
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 10, 1990                   TAG: 9005090291
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Philip K. Blevins
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NATURE, ANIMAL LOVERS BEWARE: TICK SEASON AROUND BEND

With the relatively mild winter we had in the New River Valley, the chances are good that ticks will be abundant this spring.

In our area, the ticks we have to deal with are the brown dog tick, the American dog tick and, possibly, the Lone Star Tick.

The latter two can be carriers of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The deer tick, which carries Lyme disease, has not been a threat to our area yet.

Pets and people come in contact with ticks in the grass, brush, woods, to name a few.

Therefore, to avoid tick problems consider these tips:

Inspect pets, especially house pets, children and yourself for ticks after being out in "the wild."

Ticks especially are fond of the ears and the space between the toes of dogs.

If you are going out, use repellants as directed. Remove any ticks by simply pulling them off firmly, but gently. If you get sick within a few days of being bitten, see a doctor.

Make hay while sun shines

We are rapidly moving into the hay-making season in the New River Valley. The trouble we normally have in this area is that the good curing weather doesn't come along until the first cutting is too ripe.

Fescue should be cut when the first heads begin to emerge and orchard grass in the early head stages. Alfalfa should be cut in the 1/10 to\ bloom stage. Cutting at these times gives the maximum feed value. Some people have eliminated part of the weather problem by bagging or wrapping these crops as high moisture hay or putting it in the silo. Whatever you do, make every effort to get your hay cut as close to the right stage as possible.

Alfalfa is an important crop on many New River Valley farms. Because of the high cost of stand establishment, proper seeding rates are critical and, yes, variety does affect seeding rates.

A Wisconsin study compared nine varieties of alfalfa seeded through a brillion seeder at the same setting. The actual rate varied from 13.8 to 20.8 pounds of seed per acre. At a cost of $3.30 a pound, that's a $23.10 per acre range.

In the same trial, a range of 10.5 to 19.0 pounds per acre was found for a grain drill. The bottom line is, take time to calibrate your seeder or drill. It pays.

by CNB