America may be looking to its farmers for a new source of energy beyond the much-talked-about gasohol. Some forward thinkers in the energy business are talking about wood farms that would provide a sizable portion of the energy needed for the future. At best it’s only a partial alternative to high-cost fossil fuel, but it is an alternative and for some it may be a very important one. There was a time in this country, Proven Dependable Cutter Cle Patz gives you sin plus reliable long performance. Examine the Patz features that provide dependability Choice of two link sizes to match your needs Progression forging builds extra strength into hook-and eye link contact points Final heat treating increases hardness strength and wear resistance Patz links withstand corrosion for long chain life Select 2 steel angle flites for solid manure or 4-mch high flites for slurry manure Flites are welded to Patz links and steel wear shoes on the flites protect gutter and chain Patz CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PATZ DEALER ALEXANDRIA FORKSVILLE MAXISENBERG DURWOOOJ WHITELEY MOYER 814-669-4027 717-924-3460 FARM SERVICE 215-766-8675 BALLY LONGACRE HAMBURG JlSbarmai SHARTLESVILLE 215-845-2261 FARM SERVICE 215-488-1025 berrysburg LESTER HOCH 71 E 7™ R PH7W ER LEBANON 717 362-8252 AUTOMATIC FARM SYSTEMS 717-274-5333 CAMP HILL LLOYD SULTZBAUGH 717-737-4554 MILTON HILL LANDISFARMSTEAD Innrn'iwr CARLR. BAER AUTOMATION , K 717-682-2648 717-437-2375 215-445-6736 ELLIOTTSBURG Farm Talk Jerry Webb Delaware Extension 100 years ago or more, when wood was the prinicpal source of fuel. Statistics show that 91 percent of the fuel consumed in 1850 was wood. It was burned in stoves and furnaces and fueled the many fireplaces that warmed our homes before the advent of natural gas, fuel oil and other petroleum-based products. But wood burning went out of style. It was replaced by coal and then by all those other energy sources up to and including nuclear energy. Heavy duty link ilefl) and extra heavy duty link (right) tor extra long chains Four-tooth drive sprocket drives every link not every other one or every third one but every link Each sprocket tooth drives each link behind the hook the links thickest and strongest point The 4-tooth drive sprocket reduces stress on the drive unit 1 Three drive unit sizes match your gutter length allow expansion The 2 3 5 and 10 HP capacitor electric motors match one of three drive units for your requirements You get versatility and flexibility V-belt and roller chain reducers start easily Corner wheel lop-and-bottom flanges guide chain around the corner Examine the many Patz gutter cleaner features that add up to increased reliability DISTRICT MANAGER GEORGE HEATH 472 Woodcrest Dr., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-737-0002 PIPERSVILLE IUARRYVILLE UNICORN FARM SERVICE JAMES E LANDIS FINDER SERVICE CO 717-786-4158 301-348-5263 STONEBORO ELDER SALES & SERVICE 412-376-3390 376-3740 But now some researchers are talking about a return to wood burning, and this goes beyond the current interest in wood stoves and fireplaces in homes. These researchers are talking about fuel wood farms that would consist of densely planted, fast-growing trees. These farms would> be harvested every two or three years to provide what the researchers call wood biomass. This would then be processed and used for fuel. Right now wood makes up only one percent of America’s energy requirements. But some resear chers think that figure could be doubled. That would still be only two percent, but when you consider that the Alaskan pipeline provides only one percent of our petroleum you quickly see that stepped-up wood production could be very important. Once the technology is finalized, wood fanning could be an im portant agricultural enterprise. It’s dqubtful that it would replace corn and soybeans on the Delmarva peninsula but in some of the less tillable places in nearby states, wood farming might be an attractive alternative. It might use MARYLAND DEALERS HAGERSTOWN, MD TRI-STATE FARM AUTOMATION 301-790-3698 ENNEDYVILLE NEW WINDSOR, MD ROOF FERTILIZER & CHEMICAL 301 775-7678 STREET, MD P & S EQUIPMENT, INC. 301-452-8521 Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 21,1984—D21 land that would otherwise be left idle or used only for limited grazing land that right now isn’t doing very much. Wood farming is not all profits and new energy. Conservationists think it could have a serious im pact on the environment. They fear that acres not suited to cropping would be plowed-up and planted, thus causing erosion, water pollution, and all that goes with that kind of activity. Also, they fear that fuel wood fanning might alter the eco-system by en couraging certain species of animals, such as elk and deer at the expense of other species. Of course, consumers might be concerned that these fuel wood farms would take land away from food production, and that could happen, depending on its profitability. If it were financially worthwhile, a farmer might plant his land to trees that would require harvesting every two or three years instead of the annual planting and harvesting necessary for row crops. A farmer approaching retirement age might seed his land to trees, thereby reducing his farming involvement and yet maintaining some agricultural productivity. He could plant the land and go on an extended vacation if he wanted, returning only long enough to harvest and replant. It is doubtful that fuel wood farming would become profitable enough to pull important acreages away from food crops. Instead, marginal land will probably be used and the total agricultural RISSLER FORAGE BLENDERS For Total Mixed Rations AND GRAIN MIXERS Ask us about our mixing feed cart. Buy direct and get lowest price. Winter discounts while stocks last. Priced from $1700.00 for model 25 cu. ft., to $3800.00 for model 190 cu. ft. 6 sizes avail able. Optional electronic scales or dial scales avail able. Built for those who want more for their investment by: I.H. RISSLER MFG. CO. RD 3, Denver Rd. Denver, PA 17517 (215)267-2453 For information on conveyors and feeders contact Martin M. Rissler RD #1 Stevens, PA 17578 (215) 267-2244 base increased. But it would provide an alternative if the price was right. Researchers have already developed some species of fast growing trees that can produce an amazing amount of wood farming for paper production and perhaps for use by chipping plants that make particle boards and imitation 2x4’s. What form the new wood energy would take is not totally clear to me. Perhaps this new fuel would be in the form of charcoal-like products or maybe small pieces that could be burned in the furnace like coal, or perhaps it could be compressed into Larger chunks suitable for a fireplace or wood stove. It’s funny how as resear chers start looking for ways to solve our energy crisis they turn back to the land and back to technologies that were left in limbo 50 or 100 years ago. Suddenly everyone is rushing around trying to recapture the wood stove knowhow that was commonplace a century ago. And now we’re talking about replanting the land to trees so that we can cut them down and use them for fuel, and that’s just where we were two centuries ago when this nation was settled cutting down trees to make farms and then using the wood for energy and building materials. Now we are talking about converting those farms into forests so we can repeat the process. It’s an interesting thought, one that might put a whole new set of pressures on American agriculture. For more literature see below
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers