September brings a cornucopia of familiar, and seasonal, farm stead changes. Tall, lush, green corn has begun to brown, leaves fading from the bottom up, ears begin ning to droop, as moisture in the plants dry and ear kernels hard en toward maturity. Forage har vesters chew noisily through the earliest stands, chopping the sturdy plants to bits, to pack away as winter chow for chomp ing cows. Trees hang thick with the red blush and pale gold of apples at the orchards nearby, a bumper crop of summertime sunshine packed into juicy and flavorful, fist-sized nuggets of nutrition. Pears and purple plums have begun turning up in our kitchen counter fruit basket, but have short stays because they are two of The Farmer’s favorite grab and-go snacks. Pumpkins begin filing onto center stage at local markets, a favorite of our now-kindergart ner, eldest grandson, who pleads to begin picking our few large, but not yet ready, fruits of the vine. Hopefully, they won’t rot before they finish maturing, as so many vine crops, including pumpkins, have done this sticky, swampy summer. What we don’t usually expect For a super finish, UmdPiMc. Air Tunnel Grooming Mowers • Available in 60", 72" and 90“ widths • Tubular steel chassis absorbs shock • Floating 3-pomt for superior ground hugging capabilities • Four wheels with front roller option Betts Equipment 3139 Windy Bush Road.Rt 232 New Hope, PA 18938 215-598-7501 Hoober, Inc. Mam Street Intercourse, PA 17534 717-768-8231 Hoober, Inc. East Mam Street McAlisterville, PA 17049 717-463-2191 Deerfield Ag & Turf Center, Inc. RR 2 Box 212 Watsontown, PA 17777 570-538-3557 Detlan Equipment, Inc 141 East Mam St Silverdale, PA 18962 215-257-5177 Thomas L. Dunlap Rt 220, Mam St Exit Jersey Shore, PA 17740 570-398-1391 , , , here chicks. Well, actually it was a day in late August when I stepped out the front door to welcome the grandkids and found them with noses deep into a cardboard box in The Farmer’s hands. “Something alive,” a warning instantly flashed in my brain. Sure enough. Inside the little box very much alive were seven small chicks, just begin ning to poke tiny feathers through their fluff. Five white and two a mottled brown. “Guineas,” grinned The Farm- A flock of a couple dozen guinea fowl once roamed the meadow, yard and garden here, until the aggressive local foxes wiped them out. All but one. Which has hung out here, all alone, for at least two years, find ing company with a few old, ban tam-crossed chickens and the usual farmstead pigeon popula tion. We figured he must be lone ly, and have often discussed ac quiring a few chicks, but they are available on a limited, seasonal basis. And aren’t cheap. The Farmer had picked these up as week-old “leftovers” at a farm supply store at a slashed price. Natural housing spot was where else? the kitchen, where the box was tucked in a Pennsylvania Eckroth Bros Farm Equip. Stoltzfus Farm Service Rd 2, Box 24A New Rmgold, PA 17960 570-943-2131 Eckroth Equipment Co 4910 Kernsville Rd Orefield, PA 18069 • 610-366-2095 Hines Equipment RT 220, Belwood, PA 814-742-8171 Keller Brothers R 7 Box 405 Lebanon, PA 17042 717-949-6501 1950 Fruitville Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 717-569-2500 M.S.Yearsley & Sons West Chester, PA 610-696-2990 Pikeville Equipment Inc RD 2, Oysterdale Road Oley, PA 19547 610-927-6277 in September are % V’ cozy spot between the wall and appliance cart, with a window screen across the top. I dug out a curved-neck sewing lamp from under the mending pile and perched in on top the screen, an electronic “hen” to keep the ba bies warm. A portion of coarse-textured calf starter feed, sifted through a kitchen colander, solved the feed problem as the chicks gleefully pecked their way through a handful of the siftings scattered among the wood shavings bed ding base. Within a few days, their rations were balanced with chopped lettuce, lawn grass snipped in fine pieces and hand fuls of lush, moist chickweed. In less than a week, the guinea flock had outgrown the box and were installed in the large pet carrier in which Derra, the fami ly yellow lab, had flown from the west coast. It’s an ideal make shift poultry housing, relocated to the basement to banish the chick-nursery “fragrance” from the kitchen. baby I stepped into the house one day while the chicks were still in the kitchen to find the window screen bumped loose from the box. With ever-busy grandson Caleb in tow, I plunked the screen back on the box and kept moving. After dark, Derra Dog dashed into the house following our usual evening dog-walk and promptly planted her nose be hind the computer printer table in the office, tail going furiously. A mouse, I figured. Then I spotted the frightened guinea chick huddled back there. Which had apparently escaped earlier in the day when the screen was ajar. Good thing Derra’s a bird dog. Ushering in another Septem ber tradition. Hunting season. landpnde com Cochranville, PA 610-593-2407 Stouffer Bros Inc. 1066 Lincoln Way West Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-263-8424 Rodio Tractor Sales North White Horse Pike Hammonton, N J 08037 609-561-0141 Warren County Service Center 228 Route 94, Blairtown, N J 908-362-6916 Frank Rymon & Sons, Inc. RD 3, Box 355 Washington, N J 07882 908-689-1464 Felton To Head Penn State Entomology Department UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre 1983 and received his doctorate Co.) Gary Felton, professor of in entomology from the Universi entomology at the University of ty of California, Davis in 1988. Arkansas, has been appointed head of the department of ento mology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Dr. Felton brings to this posi tion an outstanding record of quality teaching and research, as well as excellent leadership skills that will help continue to move our entomology programs to a higher level,” said Robert Steele, dean of the college. “He is a great addition to the college’s leadership team.” Felton’s research interests in clude insect-pest interactions, the physiological mode of action of natural plant products, oxidative stress and insect biology, and nu tritional physiology. He has re ceived research grants from a wide range of agencies, including the USDA and the National Sci ence Foundation. He also holds patents for ultraviolet protect- ants for insect pathogens and for using insect glucose oxidase as an elicitor of plant resistance. Felton earned his bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of California, Ir vine, in 1975. He earned a mas ter’s degree in entomology from the University of Kentucky in MILK. IT DOES A BODY GOOD. HEATMOR OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACE Stainless Steel Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 9, 2000-B3 • Heat Home, Hot Water, Outbuildings • No Fire Danger or Chimney Worries • Forced Air or Hot Water Heating • 3 Sizes -18 Colors • Forced Draft - Ash Auger Clean-out '• Wood or Coal Grates • High Efficiency - Clean Burning • 10 Year Corrosion Warranty • Financing & Dealerships Available Outback Heating Dist. “ 888-763-8617 He was a postdoctoral associ ate in the entomology depart ment at University of California, Davis, before joining the Univer sity of Arkansas as assistant pro fessor of entomology in 1990. He was named associate professor in 1994 and full professor in 1999. Felton has published more than 40 refereed articles, eight book chapters, and many other publications. He has presented numerous invited lectures and serves on the editorial board for the Archives of Insect Biochem istry and Physiology. He was invited speaker and moderator for the Gordon Con ference on Insect-Plant Interac tions in 1998 and chaired the ple nary session for the Keystone Symposium, “Signals and Signal Perception in Biotic Interactions in Plants,” in 2000. Felton is a panel member of the National Science Foundation Physiological and Evolutionary Physiology Program. In 1998, he served as panel manager for the U.S. Department of National Research Initiative for Entomology/Nematology.
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