Page 15

Test Plots On Gates Farm Help Prince Edward Farmers Fight Altai!.a \\ ee: il

^leptachlor Proves Best Insecticide

The alfalfa weevil is threatening Prince Edward county's number one hav cop "Even w‘h the insect damage and other threats to alfalfa. >t !s still pii>- best hay cop.” savs F F S*rin l;n. Prince Edward county agent Alfalfa is about a $150,000 crop in this county alone There are ap proximately 1.500 acres of alfalfa in the county. It yields a low average of two tens per acre and is worth $50 per ton. Striplin and the Virginia Agricul ture Experiment Station Personnel have just, completed a test growth rn Holly brook farm of John A * Gates, local dairyman. T he test shows without a doubt the value of treating against the weeivil and other insertions. Similar tests are being conducted m the state and the final results will be announcld later. Test plots were marked off in a field of alfaFa The 20 plots were approximately 30 feet square. The plots were treated with aldrin. Hep tachlor. and dieldrin respectively. Untreated plots were also included in the test. The differene in the treated plots and untreated plots was easily recognizable even to the untrained eye One of the important factors to come out of the test was to deter mine what chemicals were the most effective. > Striplin said that the heptachlor was the most effective. The chemi cals were put down on March 20 and the heptachlor was the only one that controlled the weevil satisfac torily. The heptachlor was spread dry at a rate of one and a quarter pounds per acre. All of the chemicals were put down in a dry granulated form by using a simple hand distributor. "Aldrin did a fair job.'' said Strip lin, as he picked up a handful of alfalfa and showed several of the green larvae, worm-like weevils. “The aldrin applied at one pound per acre didn't last long." Striplin continued, "but when applied tw^o pounds to the acre, it was pretty effective " Dieldrin was applied at n- pound per acre and was about the same as the aldrin at oiie pound per acre. The untreated plots were com pletely ruined and useless as far as hay is concerned These plots

INSECTICIDES MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Cha 'lie Gates, left, holds a full green growth of alfalfa from the field that he was cutting on the farm of John Gates Tuesday morning. This had been treated with insecticides, fc. I . Striplin. right, holds some weevil-eaten, useless alfalfa that was cut from the same field, hut not sprayed or treaeed with insecticides.

took a greyish-white appearance similar to severe frost. The alfalfa weevil has been known in Virginia since 19)2. It was first discovered in Utah in 1904. and stayed in the dry western states for almost 50 years. However the insect has n o w spread to 71 of the 98 counties in Virginia and i' not treated, it can completely destroy a stand of al falta. Once the weevils infest a field, they usually cause damage year after year. To continue growing al falfa in an infected field, it must be treated with insecticides. Striplin advised farmers that are troubled with the weevil to contact their local county agent for instruc tion and advice on combating tlie insects. The agents will have in structional pamphlets and up-to-date information on when and how to save the hay crops.

Farm Questions of the 51 eek

(I ditnr’s unto: Hero are the* flues- i tiers asked mast ircflueiilly by \i: l> uia farnin s during the past w eek, as reported by county agricultural agents. Stall members of the VI’l Old Belt May Change Opening Date This Year A resold;.on asking Hint the Vir ginia-North Carolina Old Belt open tobacco sales no later than one week after auctions start on the Middle Belt was adopted at Danville last week at the annual meeting of the Old Belt Warehousemen's Associa tion. The resolution will be placed be fore the Bright Belt sales committee at the time it meets to consider setting opening dates In recent years there has been discontent in the Old Brit with its opening usually being a couple of weeks behind the Middle Belt. In rounding out five years as president of the Old Belt Associa tion. George R Myers, of Danville, voiced a strong plea for a tobacco spacing program rather than the present acreage allocation or the proposed acreage poundage pro gram. Myers declared "Since the tri nd in the past few years has been to heavier tobacco. I think a spacing program is the only wav we can raise this type of tobacco ' lie urged members to work toward this end.

Buckingham Farmers Win Third Place 1 n Slate ( on test Buckingham Young Farmers land judging/"'!! am took third place m tin- State v wing Farmers land judging com. s: at Powhatan High School April ho Robert Maxcv Robert Seay and Maurice Manchester are members of the team with David Word alternate. Eleven teams from various sec tions of flic state competed in toe contest Climax Young Fanners (Pittsylvania County won first place and Will;.- Y*umg I ■ ■Floyd Count.'- won second pi ar Robe r Vaxcv > in !:• •(» 1 Si av v, on $ 1 ' ad. ; i - .. •' 11 v •.’■■■. ■'eighth and ninth place in the in dividual contests. Contestants were scored on their abilitv \q judge the produ - tivitv. permeability, slope, depth, classification and other charaett i isti's ol different types ot soil Of ficials of the’ Soil Conservation Service acted as technical ad visors The award money v(.i- c tributed by Smith-Dough;-- Ferti lizer Co of Norfolk H E Maxev was coach of the Buckingham team

Agricultural Extension Service and or Experiment Station supply tin* ansvv ers. Ouestions concerning the alfalfa weevil continue to lead the list, but have been dealt with at length in «ti•"lie** releases. Entomologists re port that spravtng is well underwas in most counties where the pest is Present. In these fields where the weevil is present and causing damage, spraying should be done immedia'ely. To wait any longer might mean the less of the first cutting.) Q What variety of corn should I plant'1

A Thee arc several good varie ties recommended for each area ill Virgiiva. County agents can furnish 1’sts of adapted va'ieties. and can also give information oil yields, standabilitv, insect and d'sease re sistance. as shown in tests through out Virginia Q Is it too late to see permanent pasture? A Yes. all pastures in Virgiiva should have been seeded by April 11. and earlier in eastern areas. To extend summer e-azing. seed Sudan grass and-or millet. Q What s the production outlook for the fruit crop this year? A A recent survey of the major frn’t grow ne counties in Virginia s' wed httle eomme'C’al kill, al though there was some damage to buds in low a-pas Generally pros pec's a-e b-iirht for a good Crop of b-th appi'-s and peaches O How can I reduce losses of hogs on flic way to market? A An-il. May and June a-e the ent'cal hot - weather hog - shipping months. Hog shippers can guard against losses by insisting on a well ventilated tH>ck with wet-sand bed ding -and a trucker with lots of "beg know-how Q -Should 1 topdress my alfalfa pew nr whait until after the first cutting? A Wait and topdress it immedi ate’’- after the first eutt'ng. If you do it now you run the risk of tramp ing r dpwn. i-r ••burning” the plants which are growing. Q Should I sell my heifers and buy steers, ot should 1 feed my heifers on!0 A Unless you can get steers for a very lew price which is unlikely go on and feed your heifers and sell as top good or choice. Q When should I spray to con trol the alfalfa weevil to get the ; best kill0 A In most areas of the state the ■ time has come to apply the hep lachlor spray A single properly tinted application should be enough to protect the first cutting of alfalfa Q — How can 1 tell if my elms have dutch elm disease0 Are they i likely in be affected this year? A A laboratory diagnosis must hr made to determine the presence if the disease Collect a sample of ftte or s;\ recently damaged twigs and ser-d to the Southeastern Forest t-x;-.r::..- Station. Federal Build

Herald Farm [Slews Strawberry Outlook Good Weather Conditions Ea\orah!e For Farm Work !?i Week Ending April 26

Planting of soring crops moved forward rapidly during the week end'mf April 26. Warm temperatures stimulated growth of vegetation but by the end of the week soils w> re becoming dry in many sections. Some land needs rain before it can be prepared for planting. Rainfall during the week was mostly in the form of thunder showers and varied widely between stations. Precipitation was light in eastern and central sections but mode”ately heavy at many south western stations. Temperatures i mum readings exceed’rig no degrees ir rhar y local age was approximately 13 degrees above normal. Clops Pastures have tirade lush growth in all parts of the State and are funrshing more than the usual amount of forage for tins dale Small grains have made fast growth and the yield outlook is promising

Hay crops have made h e a v y growth and early cuttings are ex pected to yield well w'th the ex ception of alfalfa. Alfalfa weevil in festation increased during the week hut had about reached the peak in most northern count es Nearly all grove's were spraying but there will b" some loss in yield on the first cutting. Warm weather hastened openuiu ' f apple buds and at ilie end of the week orchards in the northern Shen andoah Valley were in full bloom. Present P' ospec's a’ e tSr icht The main producing peach coun t es are expecting a heavy crop but some freeze d / iaee occurred to some cchards in the Roanoke sec tion Fruit prospects arc variable in southwestern counties whe"c there has been some freeze damage. Tobacco plant beds arc still slightly behind schedule but are catching up rapidly. Some blue mold has shown up but growers have kept this d'scasr under control. Early planted corn in eastern counties is coming up to good stands. Strawberries have responded to wa-nt weather and picking is ex pected to begin about May fi. Frost damage was less than earlier ex pected. Other vegetable crops are developing satisfactorily but most of thorn are behind their usual growth because of cool weather earlier in the season.

Farm Work Corn planting was activr in all parts of the State and by the end of the week approximately 20 per cent of the acreage had been put in. Tilts is si ghtly ahead of the prog ress made last year but is about normal for this date. Tobacc-o growers were busy get ting land ready for transplanting. In eastern and southeastern sec tions the first cutting of alfalfa was being made and sonic farmers in other sections were cutting early be. cause of severe weevil installation. Sheep shearing was getting under ing. Asheville. N. C The disease is increasing and yes-your trees may be affected at any time Q Will there be any profit in s v bean production this year, and when is the best planting date? A- Prices this year will likely be somewhat lower as a result of re cent bumper crops, but there should still be profit for the efficient pro ducer Plant between May 20 and June 15 in Virginia

way in many sections and orchard ists were busy with spraying opera tions.

Vance Favors Ahbi t Rill To Separate Type 21 ' Speaking in favor of the p-oposed legislation that would separate Type 2! davk-fired tobacco from othe' types J B, Vance, president of Virgli mers t n n Isa d Vir ■i pounds less of Type 21 tobacco than used last yea 1 He told the tobacco sub-committe" rf House Agricultural Committee that 12.7 million pounds of Type 21 do k-f red tobacco were sold, but lb" fannc s raised only in.7 million pounds. “In the face of this favorable Ttw!” and disappearance situation, the 1957 allotments for Type 21 weed reduced by ten per cent." Vance complained. "I would like to point out.' said Vance, “that m addition to the ap proximately 1,000 acres of Type 21 taken out of production by the man datory ten per cent cut. an addi tional 1.351 ecres or about 15 per cent of the total 1957 allotted acre age have been taken out of produc tion through the Soil Bank Acreage Reserve P"ogram. This means something like 23 per cent less pro duction of Type 21 In 1957 than in 1956.” He continued by saying. “Now that there is a need for more Type 2! dark-fired tobacco, we certainly are entitled to grow it: and I do not believe it is the intent of the law to deny any farmer any where the p ivilege of growing ever v pound of tobacco the market will absorb And, yet that is exactly . what is happening in the case of Type 21 as the matter now stands." Vance said that the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 that re quires Type 21 to be grouped with types 22 and 23 “is working an ex treme hardship on the dark fired tobacco farmers of my State and has and is creating a situation which, in my opinion, is completely foreign to the ini eat and purpose of the tobacco program.” Vance explained that his interpre tation of the tobacco marketing quota and price support program has a two fold purpose; “First it is cl> signed to assist the producer in maintaining a reasonable balance between supply and demand, thus preventing the accumulation of

Stem Nematode p]ae:;:es Lowers In Local Counties Alfalfa p-owp s in several Vir ginia counties now tr’.ve another worry. Plant patholorsts at VPt say the alfalfa stem nematod*' is present in at least s^x counties, and farmers t!r ouRtvmt the state .i ■ alerted to its possible so'Tad. The itemstede has bean udentlf e 1 in Pittsyl' anie. Halifax. Bedford, Pt ince Edwa-d. arid Arael'a coun ties. The pathologists say it is very miportant to avoid planting alfalfa in soil known to be infested with stem nematodes Such fields should be planted to a row crop, prefer ably corn, and kept cleanly culti vated for several years Other legumes should not be grown in the rotation, since n: uiv of them are also susceptible. The only legume that may bo safe to grow is soybeans in the row. There is also a possibility that small grams are susceptible to stem nem atodes. so small grain cover crop should not be planted on infested fields. S pee nematodes may be trans ported in drainage water, do not plant susceptible crops in a field that might receive drainage water from an infested area f?vp*>r!ni»nt Station workers are ♦’•vine to develop varieties resistant to the stem nematode, and have spvp'al promising strains However, thev a’e not yet available Chemi cal controls have not proved satis factory and are not recommended at the present time. a total of $1 .(>00.000.000 in Federal support went to R1 educational pro s'smr in the 1954-55 school year, afy : : to th. • Off,ei r,f Educa tion. This is less than half the amount spent in the 1948-49 school year, when education of veterans under the G I bill was at its peak. Ttu amount then was $3,500,817,000. of v.luch ?2.70(>. 184.090 went to col li"'*' education for veterans. price depressing surpluses: and sec ondly. it is designed to assure the consumers and the trade that there will be an adequate supply of to bacco to meet both domestic and export iemand."

I Weekly .... FARM PRICE OUTLOOK

This is the way p*-ovp?cts for Virginia farm prices looked to the Virginia Department ot Agriculture on Friday. The De partment offers it to .armers with the warning that no one can predict prices and he right all the time

I.hnibs A 'ruing Mr the May market and the sneeir.i salfls set for then looks like the wise course in selling your lambs. Price should gain ■ h . vt hie net < tases interest. The ea ly market is the most nmniis'ne. and :t is shaping up a little earlier than usual. The price always drops ofjf rapidly after the Mav peak. A few VirgTua lambs sold in the Piedmont area last week b'ought 50c to $1 more than last year, with prme iambs nearly $2f>; choice. $25-$2o. Chicago, while about S3 above last yrjar. is still running » V ■ ia nrii Lambs front Mississippi, are moving into the state. California :;p:-ip3 iambs a-a1 about six pe" cent fewer this year; Texas lambs about 1! per cent lead Virginia’s special state graded sales w 1! include one in Richmond I [aj 9 Pre-cons i nent is not 5 incentiv e. Wool WU’ plenty ofj wool in prospect, the sooner you ■■ ell yours the better off you'll probably be Eggs Keg pi ie s, hitting a seven-year low have dropped about as far as we think they will. M st markets dropped a cent or two last week, mostly in white > y s. simply ah adjustment from the Easter demand for that kind. Richmond was .'54 cents for Grade A Large. Roanoke■ and Harrison burg. 39-32 cent In the longer U. S outlook, the pgg-type Chick hatch gives some en e iragement with 25 per cent few.

c' ‘cks than last year this time. Vir giiva dropped It per cent It’s not too late to consider putting in layers for fall production. With hot weather coming on. re member that quality is a big price factor in eggs and summer calls for extra spec’al care. Turkeys Turkey producers have made a move that may head off disaster prices next fall and winter. January. wh‘le it's a light egg-set • month, showed a 43 per cent in c-ense we ■ last January But by April-always the pe -k month ‘n egg-sets—producers had shaved the margin over last year to three per cent. Some eggs were even going to b'onkers ft a b‘e less. We’re st‘11 well above a year ago— the accumulated total of January th-ne-h VTareh shows about 12 per cent more turkeys, but April figures will t'im that a little. June is the last big month in hatch. Next item to watch is whether or not breeder hens are moved to mar . ket That’ll be the key to the holiday market outlook next fall and winter. A quotation on one lot of small fryc s last week was 2.4 cents a pound. Broilers We're probably turning bottom now m broiler prices, and for a few weeks at least there should be a gradual pick-up. maybe as much as two to three cents from now into June. The placement line is narrowing the margin over last year, and by June will bo even with last year, then dip below for a little. At the same time, consumption will be well into the summer strength.

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