812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 26, 2003
Y ask
Oli
This column is for read
ers who have questions but
don’t know who to ask for
answers.
“You Ask—You Answer”
is for non-cooking ques
tions. When a reader sends
in a question, it will be
printed in the paper. Read
ers who know the answer
are asked to respond by
mailing the answer, which
will then be printed in the
paper.
Questions and Answers
to this column should be
addressed to You Ask—You
Answer, Lancaster Farm*
ing, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata,
PA 17522. Attention: Lou
Ann Good.
Or, you may e-mail ques
tions and answers to
LGOOD.EPHQLNPNEW-
S.COM
Please clarify what ques
tion you are answering
when responding.
Do not send a self-ad
dressed, stamped envelope
for a reply. If we receive
the answer, we will publish
it as soon as possible.
Please include your phone
number because we some
times need to contact the
person to clarify details.
We will not publish your
phone number unless you
request it. However, if your
question requires someone
to mail items to you, you
must include your address
or phone number for pub
lishing.
QUESTION - Dick Her
ring wants to know where
to find railroad ties.
QUESTION - Jennifer is
trying to locate an article
that she believes appeared
in one of our June issues
about a father and son
team from the Allentown/
Lehigh area who specialize
in painting old farmhouses.
Anyone know to whom she
is referring?
QUESTION - Diane
Gray, 70 Damascus Rd.,
Blandon, PA 19510, wants
information and bottles
from the former Lebanon or
Lebanon Valley Dairy.
QUESTION - W. Spence
Haines, Lansdale, has sev
eral push, old-style reel
mowers, which she heard
may have some value. She
asks how she can find out
the worth of the mowers.
QUESTION - Jean W.,
Newmanstown, wants to
buy the book, “It Happened
in the Hills of Kentucky,” by
John Vogel, copyrighted
1952. Call (717) 949-2846.
QUESTION - C. Faus,
Hegins, wants to know how
to store raw vegetables
such as carrots, squash,
kohlrabi, and more to store
for winter use.
QUESTION - Nicolette
Wagman, Seven Valleys, is
doing research for a book
about musical instruments
and makers in York County.
She wants information and
photographs of instruments
and their makers from any
era. Call her at (717)
428-1856.
QUESTION - A reader
wants to know what causes
swimmers in a farm pond
to become itchy the morn
ing after swimming in the
pond. It looks like mosquito
bites over their bodies and
they are very itchy. Can
something be done to the
pond to eliminate the prob
lem?
QUESTION - Shirley
Schwoerner, Wysox, writes
that some time ago she had
clipped an answer in this
column from Joyce Rau
benstine who told how to
make creams from aloe
vera. The instructions were
unclear, and she asks if
someone can tell her the
exact amount of aloe vera
to use. The directions she
has are as follows: To pre
pare a herb ointment or
salve, crush the leaves of
the aloe vera and mix with
four parts melted fat (lard
or shortening) and one part
dry white wine. Heat gently
for 20 minutes. Cool slight
ly and strain.
Shirley writes that her
husband’s chronic back
problem was aggravated
during haymaking. She
rubbed aloe vera leaves on
his back, and it helped in
stantly. He was amazed. It
was a sloppy procedure, so
they’d like to make the
salve if possible.
Shirley adds a bit of
humor by writing that she
can’t boil water without a
3x5 card, “so you can see
my problem with the aloe
vera (instructions).”
QUESTION - Kenneth
Wirtz, White Hall, Md., is
having trouble finding re
placement parts for his
electric three-point hitch
that is on a 10HP Sears
garden tractor purchased
in 1977. The parts are no
longer available through
Sears. The item is Model
number 917.253130
electric 3-point hitch. Wirtz
would appreciate hearing
from someone who no long
er uses the part. He doesn’t
need the complete hitch,
just the power assist lift.
He is willing to pay a fair
price for the item. Call him
at (410) 329-2175.
QUESTION - Sharon
Heller writes that they have
75 acres in Perry County.
About half of the acreage is
mowed by a neighbor who
sells the % ton mixed hay
rolls for his own profit. She
wants to know how to find
an average rental for the
acreage. What is the best
way to advertise the avail
able acreage?
QUESTION - A reader
wants to know of a person
interested in butchering
large amounts of ducks
weekly. Easy to learn how
to do it and good income
provided, reader promises.
Call (845) 658-3243.
QUESTION - Cindy Esh
leman, R. 3, Box 7957,
Jonestown, PA 17038,
wants to know what day of
the week the Selingsgrove
Horse Sale is conducted.
Also, she asks, if a sequel
was written to “Gone With
the Wind” and “Scarlett”? If
so, what is the title of the
book? Eshleman also wants
the May 2003 issue of
“Paper Horse.” She is will
ing to pay postage.
QUESTION - A. M.
Hurst, 135 Hurst Rd., Eph
rata, PA 17522, is search
ing for a Wenger Family
History book dated
1727-1959, and with a
black cover.
QUESTION - Sandra
Smith, Spring Mills, would
like a copy of instructions
for making a daisy afghan.
The pattern she had and
lost was at least 20 years
old. She needs to know
how to stitch the daises to
gether.
QUESTION - Mike
White, Bemville, writes that
the last few years, he has a
problem with black birds
(grackels) after he plants
field com. When the com
first comes up until it is
two to three weeks old, the
birds either pull out the
small plants or tear them
off. This year, he had to re
plant a three-acre field be
cause of the destruction
the birds caused. No one
else in the area seems to
have a problem, but White
has witnessed the birds
digging and pulling out the
corn. It seems the area is
hardest hit on the hilis
where the morning sun first
shines. He has tried scare
crows, which only works in
a 20-feet area around the
scarecrow. Any help or
suggestions will be appre
ciated.
QUESTION - The Seil
ers of 2290 Quarry Rd.,
Jersey Shore, PA 17740,
need to know where to find
a cover for a two-quart
stainless steel saucepan
made by Thermo-Sentinel.
The lid may be used. The
Seilers also need a cover
for a one quart 9-inch fry
pan made by Flavor Seal.
QUESTION - Harriet
Newlin, 1287 Ridge Rd.,
Grantville, PA 17028, wants
names and addresses of
Amish families who serve
meals in their homes.
QUESTION - Brendan
Barnes, Cochranville,
wants to buy used boxes to
pack peppers, tomatoes,
and com for auction. Call
him at (610) 593-6337.
QUESTION - Ed Owens
by, 17495 Meadow Drive,
Bridgeville, DE 19933,
wants to know where to
purchase a drive belt for a
Shopcraft/Tradesman
14-inch bandsaw, model
number T 7060, part num
ber BMTJL 14030. It is %
inch thick by BVz inches.
QUESTION - Donald
Casner, 155 Casner Lane,
Lewistown, PA 17044,
would like to know where
to find a a type of sweet
corn cutter that is turned
like a crank. He saw it pub
licized on R7D-TV.
QUESTION - Arlene De
imler is looking for small,
stuffed goats or a pattern
for making them. Write to
her at 29 Edison Rd., Palm
yra, PA 17078, or call (717)
838-9094.
QUESTION - A reader
with a growing family is in
terested in buying good,
used 2-quart Jars, regular
or widemouth. Please call
(717) 445-4149.
QUESTION - LaKee
Christman, Greencastle,
wants to know if there are
any places that buy and
slaughter tame rabbits in
the Franklin County area.
QUESTION - Marie Hix
son, Crystal Spring, wants
to know how to grow wild
rice. They live on a farm
with some wet areas that
she believes would be suit
able for growing rice. Any
one know where she can
find information?
QUESTION - Warren
Glidewell, Bloomsburg,
wants to know where to
find Flemish giant rabbits
in a fawn color.
QUESTION - To the
reader who wants to buy a
used, size 6 cast iron skil
let in good condition. You
must include an address or
phone number so the per
son who has it can contact
you.
QUESTION - Eugene
Maute, 327 Asbury Ave., El
kins Park, PA 19027 wants
to know who sells thick,
clear, flexible plastic sheet
ing like that used to make
seat covers. Maute wants
to buy several yards.
QUESTION - C. Gut
shall, Carlisle, is looking for
proper cleaning instruc
tions for printed cotton
seed sacks made in the
19405. She also would like
a Web site address that of
fers information on older
cotton and burlap feed
sacks.
ANSWER - A Waynesbo
ro reader writes that it
sounds like the problem
with the red beets that a
reader had written about
can be attributed to a leaf
miners, which make little
trails with worms. The
leaves turn brown and die.
The Waynesboro reader
writes that leaf miners are
especially bad this year.
Her garden book recom
mends spraying with Ortho
Malathion, which you can
purchase at garden cen
ters. It works lor her. She
had problems in previous
years, and has been spray
ing for it the past several
years. She doesn’t use a
sprayer, but mixes a gallon
of the mixture in a sprin
kling can and sprinkles it
over the row.
ANSWER - Marion Capp
wanted to know the name
and address of the artist
who paints scenery on the
sides of barns. One barn
painted by Wayne Fettro
had been featured in this
paper. Fettro’s address is
304V2 Jonlyn Dr., Eliza
bethtown. Phone (717)
361-8374.
ANSWER Lynn Rossi,
Lltitz Borough, has a young
groundhog living beneath a
large rock in her front yard
and wanted to know how to
get the groundhog to leave
her residential property?
Thanks to a reader who
called and said to drop
mothballs in the ground
hog’s hole. Another reader
recommends smoke bombs
in which the fuse is lit and
put into the hole where it
will give off a gas which
poisons animals. Ground
hogs generally have two
holes. One entrance must
be close. After placing a
smoke bomb in the hole, it
needs to be closed to keep
the gas from escaping. The
York Cojunty bflieves the
product must be legal since
it can be sold for that pur
pose, but he did not specify
where the smoke bombs
may be purchased.
ANSWER - Wayne Urf
fer, 254 W. Main St., Moo
restown, N.J. 08057, is in
terested in photos, stories,
manuals, and other inform
ation that show how to
convert tractors (homebuilt
from cars, trucks, or a
combination of various
parts and pieces. This
practice was common dur
ing the Great Depression,
because conversion trac
tors were often built out of
necessity by poor farmers
who couldn’t afford a com
mercial tractor. Urffer
writes that he is prepared
to pay a fair price for good,
original materials. Thanks
to Philip Smith, Womels
dorf, who writes that pho
tos and stories about
homebuilt tractors are fea
tured in the book “Iron
Will” and in “Farm & Ranch
Living” magazine published
by Reiman Publications.
Both sources are available
from Country Books, P.O.
Box 990, Greendale, Wl
52129. Phone (800)
558-1013.
Also a lot of tractors and
people will gather at the
55th Old Threshermen’s
Reunion, Kinzers, Aug.
13-16. Smith writes that
event is a good source of
information about home
built tractors.