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i THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., May 7, 1970-5-B FARMS and FOLKS Dew Is Mixed Blessing BY HAROLD ROGERS Assistant Extension Editor One of nature’s wonders tra veling under a cloak of mixed blessings is dew. Spring is a big season for this glistening mist that steals over the landscape. And for all its refreshing goodness, it can cause big prob lems for some of our commer cial crops and the folks wrest ling with pulling a living from the earth. Alex Kish, meteorologist in charge of ESSA’s weather bu reau program at Clemson Uni versity, calls dew "a very im portant weather element inS.C., especially in some of the more critical farm periods. “When leaves are wet, fungus disease organisms thrive and the plants may be severely at tacked by many diseases,” he says. Ask the people busy with the truck crops along the coastal areas. Check with the watermelon growers in the flat fields from Hampton to Pageland. These folks know what fun gus can do to a crop, over night. And oftentimes they 'd just as soon do without that “spark ling dew.” It isn't just aspnngproblem. Ever tried topick cotton in mid morning still damp from a Timely Tips BY COUNTY AGENTS heavy blanket of moisture? Or run a combine through graih or soybeans where dew had laid its damp fingers? What causes this earth-bath ing moisture? In essence, cooling is the cause, according to Kish. “This is exactly the same principal that causes water droplets to form on the outside of a glass containing a cold drink,” he says. “The surface must be come colder than the air imme diately surrounding it.” It’s elementary that we us ually get dew on clear, calm nights. “A clear sky with high hu midities near the ground but low humidities in the upper air is the usual weather condition that produces dew,” he says. “If clouds move over the area, the cooling of the surface is greatly slowed and dew is de layed or entirely stopped.” A second factor is a radia ting surface well insulated from the heat supply of the soil, on which vapor may condense. “All plant surfaces fit this requirement," Kish says. “Some leaves cool off faster than others, becoming wet with dew before others. “Tops of cars are nearly i- deal radiators of heat, "he adds.. This is why you’ll usually see condensation there quickly when conditions are right. A third element favoring dew formation is a light wind. “If the wind is more than 10 miles per hour it keeps the at mosphere stirred up in the lower 100 feet above the ground and dew is prohibited," the me teorologist says. PCA Staff Attends Seminar In Columbia SOIL STEWARDSHIP — Reverend Guy H. Smith, Jr., ripht, pastor of the Ora ARP church, and Milton Y. Blakely, left, elder in the church, have just prepared their Bulletin Board on the observance of Soil Stew ardship Week. Reverend Smith is chaplain of the Laurens Soil Conser vation District and Blakely is a Dis trict Supervisor and chairman of the Soil Stewardship Committee.—Photo by Soil Conservation Service. The office personnel of the Palmetto Production Credit As sociation have just returned from Columbia, where they par ticipated in a two day Seminar for Production Credit Associa- tion office personnel, according to Dick Suggs general manager of the association. The Seminar which was spon sored by the Federal Interme diate Credit Bank of Columbia, South Carolina, for PCA office personnel was attended by Peg gy Ashley, Marian Butler, Jeannie Miller, Rita Peniston, Jean Roper, and Judi Sanders of the Palmetto Association. The institute was designed to improve the office skills of these personnel and to enlighten them oh the latest developments concerning the operations and services of the Credit Bank/ PCA System. The bank provides leader ship, supervision and agricul tural loan funds for 60 PCAs in North Carolina, South Caro lina, Georgia, and Florida. Ac of March 31, 1970, the 60 PCAs had outstanding loans totaling nearly $585 million to over 44,- 000 farmers, growers, and ranchers throughout the four- state area. Consult John L. Mimnaugh about this question: “I’m impressed with the Homeowner Pol icy that insures a home against dam age from fire, light ning, windstorm, hail, explosion, riot, air craft, vehicles, smoke, vanadlism, malicious mischief, falling ob jects, glass Sreak- age, and other perils. Does a Homeowner Policy also pay the ‘full replacement cost’ of home repairs. BAILEY AGENCY Dial Day 833-0681 — Night and Sunday 833-0323 M. S. Bailey & Son, Bankers, Building Soil Stewardship Week Offers Thanks For Gifts FUSIFORM RUST - We re getting many calls nn this these days. This is a disease that attacks the trunk and limbs of Loblolly and Slash Pines in particular. At this time of year, the disease is active, and the affected limb will form a large gall and be covered with a yel lowish substanca IMic this time of yem&j%d%x!L recommended treatment for this disease. The host for it is an oak tree. It goes from the pine to the oak, and back to the pine. ' The feature on the surface weather map that indicates dew in S.C. is high pressure,” he points out. “If a fairly large high is centered in the south eastern part of the country, dew is likely in S.C.” The main feature that pre vents dew in this state is low ressure which gives wind, or both. ' ; CUCUMBER VARIETIES RE COMMENDED for our area are, Ashley, Pixie, and Pomsett. They should be planted between April 15 and May 15. SUMMER GRAZING: - Those interested in temporary graz ing should try some of the new Sutan grasses - they really grow fast and furnish a lot of grass for hay or grazing. SERA LA LESPEDEZA : This is a new variety developed at Auburn University. It has more leaves, a finer stem, and it is said to be more pallatable. If you would like to purchase seed, call our office and we will refer you to those who have it. SOAP TO THE RESCUE: Cleanliness is first step in much first aid. Bites, animal: Wash the wound immediately under run ning tap water to flush out the animal’s saliva. Then wash it for five minutes with a gauze dressing and plenty of soap and water. Rinse thoroughly with running water and cover with a dressing. Consult a doc tor immediately. Bites, insect: Wash the af fected part with soap and wa ter, apply a paste made of bak ing soda and water, and cover any swelling with a cloth dipped into ice water. Prompt scrub bing with a brush and soapy water.should remove chlggers. Try to dislodge ticks by apply ing kerosene, a heated needle, or petroleum jelly—or use tweezers. Then scrub the area with soap and water for five minutes. Notify a doctor of any complications. POLE BEAN varieties re commended for our area are: Blue Lake, Dade, Florigreen, Kentucky Wonder 191. “A trough of low pressure moving through the area is al most sure to prevent dew," Kish says. “When it is west of the area a couple of hundred miles it often prevents dew be cause of cloudiness. When it is east of the area, gusty north westerly winds bringing in dry air from the continental areas usually stop dew formation." BY REV. GUY SMITH Chaplain Laurens Conservation Dist. At a time when pressures grow on the land, it is useful to remind ourselves of the ori gins and history of Soil Stew ardship observance. They stress the allegiance of all men to God and their dependence on His grace for all good things. Throughout the ages, men have offered humble thanks to their Creator for the price less gifts of air, soil, water, and sunshine which make all living things possible. The custom of setting aside special days--Rogation Days-- for this purpose began more than 1500 years ago in the area of Vienna, Franee. Bad weather and earthquakes had brought crop failures and wide spread hunger. The Bish >p f Vienne called for prayer and penance on the three days preceding As cension Day. The people re sponded and implored God for help in their suffering and pri vation. In America, the soil steward ship observance has always traced its origin to the Roga tion Days. Throughout parts of the South, earlier in this cen tury, churches began to set aside the fifthSunday after Eas ter as Soil and Soul Sunday. Subsequently, this became Soil Stewardship Sunday when, in 194G, the publishers of Farm and Ranch magazine suggested to religious leaders in a few southern states that one Sunday tie set aside eacti year to remind their congregations of man’s duty to tie a good steward of the land. The response of clergymen and laymen was so warm and widespread that observance of Soil Stewardship Sunday spread steadily. In 1954, the publish ers f the magazine suggested to the National Association of Conservation Districts that a still wider observance of Soil Stewardship Sunday C 'uld aid in bringing about a national awakening f man's obligations to the L rd s earth. The Association accepted the challenge, and loginning in 1955 undert .k to enc urage a na tion-wide observance--a mis- sr n to which it has dedicated itself ever since, under the gui dance f a special Soil Stew ardship Advisory C mmittee of clergymen representing many f the countries denominations. In ur state, the South Carolina Association of Con- servati n Chaplains was formed last year. This is the first or ganization f its type in the United States. The purpose of this group is t help the dis tricts prom- teS> >ilStewardship on a state-wide level the need for resource stewardship. Tins year in the State of Smart people save regularly. Saving for the future is mighty important. Stop by soon and we'll show you how easy it is to become a regular smart saver. Get the savings habit regularly J. DUNK SULLIVAN POR COUNTY COUNCIL JUNE 9 We*U Show You How to Make Your Money Grow B Bank of Clinton South Carolina, and throughout the nation, Soil Stewardship Week will be observed May 3-10. A day of special emphasis has been set for May 3 in which churches throughout the state are being asked to make a con certed effort to get before the people the individual responsi bility each individual has for conservation and stewardship of our natural resources. We solicit the help of each pastor, each church and each individual to join hands with us in promoting the conservation and stewardship of the re sources we use each day, whe ther we live in a city or the country, from the gracious hand of God. Indeed 'The earth is the Lord's. . . '' but, how well do we care for it? ? ? The center of activity on be half of a state awakened to needs of its older citizens is the S.C. Interagency Council on Aging in Columbia. Local councils are spread throughout the state and more are being formed. SEND MOTHER A BIG HUG If FROM Shealy's Florist v 9 Everybody is looking for a bargain. Here’s one you can believe in. i 1 ¥ § I What makes the Buick U'Salires we I sueh bargains? We’re dealing, for one thing. Spring is here and we’re making up for lost time during those cold winter months when everylxnly stayed home by the lire. We’re going to make it real easy for y< >u to get into a Buick and cdel irate Sj iring. But that’s only part of what makes a baigain a bargain. What alxmt the ear? Can you lielieve in it? Every I ’nick is I milt with integrity. You get things like a cooling system that should never overheat, ev en with air conditioning. You get Buick’s unique suspension system —AccuDrive —that makes this LeSabre one of the l>est handling Buicks ever. You can even order a .‘150 cubic-inch, V8. With four-barrel carburetion. That ie/Buick Dealers. Hto believe in. BOCK MOTOR DIVISION delivers 285 horse|X)wer. Yet runs on regular gas. So, let’s put it this way. If you want a bargain, we’ve got the ingredients. The car. And the deal. Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?