VOL. 30 No. 6
Pa. markets
3 million
Yule trees
BY SUZANNE KEENE
LANCASTER Just under
three million Pennsylvania grown
Christmas trees will bolster the
holiday spirit in living rooms
across the state this year. This
year’s crop of trees is a par
ticularly good one due to nearly
ideal weather conditions
throughout the growing season.
“It was a good crop and an
ample supply,” said Fred
Strathmeyer, vice-president of the
Pennsylvania Christmas Tree
Growers’ Association.
The Christmas tree industry in
Pennsylvania is healthy and has
been growing for a number of
years, Strathmeyer said. He at
tributes that growth in part to
ample markets throughout the
state, particularly in the heavily
populated areas of Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia.
Most of Pennsylvania grown
trees are marketed within ,-the
state, but some do go into
metropolitan areas of New York.
Baltimore, and Washington *■
The close proximity of the
markets is especially beneficial to
Pennsylvania growers because of
rising transportation costs. By
marketing their trees close to
where they are raised and har
vested, growers are able to save
money and keep prices down for
the customer.
(Tyrn to Page A 35)
Pennsylvania's healthy and abundant Christmas tree crop
is now being harvested. Here, Lancaster County growers
Hershey and Jean Ressler work together to bore a hole in this
tree's trunk so it will be sure to stand straight.
Four Sections
Polar Porker prefers ‘Hi-Roctane ’ feed
Photo by Dick Anglestein
Sure, it's been mild lately for mid-December, but this
porker is really perplexed. I've heard of midwinter swims by
Polar Bear Cubs, but never by any Polar Porkers.
But this brood sow on the Lloyd Burkholder farm at R 2
Lancaster County, prefers the chilly Cocalico Creek
adjacent range pasture of her herd-mates.
All day long she stands in the middle of the stream and
roots and eats. The family believes she eating the small moss-
More than 1500 expected for No-Till Conference
YORK More than 1500 no
tillers from a five-state area are
expected at the 11th Annual Mid-
Atlantic No-Till Conference on
Lancaster Farming, Sotartay, Doeoator 15,1984
Wednesday at mo Main and
Memorial Hall at the York
Fairgrounds.
A day-long program of
educational presentations by
Extension no-till experts will be
combined with an opportunity to
visit the commercial exhibits of 33
industry sponsors.
And again, farmers will have an
opportunity to “Quiz the Experts”
in a question and answer session
designed to tell you everything you
ever wanted to know about no-till.
Chairman of this year’s con
ference is John F. Shearer,
Franklin County agent, who will
preside over the morning program
of presentations.
The morning propgram, which
begins at 9:30 a.m., will get un
derway with a presentation on
“Farmers and the Chesapeake
Bay” by Tony Mazzaccaro, of the
University of Maryland.
Other presentations:
“Potential Disease Problems in
No-Till Corn and Alfalfa - John
Get in Xmas mood,
turn to B Section
The countdown is on. There are
only ten more days until Christmas
and to help you get in the spirit,
Lancaster Farming has some
holiday features for you.
Home economist Pheobe Bitler
has some Christmas craft ideas to
share on page B 2 and Home on the
Range features holiday recipes.
George Eyth has created a farm
village as a tribute to farmers at
Christmastime (pages B 18,19) and
Christmas tree growers Hershey
and Jean Ressler have been busily
harvesting and selling their crops
(pageßl4).
covered pebbles on the stream’s bottom. Look out Purina, we
got a home-grown Lancaster County Hog Chow called “Hi-
Roctane.”
The big, old white brood sow, who often get the nickname of
the “mortgage payers" on many a farm, seems none the
worse for her u swim, except for her snout
which is a lot redder than usual from continual immersion in
the cold water.
Ayers, of Penn State and Erik
Strombergof VPI.
“Differing No-Till Alfalfa
Systems That Work” - Lester
Vough, moderator from the
University of Maryland; and
farmer panel of David E. Brower,
Marshall, Va.; and Wayne Harp
ster, Spruce Creek.
“Cover Crops for No-Till” - A.
Morris Decker, University of
Maryland.
“No-Till and Other Tillage
Empty ring brings biggest price
In these days of "hi-tech" dairy breeding, the empty sales
rings are bringing the biggest prices.
That happened again Thursday at the Guernsey Pavilion
when “a choice of female pregnancies" out of Galen Crouse's
Excellent cow “Diamond-S Wapa Classy" by the Bova bull
brought $12,700 at the Golden Harvest Sale - the annual
Bachus pre-holiday windup to the sales year.
Systems Effect on Yield, 50i15...” -
- Donald Griffith, Purdue.
“Controlling Perennial Weeds in
No-Till Corn” - Nathan Hartwig,
Penn State.
“Starter Fertilizers for No-Till
Corn” - Douglas Beedle, Penn
State.
After a luncheon break, there
will be an opportunity to visit the
commercial exhibits in Memorial
Hall. The exhibits can also be
(Turn to PageA3s)
(Turn to Page A 35)
f 7.50 per Tear