818-Lancaater Farming, Saturday, May 24, 1997
All Gardens
Great & Small
by
York Co.
Horticultural Ar
Tom Becker
(Continued from Page B 17)
Ogranic mulches ultimately
bread down by bactdria and fungi
in the soil. Ogranic mulches
include bark (should be well com
posed), shredded hardwood, pine,
redwood nuggets and cedar. Saw
dust (should be well composted),
woodchips, peat chips, pine nee
dles, straw, salt hay, shredded and
leaves and grass clippings, and
newspaper are other organic
mulches.
When using newspapers and
grocery store tabloids in a veget
able or flower garden, use four or
five layers of paper laid around
plants and anchored down with a
shovelful of soil or rocks/bricks/
stones on the comer. The paper
will decompose throughout the
season. Additional layers may
need to be added to prevent weeds
from emerging.
Avoid walking on the paper,
especially after a rain or soaking.
Wet-to-diy paper becomes brittle
and tears easily. Paper remains
can be rototilled in the garden
after the end of the growing
season.
Shredded newspaper can also
be used. Apply the shredded paper
in three to four inch depths.
Newsprint with colored pic
tures can be used with little prob
lems. Avoid glossy colored paper
• Agricultural • Commercial • Residential
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inserts, colored Sunday comics, or
sections with heavy colored print
ing. Chemicals and heavy metals
such as lead and cadmium used in
the colored printing process can
leach into the soil and may cause
toxic problems with plants or their
uptake.
When using mulches, avoid
overmulching with dense mulches
like sawdust or unshredded
leaves. Use no more than 2 inches
thick; medium density mulches
like shredded bark can be 2-4
inches thick; while loose mulches
like straw can be used to 6 inches
thick.
Supplemental nitrogen should
be applied with mulches that have
an especially high carbon to nitro
gen rations (sawdust, wood chips,
com cobs, etc.). Microorganisms
that decompose these materials
absorb nitrogen from the soil dur
ing the decomposition process.
This can create a nitrogen defi
ciency in mulched plants. Apply
about 2 pounds of nitrogen (20
pounds of a 10-6-4 fertilizer) per
1000 square feet at time the mulch
is applied. If the growth of the
mulched plant is reduced, or if the
leaves appear to become a light
green, reapply the nitrogen as
needed.
There have been reports that
cocoa bean hulls, mushroom com-
Rectangular 8 Ft. Deep Manure
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Radon
Myths
And
Realities
SPRINGFIELD (Delaware
Co.) Radon is a source of radia
tion health risk that potentially
affects everyone. As a part of
natural background radiation, it
contributes an average of 55% of
the total radiation dose received
by people in the United States
every year. Radon exposure is
easy to test for and to prevent To
find out about radon, what radon
is, its health effects, how you can
get test for it and what you can do
about it plan to attend “Radon in
the Home: Myths and Realities,”
an educational program presented
by Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion. The program will be held on
Thursday, May 29 from 7:30 to
9:00 p.m. at Delaware County
Extension Office, Environmental
Center, Smedlcy Park, 20 Paper
Mill Road, Springfield. To regis
ter. call (215) 690-2655. by May
27.
post, and licorice root mulches
have injuired Ericaceous plants
such as Rhododendron, Pieris,
Azalea, and Kalmia. This may be
from die chemicals that leach
from them or because nitrogen is
removed from the soil as they
decompose.
Any questions regarding the
above article can be addressed to
Tom Becker, Penn State Coopera
tive Extension at (717) 840-7408.
You Ask, You Answer
ANSWER This answers the following two questions:
Betty Jakum, Littlestown, wanted the Pennsylvania German
folk healing book called ‘The Long Lost Friend,” by J. Hoh
man and Polly Weiss, Woxall, wanted to know where to find
the “See Sally Run,” and “See Jack Run," books. Thanks to
a reader who wrote that Calhouns Books specializes in old
rare out-of-print books. Call or write to ask for the book you
want to Calhouns Books, Rts 5 & 20, Geneva, NY 14456;
(315) 789-8599.
ANSWER F. Hoffman, Shermansdale, wanted to
know where fo find old-fashioned white sweet potato or the
plants (no yams). E. M. Martin of Shippensburg has plants to
sell and will ship UPS. Write to them at 133 Smithdale Rd,
Shippensburg, PA 17257.
ANSWER William Freed, Philadelphia, wanted to
know who sells decals of horses, cows, and chickens to put
on trailers, trucks, and milk cans. Paste on decals should be
from 6-15-inches and be for metal or wood. Thanks to Tom
Armstrong of Perkasie for writing that a comprehensive
catalog of decals, patches, signs, etc. of domestic animals is
available at the following two places: Breeders Sign Ser
vice, P.O. Box 1502, Topeka, KS 66601 and Howard Johns
tone, Rt. 1, Maple Hill, KS or call (913) 256-6311.
ANSWER —Here's a unique answer in response to stop
ping a hen from breaking the eggs in a nest. Richard
Knouse, Liverpool, writes that his uncle used to get small
balloons like those used for balloon animals) and blow up
and tie off an egg-sized piece (make sure it's blown up very
tight) and place them in the nest (white is best as fowls see
colors). After several "eggs” blow up, most birds will stop
pecking eggs at least for a while. The noise may be upset
ting to the flock and affect production.
Although Sarah Zook of Lititz wrote the putting Free
choice oyster shells with the chickens help her flock, several
people wrote that the only solution is ‘to grab the chicken
that breaks the eggs, cut off her head and roast her for sup
per" in the words of William Pennies of Hamburg, NY.
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Uie toughest and Slamlna
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Many heavy-duty industrial
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\ow there s a solution to the
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In heavy torque high horse
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• HARDWARE • FARM SUPPLIES •
(Continued from Page BIT)
SUPER n V-BELTS
The secret to the Super 11 v bell s
durability is its unique construction
The central position of the polyester
cords in the neoprene rubber core
provides greater strength balance
and longer life Multiple fabric
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These attributes combined
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Tesl Ihe Super il v-bell
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The Super 11 v-bell was field
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severe applications rock quarry
shaker screens lumber mill tree
debarkers and pipe descalcrs In
every case it outperformed con
ventional wrapped bells by a wide
margin But the only test that really
counts is the one you do on your
own equipment
TVy the Super 11 bell on your
toughest drive problem You II be
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all your drives In fact we re so
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that in the unlikely event you re
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nal purchase price or replace it
with a conventional wrapped v-belt
The Super II v-belt from Dayco
The super problem solver
HOURS; ■■
Mon., Thuri, Fh 78 30
Tuc« . Wed 75 30
Set ■ 7-4 00