HARRISBURG Scattered
thunderstorms and showers held
farm fieldwork to' only two days in
the Commonwealth during the
week ending June 8. Rain fall
pmnnnts ranged from 0.34 inches
m the Philadelphia area to 2.5
inches in some northern moun
tains, according to'the Penn
sylvania Crop Reporting Service.
Farm field activities included
planting of .corn, soybeans,
tomatoes, snap beans and tobacco;
harvesting hay and haylage; and
spraying alfalfa and fruit trees.
Strawberries are ripening, and
early harvest has begun. Green
peas are reported to be doing well.
Statewide soil moisture was
rated as 65 percent adequate, 33
percent surplus and two percent
short. Soil moisture was rated as 62
percent adequate and 38 percent
surplus in northern counties, 63
percent adequate and 37 percent
surplus in central counties, and 71
percent adequate, 22 percent
surplus and seven percent short in
central counties.
Com planting is 90 percent
complete statewide, compared to
92 percent for both last year and
the five-year average. Planting is
now 87 percent complete in the
north, 93 percent complete in
central counties' and 92 percent
complete in the south. Com height
averages four inches statewide, on
a par with last year.
Soybeans are now 59 percent
planted, compared to 66 percent
planted last year. Northern county
soybeans are now 66 percent
planted while the central and
southern counties report 60 and 52
percent planted, respectively.
Tobacco transplanting is 48 per
cent complete, ahead of last year’s
32 percent.
Barley is now 75 percent headed
and seven percent turning yellow,
compared to last year’s 81 percent
headed and three percent turning.
Central counties report 95 percent
headed and less than five percent
turning, while the barley in nor-
Rain
them counties is 47 percent headed
and six percent turning. Southern
barley fields are reported asB3
percent headed'and 17 percent
turning.
" The state’s wheat crop is now 64
percent headed, below last year’s
70 percent. Southern wheat is now
88 percent headed, while wheat in
central and northern counties is
reported at 71 and 35 percent
headed, respectively.^
First cutting of alfalfa is now 29
UNIVERSITY PARK - Real
estate prices for Pennsylvania
farm land increased at less than
half the average rate of inflation
last year, according to Frederick
A. Hughes, Extension farm
management specialist at Penn
State.
On the average it cost $73 more
to huy an acre of Pennsylvania
farm land this year than did in
1960. This represents a 5 percent
increase, compared to an 11
percent inflation rate.
Last year’s 5 percent looks good
when compared to the 308 percent
increase from 1970-80 an
average of 30.8 percent per year.
The average value per acre for
Pennsylvania farm land in
February was $1443 compared to
$1370 last year. Nationwide the
average increase in value per acre
was only 9.3 percent, the smallest
increase in three years and the
second smallest in 10 years.
Hughes says several factors
have contributed to the slowdown
in land price increases including
lower net farm income, higher
interest rates, and tight money.
Net farm income fell from $3l
billion in 1979 to $22 billion in 1980.
'At the same time interest rates hit
record highs in 1980 as the prime
rate climbed to 20 percent in April,
dropped to 11 percent in July and
then jumped to. 21.5 percent in
limits fieldwork
percent complete statewide,
compared to 33 percent last year at
this time. First cutting is now 50
percent complete in the south, 20
percent in central counties and 18
percent in the north.
Fust cutting of clover-timothy
bay is eight percent harvested,
below the 13 percent cut last year.
Harvest of first cutting clover
timothy stands at 17 percent in the
south, seven percent m central
Farm real estate prices slow down
December. These high interest
rates and tight money have made
it difficult to borrow money for
mortgages.
Hughes says much farm land is
already overpriced in terms of the
Tips to
MEDIA What piece of yard
equipment causes loss of fingers
and toes, and puncture injuries
from flying objects? The lawn
mower! It helps most in keeping
your property beautiful but it also
causes 75,000 accidents each year
in the United States.
Here are some suggestions to
prevent accidents offered by
James J. McKeeben, Delaware
County Agricultural Agent;
1. Keep your mower clean and in
good running condition.
' 2. Pick up toys, stones, sticks,
wire and bones before you start
■mowing.,
3. Keep people and pets away
from an operating mower.
4. Mow across embankments,
never up or down.
5. Never leave the engine run
ning while mower is unattended.
6. When starting the engine,
stand away from the mower; make
counties and five percent in the
north.
Hay quality for the week was
mostly poor to fair. In the northern
counties hay was rated 33 percent
poor, 33 percent fair and 34 percent
good. Hay quality m central
counties was rated 67 percent poor,
22 percent fair and 11 percent good,
while southern hay quality was
rated as 30 percent poor, 40 percent
fair, and 30 percent good.
Feed from pastures was rated as
income that can be generated to
meet the interest payments on a
mortgage. Higher interest rates
make the problem more acute.
Moreover, if farms for sale need
major renovations to buildings, it
is difficult for a buyer to obtain
improve mowing manners
sure your feet cannot contact the
whirling blade.
7. Run only fast enough to obtain
a good, clean cut. Extremely high
blade speeds are dangerous and
cause excess mower wear.
8. If the mower travel is
powered, adjust its speed to your
speed. Never let the mower pull
you.
9. Store dnd handle gas safely.
Do not fill tank while engine is hot.
10. If the mower becomes
clogged, stop engine and discon
nect spark plug wire before un
clogglng the blade.
1““*“—"1
I THIN *
j BUI'
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| YOUR NEEDS! j
Makes good
silage better.
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The Limitation of Warranty and remedy appearing on the label is part
of the terms of the sale.
•Registered trademark of Pioneer Hi-Brad International, Inc., Dae
• ■ ■ > > « * '
ister Fanning, Saturday, June 13,19*1—423
average across the state, with
northern farm operators reporting
pastures as 91 percent average and
nine percent above average.
Central pastures were rated as 71
percent average and 29 percent
above average, while southern
pastures were rated 89 percent
average and 11 percent above
average.
Cabbage growers are reporting
some cutworm damage u. their
crop.
This situation makes it ex
tremely difficult for young far
mers buying their first farm.
SILA-BAC.
BRAND
SILAGE INOCULANT
additional capital and generate
adequate income to 'meet
payments.
11. Do not operate electric
mowers on wet ground. You will be
in dange if the cord is cut or if the
mower has a short circuit.
12. Always turn off an electric
mower and disconnect the cord
when you leave it.’
13. Riding mowers present the
same problems as push type
mowers. Follow the same rules for
both types and do not allow extra
riders.
Using a power mower is not a job
for children. Only a person
familiar with the mower should
operate it Don’t be an accident
waiting to happen.