The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-08-03
Pasture irrigation
To Be Demonstrated
VIII Be One Of Many Demon
STATIONS At Four-State Farm
Tour To Be Held August 10.

Because of widespread farmer in
terest, one of the outstanding fea-
lures of the fifth annual Four-state
Farm Tour to be held August Is in
nearby West Virginia, will be the
demonstration of a pasture irriga-
ton system, it was announced this
week by Berkeley County Agent
w. N. McClung.
McClung, who is chairman of the
Executive Committee for the Farm
Tour, stated that an irrigation sys-
tenn has been installed on the farm
of Dan Folk, four miles east of Mar
tinsburg, West Virginia--one of the
adjoining farms on which the tour
will be held. The irrigation install
lation will have been in operation
for two months at the time of the
Tour.
Here farmer will be able to
judge for himself if irrigation is an
economical means of producing pas
ture," McClung said.
Farm owner Dan Folk, Winchester
County Agent Fred Slime, DR.. Yer
non Fisher, head of the Agriculture
Department of Shepherd College,
and Gene Hammer of the Soil Con-
servation Commission will be at the
demonstration throughout the day.
They will answer questions concern
ing the amount of water needed;
the cost of operation; and the results
of operation in respect to amount
of pasture produced. McClung an
nounced that the irrigation system
will be in operation periodically,
and then shut off, dismounted and
remounted to show the procedure
used. Water for the. irrigation is
pumped from a farm pond.
A portion of the irrigated land
has been fertilized, so that farmers
may see the effects of fertilizer in
this type of land treatment.
Another feature of the Tour that
is expected to be of great interest
to farmers of this area is the dem
onstration of field harvesters for
busting to control japanese beetles
and corn borers.
|
This type of insect control is a
major problem to farmers of this
area" McClung said, ''for few have
proper busting and spraying equip
ment and must either buy or rent
machinery to get the job done.
Farmer ingenuity has shown two
ways busting can be done with ma
chimes already owned by farmers
One is the use of field harvesters
the other is by means of a small
hammer mill. Both of these ways
will be demonstrated on the Tour
| Corn on the John Welsh farm
another center for the Tour-has
been protected this year by busting
with the field harvester. Farmers
can thus determine the results OF
this method.
! Also on the schedule is a demon.
stration of new machine, the roto-
beaten, which makes a mulch Of
plant materials such as corn stalks
and cover crop growth in orchards
and weeds in fields. This piece Of
equipment has never before beer
shown in this section, and is being
brought from Michigan for the Tour
A great help in the controlling Of
of the corn borer, the roto-beatel
mulches the stalks after the corr
picker has finished. It then leave;
the mulch on the ground
The preparation of stubble fielc
for seed will be demonstrated, with
the newest of tillers being shown il
operation, and Forestry Service
and Soil Conservation experts will
demonstrate how to determine trees
in a woodlot that are producing
board feet most profitably. Wood
lot care will also be discussed ane
trees will be marked showing those
growing proftably and those tina
should be removed.
Because of the record turnout a
the 1949 Tour, this years demon
strations will be held on three adj
joining farms-those of Marion
Welsh, John Welsh and Dan Folk
all within easy walking distance O.
the parking field
As usual, the Farm Tour has beer
planned by committee composed
of the farmers, who represent l!
countries in the states of Maryland
Virginia, Pennsylvania and Yves
Virginia.
/ Baltimore's industrial firms ar,