DROUGHT WATCH (Continued from Page 02) for grain and those to salvage as silage. The price for a com crop salvaged as silage should be set somewhere between the potential returns from harvesting as grain (low) and the feed value of the crop (high). The stressful conditions present here in August will likely contri bute to increased standability problems this fall, as stalk reserves are depleted during grain fill and plants will be predisposed to stalk rot organisms. This may be a consideration in making plans for a timely harvest. Purchasing the Lowest Cost Source of Protein Energy rather than protein is much more likely to be the limit ing nutrient in beef cow rations except when low quality forages are fed. Protein levels may be marginal and, in fact, for young growing animals protein may be Table 5. Cost per pound of crude protein in various supplements Supplement Soybean meal Alfalfa hay Urea 40% LP (35% NPN) 500# range block 50# range block 40% LP (all natural) 40% LP (19% NPN) Wet brewer’s grain Cottonseed meal KEN CLUGSTON (717) 665*6775 CRAFT-BILT CONSTRUCTION INC. FARM-HOME BUILDING 1242 Breneman Road MANHEIM, PA 17545 PH; (717) 665-4372 BUILDING & REMODELING FOR DAIRY RESIDENTIAL SWINE POLE BUILDINGS BEEF STORAGE LET’S MAKE A CONNECTION... • UHF/VHF/800 111 registered trademarks of Motorola Inc grossly deficient. If supplemental protein is needed and producers want to compare the protein content of mote traditional supplements with alternative feeds, the simplest and quickest method is to value-feeds based solely on crude protein con tent per pound of dry matter. This method however, does not account for nutrients other than protein in the feeds such as miner als, vitamins and energy. As shown in Table 5, there is a range in cost per pound of crude protein from $0.04 to $0.61. In this exam ple, the lowest cost protein source is urea, but urea by itself cannot be fed to cow herds. Additionally, urea and other nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) compounds are not recom mended when low quality forages are fed as the sole component of the diet Generally energy levels are too low in these diets for the animals to receive full benefit from NPN feeding. * Not valued for other nutrients 11l The crisp sound of Motorola iet your needs rranty Farmers, Homeowners Should Be Aware Of Consumptive Use Of Water During a drought, it may be tempting to give the lawn a daily sprinkling, water the vegetable garden for an hour each morning or if you’re a farmer, start irrigat ing your 300 acres of com. Before you do, take note of how much When feed supplies are limited, there are alternative feeds that may be successfully substituted in beef cattle rations. More than the price per ton of feed should be considered when choosing alter native feeds. Other factors to con sider when comparing feeds include dry matter content, energy value, crude protein content, and feasibility of feeding in formu lated rations. Finally, a good herd health program, forage testing and ration balancing are essential to obtain maximum animal perfor mance and profitability from alter native feeds. CP Cost Cost CP (% DM) ($/ton) ($/Ib) 44 200 0.23 17 120 0.35 280 220 0.04 40 192 0.24 25 304 0.61 40 360 0.45 40 314 0.39 40 238 0.30 30 28 0.21 41 150 0.18 FRANK A. FILLIPPO, INC. - WANTED - DISABLED & CRIPPLED COWS. BULLS & STEERS Competitive Prices Paid Slaughtered under government inspection Call: Frank Fillippo - Residence - 215-666-0725 Elam Cinder - 717-367-3824 C.L. King - 717-786-7229 iuy Communications today and ask le the Waves” promotion. All purchased through September Bahamas Vacation ANGLE MMUNICATIONS C. CO IN READING 1-800-828-2211 (215) 929-4211 Conclusion water you will consumptively use. “Consumptive use of water occurs when water is drawn from a ground or surface source and not directly returned to the earth,” said Dr. A 1 Jarrett, professor of agri cultural engineering in Penn State’s College of Agriculture. “It’s a major concern during drought emergencies.” Consumptively used water doesn’t disappear forever. But it is released into the atmosphere through -evaporation. It can be reused only when it finally returns to the earth as precipitation and in a summer like this one, that could take a while. The water you sprinkle on your lawn and garden is consumptively used since it either evaporates or is taken up by the plants’ roots. So are the 9,000 gallons of water taken from the soil by an acre of com on a hot July day. The five gallons of water used to flush the toilet or the 30 gallons used to wash a load of clothes is not consumptively used since it returns to the earth once it is treated. A dairy cow can drink 20 gallons of water in a day, but only half is consumptively used in milk production. The rest returns to the earth as waste. “Not surprisingly, agriculture is one of the largest consumptive users of water,” said Jarrett. “It requires an average 600,000 gal lons of water each year to grow an acre of any crop. Except for the small amount that remains in the stems and leaves, all of this water is transpired into the air.” MILK. IT DOES A BODY good; MIDDLE ATLANTIC MILK MARKETING ASSOCIATION, INC Quality Asphalt Paving • Farms vS ONS & HOfy • Driveways PAVING" • Parking Lots po bo* igi ° Cast Earl, PA 17519 • Streets Pl)one (717)3559219 , , , Attention We Are Also Available For Grading, Stoning & Rolling Which Is The First Step In A Quality Paving Job. For Estimates Call 717-355-9219 Lancaster Farming Saturday, August 24,1991-03 During a declared drought emergency, there are limitations on the amount of water farmers may consumptively use. In the Susquehanna River Basin, the limit is 20,000 gallons per day. In other areas, certain water uses may be restricted. Homeowners watering lawns and gardens also should monitor water consumption during a drought. Garden hoses, sprinklers and basin faucets use from three to five gallons per minute. If you run a sprinkler for two hours, dial can amount to 600 gallons. During a drought emergency, you should contact the river basin commission in your area if you consumptively use more than 20,000 gallons of water a day or are considering a large irrigation project. The commission regulates water use and can assist with plan ning large water-use projects. If you are located in the Susque hanna River Basin, contact the Susquehanna River Basin Com mission, 1721 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, (717) 238-0427. Growers in the Dela ware River Basin can contact the Delaware River Basin Commis sion, P.O. Box 7360, West Tren ton, NJ 08628, (609) 883-9500. For further information or for a copy of a listing of fact sheets on water consumption and other issues, contact the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, 246 Agricultural Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802, (814) 865-7685.