D6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 17,1982 < Farm Business News Dairy-Tronic range increased Farmtronix has added the Texas Mile to its complete line of components for electronic, automatic feeding systems. The Texas Mile increases the range of Dairy-Tronic System. It permits location of the central control unit up to one mile from the feed station. The standard Dairy-Tronic system handies distances up to 1,000 feet. The Dairy-Tronic System of electronic automated feeding consists of the central control unit, cow identifiers at each feed station and a cow iden tification tag for each animal on the feed program. Weir gets Carnation honor HUGHSON, CA. - Joel K. Weir, who coordinates Carnation Genetics activities in direct herd and distributor sales throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and the eastern portion of Maryland, has been selected as the com pany’s “District Sales Manager of the Month.” Weir’s selection for this honor is based on his consistent placement among the top 10 district sales managers, according to W. R. Pringle, general manager ot Carnation Genetics. Weir joined the Genetics division Baltimore Farm Credit cites MOUNT POCONO - Over .750 persons at the Farm Credit Banks of Baltimore’s Annual Meeting were told by President Gene L Swackhamer and members of the senior management staff that the Baltimore Banks continued to grow over the course of 1981 in spite of the nation’s uncertain economic conditions. “We share your concerns regarding the economy and the difficulty most farmers face in operating farm businesses on tight margins, ’ Swackhamer told the group of agn-busmess leaders, and managers and directors of the Farm Credit Associations and stockholding cooperatives. “As creditors, we cannot assure the success of any business, but we can help bridge some valleys when economic conditions change as abruptly as they have in recent years.” Meeting agriculture’s need for comprehensive credit services in the Banks’ operating district brought a 15 percent increase in the loan volume of the Federal Land Bank (FLB), a 12 percent increase in the loan volume of the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank (FICB), and a total gross loan volume of $162.6 million in the Baltimore Bank for Cooperatives (BC). The Banks’ management noted that 1981 was “probably the most challenging” of recent years due to ot Carnation Company more than two years ago. Previously he served in a similar capacity with the company’s milling division tor more than two years. Following his graduation in 1969 from Penn State’s College ot Agriculture with a degree in animal industry, he worked as assistant farm manager for the Rockview Correctional Institute at Belief onte, until joining Carnation. A native of Charleroi, he now makes his home m the Lancaster County community ot Mount Joy. growth in challenging year the volatile state of the economy. Executive Vice President J. Howard Settle told the group, "the Board of Directors was challenged to walk the narrow line between farmers caught m a pnce/cost squeeze, and the need to maintain a financially sound organization.” “We were able to achieve a reasonable balance," he added, “while meeting both objectives.” The three-day meeting at the Mount Airy Lodge in Mount Pocono, featured several noted speakers, including Robert Delano, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and Penrose Hallowell, Agriculture Secretary for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “The farming business is gomg through a tough period of reorientation,” Delano told the group. “Currently, the farm production plant is overbuilt and undercapitalized. Unlike some, Farm Bureau is not dashing about crying ’’the sky is falling.’ Rather, we work to shape what is hap pening so that it occurs in a con structive, orderly fashion.” “America is in transition,” Delano continued, echoing the Annual Meeting theme. “(And) we can tolerate short-term economic pain in exchange for long-term economic progress.” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Penrose Haliowell noted "the last two years have been Cushion harrow absorbs shock » y 3 C’HIGAGO, IL. international Harvester’s new 496 tlex-wing cushion gang disk harrow is designed to take the shock ot ex ceptionally rough field conditions while providing superior disking action and depth control m tillable but tough soil. The harrow's exclusive dual leaf cushion gang bearing standards are capable of absorbing shock loads in excess of 10,000 pounds while maintaining the flexibility necessary for proper soil penetration. Its C-shaped bearing standards are made with two sections of 2 x 1 in. spring steel, allowing gangs to move rearward and upward to prevent damage when obstacles such as rocks, stumps and roots are encountered. The gangs for 496 models are built with extra-strong components that provide long life under such demanding operating conditions. Gang bars are made by heavy 5x3 in. tubular steel. Large 1-1/2 in. diameter spring steel arbor bolts increase assembly strength and maintain rigid alignment. Like the conventional 496 disk harrow, introduced by IH last year, the 496 cushion gang version is equipped with IH patented Earth Metal disk blades. Earth Metal blades are specially formulated with rare elements Check sprayers for calibration UNIVERSITY PARK - Poor pesticide performance can often be traced to poor sprayer per formance, according to Penn State Extension specialists. This is often due to poor calibration. Calibration simply means to apply a known amount of spray mixture to a known area. Several methods are used to calibrate a sprayer. The simplest is to travel over an area, about one tenth acre, and determine the amount of water applied. Measure oft a strip that provides a known area. For example, a 21 3/4-foot boom (13 nozzles at 20-mch spacing) traveling over a 200-foot course provides one-tenth acre. opposite sides of a bad com. In 1980, inflation, expanded debts, and a short crop from draught caused economic problems on the farm. Last year, overproduction drove farm prices down.” The Agriculture Secretary said that the forecast for 1982 was another year when farmers would have to struggle with the impact of the national economy. He noted that cooperation between members of the agricultural community should be sufficient to let farmers work their own way out as the economy improves. “We have leadership m our farm organizations, with the lending institutions and in state and federal governments who recognize and understand far mers’ needs,” Hallowed said. “And the strength of our farmers themselves add to the foundation for my optimism.” Addressing both today’s economy and concerns for the future of agriculture, the chairman of the Banks’ Board of Directors, William S. Jackson, noted that the Farm Credit System “was created in a period of great adversity, much like the adversity we face today. Farm Credit has developed during a period of great change, not unlike the changes we see happening all around us today.” "We expect that tomorrow’s (Turn to Page D 8) The International Harvester 496 flex-wing cushion gang disk harrow is designed to take shock loads in excess of 10,000 pounds. The harrow's exclusive dual leaf C-shafied bearing standards (insert) are made from heavy spring steel, allowing gangs to move rearward and upward to provent damage. them a non-directional internal structure which results in blades up to 60 percent stronger with 20 percent longer life. Coupled with exclusive IH crimp-center design, Earth Metal disk blades puli easier, reduce soil One-tenth acre for a 28-foot boom (17 nozzles) is 154 feet. Next, fill the sprayer tank with clean water to a known level. Travel over the course at the desired rate of speed. Make sure full speed is attained by the time the spray is turned on at the beginning of the course. Determine the amount of water applied by placing the spray tank m the same position and measure the amount of water required to refill the tank to the same level. Most wettable powders and emulsions call tor 15 to 30 gallons of water per acre to provide good coverage. Thus, you should have applied l*/a to 3 gallons on the one tenth acre plot. If the amount applied is outside West Willow offers new service WEST WILLOW - The West Willow Farmer’s Association is offering area Gog producers the services of a computerized record keeping system designed by the Ralston Purina Company, Tom Bowman, of West Willow, has announced. Called Compass, the .-ystem’s chief advantage, according to Bowman, is that it allows producers to confidentially compare their production statistics with those of similar size and type operations. “Based on this data,” Bowman said, “producers can make better decisions on their projected costs, returns, cash flow and production. Gitt joins Pennjield LANCASTER - Michael H. Gitt has joined Pennfield Corporation’s Feed Marketing Division as a representative for, dairy and livestock feed sales in Adams and York Counties. Gitt earned his B.S. in Jour nalism and Mass Communications in 1973 from Point Park College, Pittsburgh. He formerly was associated with radio stations WTHU, Thurmont, Md.. and WGET, Gettysburg. Most recently he was assistant sales manager for Gross Minerals Corporation, ' Aspers. Gitt resides at Biglerville R 2 with his wife Linda and children Kirsten, 4, and Kimberly, 2 compaction and penetrate better than conventional blades. The blades are held in place by iron spools that provide supeno*— blade-to-spool contact for higher resistance to blade and spool failures. this range, adjust by one or a combination of three ways: To mcrease rate: Slow travel speed (by shifting to a lower gear keep engine speed up to provide adequate pump pressure and volume); mcrease pressure; or use large nozzle tips. To decrease rate: Use opposite adjustments of above three factors. Always stay within the range of pressures specified in the sprayer manual tor any particular tip. Most weed spray tips are tor maximum efficiency at 30 to 4 J pounds per square inch pressure. Low pressures give large droplet size, poor coverage and poor toliage penetration. High pressures give small droplet size and mcrease problems ot drift. They can set attainable goals and base their investments on those goals.” Two programs are available. One program provides producers with monthly sum maries of productions in each phase of the operation, help spot potential trouble areas and give progress toward annual production goals. Also, a confidential com parison can be made with similar facilities and types of herds. The second program provides monthly financial analysis, in cluding a breakdown of costs, income, inventory and other asset analysis and feed conversion. i.. Michael H. Gitt -)
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