TEXARKANA, Tex. - What regional fluctations m weather are on tap for the near future 7 Next summer may see another drought in the Great Plains as severe as the 1980 summer’s, and it could be even more destructive in the Com Belt. The West, too, may be drier than normal next summer, but the Ohio River Valley may have a wetter than usual spring. The southern Plains should have good weather in June for har vesting the winter wheat but Lime soils to their safety zone LANCASTER To what pH should you hme your soil? For tunately plants have a wide pH tolerance range. However, the best pH range will vary somewhat with the crop to be grown and soil type. Most crops do best on well-limed soils. Alfalfa is very sensitive to soil acidity and produces best within a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0. Other forage legumes such as the clovers, birdfoot trefoil and the vetches are somewhat less sen sitive than alfalfa to soil acidity. These legumes do well within a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. Small grains are generally considered to have a wide range of tolerance to soil acidity. Oats seems to produce well as a pH as acid as* 5.5 or on well limed soil. Wheat does well within a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. Barley, however, is almost as sensitive to soil acidity as alfalfa and should be grown on soil limed to pH 6.5 to 7.0. Corn also has a wide range of tolerance to soil acidity. Although, on many soils, it will produce well on soils as acid as pH 5.8, it is JOHN DEERE 4630 D TRACTOR Power Shift... Ready To Go To The Field! TRACTORS: John Deere 1520 Gas, 1972, Live PTO John Deere 1530 With 145 Loader John Deere 520 With Loader & Blade John Deere 50 With Loader John Deere 2510 Gas, 1966 AC 7050, Cab, Air, Radio, 1371 Hours, 1974 White 4-150,4 Wheel w/Duals Farmall 656 G, Wide Front, New Tires, 3626 Hours, 1967 Oliver 1650 D Tractor White 1755 D, 2978 Hours, Over & Under Shift Drought predicted for great plains significantly lower rainfall in May not good for filling out the gram These predictions come from the Climate/Food Project at the University of Wisconsin. Reid Bryson,' director of the Institute for Environmental Studies there and head of the project, says the predictions have a 65 percent chance of being ac curate The Climate/Food Project prepares long-range forecasts to help predict famines around the world It forecasted a year in better to keep corn land above pH rarely need to be limed. These soils 6.2 for good weed control. should be kept within a pH range of Consideration should also be 5.0 to 6.0. given to soil texture. In general, Whatever crop you are growing, sandy sods should not be limed as lime the soil to the safety zone, heavily as loams or clay loams. Don’t shoot for the razor’s edge Micronutrient deficiencies may be Lame at least to the middle of the a problem on sandy soils when desirable pH range. By liming to hmed to pHs above 6.5. the high side, you can wait several There are some acid lovmg years before rehming. Your liming plants. Soils for blueberries, practice is no place to try to rhododendron and azaleas very economize. __ UTITZ The Lancaster County In a hard fought contest, Garden FFA spring athletic tournament Spot outlasted Pequea Valley. By was recently held at Warwick High winning the best of three com- School. petition, two games to one, Garden Championship trophies were Spot won the volleyball chain won by Garden Spot and Lam- pionship peter-Strasburg FFA teams. In the basketball competition, Lampeter-Strasburg won the championship by defeating Penn Manor. Third place was won by the Warwick team >24,500 CHAPMAN EQUIPMENT CENTER, INC. Corner of Ruppsville Road & Chapman Road, Wescosville, Pa. 215-398-2553 Open Mon. thru Fri. 8:00 AM to 5 PM: Sat 8:00 AM to 12:00 FFA teams compete in athletic tourney John Deere 224 T with 30 Ejector John Deere 214 T with Ejector John Deere 24 T with Ejector MF 124 T with Thrower IH 27 T Baler -Priced Right IH 430 T with Thrower IH 440 T with Thrower John Deere 1209 Mower Conditioner J sTsSgs£K!&^ Field Ready... *8,500 _■ - * V* advance the 1980 drought and the severe cold of this winter in the East. “Our predictions are based on physical forces as far as we know them and the thermodynamic effects of carbon dioxide and other particles m the atmosphere which we link up with statistics, recorded climate patterns, or how the at mosphere has responded to these physical forces in the past,” Bryson explained “We may finally be getting a handle on long range forecasting.” In addition to the five schools listed above, FFA chapters from Ephrata, Brownstown Vo-Tech and Manheim also took part in the tournament. PLAN AHEAD ... HAY TOOLS: t''* JOHN DEERE 1209 9' MOWER CONDITIONER Rental - Used Two Seasons *3,950 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 11,1981—C41 M*? gjVs. t he f' * • \--rp *r ♦ I ■ 1/1 * 'I ■ ■ ±J I Waiting for rain, a Texas farmer looks over his drought stricken cotton fields. Water shortages plagued the fragile ecology of the Great Plains for the past few years and con tinued this winter. Forecasters predict last summer’s severe drought will be matched again this year. John Deere 6600 G, Spike Cylinder, Chopper with Platform • John Deere 6600 D, Reconditioned John Deere 4400 Gas John Deere 4400 Gas, Spike Cylinder John Deere 4400 D With Big Screen, 444 Cornhead, Approx. 1350 Hours John Deere 95 Combine With 12’ Plat form, with 435 John Deere 105 Combine With Platform IH 403 G Hydro, 12’ Platform, 4 Row IH 403 G, 12’ Platform, 3 Row IH 915 G Hydro, 12' Platform, 4 Row COMBINES: AGWAY