VOL 34 No. 19
Good Cutting Management Can
Yield High-Quality Alfalfa
BY LISA RISSER
HERSHEY (Dauphin) The
most important factor in producing
high-quality alfalfa is its harvest
ing, and harvesting is also the area
where the farmer has the most con
trol. This was the message Dr. Gar
ry D. Lacefield delivered to the
hundreds of people that attended
the 19th National Alfalfa Sympo
sium this week. Lacefield is an
agronomy professor at the Univer
sity of Kentucky.
Among the areas for farmers to
consider are when to harvest the
Chester County Crops Day
Pre-planting Herbicides Offer
Advantages In Any Weather
BY PAT PURCELL
The dry weather of 1988 causa#
.some peculiar problems for many 1 ’
(farmers in southeaster Pennsyl
vania. While those no-rain-in
sight forecasts were good for mak
ing hay they were not at all helpful
to those waiting for the rain to
start their herbicides to work on
those weeds in their own com and
Blackbird Anna of GU brought the top bid of $3,900 at the Pennsylvania Angus On
Parade Sale, which was held last week In State College. Consigned by Genetics Unlim
ited and Greg Kmeger of West Grove, the open heifer was sold to South Branch Farms
of York. See page A 26 for the complete story.
Veal Industry Under Pressure From Animal Rights
BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
EPHRATA—For the moment, two Maryland Senate bills
that would have sharply curtailed the white veal meat
industry in' that state are dead. Senate Bill 606, The Mary
land WhoUssome Veal Act that was introduced on Febru
ary 2,1989, to be come effective July 1,1989, has been
withdrawn by its sponsor, Ida May Ganott, senator, Mont
gomery County, Maryland.
And Maryland Senate bill SOI, The Veal Calf Protec
tion Act. a restrictive growing bill also introduced by
Senator Garrott on January 30,1989 to become effective
July 1,1991 was first changed in objective to establish a
task force to evaluate the complaints of the animal rights
organizations and later killed in committee.
Uncwr Forming, Saturday, March 18,1989
first cutting, will there be a freeze
down or dormant harvest, when
should the harvest before freeze
down occur, how many cuttings
between the first and last, and
should the alfalfa be grazed.
“Harvesting alfalfa hay requires
a compromise between quality,
yield, and stand persistance,”-
Lacefield said. “Early-cut hay
makes a more desirable feed
because it contains more of the
nutrient components associated
with high quality. Hay cut in an
early stage is more palatable and is
soybean fields. Without the rain
fall the .post planting herbicides
■’*ewmiactivated and carried into
" Jbhn -'Yocum, senior research
associate at Penn State University
agronomy department discussed
the use of pre-planting herbicides
at Chester County Crops Day held
i Guthriesville on Thursday. The''
consumed in larger quantities by
livestock.”
On the other hand, alfalfa
harvested too often results in a
shorter stand life.
The first harvest of the season is
very important. It determines the
number of cuttings and sometimes
the quality. “Early first harvest
permits a more intense harvest
schedule and can result in both
higher yields and higer quality,”
said Lacefield. “Timely first
harvest may reduce or eliminate
(Turn to Pag* A4O)
dry summer initiated some interest
in this .line of herbicides whch
could be incorporated into the soil
prior tb planting. According to
Yocum, proper placement in rela
tion in relation to the crop is cru
cial. For instance Prowl® on com
is a good grass control, but to be
safe there must be l'/i inch soil
Maryland Senate Bills Dead
These developments came last Friday when the state
senate Economic and Environmental Affairs committee
held hearings on the bills in Annapolis. And as a result of
these hearings, the committee voted 7 to 4 to kill the bill
altogether. So the issue is dead for this year.
The wholesome veal act would have prohibited the sale,
donation, transportation or the receiving of any livestock
raised for veal if antibiotics had been administered to the
calf by the fanner. Only a licensed veterinarian could
administer antibiotics and only for a limited period of ther
apy. The bill was withdrawn because present meat inspec-.
don laws are adequate to protect consumers.
The purpose of the veal calf protection act was to prohi
bit a person from raisingcalves for production of veal if
the calvesareconfined in a crate, pen or astall where they
cannot stand up. lie down, turn around, groom themselves
(Turn to Pag* A 32)
Six Sections
Dale and Fay Herr, left, of Kirkwood were presented with an
aerial photograph of their farm by Robert E. Wagner, vice
chairman of the Lancaster County Conservation District,
during the district’s annual banquet on Thursday night. The
photograph is part of the Outstanding Cooperator Award,
which the district bestowed on the Herrs for their conserva
tion work over the past 19 years.
Lancaster Conservation
District Presents Awards
— . . .
BY USA RISSER '
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster)
—Conservation is important to A.
Dale Herr, a Kirkwood dairy far
mer. Ever since he purchased his
first farm in 1970, he has employ
ed conservation practices such as
diversions, waterways, and con
tour strips.
The Lancaster County Conser
vation District presented Herr with
their Outstanding Cooperator
Butter Sales Efforts
Turn To Coupons
BY KARL BERGER
Special Correspondent
HARRISBURG Dairy
-promotion specialists are hoping
their new use of an old idea - cou
pons - can increase or at least sta
bilize sales of butter, which have
been shrinking for several years.
A couponing effort spear
headed by the National Dairy
Promotion and Research Board
or have contact with other calves. Any calf over two weeks
old must be fed solid food and iron to maintain its good
health. i
Retail establishments such as restaurahts would have
Reeded to furnish notorized statements from suppliers that
veal has been produced in compliance with this act.
j Any officer of any society or association incorporated
in the State (Maryland) for prevention of cruelty to ani
mals would have been able to, upon their own view in rela
tion to cruelty to animals, make arrests and take violators
before any commissioner or district court. These society
or association officers in additioif to state police officers
could not have been denied “reasonable access to any
facility where calves are raised for the production of veal*’
The penalty was a misdemeanor with a fine of not more
(Turn to Pago A3O)
50* Per Coov
in recognition of his
accomplishments and commit
ment to conservation during their
annual banquet on Thursday night
The LCCD also presented an
award to participants in the West
field residential development. The
award recognizes development
projects that incorporate sound
storm water practices to reduce run
off and control erosion and
(Turn to Pago A4O)
and extended by several regional
promotion groups, such as the
Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion
Program, is under , way in the
weeks before the upcoming Easter
holiday.
Locally, the Pennsylvania pro
gram will fund the placement of
cents-off butter coupons in the
insert sections of Sunday news
(Turn to Pago A 29)
$lO.OO Per Year