“Do you have a minute?” asks The Farmer, on one of those glori ous, warm, sun-splashed morn ings we’ve been so blessed with this October. (“No” is not an acceptable answere to this farmer-posed question unless you really want to mess up his already too-busy schedule.) “Sure,” I reply, peeking out from behind a row of damp blue jeans and summer-scuffed tee shirts being hung on the washline to dry. “I need a shuttle,” he explains. Shuttles are always an adven SMPLY GRAND Kubota introduces their new Grand L-Series diesel tractors. Compact models ranging from 25 to 37 PTO HP, with the features and options to work any farm or ranch. The 2WD and 4WD Grand L-Series are powered by Kubota's low noise and vibration ETVCS diesel engines. Choose from Kubota's Glide Shift or Shuttle Transmissions. A Creep Speed option is available for planting and spraying. Tilt wheel, power steering and full-floating ISO mounted operator's deck lets you work in comfort. Optional cab available for the L 3600 and L 4200. Heavy-duty hydraulic system, independent PTO and hefty 3-point hitch keeps the Grand L-Series working from seed to harvest. Take a look at a Grand L-Series today, and see why we call them simply grand. PENNSYLVANIA Altoona HINES EQUIPMENT 814-742-8171 JtenMra stoltzfus TRACTOR cadii PARTS CO. 717-784-0250 SERVICE, INC. 215-503-2407 Coudawßort HOWARDS Elizab«thtown KELLER BROS. OUTDOOR MESSICK FARM TRACTOR CO. POWER EQ. EQUIP. INC. 717-848-2000 814-274-9800 717-367-1319 717-569-2500 ture. And on such a spectacular morning, doing anything outside is preferable to anything inside, especially tackling the stack of mail and paperwork threatening to avalanche off the kitchen table. Enroute, we assess how harvest is progressing among the fields still scattered around our rapidly urbanizing and industrializing neighborhood. Most of the com that wasn’t chopped earlier for sil age has been combined, while soybeans wait their turn. It’s satis fying to note that a neighbor’s late-planted beans are ripening to maturity ahead of our first frost See Your Local Kubota Dealer L»ncMt«f Jbiw Short THOMAS L. DUNLAP 717-398-1391 Rwdinfl NICARRY EQUIPMENT, INC. 610-926-2441 At this stage of October, every un frosty morning is a bonus. Trees along the way are begin ning to wear a brownish-tint, a hint that they may not color very brilliantly this season. Too dry, some experts have suggested, and our local stands of hardwoods appear to be reinforcing that theory. Though swamp maples arc showing some of their lovely Fall reds, even those are softer, more muted. Our first stop is high on a hill that overlooks The Farmer’s boy hood home and haunts. Lovely new homes dot the vista, inters persed with strips of re-greened stands of alfalfa and grass hay and remaining small clusters of wood lots. We drive to the far end of the field, along a fencerow brightened with briar patches sporting maroon-colored leaves and fading stalks of goldenrod. The dead, bare “hawk tree” holds no hungry redtail in its naked upper branches on this stunning morning, luckily for the rabbit that zips out aheadjof the combine. A brief conference between The Fanner and The Fanner I, in the combine’s cab, says we have trou- .vubota Tractor Corpo* wide network of over 1,000 dealers KubotaA MHlHnbuw MIFFUNBURG FARM SUPPLY, INC. 717-966-3114 ble. The pickup, left in the field overnight, refuses to start Specu lating on a battery problem, The Fanner hooks up jumper cables. Nothing. Fortunately, equipment opera tor Bobby returns just then with the empty grain truck, after his lat est run to the mill. He backs the larger truck toward the pickup and they attach the two with a heavy chain—kept handy for just such expected emergencies. “Do you think you can pull it with that?” I tease Bob, as he man euvers the grain truck into towing position. His one gentle tug on the chain stirs the pickup’s started into action. One problem tempor arily overcome. With his “wheels” back in oper ation, The Farmer departs the Wml Owrttf WENNER FORD TRACTOR, INC. 215-399*9615 YORK TRACTOR, INC. 717-764-1094 Laiftaatar Farming, Saturday, Octobar 21, 1995-99 r v NEW JERSEY MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS 609-267-6100 DELAWARE. Nfwofk NEWARK KUBOTA, INC. 1-600-955-3031 field—and me in hot pursuit. Where did he say we were going next? I hustle to keep him in sight, and finally catch up as he parks at the next harvest area. Shuttles run more smoothly—trust me—when you both end up at the same destination. Condensed again into one vehi cle. we retrace our route back to another field for a tractor and loaded wagon. He departs in one direction; I take the other. I beat him back to the farm—but not by much. Too much sightseeing. The sun shines, the maple leaves wave in the breeze, lliat stack of paperwork beckons, like a whip-wielding overseer. Sigh. Shuttling equipment is more fun. GENERATORS Sales ★ Service ★ Rentals * Complete Generator Systems * PTO * Portables * 2-1600 KW “We Service It If You Have It And Sell It If You Need It" 34 W. Mo tiler Church Rd. Ephrata, PA 17522 Tel: 717-738-0300 Fax: 717-738-4329 All-Plant LIQUID PLANT FOOD 9-18-9 PLUS OTHERS! • Contains 100% white ortho phosphoric acid. Made in USA. • Non-corrosive. Won't settle. • Top quality. Excellent service. • Newest equipment. • Financially sound... and growing! Big Demand Requires More Distributors! □ I sell to farmers. How do I become your distributor? □ I'm a farmer. What’s the price? Where do I g6t it? CALL or SEND FOR FACTS: Phone; 814-364-1349 ALL-PLANT LIQUID PLANT FOOD, INC. 821 State Rd. 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