On being
a farm wife ,
-And others Khl
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t
Joyce Bupp
Construction in progress rarely
presents an appealing picture.
Especially on lush, rolling ground
of high fertility.
Soil, denuded of protective
grass, looks barren and vulnerable.
Shattered skeletons of once
thriving trees and shrubs lie
stacked in ragged piles of drying
branches and exposed, lifeless
roots.
For two seasons, our meadow,
just below the farmstead buildings,
has endured the ravages of
“improvement.”
Always an interesting part of the
farm, this acre or so section of
sometimes swampy, creek-split
bottomland was a haven for small
wildlife and intriguing wetland
plant growth. Our dependable
spring bubbled down through the
swampy stretch, from its origin
beneath the springhouse, having
provided unknown numbers of
inhabitants before us with cold,
delicious water.
When they were younger, the
kids built small dams here, sailed
countless rafts of wooden origin,
and cooled their heels and toes on
blistery hot days. Periodically,
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BEDDING PLANTS
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AIR BALLS
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‘The items that are not sale priced are
already a low price and an excellent bargain.
they’d catch and bring for inspec
tion a favorite, fat frog named Fro
gricka, who lived in a four-inch
pipe which drained the backyard
underground springs into the creek
near its springhouse source.
Then, during meadow remodel
ing for recommended livestock
waste management facilities, the
business end of a backhoc bit into
our spring supply while digging a
tile drainage line. Nearly over
night, in the midst of the worst
drought in two decades, our total
farm water source dried to a
trickle. When the herd drank, there
was almost no water for house use.
The counter attack plan decided
upon was the addition of another,
smaller, pond to the meadow, one
which would back up into the
springhouse and restore our water
source.
Two days work with a bulldozer
reshaped the former site of mini
dams, summertime toe dabbling,
and Frogricka’s pipe-shaped con
do complete with fresh running
water. As planned, with the timely
aid of fall rains, the Little Pond
filled, then backed up into the
underground spring source, and
THIS IS THE SALE YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR
n °»es$ SANO JOYS
TENTS
NOW THRU MAY 7
These Are Some Of The Items •
Which Will Be Under The Big Top
**001)3
KITCHEN TOWELS
,*S
water has again become a com
modity we don’t worry over every
moment.
It took yet another summer for
the meadow construction area to
dry enough for final leveling,
smoothing and grass restoration.
This restoration of the plant and
aquatic life has been fascinating to
watch. Though the farmer
gathered cattail seeds from Grand
pa’s pond, and scattered them over
the waters. Mother Nature as usual
bested him at her own game.
Before the fluffy seeds heads
scattered by his hands could think
about settling into the pond edge,
slender shoots marked where a cat
tail was already making healthy
growth. Other water-loving plants
also quickly established them
selves along the edge, and on the
soil bottom.
Now, the cals often prowl along
the trimmed bank of the Little
Pond, apparently searching for
dinners of the fat, succulent legs of
Frogricka’s relatives. Plump,
silvery shadows dash from the
shallow edge into deeper water,
skittish tadpoles fleeing to the pro
tection of deeper waters as man
and beast stroll the grassy banks.
On the first warm evenings of late
March, the meadow sang at dusk
with the high-pitched voices of the
peeper frogs.
Even a maple tree, which has
grown half-heartedly by the side of
the springhouse for 25 years,
seems to have a new outlook on
life. One side of the tree had
appeared to be dying during the
past few summers. Having water
backed up to its feet would no
doubt finish it, we figured.
Instead, the maple is more sym
metrical, thicker with leaf buds
and blooms, and healthier looking
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than it has been for a long time. It
almost seems to be smiling as it
stands guard pondside, templing
us on warmer afternoons to lean
against its rough trunk and linger
there in the sunshine. Or maybe
have a picnic lunch by the spar
kling water.
And, on occasion, a pair of wild
mallards, dainty hen in muted
browns and blacks, and drake
gaudy with feathers of iridescent
Cumberland Search
CARLISLE (Cumberland)
All single young women who have
completed their junior year of
High School and will not reach
their 24th birthday by December
31, 1988, and from a dairy farm
background are eligible to com
pete for the title of 1988 Cumber
land County Dairy Princess,
announces Roy Coover, chairper
son of the Cumberland County
Dairy Princess Committee.
The contest covers Cumberland
County.
The winner of the Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, to be held June 17, at
8 p.m., at the Embers Convention
Center, 1700 Harrisburg Pike, Car
lisle, will be eligible to vie, at the
stale level, for the title of Pennsyl
vania Dairy Princess.
Thirty state princesses and hun
dreds of county princesses have
served as spokepersons for the
dairy industry in Pennsylvania
over the last thirty-one years. They
appear in shopping malls, fairs,
supermarkets and on radio and
television to educate consumers
about the dairy farmer’s products.
Any single woman who has
completed her junior year in high
school, is not over 24 years of age.
never married and whose parents
PLASTIC WARE
BED PILLOWS
BATTERIES LfIWN MOWERS
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 30, 1988-B3
green, quietly paddle the Little
Pond and rest beside the growing
cluster of cattail shoots.
Man can dig and destroy, dike,
drain and dam, restructure, reshape
and redo his environment. But
sooner or later, Mother Nature will
still have her way.
In the case of the Little Pond, we
couldn’t be happier about her hav
ing a hand in the end result.
or guardians are engaged in dairy'-
farming is eligible to compete 9oi(
the title. A young lady is also cligfc'
ble if she, herself, is a fulltime
employee on an operating dairy'
farm or is the owner of at least two
dairy animals in a bona flde4-H or
F.F.A. project prior to May 1,
1988.
The winner of the Pennsylvania
Dairy Princess Pageant receives a
$l2OO cash award. The first and
second runner-up will receive a
$5OO and $4OO cash award respcc-
Uvely. The winner and the two
alternates will have the honor of
reigning as Pennsylvania Dairy
Royalty for the period of one year.
The state title is honorary and there
would be no interruption of school
or regular employment plans.
Young women interested in
entering the Cumberland County
Dairy Princess Pageant should
contact:
Roy Coover, 51 Appalachian
Drive, Carlisle, Pa. 17013
Robert Berkheimcr, 1319 W.
Lisburn Road, Mcchanicsburg, Pa.
17055
Margaret Smith, R.l, Box 193,
Shippensburg, Pa. 17257, by May
16th, 1988.
IGLOO COOLERS
AND JUGS
t/f S VASES
The Trucks Are Rolling
In With Merchandise
Daily.
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