Page 8 — SUSQUEHANNA TIMES and FY “Pothole Palace” No Problem For Parke The back roads of Lancaster County, affectionately known as the "Pothole Palace of Pennsylvania” positively pose no pertinent problems to the permanent position of Parke Good, Plain and Fancy farm pick-up person and Employee of the Month for May 1978. Parke, who lives at R.D. 5, Manheim, Pa, prides himself in his ability to pick up his eggs and deliver them for processing with- out plastering the inside walls of his truck with egg yolks. Parke's pleasant personality has appar- ently made a penetrating impression on those he works with, for whenever he partakes in a day off, people pop the question, "Where's Parke, is he ill?” Plain and Fancy Egg Ranch will proudly present a $25 savings bond to Parke Good for, among other reasons, pothole per- serverence. The Purple Martin—part 11 by ‘Mr. Martin”’ The annual arrival and departure of the purple martin highlights each year for the martin enthusiast. The birds’ particular time- table still is a question that fascinates ornithologists and naturalists. Bird enthusiasts who host martins wait anxiously for their birds to arrive in the spring. The first scout is a moment of excitement, and the first arrivals of the main flock are cause for elation. The appearance of the martin scouts begins in late January in Florida and ex- tends through April as the birds wing their way into the northernmost states and Canada. The scouts are older males and are con- sidered to be leaders who arrive early, investigate available food and housing conditions, and return to bring in other members of the flock when conditions are right. Martin scouts usually are correct in their assesments of the available food supply. Sometimes they are not, and they are forced to either retreat southward or rapidly starve to death. After the scouts dome the flocks of more mature birds with the younger birds following later. Some- times the females lag behind by as much as two weeks. Young birds will arrive in the North as late as June. The birds do not nest immediately and seem to enjoy the spring weather flying about and gossiping. Nesting can begin as late as June, but usually takes place in late March and early April for Pennsyl- vania. Summer’s end brings a sad moment to martin hosts. Suddenly the air is no longer filled with their friendly chatter, and de- spite the presence of other song birds, the atmosphere seems empty and quiet for Ti fi IRF RI a : - = LIN Ce ww, [IT]! UHI] AEN MOWER CLINIC Friday 6 to 8 Saturday 9 to 2 THE LAWN BOY Representative will be here to answer your — Y FIXIT UP... : 8 DOLL IT UP START AT \_ THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY ———— = LAWN & GAREN CLINK Saturday 9 to 2 Have a problem with your lawn or garden? LET US HELP YOU! The lawn and garden doctors will be here to answer your questions. SALE! questions FEED & WEED SM $8.95 10M $16.95 TRADE-IN 25 for any mower that runs. Offer not good on promotional models. GREEN GOLD $5.95 LAWN FOOD 10M $10.95 Soe the Demonsirations On hand this week-end...factory Vis y_ demonstrators to show you how to do-it-yourself professionally. Stop in. Ask questions. Learn from the pro’s. 7h Have a lock problem or a security problem? Talk to the experts! Learn How ti Secure Your Home or Business Dick Bowers, Certified- Bonded Locksmith will answer you questions. Thursday 1-4, 5-8 Friday 1-4, 5-8 Saturday 8-11 with one cut at regular price. several weeks after the martins leave. The eastern kingbird or bee martin are sometimes confused with the purple martin. They are similar in appearance and their prin- cipal food is honeybees. the martins do not destroy honeybees. Large dragon- flies will eat and destroy honeybees. Besides mosquitoes, an- other favorite food of the purple martin is these larger dragonflies. Thus, they are actually saving the lives of the honeybees, which would, otherwise, be prey to the dragonflies. The following are also part of the martin’s diet: flies, stink bugs, tree hoppers, negro bugs, may, ground, dung, cotton boll and clover weevil beetles, moths, dragon flies and other bugs. The martin’s enemies are pesticides, sparrows and starlings that usurp its nesting sites, inclement weather, and a variety of predators—cats, snakes, raccoons, and even an occasional owl. Although martins can, like most birds, stand considerable. cold, they cannot exist long without food. Flying insects are vir- tually non-existent during cold weather. Consequent- ly, sudden cold snaps can cause the starvation of thousands of birds in a single area. Because of the martins’ high metabolic rate, they require large amounts of food daily; two to three: days without food can kill a martin. Discouraging sparrows and starlings has been undertaken with varying degrees of success. A man from Danville, IIl., used a transistor radio to rid his martin house of sparrows. The tiny, one-battery radio was left tuned to a music station for two days (no nights). The martins appar- ently liked the music, for they stayed; the sparrows May 3, 1978 . left. As a last note on the purple martin, the follow- ing may help those who would like to have a martin colony: A prospective martin host should analyse every aspect of the location of his house. A very simple factor may be preventing him from enjoying the birds. Here are a few tips from Mr. Martin: 1. Erect the martin house in an open space, 1S to 20 feet high. 2. A box with 24 com- partments or more is best suited. 3. Proper ventilation and drainage. 4. Once you attract a colony, don’t disturb them. S. Good Luck! One additional thought that may increase your success: if your house seems to be in a proper location, but still remains unoccupied after three or four seasons, then try changing the location of it somewhat. Sometimes a house moved as little as 15 feet has immediately been successful. Weather and other fac- tors being normal, chances of getting martins the first season after erecting a house are good. Often two or three years are required, before the martins decide on a house. Once a house has attract- ed martins, they will return to it year after year. The homing instinct in the martin is strong. There was a colony of martins in Marietta at one time. When they left for the South in late August the house was destroyed. Sure enough when the birds returned in April of the following year only the pole was there, but they came back for two years looking for their home that wasnt there anymore. After two years of re- turning to a spot with no house, they looked else- where for a nesting site. —the End— PSZCREINER 3 ky Sn PR PEF Pom, oF LAWN-BOY 0% ofr OIL WN BOY fea 1 4 pak > OPEN TIL 8 EVERY WEEKDAY NITE ’ HAVE A PATIO CLINIC Jor Sir to CRANE SERVICE & PEPSI <Q :: . % on us for Our 15 ton hydraulic truck crane is How to Build AP ° 3 Be now available to you. The Filon Representative bh t Remember this number - 367-451 3 will answer your questions : Friday 4 to 8 om Cen er Thurs. Sat. 1G Sern 9 . 12 € 3to8 9 to 4 fot REINER Flos Con) R0 400 W. Bainbridge St., Elizabethtown % . Welding & Fabricating ry . ave a ye 2 SRD a 367-1128" ee 12to 8 nice day ASME Certified, - Steel - Aluminum - Stainless Rt. 230 E. of Elizabethtown
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers