, v-T* v*’*v*vr*>
'♦V
On Being a
Farm Wife
(and other
hazards)
Joyce Bupp
ON BEING A FARM WIFE
It wasn’t supposed to work this
way.
The sudan-grass silage extender
was supposed to have been
chopped and in the silo. The
tomatoes were to have been cov
ered. There were melons still hap
pily growing in the patch. All the
geranium and impatiens cuttings
were to have been taken and their
bare stems tucked into starting
medium in the greenhouse.
Yeah. Right.
And the frost-free date around
here is supposed to be October 10.
If you believe that, I have ocean
front property out nay back door
that I’ll sell you, at a very reason
able fee, to build your own private
deep-water marina.
Because, on the evening of
October 1 or more likely very
early in the morning of October 2
(hat gardener’s fall nemesis.
Old Jack Frost, paid us an unex
pected and unprepared for visit.
And he came during the one night
of the month on which 1 had to be
P Great Plains
NO-TILL DRILLS
• Utilizes proven coulter/opener no-till system.
• Compact, well-balanced design transports easily.
• Heavy-duty coulters cut through tough ground
and heavy residue.
• Dry fertilizer, small seeds, and and fluffy seed box
options.
• Lock-out hubs disengage drives for transport.
See The Dependable Great Plains Norman D . clark & Sons
Dealers Listed Below: Main street, p.o. Box 27, Honey Grove, PA 17035
Dunkle & Grieb, Inc. 717-734-3682
R.D.. 2 Box 14, Center Hall, PA 16828 D & E/ Equipment
307 Edgar Avenue, Bloomsburg, PA 17815
717-784-5217
Carlisle Farm Service
260 York-Road, Carlisle, PA 17013
800-447-6829
Lone Maple Sales & Service
RD #2, New Alexandria, PA
412-668-7122
C.B. Hoober & Sons, Inc.
Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, PA 17534
717-768-8231
Chambersburg Farm Service
975 South Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-264-3533
away for an overnight meeting.
Of course, in all fairness to that
seasonal harbinger of garden
wipeout, frost-free dates have
been established over the decades
based on averages, and averages
are merely a middle ground of
extremes. Some years, we enjoy
that frost-free extreme somewhere
into early November. And the one
time, 30 years ago, that I slept
overnight with our showstring of
cattle at the York Fair, we bad
frost in early September. (You
can see my luck in playing the
frost averages.)
Fortunately, Jack’s icy paint
brush made a fast pass, and only
blackened the tops of some of the
stuff it touched. The sudan grass,
basically a tropical plant which
needs plentiful water to grow, has
had a hard time this season any
way, with inadequate, moisture to
ever get it started right Frost just
finished the job.
Also turned black by the drop in
the temperature was the garden’s
lush tangles of melon vines. But
10 ft. St 12 ft.
we’ve enjoyed dozens of delicious
cantaloupes, honcydews and
watermelons, so we'll be grateful
for the yield and not grumble over
the loss of the latecomers. And
tops of the tender impatiens just
shriveled up overnight.
But most of the other stuff, even
the cold-sensitive tomatoes and
peppers, were a foot or so higher
in the garden and sheltered a bit by
the weedy forest next door, other
wise known as the asparagus
patch. Some took significant
damage, but they weren’t all total
ly wiped out
So, overnight it became a gar
dener’s “squirrel” season the
hustle-bustle time of stashing and
storing all salvageable stuff from
the outside, like a bushy-tail
hoarding away a cache of nuts for
Decade Of Growth
DES MOINES, lowa It’s
been 10 years since consumers in
IS metropolitan areas of the
United States first heard about
Pork. The Other White Meat®.
In the decade since, pork has
virtually gained a brand name, and
it’s recognized by 86 percent of
consumers from coast to coast, ac
cording to the most recent Meat
Attitude and Perception Tracking
Study.
The nationally representative
survey of 1,000 households also
indicated consumers who are
familiar with pork advertising
view the product more favorably
Great Plains
the winter.
While the tops of the impatiens
were blackened, new growth pok
ing from lower parts of the stems
remained lush and green. Sport
ing lopped tops and newly-pruned
root balls, they’ve moved to more
snug quarters inside the green
house. Keeping them company
are some of the smaller geranium
plants, reconfmed to pots, and
batches of cuttings from others too
large to move indoors. When a
real killer frost is imminent, the
rest of these bushy beauties will
also be sacariflced for more cut
tings. For now, their blooms are
too pretty to chop the plants into
pieces until absolutely necessary.
Two hills of cucumber vines
that had just set their first infant
pickles got their uppermost leaves
than those who aren’t.
But who wouldn’t be familiar
with the landmark campaign? The
pork promotion has sponsored
Super Bowl telecasts and Barbara
Walters’ television specials, not to
mention its advertisement in such
diverse magazines as People and
Atlantic Monthly or on numerous
cable television programs.
“Consumers awareness is there.
Pork is on the shopper’s mind, but
the challenge is for pork to be a re
gular entry on the weekly shop
ping list,” said Robin Kline, As
sistant Vice President of Market
ing Communications for the
The Most Comprehensive Set of
Time-Proven No-Till Drill Features
In The Business
Lancaster 'dctoti^'ii, 1;
nipped by the cold, but look as
though they may shrug off the ini
tial damage. Each got an encour
agement to overcome the chill in
the form of a much-needed drink
of water. The lush, abundant zin
nias have brown-tipped blooms,
but most of the stalks and buds
also shrugged off the year’s first
threat.
There are amaryllis, arum lilies
and gladoli to dig, dust and store,
cleome and purple globeflower
seeds to gather, impatiens and
herb cuttings to take, houseplants
summered on the porch to repot
and relocate and a whole bunch
of other garden chores begging to
be done.
Would someone please lock
Jack Frost up in the Arctic Circle
for at least another month?
For Pork
National Pork Producers Council
(NPPC).
When asked to name a white
meat, pork is mentioned more of
ten than turkey and is second only
to chicken. Studies indicate 61
percent of consumers regard pork
as a white meat.
The number of people who give
pork the highest rating has grown
steadily for the past five years.
Ratings for beef, chicken and fish
have remained about the same,
Kline said. Since the campaign be
gan, positive perceptions of fresh
pork have increased by an average
of 20 percent.
Hines Equipment
Rt. 28 West, Cresson, PA 16630
814-886-4183
and Rt. 220, Belwpod, PA
814-742-8171
C. B. Hoober & Sons, Inc.
McAlisterville, PA 17049
717-463-2191
Lehigh Ag Equipment, Inc.
6670 Ruppsvllle Road, Allentown, PA 18106
610-398-2553
c