Duane E. Pysher Grassland Management Specialist, NRCS I am currently involved in revising old and writing new standards and specifications for conservation practices that we use in Pennsylvania. The practice that I am cur rently working on is fencing. Have you ever thought about all the different fencing mate- Whether you chop or bale, get the Best Flow'“ design handles high volume Rugged single pickup has fewer moving parts Reduces harvester trips across the field, and damaging compaction. get more for your money ★ www.miilerprofarm.com ALLEN FARM EQUIPMENT CO.. INC, Schaghitcbke, NY mtmm CLUQSTOWNA6 tTURfvtNC. ChamberkHjrg. Fw ' 711^8^41® POSTERDALE EQUIPMENT CORP, Cochecton, NY 845-932-8611 LONQENECKER'S INC. Williamsburg, PA 114-793-3731 '*'■ } ■* «c».= RE PONDERINGS * rials on the market? Well if you are like me, you did not. Now that I am working on the fencing standard, it has forced me to think about the many alternatives and prod ucts that are available. Let’s talk about what some of these alternatives are and their ap plications and merits. Let’s look at fencing mate rials. They range from high tensile steel wire to plastic ual Working width: Single-up to 14'. Twin-up to 25'. Most agree that rotary rakes outperform other rakes for high quality feed Miller Pro single & twin models are built with significantly more steel than imports Gentle sweeping action saves more leaves, and allows faster working speed Makes higher, fluffier, faster drying windrows MESSICK FARM EQUIPMENT Abbottatown, PA 717-259-8617 Elizabethtown, PA 717-367-1319 STANLEY'S FARM SERVICE Klingerstown, PA 570-648-2088 ZIMMERMAN FARM SERVICE Bethel, PA 717-983-4114 polywire (twine) or plastic ribbons. The high tensile steel is sold according to its gauge which ranges from 12 l /2 to 16 gauge. Remember, the lower the gauge, the higher the strength, and the more cur rent the wire is capable of carrying. These wires are gal vanized and that gives them a long life expectancy. The 12 Vi gauge wire is used for per imeter fencing and the more permanent interior subdivi sion fences. The most pre ferred gauge for subdivision fences is the 16 gauge wire, but it is more easily broken. -W* There are other choices beside the gauge to consider when selecting wire. There are choices in the coatings You may be asking, “What does BR mean?” BR stands for a Branched Root characteristic m alfalfa. Chetngro Seeds Paragon BR is an alfalfa with a branching root system. In tough wet conditions, Paragon BR will utilize a branching root system m poor areas. A taproot is utilized under normal conditions. BR means longer lasting stands of alfalfa m fields with less than perfect soil conditions. More of the root system stays above the water table, better securing the plant in the soil when freezing and thawing occurs. This branched rooted trait will adjust accordingly as the moisture stress intensifies. Paragon BR is a must for those uneven fields with low wet areas. Places where conventional alfalfas tend to die early, Paragon will provide you with high quality, even stand of alfalfa tor a full tour years. Paragon BR is a fall dormancy 3 alfalfa, with an excellent winter hardiness of 1.6. It is well adapted to the soils, conditions and diseases we face here in the Northeast. Chemgro 3^ "Quality SEEJ2&. at reasonable prices" Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 13,2002, Foraging Around- galvanized, aluminum clad or Galfan, which is a zinc alloy (a mixture of aluminum and zinc). The Galfan coat ing offers up to seven times the corrosion protection of normal galvanized coatings. There are also many soft wires on the market, but they fail to offer the strength that the high tensile steel does. Aluminum is one of the soft wires I find to be a benefit in a grazing system when you have long runs of wire to elec trify. The carrying capacity of aluminum wire is said to be 2 to IVi times that of steel, therefore, you could use one aluminum wire to run a charge for a longer distance and then transfer it onto the steel wire. One caution with this approach is the problem of connecting steel and alu minum wires and oxidation problems. These require spe cial precautions. If you need fencing for temporary applications, there are polywire or twines, and polyribbons. These products are twisted or woven plastic Disease Resistance Ihghlv ItesiMiini Resistant VlotieraU Ke&isUnir i im ResiMunci. Nusupnhlt* J «/■ <& «'- P.O. Box 218 East Petersburg, PA 17520-0218 1 (800) 346-4769 (GROW) 717-569-3296 twines with three to nine strands of stainless steel wires that conduct electric current. When these products are used with temporary fence posts it allows the grazier the flexibility to provide tempo rary fencing for many differ ent applications. The ribbons allow for greater visibility to livestock and people, but are much more affected by the wind. There are also tempo rary types of electric netting, which is polywire woven into a net to contain smaller, hard to contain livestock such as sheep or goats. If you need a system that is more secure and non electrified, you can use woven wire. This galvanized wire comes in varying heights. It ranges from 3'/2feet high for sheep to 8 feet high for deer fencing. A product that is relatively new to the market is plastic deer netting which comes in 5- to 8-foot heights, but it lacks the permanency of the woven wire types of deer fencing. I hope by now you realize (Turn to Page 14) BUY, SELL, TRADE OR RENT THROUGH THE CLASSIFIED ADS IN Lancaster Farming PHONE 717-626-1164 OR 717-394-3047 FAX 7 1 7-733-6058 Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 8 AM to 5 PM Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM 189
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