Page 20—Foraging Around, Lancaeter Farming, Saturday, April 17, 1999 (Continued from Page 18) Here’s another example. If the mix is down in yield mid-summer, and the fescue plots are noticeably exceeding the other plots, Martin will know that if he is to increase summer yields he may need to plant more fescue. We haven’t even addressed the possible evaluations of nitrogen uptake from manure water or a host of other con clusions these trials will give Martin. But you get the picture. A simple mix, plus a few plots of the individual com ponents is an easy source to invaluable information for the Vanßeeks. By the way, I was out at Martin’s the second week of March. I have nev er seen his dairy look so pretty as it does now. And to think it will look so nice for years. The Rupert Ranch My small hobby farm is host to a small but growing herd of daily goats. Past fall, I wanted to experiment with overseeding to learn more about the benefits of annual tetraploids vs. per ennial tetraploids. I divided one acre into six strips and overseeded as shown in Diagram 2. Cost? Three bags of seed and a cou ple hours on a Saturday. BUY, SELL, TRADE OR RENT. THROUGH THE CLASSIFIED ADS IN Lancaster Farming PHONE 717-626-1164 OR 717-394-3047 FAX 717-733-6058 Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 8 AM to 5 PM Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM -^=^=flb=-> Abundant Annual Ryegrass Abundant/Tonga Tonga Perennial Ryegrass <NO CHANGE"'" Abundant Annual Ryegrass Abundant/Tonga Tonga Perennial Ryegrass Benefits? First, I added seed seed that will turn into grass, grass which will improve my pasture den sity and available feed. (By the way, this is of utmost non-research import ance, because my two daughters have almost got me convinced to buy a horse . . . and you know what they do to pastures!) Second. I will leam some important answers to questions such as: • How much faster will annual grow compared to perennial? Maximize Yield Potential When it comes to improving Relative Feed Value and maximizing the Crude Protein in hay, nothing outperforms the New Idea® 5209 Disc Mower Conditioner Its high-speed disc cutterbar glides through fields with ease, even in extreme conditions And the unique Ti-Cor® Conditioning Rolls gently condition the stems, speeding drydown DIAGRAM 2 - RUPERT RANCH MA New Idea AGCO built fob t-ie bottom like * j i l ', I' i £ ► M** * * 1 • How much longer will perennial last than annual? • Will the combination of the two be better than either individually? • Will the animals prefer one over the other? • Did overseeding pay for itself, or should I have done nothing at all? Look at that last question again. It is a very important question. Always, al ways keep some of your old pasture around to compare with the new. By evaluatin'* »he old to the new you will The 5209’s reliable design keeps you mowing and conditioning year after year With the segmented cutterbar dnveshaft, a New Idea innovation, the cutterbar is truly mod ular, which makes for easy maintenance To see the disc mower conditioner that’ll exceed your expectations not your budget, visit your AGCO® New Idea dealer today i 4 be able to determine a great deal more than if you completely revamp the old. Third, I committed myself mentally to checking out my pasture more of ten. Over and over again, I hear profit able grazers reminding one another to get out and walk their fields. The dir ect benefits of this arc enormous and usually obvious. Well, in addition to the great direct value of seeing how your pastures are performing, I have discovered that such attention will result in what I re fer to as “hidden benefits.” For in stance, the day I started writing this article, I went out and examined my plots. While staring at my grass, one of my momma goats stole my atten tion. Soon, I found myself on all fours watching her vigorously graze on spring grass. Know what I discover ed? I discovered that she can really chomp up a storm! Of course, while I was down on all four, her 10-day-old kid kept trying to jump on my back! But then, another distraction and the greatest discovery of the day: I found a new place to hang a tree swing for my girls. Yes, these are but a few of the hidden benefits yet to be discov ered by many a farmer who has check ed out of the pasture rather than checking out the pasture! (Turn to Pag* 21) See Your AGCO - New Idea Dealer Listed Below. Delaware Georgetown Baxter Farms Maryland Dayton J.D. Mullmix Pennsylvania Bechtelsville Miller Equipment Bethel Zimmerman’s Farm Service Bloomsburg William F. Welliver Carlisle Carlisle Farm Service Chambersburg Chambersburg Farm Service Cochranville Stoltzfus Farm Service Cresson Hines Equipment Glen Rock Wertz Farm & Power Equip. Greencastle Meyers Implements Klingerstown Stanley’s Farm Service Lebanon Umbergers of Fontana Mercer Ralph W. Kyle Oakland Mills Peoples Sales & Service Quakertown C. J. Wonsidler Quarryville A. L. Herr Somerset Lincoln Supply
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