A24-Ltncaattr panning, Saturday, May 9,1992
FAIR WEEK FOR FIELDWORK: Above-average temperatures and below avenge precipitation across
the commonwealth allowed four days suitable for fieldwork. Activities included spraying fruit trees and
small grains, hauling manure, spreading fertilizer, maintaining machinery, spring plowing, planting, cutting
ryelage, and caring for livestock.
SOIL MOISTURE: By week’s end, top soil moisture was rated short by 10 percent of oiir respondents,
adequate by 80 percent, and surplus by 10 percent of our reporters. Six percent of our respondents in the
northern regionrated soil moisture as short. 81 percent rated it adequate, and 13peroentntedi(sutplns. In the
central region, 9 percent of our reporters rated soil moisture as short, 82 percent rated it adequate, and 9 per
cent rated it suiplus. In the southern region, 17 percent of the respondents rated soil moisture as short, 74 per
cent judged it to be adequate, and 9 percent judged it surplus.
PLOWING: According to our respondents, spring plowing was 65 percent completed, two percentage
points behind last year’s 67 percent. The five-year average for this date was 68 percent. Spring plowing com
pletion was 41, 78, and 78 percent for the northern, central, and southern regions, respectively.
CORN: According to survey indications, corn planting was 7 percent complete. That was 6 percentage
points below last year’s 13 percent and 7 points below the five-year avenge of 14 percent. Planting comple
tion by region was northern region. S percent; central region, 7 percent; and southern region, 8 percent.
SOYBEANS: Soybean planting was 1 percent complete. That was the same as last year and 1 percentage
point below the five-year average of 2 percent
OATS: According to our respondents, oat planting across the state was 71 percent complete. That was 6 per
centage points below last year’s 77 percent and S points below the five-year average of 76 percent-Reporters
in the northern region reported SO percent complete, central region reporters indicated 76 percent, and the
southern region reporters indicated 91 percent of the oats planted.
POTATOES: By week’s end, 29 percent of the potato acreage was planted according to our indications.
This is 7 percentage points behind last year’s 36 percent and 17 percentage points off the five-year average of
46 percent.
BARLEY AND WHEAT: Barley was 85 percent in the preboot stage and 14 percent in the boot stage and 1
percent in headed stage. At this time last year, 77 percent was in the preboot stage, 21 percent in the boot
stage, and 2 percent headed. The five-year average is 80 percent preboot, 17 percent boot, and 3 percent in the
headed stage of development. Wheat was 92 percent in the preboot and 8 percent in the boot and none in the
heading or headed stage. Last year at this time, 88 percent was in preboot stage, 11 percent boot, and 1 percent
in heading or headed stage. The five-year average is 92 percent preboot stage, 8 percent boot stage, and none
in the heading or headed stage. The wheat crop across the state was rated 13 percent excellent, 59 percent
good, 21 percent fair, 3 percent poor, and 4 percent very poor.
FRUIT: Across the state, 38 percent of the peach trees were in the prepink stage, 23 percent were in the pink
stage, and 39 percent full bloom or past. Last year at this time, 24 percent were prepink, 13 percent were pink,
and 63 percent full bloom or past The five-year averages were 25,18, and 57 percent, respectively. Our
survey results indicated that 41 percent of the cherry trees were in the prepink stage, 20 percent in the pink
stage, and 39 percent full bloom or past This compares to 20,13, and 67 percent respectively, at this time last
year. The five-year averages for cherries are 24 percent prepink, 17 percent pink, and 59 percent full bloom or
past Apples were 68 percent in the prepink stage, 29 percent in the pink stage, and 3 percent full bloom or
past stage. Last year at this time, apples were 31 percent in the prepink stage, 24 percent in the pink stage, and
45 percent full bloom or past stage. The five-year averages for apples are 36 percent prepink, 28 percent pink,
and 36 percent full bloom or past
HAY AND PASTURE: By week’s end, 57 percent of the reporters rate alfalfa hay stands as good, 27 per
cent rated alfalfa stands as fair, and 16 percent poor. Timothy-clover stands were rated good by 32 percent of
our reporters, 47 percent rated it as fair, and 21 percent rated it poor. The quality of feed being obtained from
pastures was rated good by 54 percent of our reporters, fair by 36 percent poor by 6 percent and very poor by
4 percent.
Farmer-Legislator Says Agriculture Well Represented
VERNON ACHENBACH, JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) State Rep. Arthur Her
shey, of Chester County, is one of
two farmer-legislators who sit on
the 18-member bipartisan Joint
Legislative Air and Water Pollu
tion Control and Conservation
Committee.
The committee, he said, is sensi
tive to farmer needs in making
recommendations for possible
legislative action to the state
Legislature.
The committee was formed in
1968 under former Gov. Raymond
Shafer as a research and
recommendation-making agency.
In Addition, the committee is
charged with studying the enforce
ment of air and water pollution
laws; to hold hearings throughout
the slate on related issues and com
plaints; study the effectiveness of
restoration work conducted by var
ious state departments with federal
and slate funds; study mining prac
tices, including deep mining, strip
mining, open pit mining and quar
rying, the reclamation of mined-
FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 3
out land; and study mining laws
and laws related to reclamation.
Over the years, the committee
has tackled a number of significant
issues, some of which resulted in
new or modified environmental
laws.
A good amount of its work has
been conducted during the 1980 s,
covering topics such as flood man
agement the Public Utility Com
mission regulation of water supply
systems, research for the Safe
Drinking Water Act coal reclama
tion, low-level radioactive waste
disposal, land application of sewge
sludge, protecting water quality
with well construction and loca
tion standards, recycling, infra
structure (PennVEST), use of
roadside springs, slate paries, the
Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act
funds for endangered species, sep
tage management and disposal,
urban sterm water management
etc.
Current year efforts focus on
water resources management
researching the recycling and reg
ulation of used oil and putting
together its annual report
As farmers being represented on
the committee, the record has been
good. Not only are two farmer
legislators on the committee, but
the majority of the committee con
sists of legislators from rural coun
ties from different regions in the
state.
According to Hershey, with all
recommendations issued by the
committee, considerations for
agriculture are not overlooked.
Although the committee must rep
resent all interests in the common
wealth. he said the importance of
agriculture and its economic, cul
tural and social significance is not
lost in doing research and consid
ering goals for the state.
Especially with the recent
recommendations for change in
the state’s treatment of its water
resources, Hershey said formers
may are being looked out for
there has been more than one inci
dence of a residential development
depriving an existing form of safe
and adequate well water. Which is
legal under the current laws.
However, farmers must be as
aggressive as any other group in
POLARIS DEALERS corn’d
East American Motors
814-938-4230
Ouakertown *■
Trumbauer Snowmobile
215-536-5186
Reading
Ray’s Yamaha
215-582-2700
Reedsville
Expert Cycle Sales
717-667-2346
Revnoldsville
Keys Recreational Vehicles
814-328-2222
Sharon
Doctor Jerry’s Cycle
412-981-7282
St. Mary’s
Grotzinger
814-834-4917
State College
Track N Trail Honda
814-237-2581
Towanda •
Rolling Acres
717-265-3400
Trevose
Bromley Motorcycle Sales
215-357-1534
Verona
Dirty Harry’s Dirt Bikes
412-828-2667
Wapwallonen
Blue Ridge Truck Parts
717-868-3402
York
The Workshop
717-846-5146
Younesville
Keys Recreational Vehicles
814-563-6666
NEW JERSEY
Bricktown
Bay Auto & Machine Supplies
908-255-3113
Elmer
Sam’s Super Service
609-358-3488
Ledgewood
Ledgewood Kawasaki
201-584-6488
Pomoton Plains
pursuing fair treatment
“With Pennsyvlania being big in
agriculture, we we wanted to make
some priorities for agriculture.
Water is getting scarcer and scar
cer,” he said, adding that he knows
two farmers who have lost well
water quantity and quality to resi
dential development which not
only deprives die farmer from his
drinking supply, but also deprives
the livestock from safe supplies.
“I always hold that food produc
tion will be very high in the col-
Pittman
Schreffler Equipment
717-648-1120
Punxautawnev
Kosco Harley-Davidson
201-831-1700
POLRRIS
Believe It.
umn (of things to protect). We do
have to eat,” he said.
As far as water resources, he
said farmers ought to start now in
drafting policy and making it be
known that agriculture denerves
high priority for water use in
Pennsylvania.
“We need to make a case for
something that we just can’t take
for granted anymore,” he said.
“Not with the increase in uses
carwashes, golf courses ..
■BAD
LANCASTER
FARMING
FOR COMPLETE
AND
UP-TO-DATE
MARKET
REPORTS
*