Farm Ponds
Need Fertilizer Too!
You wouldn’t expect your
cropland to keep producing good
crops year after year without
adding fertilizer — why expect
anything more from your fish
pond? Ponds that are properly
fertilized will support many more
pounds of fish than unfertilized
ones.
Fertilizer increases the growth
of microscopic plants. Fish do not
eat the fertilizer and most of
them do not eat the tiny plants.
However, fish do eat the worms,
insect larvae, and other aquatic
animals that feed on these tiny
plants.
It takes four (4) or five (5)
pounds of these aquatic animals
to produce a pound of bluegill or
redear sunfish. It also takes four
(4) or five (5) pounds of small
sunfish to grow a pound of bass.
Thus the high production of
microscopic plants results in
many more pounds of fish.
In this area, ponds can be
fertilized from early March until
cool weather in October or
November. For best results,
begin fertilizing as soon as the
weather warms in the Spring. A
good fertilizer to use is 8-8-2.
Stronger fertilizers can be used
(16-16-4 or 20-20-5) but remember
to use less of them. If using 8-8-2,
apply 100 pounds per surface acre
and wait ten (10) days. Test the
water with a “testing stick” and
fertilize again if needed. For
maximum fish production, most
ponds require about twelve (12)
applications a year. Your pond
may require more or less
dependent upon the natural
fertility of the water and the
amount of water leaving the
pond.
Acid waters do not respond well
to fertilizer and therefore it is a
good idea to check your pond’s
acidity level prior to fertilizing.
The Polk Soil and Water
Conservation District provides
this service free of charge.
For information on how to
make your own “testing stick” or
to make an appointment to test
your pond’s acidity, contact the
Polk Soil and Water Conservation
District Office at 894-8550.
THANK YOU
From the depth of our hearts,
we sincerely thank everyone who
so graciously has helped us
after our house burned. God bless
each and everyone.
The Doughty & Goode Families
adv. 11,c.
GENERIC PRODUCTS
By Julie Bender, NCSU
Since last year, generic
products have become big
business. ,
Today, approximately 125
grocery firms sell generic
labeled items in about 11,000
stores. These stores sell from 1 to
over 150 food and nonfood generic
labeled items.
Studies have shown that
nonfood items have been more
popular than food items, accord
ing to specialists with the North
Carolina Agricultural Extension
Service.
Generic food labels now
account for 9 to 12 percent of
sales in any given category of
products.
One executive has reported
that generic labeled products
have captured 28 percent of the
nationwide sales of green beans.
The top sellers in canned
generic products are kernel corn,
green beans, peas, whole
tomatoes, mixed cocktail fruits,
tomato catsup and peaches.
These products are generally
used as ingredients in other
dishes where color and quality
are not terribly important.
In marketing afeas where only
a few stores sell generics,
retailers are promoting the
little-known national and second-
line labels instead.
The reaction of many retailers
who compete with generics but do
not sell them has been to feature
“low prices — everyday” in their
advertising.
The price difference between
generic and national brand labels
of 13 food items surveyed by the
U. S. Department of Agriculture
widened last year. The average
price of generic labels increased
approximately 4 percent while
the average national label price
increased around 10 percent.
Even though there may have
been greater wholesale price
increases, many retailers appar
ently consider generic products
as volume-builders and are
reluctant to raise prices on these
labels.
The inventory, handling and
shelf space costs are lower for
generic products than for
national or private labels.
Generally, they only come in one
size, are rarely advertised, and
are usually placed in one section
of the store.
One of the newest develop
ments in the market is generic
produce. These products were
first introduced in the Midwest
Tryon Daily Bulletin, Tues., Mar. 11, 1980
last year and are moving very recommended by NCSU agricul-
slowly to other parts of the tural extension specialists,
country. - if you need a w h o le head of
Last summer, approximately 6 garlic, drop it into boiling water,
grocery chains were selling let it stand a minute or two. and
generic produce. The produce
sold is known to the trade as
“hardware’” — potatoes, apples,
onions and carrots.
These generics generally have
a lower grade standard but are
just as nutritious as the higher
grades. The difference is mainly
in appearance, taste and prefer
ence.
GARLIC
By Julie Bender, NCSU
A little bulb of garlic packs a lot
of flavor and can leave your
hands smelling strong for some
time.
You can avoid getting the
garlic juice on your hands by
using one of these methods
Cain and Abel” by Charles Quest 8’x4’ mixed
media drawing purchased by Greenville County
Museum of Art for their permanent collection.
Trade Street Gallery
247-n. Trade St., Tryon, N. C.
Hours: Mon. — Sat. 10 — 4.
the garlic cloves will slip easily
from their skins.
To peel just one clove, smack
its side with the edge of a heavy
knife blade to crack the skin. It
then can be pulled off in one easy
motion.
Cutting up garlic without
touching it isn’t easy. If you have
a food processor, you can drop
the clove down the food chute
while the blade is swirling and do
a good job of mincing.
Of you can chop it with a knife
in the amount of salt called for in
the recipe. The salt helps the
garlic slide off the knife easily
and helps you mince it finely
without handling.