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Town-Country Tips by Oovid Plocher. 338-3737 Central Illinois Corn Already Affected By Mild Drought- Concerned about our recent dry weather (maybe current dry weather if rain did not come after I wrote this) I contacted Richard R. Johnson, a University of Illinois research agronomist to find out the real problem our crops face. The lack of moisture already > has reduced the size of the 'factory' needed to produce grain and form ears, Johnson told me. He explained that weather stresses in corn cause the greatest yield reduction when they occur during the two-week periods before and after pqllination. The most critical tithe, however, is a few days before tasseling through a few days after pollination. It is during this stage of develop­ ment that plants have the greatest need for moisture and nutrients because they are finishing their very rapid growth stage, exposing tassels, shedding pollen and becoming fertilized. M|bt corn belt hybrids shed * pollen for only five to eight days. For kernels to be suc­ cessfully "set", or pollinated, the silk tissues along which the pollen travels to the kernels must emerge from the husks before the tassel has finished shedding pollen. Even with adequate watering, silks often emerge one to three days after pollen shed has begun. But drought stress can cause even further delay of silk emergence and make synchronization of pollen shed and silking a major limitation of yield. As a result, continued below- normal soil moisture levels and near-drought conditions could slash corn yields by 20 to 50 percent, Johnson said. The higher figure is possible if four days of visible wilting coincide with pollination and silking. Although, if subsoil moisture is adequate that can carry us through. Temperature is also very important because University of Illinois studies have shown that each 5 degrees Fahrenheit above normal during tasseling, which precedes pollination by ^ about a week, reduces corn yields by four bushels per acre. Each inch of rainfall above normal means an additional four bushels per acre during the same period. Swine Carcass Winners--Chris and Chuck McKee, Marengo, (cousins not brothers) and Karen, Debbie and Ray Kuhlman (father and daughters), Hebron, took top placings in last week's swine carcass show. Chris McKee tied with his cousin Chuck for first place gilt with 83 points. Debbie Kuhlman came in second place with 82 points. In the barrow division, KdVen Kuhlman took first having 73 points while Ray, placed second with 60 points. Unlike live animal exhibits, the carcass show takes into account loin eye size and quality, backfat thickness and the amount of muscle in the 4 lean cuts of the swine carcass. These are judging factors Extension Service --- 338-4747 which are graded and measured at the packing plant and are not subjective as in live judging. The carcass show hogs were of a higher quality than in past years, showing producers are doing a very good job of producing a quality pork ' product for the consumer's dinner plate. Producers must also be ef­ ficient, especially now when prices paid for the hogs at market are going down and feed costs are going up. If you are interested in the results of this event sponsored by the McHenry-Lake Pork producers and(the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension service. Apple Maggots--Apple maggots have been a serious pest here in Northern Illinois, especially on red varieties. The maggot tunnels about through the fruit, leaving brown trails. Early to mid August is the peak egg laying season for the Apple maggot adult - a slow- moving black and white fly. The spot on the fruit where the egg is laid ceases to grow after being punctured by the adult. The result is a lumpy or uneven look to the fruit. While not all of the eggs hatch, those that do ; become the tunnelling larvae. Many infested apples drop. Control practices include picking up dropped/ infested fruit and using a recommended insecticide at 10 to 14 day in­ tervals. Organic gardeners and especially my friend Diana Larson of Harvard feel the maggot can be cut out with little loss. The choice is up to you-the grower and consumer. Summer Pruning--After Aug. 1, fruit trees can be summer pruned. Summer pruning will allow more sunlight to reach interior fruit resulting in better 'fruit color. Pruning can also strengthen the interior fruit buds that will produce the following year's crop. Pruning should be limited to • the terminals of all main scaffold branches and major laterals. The cut can be made at the base of the current. season's growth. Make the cut to remove all of the current season's growth plus up to half of the previous season's growth. The cut may also be made just beyond the apple farthest from the trunk. Christmas Tree Directory-- Coats, mittens, hats and boots, saw and string are out. The family bundles up warm on a clear sunny day - its 10 degrees (F) outside. Many families enjoy cutting their own tree and small land owners are finding that growing Christmas trees can be a profitable agriculture ven­ ture. But the two groups must meet. We are working with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to prepare a list of tree growers. If you are a grower or know one, we would like to include you. Drop me a' line or give a call. Remember, we are at P.O. Box 431, Woodstock, 111., 60098, phones - 815-338-3737 or 4747. Sod WdMvorms Active In Lawns Again--Like most homeowners, sod webworms prefer green, healthy lawns. But, left uncontrolled, web­ worms can undo your hard work and turn the green to brown. You can suspect a possible webworm problem if you see large numbers of buff-colored moths flying just above the grass on your lawn at night and collecting on windows and doors and around outside lights now. Other means of detection are large numbers of black­ birds and starlings feeding in the lawn area, and the presence in the grass of gray larvae with dark heads - the webworms. Gose inspection is required to find the larvae. But it's the only positive means of detec­ ting infestation early. A healthy, vigorously growing lawn is probably your best defense against webworm attack. Keeping your lawn mowed will make it less at­ tractive for egg laying. Preventing thatch from becoming thick and providing an ideal place for larvae to hide will reduce populations. To catch webworms early, inspect your lawn frequently during late July and August. If you find two or more larvae per square foot, begin treatment necessary for control. Rootworm Beetle Control- Adult corn rootworm control is being discussed more and more these days. But we still suggest using .-applications of in­ secticides only where pollination damage may occur due to-silk clipping. Controlling the adults in July and August have produced only variable results, therefore, at present we are not recommending it. Remember, though, that if there are 5 or more beetles per plant before 75 percent of the plants have silked, damage can result from silkclipping. After the corn has pollinated, root- worm beetles will not harm the corn. Rootworms and Bees--If you have to spray for rootworms or other insects remember that aerial insecticides applications can be harmful to bees close by. Bees are very important to agriculture crop pollination. I have a list of beekeepers. Give us a call. They should be notified 48 hours before spraying. Protect Your Head--The hard hat is not a twentieth century safety innovation. Knights wore armored heiad protection and builders of classic cathedrals wore safety helmets made of thick layers of feather, but using safety hats during farm operations may be something new to many far­ mers. I recommend that you wear safety hats for several jobs on the farm; repairing machinery, constructing or demolishing buildings, blasting, trimming trees or operating machinery in or­ chards or buildings with low doors. The best defense is a safety cap consisting of an outer shell with an inner suspension to reduce impact. These hats .protect against more serious bumps while bump caps, which don't have an inner suspension, protect against minor impact. > To maintain your safety hat, keep it clean and check it Fast Foto DRIVE-IN FILM & PROCESSING $349 Us* OurMONE YS^VINGCoupans KODACOLOR OR COMPATIBLE FILM DEVELOPING and COLOR PRINTS 12 EXP. 20 EXP. 24 EXP. $ 199 * $299 COUPON MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER LIMIT ONE ROLL WITH COUPON EXCLUDING PORTFOLIO 35 ________ _VALID THRUSEPT.^JW ^ j" I mm or SUPER • -20 EXP. i MOVIES OR SLIDES DEVELOPED LIMIT 1 ROLL Coupon must accompany order. Valid thru Sept. 8,1979 JOIN OWt FILM CUM AND YOWt Mi ROLL IS PROCESS!*' FrEe HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Every time you bring in a roll of film to be processed, we validate your Film Club Membership Card. After you have seven (7) validations your card is good for the 8th roll processed FREE! Notice: all 8 rolls must be the same type and size. If you have two different size cameras be sure to get a card for each. Ufo FAST FOTO. Savo Tim#, Monoy & Oaf. Mchenry 4400 W. Rte. 120, In The Market Place ROUND LRKE |.ii 655 Railroad Avenue ^|(| Kodak K P5 regularly for cracks, holes or other excessive wear. I would suggest checking the cap suspension .monthly for frayed straps, cuts or dirt. The suspension should be replaced if you discover excessive wear. When you buy a safety hat, make sure it complies with American National Standard Institute standards. Illinois Crop Production--Corn production in Illinois is forecast at 3 percent below 1978. Acreage is down 2 percent while production is estimated to be 110 bushels per acre vs. the 111 of last year. Soybean acreage is forecast at 6 percent above last year. While very little wheat is grown here in McHenry county, wheat acreage in Illinois in 1978 rose 30 percent. Production rose 47 percent. Know the Symptoms, Treat­ ment for Heat Illnesses--There is an island in the north central Pacific Ocean known as Majuro atoll. Its average temperature year-round is 80.9 degrees and it never falls below 70 degrees or rises higher than 89. Tem­ perature-wise, it's paradise. Unfortunately, most of us will never get within a thousand miles of Majuro atoll, let alone live there. So we must learn to cope with the heat and the cold. Heat can be particularly annoying to farmers, ranchers and others who work under the sun. It also can be dangerous. Larry O'Reilly, University of Illinois Extension health specialist, says there are three major heat-related ailments- heat cramps, heat exhaustion and the sometimes fatal heat stroke. Heat cramps, which result from an excessive salt loss, tare muscular pains and spasms. Leg and abdominal muscles are usually affected first, O'tteilly said. TO treat heat cramps, massage the cramps gently and sip salt water. O'Reilly suggests adding a teaspoon of salt to a quart of water. Then drink half a glass every 15 minutes for an hour. Heat exhaustion occurs when your water intake does not' make up for the fluid loss from sweating. Its symptoms are a pale face, moist and cool skin, excessive sweating, weak and rapid pulse, nausea, headache and weakness. Usually the body temperature doesn't rise. O'Reilly says you should give a conscious heat exhaustion victim the same dose of salt _ water as a person with h£at cramps. Also, have the victim lie down with his head level or slightly lower than the rest of the body. Move the victim to a ~ cool location, protect him from chilling, and call a physician. Heat stroke, commonly referred to as sunstroke, is the most dangerous in this trio of heat ailments. When helping a victim of heat stroke, your first goal is to secure medical at­ tention. Heat stroke is characterized by extremely high body tem­ peratures, sometimes up to 106 degrees. The skin is usually hot, red, and dry and the pulse is rapid and strong. Dry skin results because the sweating mechanism is blocked during a SECTION 2 - PAGE 7 - PLAINDEALER - heat stroke. The victim is usually unconscious. O'Reilly says that if the victim's body temperature is very high, the first step is to cool the body. Apply cold packs or place the victim in a tub of cold water. When you get the victim's body temperature down, dry him; but be careful that you don't cause overchilling. Also, keep watch because his tem­ perature may rise again. If it does, repeat the procedure. If the -victim is fully con­ scious, you may give him sips of salt water (one teaspoon of salt in a quart of water). But don't give the victim alcohol or stimulants, O'Reilly adds. One hundred and seventy- five Americans die from„ summer heat in an average year. But then there are those not-so-ayerage years such as .1896 when 3,000 New Yorkers died in a 10-day heat-wave. - You may never experience such a heat wave; and even if you do, science and technology have provided better ways to "beat the heat" than there were in 1896. "But even technology will not help if you don't use common sense," O'Reilly says. "Don't overexert on extremely hot days." Milk Fat Varies In Summer- Milk fat test variation con­ tinues to plague dairy cows, especially during the summer. Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) records and plant-test results confirm the problem. According to Mike Hutjens,. University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist, these "sum­ mer" causes contribute to milk fat variation: --Effect of temperature and humidity. Temperatures over 80 degree f. cause heat stress and lower production. Hutjens said fat test, milk production or both can vary or drop. --Reduced dry matter intake. If cows eat less, milk production drops. Hutjens notes that a cow needs 1 pound of ration dry matter containing 71 percent total digestible nutrients (.73 mega calories of net energy) to produce 2.3 pounds of milk that contains 3.5 percent butterfat. --Variation 1n forage quality. The nutrient content of pasture and green feeding forage systems can vary tremen­ dously through the season, Hutjens said: Low-quality forage lowers feed and nutrient intake and reduces digestibility. -Feed selectively. Cows may consume only feed they find palatable. Ration imbalances can occur from high grain intake, limited forage con­ sumption and reduced fiber levels. As a result, Hutjens said, fat tests can quickly drop below 2 percent. Hutjens offers these management tips to help ease summer's effect on cows and their production: -Reduce heat stress. Provide shade, increase air movement, limit cows' time in tight con­ fined areas-the milking parlor holding area, for example-or spray a fine mist over the cows or on metal roofs. -Provide top-quality feeds to stimulate cows' appetites and WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 8,1878 intake. Avoid feed build-up that can get hot, spoil and mold in bunks. -Consider blending ration components to keep cows from eating selectively. -Manage green chop and pasture systems carefully or rely more on stored feeds. -Make sure the cows always have plenty of clean water. -Control insects. Finally, recognize that high- producing cows may have lower fat tests. However, Hutjens said that if several cows-Holsteins, for example- drop. below 2.5 percent but­ terfat, you may have to take some management action. He suggests you consider adding rumen buffers to the cows' ration if a fat test problem persists. Nuclear Safety Governor James R. Thomp­ son said recently he has received a report from the ad hoc investigating committee of the Illinois Commission on Atomic Energy. Thompson appointed the committee after the accident at Three Mile Island, Pa. The report con­ cludes there is no safety need to close nuclear power plants in Illinois, but made 49 recom­ mendations directed at the state, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the utility companies. The com­ mittee's conclusion was based in part on the substantial operating differences between the Three Mile Island plant and Illinois plants. DAILY 9 te 9 SUNDAY 10 te 6 We reserve the right to limit quantities. Prices effective while quantities ja$t. 4400 W. Rte. 120 - McHenry Sis, 47 £ Country Club Rd. Woodstock NEW LOW PRICES V.' True! We've lowered our already low prices even lower. Why pay more than the Hornsby Price. -- -- NEW LOW PRICES TOP 20 Sunny ounds! KENNY ROGERS The Gambler Iiu IimHiil; 11k ( iiiiiiliU r Shi- llclicvcs In Mc'li niUAM'i I lull It* Ilit' I I<hh1«h)1u" ()l MKs 1 itniiit' 1 VI >t" rr\ KENNY ROGERS & norm WEST Classics In, IH.IIII,'. \LL I I V. I \| , II >..«! Wi \,V,|, I Ml • Mi. I' II III I IM I I n - l I I I . \ \ n V m \ n a* - •** " UNITED ARTISTS \i)i:i.iii:ki.\ic(:i.isro\ Ml p UNITED ARTISTS III THE KNACK Get The Knack • *. N |rww i KEEPER 0/ 7///:/ /. /.!//: CAPRICORN CAPITOL STEREO LPS SERIES 798 4.97 WINGS BACK TO TH£ £Q6 including Qonmg Closer* Spin it OnfRocktttra Them* •*by % A*qw«»l'Arrow Through M* \m_t mm COLUMBIA STEREO LPS SERIES 898 5.47 No. Name L.P. Price Tape Price 1 At Budakan "Cheap Trick" 5.97 6.47 2 The Gambler "Kenny Rogers" 4.97 5.17 3 Breakfast in America "Supertramp" 5.97 6.47 4 Get the Knack "The Knack" 4.97 5.17 5 Sooner or Later "Rex Smith" 5.27 5.17 6 Bad Girl 1 A IT "Donna Summer" • m_m 10.67 7 Desolation Angels "Bad Company" 5.27 5.17 8 We Are Family "Sister Sledge" 5.27 5.17 Voolex-Vous "ABBA" 5.97 6.47 10 11 "Van Helen" 5.97 6.47 11 Discovery "Electric Light Orchestra" 5.97 6.47 12 Cars•- --- "Cars" 5.27 5.17 13 Dynasty "Kiss" 5.97 6.47 14 Monolith "Kansas" 5.97 6.47 15 Back To The Egg "Wings" 5.47 6.47 16 Reality, What a Concept "Robin Williams" 5.97 6.47 17 First Under the Wire "Little River Band" 5.97 6.47 18 More American Graffiti "Sound Track" 9.57 9.67 19 Ricky Lee Jones "Ricky Lee Jones" 5.27 5.17 20 Spirits Having Flown "Bee Geea" 5.97 6.47 PITTIlRFn ITFMS ONIV