VOL. 32 NO. 41
BY LOU ANN GOOD
The kids want a vacation, but
you need to check out the latest
agricultural equipment to make
daily chores easier. You don’t
have time to do both.
Don’t despair. You can please
the whole family. Visit Ag Prog
ress Days at Rock Springs Agricul
tural Research Center near State
College held August 18-20.
Intergrating agriculture educa
tion with fun and games fills the
schedule of this annual three-day
event General Manager Joseph
Harrington said, “Each year gets
bigger and better.”
This outdoor showcase of uni
versity programs and agricultural
technology plays a yearly informa
tive role in the lives of countless
farmers. And this year, which cele-
the 100th anniversary of the
Pennsylvania Agricultural Experi
ment Station, promises to be the
best ever.
Publicity chairman Charlotte
BY PAT PURCELL
An estimated $600,000 in prop
erty, hay, straw, and livestock was
destroyed by fire in two separate
blazes in Lancaster county. A hay
bam owned by John Esch was
destroyed by fire Tuesday after
noon in New Providence Town
ship and fire leveled the bam of
Charles Kreider in Mount Joy
Township on Wednesday evening.
Lonna Rohrer, left, and Teresa Martin, right, have
something to smile about. Both were winners at the
annual Lancaster County Poultry Queen Pageant.
Teresa captured the 1987-88 crown. As alternate, Lon
na will assist the queen with promotional activities.
For more pageant details, see Section 812 and 814.
All Roads Lead To Ag Progress
Ag
progress
Theme
The Agricultural Scientist:
• Working For A Better Tomorrow
$600,000 Fire Damage To Lane. Barns
The Wednesday night fire swept
quickly through the Kreider bam
in Mt. Joy Township on Valley
View Road. The fire started about
9 p.m. approximately 20 minutes
after Kreider left the bam and went
to the house. The fire swept the
30-year-old two-story < ement
block and wood bam and by mid
night nearly 200 firemen had
responded from nine area fiie
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 15, 1987
companies,
State Police Fire Marshall Barry
White estimated the damage to the
bam at $250,000. The milking
equipment, 100 tons of hay, 50
tons of straw along with farm
equipment were also loss. Forty
dairy cows and 20 head of young
dairy stock and 20 head of steers
were also loss in the blaze. White
estimated the additional loss at
$250,000.
According to White, stale and
local fire officials have two theor
ies on what started the fire. It
Weather Affects County Tobacco Crop
BY PAT PURCELL
LANCASTER What mother
nature has not done to discourage
the tobacco crop harvest this year,
the tobacco market has. Last year
farmers saw what has always been
considered a dependable money
making crop drop more than $.40 a
pound from the what it had com
manded on the market the previous
year.
Lack of rain and the extended
periods of intense heat have hurt
the county’s tobacco crop accord
ing to area farmers. TTie crops
which were planted the earliest
may have faired better than those
planted later in the season and
although many farmers have
already begun to harvest and some
have completed the harvest they
are still hoping for some rain to
revive what is left in the fields.
With tobacco still hanging in the
some bams throughout the county
from last year, most farmers are
not hopeful about this year’s mark
et and some farmers like C.
Richard Neff of Neff Brothers
Inc .on Sheep Road outside of Mil-
Murphy said that exhibits will not
only display present research but
also show the payoff agriculture
has reaped from past research.
The theme “The Agricultural
Scientist: Working for a Better
Tomorrow” stems from a quote by
Henry Prentiss Armsby, a 19th
century inventor, who said, “We
can’t afford to give short term
remedies to long term solutions.”
That principal is exactly the reason
the experiment stations continue
researching—to solve problems
not pacify them with temporary
answers. The college wants to
show how this was done in the past
and how it will continue in the
future.
Past achievements features a
hands-on display of historical and
rare machinery with other antique
items. Visitors can actually turn
cranks, move levers and inspect
the implements for a real educa
tional experience.
Those interested in the most up-
appears that there was fire in the
silo before it was in the bam. The
silage in that silo was six years old,
according to White, and the older
the silage is apparently the more
volatile it is. The second theory is
that the fire was started in the
straw. According to White Kreid
er’s son had a tractor in the lower
part of the bam hauling out man
ure. The,exhaust stack was only a
foot below the straw and the sparks
coming out of the stack may have
ignited the straw.
“I tend to feel it was the tractor
lersvillc, say it’s almost impossi
ble to break-even much less make
a profit with today’s market prices
and labor costs.
“The price and cost of labor
almost makes it impossible to
make it profitable. It’s getting to
the point where you are only going
to plant just as much as what you
can take care of yourself,” said C.
Richard Neff. “The way the eco
nomy is you are going to have to go
to something that’s just alot easier.
Sugar Sweetens Classic
BY
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
LANCASTER The first
plac? junior two year old that was
reserve grand champion at the
recent Lancaster County Holstein
Show topped the Conestoga Class
ic Sale here Thursday evening at
$3,000. Welk-Crest Rex Sugar
consigned by Paul Welk of Peach
Bottom sold to Melvin Lehman,
Bloomsburg. The show heifer was
by Maplebound Starlight Rex out
Six Sections
to-date equipment will not be dis
appointed. Over 295 exhibitors
will display equipment. Those
desiring to purchase machinery for
their own farm operations know
that there is nothing like watching
equipment work to help them
make the best purchasing
decisions.
Harrington said, “Let’s face it.
Fanners know what a tractor looks
like, but they want to see all those
new little gimmicks and gadgets
which help make their jobs a little
easier. There is no better way to see
what’s best than to watch competi
tive products doing the same
demonstration.”
Weather permitting, here are the
daily starting times: Corn
chopping—lo:3o a.m.; conserva
tion planting—ll:3o a.m.; prim
ary tillage—l2:4s p.m.; silage
bagging—l p.m.; mowing, ted
ding and raking—2 p.m.; baling
and handling-3:15 p.m. See the
(Turn to Pago A3O)
just because it went so fast that it
must have come from an open
spark. If it would have been from
the silo it would not have gone so
fast. It went quickly because Mr.
Kreider was in the bam just 20
minutes before that,” said White.
According to White the cause of
the fire at the Kreider farm as well
as the fire at the Esch farm are still
under investigation.
Despite the efforts of the Refton
firemen along with the aid from six
additional fire companies the Esch
(Turn to Page A4O)
While some areas had a normal
amount of rain other areas nearby
had near drought conditions.
Apparendy those crops planted the
earliest in the season are going to
prove to be the better crops this
year.
“It is a dry crop this year. Some
sections had rain and some didn’t
and those who didn’t, there is a dif
ference. Those who planted early
around May 15, their crop is beaut-
(Turn to Pag* A 46)
of the Very Good Welk-Crest Jerri
Satin with records over 20,000
pounds of milk and 900 pounds of
fat.
Two consignments shared the
second-high price of $2,100. A
calf listed number one in the cata
log from the Niki Syndicate and
Jere Skiles, Narvon, sold to Ben
Beiler and Tim Barlow, Cochran
ville. And a fresh cow from Nor
man and David Kolb, Lancaster,
(Turn to Paga A 46)
$8.50 Per Year