812-Li COVER THE GARDEN WITH ‘GREEN’ From April fust up to Septem ber 22, Biglerville in Adams County has received 35.7 inches of rainfall which is 15.7 inches above normal. This excessive rainfall has resulted in an abnor mally large amount of grass growth and ideal conditions for starting a cover crop. Even small gardens benefit from the use of cover crops, or “green manures.” Tilling, weed ing, harvesting and foot traffic of most home gardens tend to destroy soil structure. Planting a cover crop is an easy way to restore soil tilth for next year’s plant growth. Cover crops are planted in vac ant garden space and worked into the soil. Success requires selecting the right kind of cover crop and correct timing of seeding. Traditional cover crops include annual ryegrass, winter rye, winter wheat, oats, white clover, sweet clover, hairy vetch, buckwheat and others. Grasses are often easier to grow. Legumes such as clover germinate more slowly and often require inoculation. Small seeded types are more difficult to establish than large seeded types like oats and buckwheat. Start grasses in poorly drained areas of the garden. Winter rye and ryegrass produce a\ r dense ilr*. Saturdi October 12, 1 weeds. Oats or small seeded legumes are not as competitive with weeds. Availability of seed and cost are other important considerations. Winter wheat, barley or rye grain can be productively started in early October and overwinter successfully Cover crops like annual rye grass, oats and buckwheat do not overwinter. Crops that die back in the winter are the easiest to work down when spring arrives. Peren nial ryegrass and winter rye pro duce a massive amount of top growth in the spring and may be difficult to till under the soil sur face. However, perennial grasses work best in wet areas. If this is the case, before the leaves grow too tall in the spring cut or mow back once with mower or scythe. Annual ryegrass should be con sidered first for a garden cover crop. It is a vigorous grower with an extensive root system that occupies the same root zone as the garden plants. Winter rye is another good choice that is best for late planting. To plant a cover crop, rake the garden area smooth and remove debris or large stones. Broadcast the seed according to recom mended rates. Lightly rake again and water in the cover crop with your hose set at a fine mist Any questions regarding the above article can be addressed to Tom Becker, Penn State Cr Pa. Grange Selects Youth A b NEW BLOOMFIELD Brian Ebersole and Jennifer Campbell live by the philosophy that if you are going to be a Grange member, then you should give all you’ve got to the organization. When they were junior mem bers, both filled every officer posi tional one time or another. As members of the Youth De partment, they serve on the Youth Corp. Now, they have another en try to add to their long list of Grange service. The Grange’s version of the “dynamic duo” were recently named the 1996-97 Youth Ambas sadors at Youth Camp. “I just wanted to get on court with this being my first time,” Campbell, the daughter of Wayne and Debra Campbell of Perry Val ley Grange, Perry County, said. “I was shocked to hear my name.” Ebersole, the son of Ray and Martha Ebersole of Community Grange, Perry County, said he looks forward to attending as many Grange functions as possi ble as Youth Ambassador. “It’s important for Granges to utilize the Youth Ambassadors.” Ebersole said. “The only way for the Grange to grow is to talk about the Grange and get this organiza tion’s message out to the people.”' In the coming year, they will participate in Grange meetings, the 1997 PA Farm Show, the royalty trip to Harrisburg, state session and the 1997 National Grange convention in Springfield, Massachusetts. Campbell and Ebersole will do all that despite juggling busy sche dules as they attend college and fulfill other Grange obligations. Campbell, 18, will be a fresh man at Clarion University this fall and will major in elementary and • Agricultural • Commercial • Residential ••PWWI W • •**'«•» ■'"•« '*••«<■ <u* -i 2 **' / . ' ' '" ' i , f ' 0^ 7 /”•’,< '’ ♦- / ' # * ‘ We do box culverts and wing walls to match your specifications • Retaining Walls • Bunker Silos • Manure Storage, Etc. Youth Ambassadors Jen Campbell and Brian Campbell will represent the Pennsylvania State Grange. special education and minor in library science. Ebersole, 19, is a sophomore at Ursinus College and is a political science major. Campbell and Ebersole believe college is a good place to talk about the Grange, but have re servations about starting Grange chapters on college campuses. “It will be a good idea on cam puses like Penn State where there is a bigger student body than Ur sinus,” Ebersole said. “But there would be a lot of planning in volved with that kind of project” “When you think of fraternities, you think of pledging and wha’ goes on at fraternities at colleges," Campbell said. “That might en courage some but discourage others from joining.” They do, however, find it easy to talk about an organization that has given them so much in return. “the more you do, the more you get out of it,” Campbell said about the Grange. “Those people who only go to Subordinate Grange meetings aren’t getting all they can out of this organization. There is so much going on that you can always keep busy.” “The lessons you learn in Grange can be applied to everyday life,” Ebersole said. “The know ledge I’ve gained and the experi ences I’ve had through public speaking competitions, Youth events and other activities are tre mendous.” got milk?'
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers