Susquehanna times & the Mount Joy bulletin. (Marietta, Pa.) 1975-1975, April 16, 1975, Image 2
Page 2 — SUSQUEHANNA BULLETIN MAXICROP can be of benefit to almost every growing plant at every stage of development. It increases resistance to in- sects, disease, frost. Use MAXICROP when you plant your seeds, use it on growing plants. Use it on house plants, lawns, fruit farm crops. Crop yields are increased greatly - The results are amazing! to farmers. HAVE YOU NOTICED THIS IS THE LAST MONTH #1 STATE INSPECTIONS? MILLER’S Mobil’ SERVICE 271 WEST MARKET STREET, MARIETTA 426-3430 MAXICROP and shade trees, gardens,- MAXICROP is entirely organic and non-polluting. A marvelous aid to all gardeners - from housewives See WEAVER'S for seeds, Maxicrop and Erth-Rite. WEAVER'S Natural Foods, Inc. 37 Market Square, Manheim, Pa. 17545 ——" PHONE 665-6871 ij A EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS SATURDAY AFTERNOON and SUNDAY Dr. Newton Kendig (Mount Joy Area Only) Susquehanna Times Advertising Mgr. News Editor Circulation Mgr. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES Available Day & Night COLUMBIA HOSPITAL" 7th & Poplar (Emergency Entrance) "Helper Mrs. Norman H. Sprecher of 120 Columbia Avenue, Mount Joy, is an “organic gardener. This means that she uses only natural ferti- lizers like manure and de- composed leaves and grass to make her garden grow. Asked how long she had been an organic gardener, (Continued from page 1) gress” each year, so to speak? Usually, this pro- blem can be traced to poor soil maintenance. If a bed is properly prepared at planting time with correct amounts of humus, man- ures, fertilizers, and if addi- tional soil nutrients are add- ed at frequent intervals, your roses will bloom pro- fusely. I am looking for- ward to this year’s results in my own garden; because, SUSQUEHANNA BULLETIN & The Mount Joy Bulletin Box 75A, R. D. 1, Marietta, Pa. 17547 Published weekly on Wednesday except 4th of July and Christmas week (50 issues per year) Publisher - Nancy H. Bromer, 426-2212 or 426-1707 Nancy Bromer, 426-2212 Hazel Baker, 426-3643 Judy Swab, 426-3159 Advertising Rates Upon Request Entered at the post office in Marietta, Pa., as second class mail under the Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription Rate: $4 per year April 16, 1975 - Vol. 75 No. 15 to my knowledge, elephant manure has never been add- ed to the soil. After the | circus vacated the Borough Park last fall, I transported the feces to my compost pile. After thoroughly de- ' composing, the mulch was applied to the bed. If there is any size correlation here, I look forward to some : mammoth blooms! Keep in mind that roses »also need weekly spraying , from the time the leaves form, until the plants are dormant in the fall. Roses are basically thirsty, so do not overlook them with ex- , tra water in periods of dry | weather. and Mrs. Norman H. Sprecher (Studying "Organic Gardening") she replied, “Always.” Mrs. Sprecher, whose maiden name was Landis, grew up on a farm east of Lancaster and said she learned organic farming from her father. Every farmer used to be “organic.” In growing her splendid vegetables, Mrs. Sprecher Lastly, I would be happy to share all information with anyone interested in pursu- ing this rewarding hobby. Feel free to stop by any- has a “helper” as he calls himself, her husband, Nor- man H. Sprecher. Mr. Sprecher emphasizes that it is Mrs. Sprecher “who has the green thumb,” and that all he does is ‘“‘assist’’ her. It is a fact, however, that Mr. Sprecher does have his own private patch of red raspberries. Last week he “assisted” her by putting up a mesh wire fence around their gar- den to keep the rabbits out. The fence is buried in the ground this year, because last year the rabbits burrow- ed under the fence and had a feast. The fence will also provide support for sugar peas the Sprechers planted, and the posts for the fence will support tomato plants. Mrs. Sprecher raises a lot of her own seed. Seeds for . beets this year were grown from a beet she raised in the summer of 1973, saved over the winter of 1973-74, and planted and let go to seed last summer. She doesn’t have to do any hoeing or weeding. In- stead, she spreads rich mulch from her compost heap a- cross her garden. It keeps the weeds from growing and also provides nutrients for her vegetables. Mrs. Sprecher has an as- paragus bed that is 18 years old. Each year it produces a bumper crop. The only care it requires is cutting the delicious stalks and cov- ering them with her organic mulch. She preserves the produce of her garden by almost every method: canning, freezing, and drying. Some How to grow roses time and enjoy the garden at your leisure. Hopefully, my enthusiasm for this pas- time will be very contagious! April 16, 1975 ‘Mrs. Sprecher, organic gardener, has helper vegetables taste better pre- served one way, some an- other way. All winter long the Spre- chers continue to enjoy the produce of their garden at their table. They have so many good things to eat, they invited all their nieces and nephews in for a grand “organic” banquet last win- ter. - Neighbors and friends contribute to Mrs. Sprech- er’s compost heap by donat- ing their leaves and grass clippings. Cindy Waltz, who had a pony and a horse gave them manure, but now Cindy has sold her animals. Dr. J. R. Kensel lets them use some of his land. Mrs. Sprecher is a deep student of the Bible and teaches a Bible Class at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Mount Joy. She finds organic gardening pro- vides the perfect relaxation from her studies. Zerph ey’s paradise (Continued from page 16) how many years ago.” Mr. Zerphey tends his one-acre garden with the help of a roto-tiller. He has just traded in his old tiller that used to ‘shake his liver,” for a new one. He grows every conceiv- able vegetable in his garden and maintains beds of straw- berries and asparagus beside the garden. He can’t remem: ber exactly when he started the asparagus bed, but he does remember exactly how he started it, using the same method he had been taught by his grandfather. He dug a ditch 20 inches deep, lined the bottom of it with horse manure and a little straw, placed the asparagus roots on top of the manure and straw, and covered them with a couple inches of soil. Then he added more soil as the asparagus grew, until the ditch was filled. Also next to his garden, Mr. Zerphey has a small vineyard and an orchard of different varieties of peach- es, pears, apples, and even nectarines. Raspberries grow at the corners of his garden. Obviously, Arthur G. Zerphey likes to see things grow. He also like to hear them grow. His tiny grove of bamboo trees is right beside the paved alley between Bar- bara and High Streets. Those bamboo trees are so hardy they even come up through the asphalt. On a hot summer night with his window wide open, Mr. Zer- phey can lie in bed and hear an indescribably snapping sound made by those bam- boo trees, the sound of their growing in the night. a aa TE ERE TTT gia B A Pet od QL =e bt dh Ne py