Adams
BY M.H. GITT
Staff Correspondent
FAIRFIELD Members of the
Adams County Fruit Growers
Association held their monthly
meeting Wednesday evening after
inspecting the orchards and
equipment of Apple Valley Farms.
Among the features pointed out
by host Phillip Roth were a solar
system for heating water and a
sloping electric fence designed to
keep deer out of the f nut trees.
Of special interest was the solar
system which has a collector
consisting of 264 rubber pipes with
a surface area of 344 square feet.
Water is pumped from a 1320
gallon tank located in the
basement of the house to the
collector. The heated water
returns to the storage tank inside
which there are two heat ex
changers made out of soft copper
tubing.
One coiled tube, approximately
120 feet long, has water inside
which is used for washing, bathing
and other domestic uses and is
heated by the water in the tank.
Meanwhile, the water in the other
coil is used to help warm the house.
“In the winter, on a sunny day,
every hour of sunlight will provide
one hour of home heating during
the night,” explained Roth.
Another addition Roth is con
sidering is pumping the water
from the tank to a processing plant
for washing apples and other fruit.
He admitted the most practical use
of this system is for domestic heat
and said he figures it will pay for
itself in eight to ten. years'
depending on how much fuel costs
increase.
An increase should be seem in
Roth’s fruit production since the
installation of a deer fence which
he said will keep out 90 percent of
the animals m the area. The
combination of seven-high tensile
wires, sloped at a 45 degree angle
and electrically charged is the
US Nigerian ag
committee to meet
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Mem
bers of the U.S.-Nigerian joint
agricultural consultative com
mittee will meet in Lagos, Nigeria,
beginning May 31 to discuss
private agribusiness participation
in agricultural development in
Nigeria on a joint venture basis.
According to Quentin West,
director of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Office of In
ternational Cooperation and
Develoment, the cooperation
between USDA and the private
agribusiness sector in this country
is a new approach to assisting
- developing nations.
The two countries also have
agreed to participate in
agricultural research and the
exchange of related information.
West said the program in Nigeria
could serve as a model for similiar -
cooperative efforts in other
countries.
West said the program
illustrates how govemment-to
government relationships
arranged by the United States can
open doors for private business.
The private sector can concentrate
its resources on establishing and
operating business. It can also help
make U.S. companies more
competitive with rival firms from
other nations, some of which
receive government subsidies for
foreign development activities
Former Secretary of Agriculture
Orville Freeman is chairman of
the U.S. delegation;' Mallim Joda,
former Secretary of the Nigerian
Ministry" of Agriculture, is v
chairman of the Nigerian
delegation.
Co. Fruit Growers tour
most effective fencing system, he
proclaimed.
After the tour, the members
gathered for their meeting which
included reports from experts on
what fungi and insects the growers
should be on the look out for, as
well as a report on apple thinning.
Extension Plant Pathologist Jim
Travis reported'that so far there
have been three infection periods
conducive to the growth of fungi.
Basing his information on data
collected ,at the research
laboratory in Biglemlle, he noted
that the first time was April 11 and
12. There was a heavy infection,
but light spore load during this
period.
The next spell was on April 23,
which had a light infection due to
low temperature.
The third tune was May 9, and
data shows a heavy infection and
spore load.
After inspecting some orchards
be noted he had found some
lesions, probably due to the first
infection period. Spores on these
lesions only need a light ram to
spread to unaffected leaves or
trees. He strongly suggested
growers keep applying fungicides
at regular intervals to help prevent
further infection.
Travis also reported he nad
found some Peach Leaf Curl in a
few orchards, cases of Cherry Leaf
Spot and some Firebhght. He said
the worst cases of Curl were
caused by lack of the proper ap
plication of fungicide. The
Firebhght was due to the extended
bloom period this spring when the
blossoms were most susceptible to
the fungus.
Robert Tetrault, Extension
Service Entomologist, reported
“few insect problems for fruit
growers in the southern part pf the
state at this tune.” He pointed out
insects that will be appearing soon
and reminded growers to be
to spray.
For peach and necterine trees,
he said, to be on the lookout for
Green Peach Aphids and Peach
Tree Bores; on apple trees check
for Rosy Apple Aphids, San Jose
Scale, European Red Mites, and
Tufted Apple Bull Moths. The
latter two insects should start to
appear after petal fall. Tetrault
reported the White Apple Leaf
Hopper is showing some degree of
resistance to certain types of
organo-phosphate insecticides, but
other pesticides would be effective
in controlling them.
In response to a question con-
...plant today
Some growers protest they haven’t got time to double crop.
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should be kept out of the reach of children To prevent
accidental ingestion, never transfer to food, drink or
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Restricted Use Pesticide Use all chemicals only as
directed
TMs ORTHO CHEVRON CHEVRON DESIGN-REG US PAT ANDTM
OFF LOROX—REG TM E I DUPONTDENEMOURS.INC SENCOR
REG TM MOBAYCORP SURFLAN-REG TM ELANCOCO LASSO -
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Chevron
* Ortho paraquatcl
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 16,1681—A33
Apple Valley Farm
cemmg the uypsy Moth, he noted
that "I don’t see a problem with
the moth because current
pesticides already in use will be
adequate in controlling the Gypsy
Moth and it wouldn’t be necessary
to use a certain pesticide just to get
rid of the moths.”
A presentation on chemically
thinning apples was given by
George Greene, an Assistant
Professor of Pomology from Penn
State, who works out of the
research lab in Biglerville. He said
there are two reasons for thinning
apples. One is to get larger apples
this year and the other is to try and
get a uniform crop every year.
With the aid of a chart, he ex
plained juvenile apples with a
diameter less than three-eighths
are too small for thinning. Fruit
with a diameter between three
eighths and seven-sixteenths are
the best for thinning, while
juvenile apples with a diameter
between seven-sixteenths and
nine-sixteenths are fair size for
thinning. Anything over that is too
big.
Larger apples this year can be
obtained by removing the side
apples and leaving the middle, or
“king blossom”, as the mam ap
ple, he explained. Also by cutting
down on the number of apples, a
more uniform crop can be made
for next year.
In other business, Larry Yager,
the area marketing agent from the
extension service, reported the
Cherry Administration board has
decided to sell 40 percent of the tart
cherries being held in the pool. The
price to the growers will be $.653
per pound for Grade A cherries
and $.52 per pound for Grade B. He
also noted the freezes have made it
difficult to determine the size of
the apple crop, but by next month,
there should be enough in
formation to form a clearer pic
ture.
Indications of a good peach crop
in South Carolina have come in and
a heavy merchandising campaign
will start to try and move the fruit.
Also information shows that the
public is leaning toward fresh fruit
instead of processed fruit and that
a lot of processors are getting
ready to meet this demand, he
said.
In other business, County Ex
tension Agent Thomas Piper
reported the state horticulture tour
is scheduled for June 24 and 25. The
next Fruit Grower’s meeting will
be held June 17 at Rice & Rice
Orchards.