A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 22,1987
(Continued from Pago A 1)
show them. Highlights from the
commercial exhibits:
advanced methods in forage
handling
reproductive management
tools
air filtering helmets which
filter dust as welfas pesticides and
herbicides
an exhibit on the Chesapeake
Bay, emphazing the water quality
connection between the Bay and
Pennsylvania farmers
computer controlled feed
stalls
energy-efficient livestock
waterers
hybrid com varieties
computerized rations for
dairy, beef and swine
and a variety of farm
equipment
Ag Progress Days has a two
fold puipose. Number one is to
show the progress which agricul
ture has made through the years
and number two is to show mem-
iggy used by Charles E. Stouff of Downlng
town in 1890 was built of split hickory and was said to
be stronger than wood.
tures soared Into the 90’s.
bers of the many-faceted farming
industry how to continue to prog
ress in agriculture.
In consideration of those two
goals this year’s theme, “The
Agricultural Scientist Working
For a Better Tomorrow,” cele
brated the 100th anniversary of the
signing of the Hatch Act. The
Hatch Act, signed in 1887, allowed
for the appropriation of federal
funds for agricultural research.
“The progress of agriculture in
the future must be by the introduc
tion of scientific methods. The
sooner the farmers of Pennsylvan
ia come to see that brains, not
brawn, is to be the moving power
of the future, the sooner they will
fall into that march of progress.”
Whitman Jordan, 1881,
agricultural scientist
It was this kind of thinking
which led to increased research
and resulted in hundreds of
improvements to benefit the far
mer from better livestock nutrition
to the development of growth hor
mones. Ag Progress Days 1987
exhibits displayed the areas to
which research efforts are present
ly being devoted. Some of the
exhibits on display examined:
Growth hormones in
livestock
Worldwide Production and
Markets
How satellites evaluate such
things as crop suitability and irri
gation needs
Improvements in com and
soybean cultures
Governor Robert Casey, Dr. Bryce Gordan and Secretary of Agriculture
Boyd Wolff at a special luncheon Thursday noon.
One of the Ag Progress exhibits examined the effects of acid rain on plant
and animal life and the quality of stream water.
The Paste Museum, open only during Ag Progress Days, gives visitors the
opportunity to examine rare and ingenious equipment.
Ag Progress
The effect of the environ
ment on animal health
Impact of acid rain on plant
life
Systems for fruit, field, for
age crops and manure
management
Applications of robotics in
agriculture,
Just to name a few.
The changes in agricultural
industry and the fanner, as well,
have ex* iencedinthelast2o,so,
Celebrates
75 years are overwhelming. Com
puter literacy has become a
requirement of sound farm man
agement principles. This year, ack
nowledging the need for computer
knowledge on the farm a 12-desk
computer classroom was staffed
by Penn State staff, faculty and
students to teach the curious the
basics of using a computer. Four
classes each of the three days were
open for attendance at no charge.
The next hundred ■ ars what