Bl2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 11,1984
Force Bulbs to Bloom
If you were lucky enough to get
bulbs for the holidays or have
found some in garden shops, start
them now to chase away the winter
gloom. Paperwhite narcissus,
amaryllis and hyacinths are good
candidates, says C.R. Bryan, Jr.,
Delaware County Extension agent.
Paperwhite narcissus or its
yellow versions, Grand Soleil d‘Or
and Chineses Sacred lily, grow
well in water and pea gravel or
gravel chips. Place bulbs in con
tamers so they are not touching
each other because they swell
considerably during growth. A 4 in.
pot will hole one, six-inch pot can
hold about three and a seven-inch
pot can hold five or six. Place bulbs
so their necks stick out about 1/2
inch above gravel surface. Fill
with water to just below the gravel
and set container in a cool location.
For best growth, put pots in the
dark where temperatures range
from 40 F to 55 F for two weeks or
until you have two or four inches of
top growth and a vigorous bed of
roots. (Don’t worry if bulbs are
pushed out a bit.) Then bring into
the light and warmer tern-
• All baskets have wooden bottoms • All prices based
on pick-up at Lititz Store • Less than 100 baskets add
10 to 20 cents per basket cost
CALL 717-626-4771 (Ext 23) ORDER NOW!
<f]KH> STAUFFERS FOOD DISTRIBUTION
peratures. After a day or two move
to a cool sunny location. For faster
blooming, put pots in a well lighted
location at 60 F. from the start but
don’t expect blossoms to last as
long. If you are really impatient,
put pots at even higher tem
peratures 60 F to 70 F in the sun
but expect weak growth and poor
flowering.
Hyacinths force well in water if
grown in a special glass or cup
which separates the body of the
bulb from the water. Place bulb in
the collar or run portion and fill
with water to *-4 inch from the bulb
bottom. Be sure no water touches
the bulb as the roots will grow
down into the water. Put it in a cool
dark place, adding water was
necessary until the lower section is
filled with roots. When the bud is
about 4 in. high, bring it into the
light but keep it cool.
Amaryllis bulbs can also be
brought into bloom now. Many are
sold potted and need only water
and a sunny cool location to bring
them into flower in about 6-8
weeks.
PEACH BASKET
MO
MAILER BASKET SALE
OMOKHIKFEI.2S.IW
'2 BUSHEL
PECK
Vi PECK
y 4 PECK
Lititz, PA
LEBANON Lebanon Co. 4-H
members were introduced to
Poultry Judging recently by Herb
Jordan, Penn State Extension
poultry specialist.
Twelve 4-H’ers got hands-on
experience at candling and
grading eggs as well as “reading”
a live bird. Reading a bird includes
determining it’s life and egg-laying
stage'by looking at combs and
wattles, wing feathers, pigment in
legs and beak vents, and pubic
bones.
According to Linda Siegel,
Lebanon Co. 4-H agent, 4-H poultry
judging teaches 4-H’ers how to look
for quality in live poultry and eggs,
how to make decisions, and poultry
Members of the Clever Clovers 4-
H Club met at the Joseph home in
Sergeantsville during January.
Mrs. Nethery, a club leader,
discussed presentations with the
group. Two slide shows were
presented: How to Give a
behavior at Cornell.
“Their social behavior is one of
the mammal finds of the century,”
comments Richard D. Alexander,
a University of Michigan biology
professor.
Underground Group Living
Unlike most mole rats, which
live alone or in small family
groups, naked mole rats
congregate in large underground
colonies with an extensive tunnel
system and a large central nesting
area. Found mostly in Kenya,
and Somalia, they
EARLY
4-H Poultry
Team
science. Judging training meetings
will continue throughout the year,
led by 4-H leader Ben Maurer.
Each August, four Lebanon
County 4-H’ers go to State 4-H
Achievement Days at Penn State
to compete in the state poultry
judging contest. The winning state
team goes on to national com
petition in Louisville, Ky.
Poultry judging is open to
anyone, ages 8-19, who is in
terested in learning about poultry
production and judging. People
who are not currently 4-H mem
bers can join the 4-H Poultry Club
or any 4-H club with poultry
projects. Call Linda Siegel, 274-
2801, for more information.
Clever Clovers
Mammals
(Continued from Pace BIO)
STRAY VOLTAGE
The HAMMOND TINGLE VOLTAGE FILTER is a new development in the
technology of stray voltage reduction.
The TINGLE VOLTAGE FILTER has recently been installed on the
following dairy farms.
BEN JACKSON FARM
COLUMBIA CROSS ROADS, PA.
Before installation had 2.5 volts at
peak times, this was reduced to .04
volts with installation of the Tingle
Voltage Filter.
The TINGLE VOLTAGE FILTER is safe, effective, permanent, inexpensive
and are completely maintenance free.
If installed with Dairylands Stray Voltage Indicator permanently will show
electrical faults before they become hazardous.
Dealers Wanted: To sell and install this fast moving, much needed
product in your areas.
Qualifications: Must have complete electrical knowledge of dairy farm
equipment, and electrical service entrance.
Please send qualifications and credit references to your Dairy Equipment
Specialist.
Dairyland Sales & Service, Inc.
Begins
Demonstration and How To Give a
Good Speech. The group make
Macrame hearts at their January
Arts & Crafts meeting. They will
hold their next «meeting at
Delaware Township School on Feb.
15.
Discovered
subsist on large tubers that grow
deep in the ground there.
Chain of Diggers
As with termites, a worker caste
composed of both sexes keeps the
tunnels clear of obstructions,
forages for food, and provisions the
nesting area.
All the breeding in a colony is
typically done by a queen and one
or two dominant male consorts,
although the worker caste is not
sterile.
“It’s most unusual,” says
Alexander. “Naked mole rats are
the only mammals with a caste
that surrenders its breeding rights
without constant friction or
fighting.”
Similar to certain bees and
wasps, the queen usually the
largest female in the nest rules
this closed society by constantly
SOLUTION
R.D, 3, Box 43, Troy, PA 16947
PH; (717) 297-4128
asserting her dominance. Ob
serves Sherman, “She simply
doesn’t lie around being groomed
all day, but is often on the move.
When encountering workers, she
sometimes bumps or touches
them, and in the narrow confines of
a tunnel, she steps over her sub
jects or they usually move below
her.”
In the lab at Cornell, litters
produced by queens have averaged
about 10 pups. Fully grown, the
smallest mole rats weigh about
half an ounce, the largest two
ounces. They measure roughly
three to five inches from snout to
tail tip.
Despite their small size, they’re
long-lived rodents. Scientists are
still studying some in South Africa
that she collected in Kenya 10
years ago.
Digging and earth moving are
favorite naked mole rat activities.
Burrowing through the ground, the
rodent chisels with its oversize
front teeth and packs the walls of
its tunnel by pushing with its snout.
Kicker Clears Entrance
Tunneling is a two-tiered effort.
The mole rat as the front of the
digging chain roots out a pile of
dirt and moves it between its legs
backward toward the tunnel
opening to a fellow worker, who
kicks it out. Then the animal
moves back to the front for more
digging by crawling gingerly over
other workers, who are moving
slowly backward with their loads
of dirt.
“It’s like a Caterpillar tractor
tread of moving mole rats, pushing
inexorably forward,” says
Sherman.
But beneath this normally
friendly, cooperative society lies a
competitive demon, often
unleashed when the queen
disappears. “Absolute mayhem
sometimes ensues when a queen is
taken out of a colony,” says
Sherman.
“Animals attack each other.
There is a tremendous competition
to be part of the power structure,
and it’s all expressed when the
breeder disappears. Things don’t
settle down until another female
becomes dominant and starts
breeding.”
Then peace comes, and the
naked mole rat reverts to its in
dustrious insect-hke behavior.
WILLIAM EICK FARM
COLUMBIA CROSS ROADS, PA.
Before installation had 3.5 volts at
peak times was reduced to .14 volts
with installation of the Tingle Voltage
Filter.