including lodging in the state’s oats crop. All areas continue to report a lack of needed rainfall. Barley is 11 percent tur ning yellow, 18 percent ripe and 71 percent harvested, compared to last year, when seven percent was turning, 23 percent was ripe and 66 percent harvested. In the north, 29 percent is turning, 32 percent npe and 39 per cent has been harvested. Central Pennsylvania far mers report 13 percent npe and 88 percent harvested, while southern farmers report eight percent npe and 92 percent harvested. Wheat is reported as 21 percent turning, 46 percent npe and 32 percent har vested statewide, ahead of last year’s 25 percent tur ning, 50 percent npe and 23 percent harvested. Nine percent of the wheat crop has been harvested in northern counties while harvest now stands at 42 percent m central Penn sylvania and 60 percent in the south. Oats are now 33 percent headed, 49 percent turning, 15 percent npe and less than five percent harvested. Last year’s crop was 45 percent headed, 43 percent turning and ten percent npe at the same time. In the north, 58 percent is headed, 34 percent A trio of three-year-olds were among the top sellers at the Annual Registered Holstein Promotional Sale held Friday, July 18, at the New Holland Sales Stables. It was a long hot, muggy July evening for the large group of buyers, consignors and lookers who crowded the sales arena. In all, 199 head were auctioned. Bidding began at 7 p.m. and continued until about 12:30 a.m. A Linda Jet Stream daughter, upper left, brought $4,000 and was sold to Benuel Lapp. Her dam was an Astronaut daughter. A price of $3,250 was paid for an Ivanhoe Jewell daughter, upper right. Her dam was a Lucifer-bred cow. She was purchased by Kenneth Lambert, Ulysses, Pa. Her well-veined udder is shown in closeup in lower right photo. At lower left is the udder of a Proud Performer daughter, which went across the block for $3,650. Her dam was Tidy Gent. She was bought by Alfred Albright, of Landisberg. Among other top sellers was an 18-month bred heifer, Bud Ranch Lassie Apache, bred to Misty Maples Arlinda Magnet. She was purchased for $2,750 by Daniel Albright, Landisberg. turning yellow and four percent npe. Central Pennsylvania reports 16 percent headed, 61 percent turning, 22 percent npe and traces being har vested. In southern counties, six percent is headed, 63 percent is turning, 29 per cent is npe, and traces are being harvested. Second cutting of alfalfa is moving ahead of last year, as 48 percent is cut com pared to 36 percent a year ago. Northern farmers report 36 percent harvested, HARRISBURG - State Agriculture Secretary Penrose Hallowed Tuesday said the 1980 peach crop is a good example of how Penn sylvania agriculture is growing better. The 1980 peach crop m Pennsylvania has been estimated at 2,188,000 bushels, 17 percent more than the 1,875,000 bushels harvested last year, ac cording to the July 1 forecast of the Pennsylvania Crop Reporting Service Hallowed said the forecast while central and southern areas report 45 and 68 percent harvested, respectively. Many operators are experiencing problems with leaf hopper and weevil. Clover-timothy is 95 percent harvested, one percent ahead of last year. The north is at 93 percent harvested, while central and southern Pennsylvania is virtually complete. Hay quality for the week was rated as good to fair, but State peach projected up 17%, good quality was for a good crop of all peach varieties, with good color and high quality. The current harvest season is on schedule, with harvest of early varieties such as Collins, Early Red Haven and Sun Haven slated to begin during the week of July 21 m southcentral and southeastern Pennsylvania. Red Haven will begin the following week “Peaches are considered the queen of summer fruit,” Hallowed said, “and Penn sylvania peach growers are Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 26,1980—613 -4 u % ' •* .*• ' -f stands were reported short due to the lack of ram. Northern operators rated hay as 52 percent fair to 35 percent good. Central far mers rated hay as 76 percent good to 24 percent fair, and southern farmers rated hay at 64 percent good and 27 percent fair. Feed from pastures was 50 percent average and 44 percent below average across the state. With nor thern pastures rated 55 percent average, central and southern pastures were well pleased with the prospects for this year’s crop. “Peaches are now produced commerciady in 51 of the state’s 67 counties, and people who had trouble finding peaches last year wid be able to get them this year. Our reports are that the counties that were in short supply in 1979 wid have good crops for this sum mer.” The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is working with growers to r