D22-Lancaster Farming Saturday, May 12,1990
Protect And Conserve Groundwater
By Robert E. Leiby and
David L. Dunbar
Lehigh Co. Cooperative
Extension Office
Without a fresh supply of water,
we would die in only a few days.
To keep functioning, the human
body needs approximately 2'A
quarts of water a day. Some of this
water comes from food, but six to
eight glasses of pure liquid are
needed to make up the balance.
The average person in an
American home uses from 20 to
80 gallons of water each day for
activities such as drinking, cook
ing, bathing, washing clothes and
dishes, flushing toilets, and water
ing lawns and gardens. Although
our use of water continues to
increase, the total quantity of
water available for use remains
the same.
Water covers 75 percent of the
earth’s surface. Despite this abun
dance, all but three percent is sea
water. Three percent isn’t much,
but it’s all we’ve had since the
beginning of time. Water recycles
over and over as rain or snow falls
to earth, percolates into the
ground, or evaporates into the
atmosphere and returns again to
earth.
Because of the very large
amount of water in ground stor
age, there is no overall shortage.
There are, however, many prob
lems of local and regional supply
because needed water is not
always in the right place at the
right time or it is not of the right
quality. The demand for water
continues to increase as more peo
ple use more water in more ways
every day.
The widespread availability of
groundwater in most parts of the
country, its dependability in times
of drought, and its relatively high
quality have led to an increase in
groundwater withdrawals of near
ly 190 percent in the past 30 years.
Groundwater is one of the
nation’s most valuable resources,
and many find it one of the most
difficult to understand. Once con
taminated, water may remain con
taminated for generations. Yet we
STANDBY GENERATORS
MAXI-POWER INC.
330 Fonderwhite Rd. Lebanon, PA 17042
24 Hr. Service (717) 273-4544
must rely on it for survival. It pro
vides 35 percent of the fresh water
withdrawn for municipal water
supplies, 97 percent of rural drink
ing water, 40 percent of irrigation
water, and about 26 percent of the
water used by industry, excluding
thermoelectric power uses.
Groundwater is now the source of
drinking water for more than 50
percent of the population.
Recycling and conserving
water and protecting it from con
tamination will be essential if the
economy is to expand, agricultural
production is to be maintained,
and cities are to have adequate
water supplies for new residents
and new industries. Though 90
percent of water supplied to indus
tries and homes is available for
reuse, only half of the water with
drawn for agriculture is returned.
More widespread adoption of
water-saving systems will help
sustain irrigated agriculture where
water supplies are diminishing. It
will also curb ecological damage
to overtaxed rivers and streams.
We must carefully conserve and
protect our water resources to
assure an adequate and safe supp
ly of water for future use. Our
children and grandchildren are
depending on it
Alfalfa Cutting Management
Cutting management is an
important tool in achieving high
quality, high yields, and stand per
sistence. It also can be effective in
reducing the impact of weed,
insect and disease pests.
Harvest schedules will depend
somewhat on the quality goads of
the producer. Progressive dairy
fanners have recognized the eco
nomic importance of producing
high quality forage and will often
cut early in order to obtain greater
than 20 percent crude protein, less
than 30 percent acid detergent fib
er, and less than 40 percent neutral
detergent fiber. Such high-quality
forage has the potential to increase
forage dry matter intake and milk
production while decreasing the
requirement for grain.
For high quality alfalfa, make
the first cutting at mid- to full bud
PTO Driven
Automatic Systems
stage, as long as:
• Better adapted varieties with
multiple pest resistance are used.
• Adequate levels of lime,
phosphorus, and potassium are
maintained.
• Insect pests are monitored and
controlled.
Cutting pre- or early-bud alfalfa
is not recommended because there
is a higher risk of losing the stand.
Also, fiber levels may be undesir
ably low when cut extremely
early.
If an alfalfa stand has been
weakened by winter stress, make
the first cutting at early- to mid
bloom stage.
Generally, summer cuttings are
permitted to reach early-bloom
(approximately 35 days between
cuttings). The average cutting
intervals between first and second
cuts and second and third cuts, for
producers in the Pennsylvania
Alfalfa Growers Program who
made four or more cuts per year,
was 37 and 33 days, respectively.
The crude protein values of the
second and third harvests were
18.6 percent and 20.6 percent,
respectively, and acid detergent
Radio Dispatch
STL
muumdku
111 IN
TRIM
FS3B
HARD-WORKING LIGHTWEIGHTS
FS 66 LOOP
$ 239 95 yr
Save //
530 • 19.6 cc. engine
• 11.6 lbs. P.H. weight
/r • Bike hendle available
ss • Ideal for lawn edging, cutting
along walls, fences and trees
See Your Local Stihl Dealer For A Demonstration
.Villi
Bechi
PASSMORE SERVICE
CENTER, INC.
RD 1, RL 100
215-367-9084
East Earl
GOODS LAWN & GARDEN
CENTER
Routs 23
717-354-4026 Ext. 34
Elm
BOMBERGER’S STORE, INC.
asa w. Newport Rd.
717-668-2407
WES STAWFER
ENGINES & EQUIPMENT
23 Plaaaant Vallay Rd.
717-736-4215
Eohrata. Hershev. Lancast
BOLLINGER’S LAWN Sc
GARDEN EQUIP.
Ephrata, PA 717-738-1131
Harahay, PA 717-533-4060
Lancastar. PA 717-656-2710
fiber values, 37.0 percent and 31.3
percent, respectively.
If properly harvested and
stored, alfalfa silage can provide a
high-quality forage with less risk
of damage to weather. For high
quality silage, field wilt to a mois
ture content of 60 to 70 percent
moisture before ensiling for con
ventional upright, bunk, or pit
silos or round bale silage, and 40
to 60 percent moisture for sealed
upright silos. Making a good, tight
pack assures an oxygen-free envi
ronment and depends much on
fineness of chop, moisture con
tent, and rate of fill. Silage preser
vatives, additives, and inoculants
may improve silage fermentation
in some cases but they are not a
substitute for good management.
Used at recommended rates and
properly applied, organic acid pre
servatives make it possible to suc
cessfully store alfalfa hay when
baled at up to 30 percent moisture.
Chemical drying agents applied
during mowing can reduce drying
time. For more details, refer to
Agronomy Facts 8: Chemical
Conditioners for Hay, available at
your county Penn State coopera
tive extension office.
Protect Bees From Mites
Two mites which attack honey
bees have recently been intro
duced into the United States. One
• 30.2 cc. engine
• 10.8 lbs. P.H. weight
• Stihl’s NEW lightweight
homeowner trimmer
Hamburg
SHARTLESVILLE
FARM SERVICE
RDI, Box IMZ
215-4M-102S
BLUE MOUNTAIN
ENTERPRISES, INC.
Rt. 72 South
717-665-2994
THE FARM WORKSHOP
1611 FondarwhHa Rd.
717-273-9540
Mverstown
EBLING LAWN &
GARDEN SERVICE
696 E. Lincoln Ava.
717-866-6720
SHUEY’S SALES & SERVICE
Jonootown Rd.
717-BtS*4ffls
Oxford
OXFORD GREENLINE, INC.
1100 Llmaatona Rd.
216432*2673
of these, the varroa mite, is a para
site that is killing colonies and
drastically reducing honey yields.
Varroa is considered by many to
be the most devastating pest of
honey bees in the world. This mite
is present throughout much of the
southern United States, where
queen bees and packages are pro
duced for sale. Many Pennsylva
nia beekeepers purchase queens
and packages from the south each
year.
Before shipment, queens and
packages can be effectively
treated for varroa mite with the
pesticide Fluvalinate. This chemi
cal is incorporated into plastic
strips or tabs which are placed in
close contact with the bees, killing
any varroa mites present and not
harming the bees. Unfortunately,
many queen and package produc
ers are not treating their bees
before shipment unless requested
to do so by the beekeeper purchas
ing the bees.
All beekeepers should require
varroa mite treatment of all out
of-state packages and/or queen
bees at the time they are ordered.
Pennsylvania is currently under
a quarantine to keep varroa mites
out of the state for as long as
possible.
Sale Ends 4/30/90
WAKEFIELD SAW SHOP
742 Nottlnghun Rd
Ronks
A & B SALES & SERVICE
2 Mlloo South o* Rt 23 Along 772
Thru Montoroy - RD 1
(Turn to Page D 23)
ONLY
Somerset. PA
McCoole. MD
LINCOLN SUPPLY St
EQUIPMENT CO.
Somorool, PA •14-443-1891
McCoolo, MD 301-788-8800
Watsontown
BEILER’S REPAIR
1 Ml. W. of Turbotvlllo
On Rt 44
RD 2, Box 54
West Chester
M.S. YEARSLEY & SONS
118120 E Mark*! SL
215-696-2990
Distributed By
Keystone Stlhl