C2-Uncaater Farming,. Saiunfry, June 21, 1997 UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Two researchers in Penn State’s School of Forest Resour ces are studying weeds and other plant problems at two national his toric sites in order to make the past seem clearer to visitors. Larry McCormick, professor of forest resources, and Todd Bower sox, professor of silviculture, are working with the National Park Service to eliminate an exotic weed that is blocking access to the Staple Bend Railroad Tunnel, the first rail tunnel built in the United States. The 1830 s-era tunnel was part of the t Allegheny Portage Railroad, which used a scries of inclined planes and steam engines to pull canal boats from the Penn sylvania Main Line Canal system up and over the Allegheny Mountains. McCormick and Bowersox are working to eliminate a large plant called Japanese knotweed, also Introducing Milk Master™ The world’s first totally integrated portable take-off unit and milk motor. Exclusively Designed For The Tie Stall Barn FEATURES: • Milk Meter • Built in Pulsator • Pre-Milking Stimulation • Automatic Milker Removal • Milker Kick-Off Indicator • Lightweight; Easy to Carry CALL TODAY FOB MORE DETAILS Penn State Forest Experts Fight Weeds known as Japanese bamboo or Japanese flccccflowcr. The weed has overgrown the original rail way trace, making it difficult for visitors to reach the site, as well as obscuring die path of the original tracks. “Knotweed was probably brought to the United States as an ornamental,” McCormick said. “But it can establish itself and out compete native plants. It’s all over Pennsylvania, and the park service has problems with it in other parks.” The plant, which grows well over six feet and has huge, droop ing leaves, has proven to be a worthy opponent, according to McCormick, “The plant is a perennial and emerges from a large underground root structure, called a rhizome, that has proven to be pretty resistant to herbi cides.” he said. "There’s so much mass underground that it’s hard to kill it.” The Penn Stale scientists cur rently are evaluating means of controlling the Japanese knot weed. The next phase of the pro ject will be to recommend a man agement plan for reestablishing nadve vegetation on the Staple Bend site, located near Mineral Point in Cambria County. “For the park service, the most important factor is that the plants do not fit in with the historic scene.” said Brian Eick, natural resource management specialist at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. “Visitors should be able to see what the site looked like at the time.” McCormick and Bowersox also are involved in another National Park Service project designed to make a historic scene a bit clearer at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. The site overlooks the 24-inch Belt Conveying with Versatility Open-center, concave, gaivanized-steel pan sections. Choose smooth belt or textured belt. Lengths from 4 to 120 feet. Choose double V-Belt drive; direct drive through a gearbox speed reducer; or gearbox-speed reducer and roller-chain drive. 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The dam, located near St. Michael in Cambria County, was used to form a huge lake that served the members of the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club, an exclusive group that included such industrial magnates as Andrew Carnegie. To give visitors an idea of the size of the original lake, the Park Service cut away a section of trees and other vegeta tion near the dam mirroring a sec tion of the lake’s original shoreline. “Once you remove vegetation, the landscape doesn’t remain in a static state,” McCormick said. ‘Trees and woody plants will grow back unless you put a man- Patz MIFFLINTOWN ZUG FARM & DAIRY EQUIPMENT 717-463-2606 agement plan into effect to pre vent that” McCormick and Bowerdlk recommended establishing graF ses and other plants that will grow to heights that will still reveal the outlines of the lake. The plan also recommends a variety of native plant species for the site to comply with a National Park Service poli cy to preserve historic sites as accurately as possible. “In his case, we can’t exactly re-create the original site, because most of that was under water,” Eick said. “Penn State has designed a management plan that meets our educational goals and also reduces maintenance.” < ‘This research is exciting for us because it’s a chance to use^k professional expertise and knSP ledge to help tell the story of an area of national interest,” McCor mick said. ORANGEVILLE HAGERSTOWN, MD FRANKLIN D. HESS TRI-STATE FARM FARM EQUIPMENT AUTOMATION 717-925-6939 301-416-7340 SHIPPENSBURG WITMER EQUIPMENT SERVICE 717-532-6139 A (m) POUND, Wl PATZ SALES, INC. 414-697-2251 DISTRICT MANAGER James Smith 717-485-9585
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