Cl2-Lancastcr Farming, Saturday, October 23, 1993
Dr. Marvin Hall
Penn State University
The goal of most forage prog
rams is to maximize economic
yield of nutrients while ensuring
stand persistence. Fall harvesting
of alfalfa is a key management
decision in the quest for optimum
economic performance. Decisions
on fall cutting should be made
based on a sound understanding of
Dorset Day Held
LEBANON. NJ. The Bth
Annual Dorset Field Day was held
on Saturday, September 25 at the
Perry Farm, Whitehouse Station,
NJ.
A pair of homed Dorset ewes
met the arrivals, one ewe with her
one-day-old twins, the second
with her 4-day-old youngster.
Further up the farm path, bar
becued lamb bits, lamb meatballs,
lamb chile, cookies, and coffee
provided refreshments for all.
A local “custom butcher” dis
played the packaged cuts of meat
obtained from a lamb, with
descriptions of various other cuts
ST/HL
Register to win tha Ntwl SUM 029 Chain Saw at thasa participating declare
Bechteisville Ephrata. Hershey
PASSMORE SERVICE BOLLINGER’S LAWN &
CENTER, INC. GARDEN EQUIP.
91? w EP h '*'*. PA 717-736-1131
215-367-9084 717-656-2710
Herthcy, PA 717-533-4060
Dallastown
TRI-BORO
CONCRETE, INC,
435 Locust St.
717-246-3095
1-800-632-9018
East Earl
GOODS LAWN
& GARDEN CENTER
Rout* 23
717-354-4026 Ext. 34
Elizabethtown
MESSICK FARM
EQUIPMENT, INC.
Rheama Exlt-Rt 2*3
Elizabethtown, PA
717-367-1319, 717-653-8867
Elm/Lebanon
BOMBERGER’S LAWN
& GARDEN
Elm: 717-664-4663
Lebanon; 717-272-4155
Eohrata
WES STAUFFER
ENGINES & EQUIPMENT
23 PlMunt Valley Rd.
717-738-4215
DISTRIBUTED BY KEYSTONE STIHL
Cutting
how a plant grows and survives.
During the late summer and
early fall, alfalfa plants arc prepar
ing for winter by developing cold
resistance and storing energy
reserves in their roots. Depending
on the timing, fall harvest may
interfere with this process.
Harvesting alfalfa at a time that
will allow only a few weeks of
regrowth before the herbage is
of meat, and suggestions on how
they could be prepared for the din
ner table.
Further along, a young ram
lamb held his position on a fitting
table as he was “finished” for a
show. Over in an adjoining field,
several 4-H’ers were demonstrat
ing how to show animals, and
receiving fine points relative to
set-up and positioning.
A display of poisonous and nui
sance plants, common to fields
and pastures, was available for
review, complete with “land-out”
data on pasture management and
care.
Gap
GAP POWER
EQUIPMENT
Comar ol Rt 30 A HI. 397
717-442-8970
Hamburg
SHARTLESVILLE
FARM SERVICE
RD 1, Box 1332
215-488-1025
Jonestown
BLUE MOUNTAIN
ENTERPRISES, INC.
Rt. 72 South
717-865-2994
Mverstown Whlteford MD
EBLING LAWN & ENFIELD
GARDEN SERVICE EQUIPMENT INC.
•M E. Lincoln Avo. 720 Whaolor School Rd.
717-866-6720 301-879-5090
Alfalfa In The Fall?
killed by frost will greatly reduce
energy reserves in the roots.
Harvesting will also remove
stubble which catches snow and
serves as a layer of insulation from
extremely cold air temperatures.
Both of these situations increase
the risk of alfalfa winter kill.
Winter environmental condi
tions can aggravate the effects of
fall harvesting. Temperatures of
S* F will injure alfalfa crowns and
roots. Soil and snow serve as insu
lation between the alfalfa plant
and cold air temperatures. Lack of
snow increases the risk of winter
kill. Wet soils will freeze and thaw
more intensively, which will
increase the amount of frost heav
ing. Don’t fall-harvest fields that
have a history of frost heaving or
Qno
SHUEY’S SALES
& SERVICE
Jonestown Rd.
717-865-4915
Ronks
A & B SALES
& SERVICE
370 Newport Road
2 Mlloa South of Rt. 23
Along 772 Thru Montaroy
Shlppensburg
LEINBACH
FARM EQUIP.
1120 RltnerTlwy.
717-532-5511
Tamagua
CHARLES S.
SNYDER, INC.
RD 3
717-386-5945
Beef
WOODSTOWN.
NJ. On Saturday,
October 23, the Salem
County 4-H Beef Pro
ject members will hold
their first annual Fall
4-H Beef Show & Sale
at the Salem County
Fairgrounds.
The beef show, start-
accumulating little snow cover.
Risks to stand persistence can
be minimized by:
• Taking at least one harvest
during the summer at 1/10 bloom
or greater.
• Fall harvesting young stands
because young stands are less sus
ceptible to winter injury.
• Maintaining high soil fertility
levels.
• Fall harvest alfalfa varieties
that have good disease resistance
and winterhardiness.
Although fall harvesting
increases the risk to stand loss
compared with not fall harvesting,
the need for forage or the value of
the forage may be greater than the
risk. Making the decision to cut in
the late summer or fall requires
Show, Sale Set
ing at 10:30 a.m., will Th ' s
feature the beef animals w.ll be the final reward
raised by the County for ** ' 4-K members
Comers 4-H Club mem- in^ ve^-
bers for their 1992-1993 'The money received
a u from the sale of theu
; anima,s wi » enable
n m g to purchase a calf
1 p.m., the animals will »' ,
be auctioned to b.dders and to put the pro Ht. if
weighing the risk of winter injury
against the need for the forage.
Use the scoring system in Table 1
to assess the risk of late summer or
fall harvesting alfalfa.
Optimum levels of potassium in
the soil enhance the storage of
energy reserves in alfalfa roots.
High reserves of energy in the
roots as winter begins improve the
ability of afalfa to overwinter and
support good spring growth. It is
important that adequate potassium
be available during the late sum
mer and early fall since the storage
of energy reserves for winter sur
vival occurs during this time.
Applying potassium fertilizer
after die plants go dormant for the
winter does not benefit energy
reserve storage.
any, into savings for
future education. Pre
ceding the beef sale will
be an appreciation lunc
heon for any and all
prospective buyers,
interested persons, and
4-H supporters.
The 4-H beef project
begins in September or
October when each
4-H’er selects and
purchases a 500-pound
market calf to raise until
its sale in mid-October
of the following year.
4-H members ranging in
age from 9-19 spend
many hours with daily
feeding, grooming, and
care. The 4-H*cr must
also halter-break and
teach the steer to lead
and stand correctly for
shows. In addition, the
member is also respon
sible for keeping finan
cial and production
records, as well as the
animal’s health. The
end result of 13 months
of hard work is the high
est quality market steer,
weighing between
1,100 and 1,400 pounds.
For more informa
tion, contact Stacey
Coles at (609)
769-1485, Sharon Cole
man at (609) 358-3346,
Yankee Eller at (609)
358-3297, Annette
Devitt at (609)
769-0090, or Doreen
Tucker at (609)
769-3694.
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