—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. April 22. 1961
4
FROM WHERE WE STAND -
Who Makes Poor Com Yields
When you consider that one acre in
Mississippi produced over 300 bushels
of corn one year and has yielded near
ly 300 bushels . on several occasions;
and when you consider that one farm
er in Lancaster county grew 170 bush
els per acre last year and several oth
ers had yields of nearly 150 bushels
per acre; and when you consider that
the average yield per acre is only a
bout 50 bushels nationally and some
where near 70 bushels in Lancaster
County, you begin to, realize there'
must be some pretty poor yields of
corn somewhere.
Of course the national average
takes into consideration some of the
arid areas where failures and near
failures from drought are quite com--
mon. For this reason the average for
the entire country might be expected
to be quite low,- but in, Lancaster
County where failures, that is com
plete failures, of a crop due to weather
are practically unheard of, there must
be other reasons for an average of on
ly about 70 bushels.
Most of us are interested in grow
ing the best yields possible on - our
acres, but sometimes we aren’t willing
to do those things needed to get top
yields.
Experience of Lancaster County
farmers as well as research scientists
have shown time and again that soil
tests are one of the least expensive
cools the crop grower can use, yet
many farmers do not take advantage
of the service. At any rate, it will be
difficult to have a soil test completed in
time' for corn planting this year.
But if no soil test has been taken,
there are still several practices which
can be counted n to add bushels to the
com yield
Unless you have a corn planter
which is working properly, you can
not hope to have a uniform stand of
corn. In addition to proper operation,
the corn planter should be designed to
place the starter fertilizer below and
to the side of the seed. Tests have
shown that fertilizers placed above, be
low or in contact with the seed often
do as much harm as good.
Many farmers are finding they get
better results by plowing down a large
portion Cup to 75 per cent) of the com
mercin' fertilizer they intend to apply
to the corn crop,
Higher plant populations are find
ing acceptance among more progres
sive farmers. Ears on individual stalks
will be smaller, but bushels of small
ears weigh as much as bushels of large
ears.
Soil tests at the Pennsylvania State
University have shown that one of the
most limiting factors in Lancaster
County soi’s is organic matter. The
very intensive cultivation of our farms
in the Garden Spot helps burn out the
humus and make the organic matter
context lower. Herbicide sprays have
helped to cut down the number of cul-
n >/Miob
Secretary of Agriculture
Orvil e Freeman’s testimony
before the House Agriculture
Comm.ttee recently on tne
farm cost price squeeze de
Rura! Rhythms
APRIL
By Carol Dean Huber
AH pink and green young
April stands
Inside the door of spring,
'The warming sun around her
head:
The birds an anthem sing.
With raindrop tears she sets
the stage
With flowers all in b’oom;
Then steps aside to usher in
Her s.sters, May and June.
TEDS WEEK
—ln Washington
With Clinton Davidson
Thanks Mr. Farmer
serves to ne more widely re
ported than it was by most
of the city press.
Mr. Freeman has repeated
ly emphasized that a correct
understanding of farm prob
lems must precede any sound
solution of those problems.
He believes that when all the
facts are understood farmers
wiU receive praise rather
than abuse from consumers.
“The average citizen has a
disorted image of agriculture
and the farmer,” Mr. Free
man sa.d. “He does not un
derstand agriculture’s contri
bution to his own we fare
and standard of living.
“He recognizes, in short,
neither agriculture’s success
nor its distress. Until this un
tivations needed to -control weeds.
Now several farmers in the county are
trying minimum tillage (Plow-plant or
wheeltrack planting) programs with
even less stirring of the soil with its
subsequent drying of the soil and
burning out of the humus.
Most of these suggestions can be
put into effect with little or no extra
outlay of cash, but it seems that new
ideas catch on slowly, even with pro
gressive farmers such as farm in Lan
caster County.
At least that’s
where we stand.
Clean-Up Week
We add our voice to the chorus of
voices urging observance of State
Clean-up Week.
If we tried to observe all the spec
ial weeks which have been set aside
by one or another of the special inter
est groups, we would accomplish noth
ing at ail' except the observance of
special weeks. This one week, how
ever, we believe has real" merit be
cause it grinds no one’s personal axe,
but benefits all who participate in its
observance.
Clean-up week is completely appro
pos at this time of year. Farms and
homes are emerging from the debris
which collected through a long winter.
Grasses and shrubs are beginning to
show signs of life and soon many of
the ravages of the winter season will
be covered up by nature’s workers.
• Before some of the debris is out of
sight under foilage, we suggest farm
ers take time to pick up and throw
away trash which has accumulated.
We are thinking particularly of
some of the hay fields we have seen
this spring. There seems to be an un
usually large number of bottles and
cans along roadsides, and we feel that
a trip along the edge of any hay field
bordering on a road to pick 'up any
such trash before crops make large a
mounts of growth will save time later
on. It will still be a good idea to po
lice the area just before harvest time
to prevent machinery damage from
such foreign materials, but the winter
accumulated trash will be easer to see
now than later on.
We realize this is a busy time ol
year, but it is no busier than , harvest
time will be. During this wet season
wher\ field, work has to be postponed
for another day, a few hours of clean
ing up around the barn, house and
through the fields wil 1 often pay high
er wages than* a farmer’s best crops.
At least that’s how it looks from
where we stand.
“The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in
our land.” —Song of Solomon 2:12
derstanding gap is closed,
farmers will be unable to
make their full contribution
to national prosperity, na
tional security and world
peace.”
Best In The World
“U S. agriculture has ach
ieved a success unparal'eled
anywhere in the world or at
any time in history. Many
persons thoughtlessly blame
Lancaster Farming
Lancaster County’s Own Farm
Weekly
■’hone - Lancaster
EXpresa 4-3547
Jack Owen Editor
Robert G Campbell, Advertising
Director & Business Manager
Established November 4, 1955
Published every - Saturday by
Lancaster Farming Lancaster, Pa.
Entered'-as 2nd class matter at
Lancaster, Pa under Act of Mar.
t 1979 additional entry at Mount
f oy. Pa
Subscription Bates $2 per year
hree years S 5, Single copy Price
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Members Pa Newspaper Publish
ers Association - National Edltor
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how it looks from
Turn to page 51
1524
P. O. Box
Lancaster, Penna.
Offices
53 North Duke St.
Lancaster, Penna
Blbl* Material- Job 4il-9; 8 1-XO)
11*1-20, 21, 37 14-24
Devotional Reading: psalm 119 33*40
Empty Nothings
Lesson for April 23,1961
TF YOU -hay.e, never read the
book of Job m the Revised
Standaid Version, -you have not
been able to appreciate all the
truth and power there is m this
tremendous book. Much, is known
about the Hebrew language today
'hat was not
mown three hun-
Ired years ago
ihen the King
ames translation
>as made. For In
iance, the old
-anslation of Job
:34 reads: "How
*en comfort ye
me in vain, see
_ing in your an
swers there ’ remameth false
hood?” The better recent transla
tion gives the meaning more force
fully; "How then-will you comfort
me with empty nothings? There
Is nothing left of your answers
but falsehood." It is some of these
“empty nothings” that we must
now look into.
“You Can Pray Your Way
Out Of Troublt” "
In the story of Job, three of his
friends came to visit him when he
was in pain and destitute, sitting
on a pile of ashes Why had.this
good man suffered so much? What
could he do now to get’over his
troubles? Bildad (8.5-6) had a sug
gestion that was doubtless meant
well You can pray your way out,
that was Bildad’s idea. Seek God,
make supplication to the Almighty,
and if you are pure-and upright he
will rouse himself to do something
fine for you. Job knew that was
not going to work. He had prayed,
he had been (on God’s own testi
mony, 1:8) a blameless and up
right man. He waV "better than
anybody; God said there was not
another man like him in the world.
If the praying of a good man were
a sort of no
praying man would ever be in
trouble. Job knew, better than
Bildad did, the limits of prayer.
Now is The Time ♦ * .
BY MAX SMITH
TO REMOVE MULCH ON STRAWBi
RJ.E3—About half of the mulch over
rv/W of strawberries should be removed
thu time; this will enable the plants to
exposed and to properly develop Some
tne mulch should be left betweer
pi-nts to help control weeds, comi
moisture, and prevent the berries fi
com ng directly in contact with the s
ihey will be cleaner at harvest time 1
tween the rows most of the mulch may
"AX SMi
TO VENTILATE STEER BARNS—Feeders that keep
cattle confined should be alert to good \entilation as
days and nights get- warmer. The gams of some steeis
reduced because oil hot, stuffy barns. Windows should
opened or removed and kept open at all tim&
possible, the cattle will do better if permitted to run m 1
out free choice.
TO SHEER S-J.EEP Local shepherds are urged to
animals beMre hot weather arrives; there is IUIe to
gained by perm umg the flock to carry their fleece 111
the month of May In many cases the animals will i ,f
to lose their wool and will gain we.ght and prod ace n
milk if clipped dur ng April. The fleece should be t'd
with paper twine and wth tihe flesh side out. Sto"e
clean dry place until sold.
TO EVALUATE THE FEED-GRAIN PROGRAM U
growers are urged to study the proposed program
come familiar with the exact situation on their own #
this will differ from farm to farm and may have an
ive financial airangement for many ocal farms. Tim !l
tant thing to learn everything possible about the P rol
for your farm and then make the decision whether o>
to sign up.
TO PLAN HAY-MAKING METHODS—Each year mo#
more livestock producers are recognizing the great v 3
high quality hay; th.s is not an easy task and local P rCI
ers are urged to plan ahead as to what methods will
ployed tins year to help take tlie weather risk out
making. Hay conditioners, mow finishers with fa n a '
and heat units are all methods that have been used r
fully. To depend upon field curing alone is a bit risW
we consider the great investment represented.
It is all too easy, when we V ]
friends in Uouble, to hint #
maybe they ought to pray n, 0]
Suppose they have been pr ai]
all they can 7
“You Can Repent Your Way
Out Of Trouble”
Zophar, another of Job's
has a somewhat different sug 8(
tion Quit youi meanness, rope,
put away iniquity and wickcdn c
set your heart right, and then j,
will be secure. God exacts o{ J
less than your guilt desen (
(That is the general drift 0 ; j,
remaiks in 11:13-20 and
where.) Indeed, all three of th o
curious friends of Job had uiu
the same Idea The logic was g o o
only the facts did not fit the lo {
Sin produces suffering, they Sa
The more sin, the more suffer®
Therefore Job, who suffers
sorely, must be an outrageous*
ner. What he needs to do is to >
pent, to pray, and his troubi
will vanish. This again i 3
"empty nothing" as Job put it ;
all know good people whose tn
bles have been more numeto
and crushing than ever came
some of their neighbors who \\ t
not nearly so good:
Job got the impression after j
other speech by Zophar that 3
friends knew that sin and suJi
mg do not always match, but ft
suggested that the sms and v
tues of a father are visited on t
children. The children of (he jo
man leap the reward of his
ness; the childien of the scoundi
pay for their father’s wronfc
mg. Job inquires, with wry!
mor, how often his friends hi
seen this happen. Job is not sal
fied with this delayed-action j
tice “The wicked man is spar
m the calamity,’’ hQsav
and he feels m his bones there
something wiong here.
loft Says NO
Job says a loud and distiess
NO to his friends' suggest'
Tuey are not real answes
aie wrong because they dor
the facts and they don’t admi
real problem Job is as sur
they ai e that God runs this v
tint he could have made it
ent, that God is both pow eifui
good So how can these thin?
■Why does God allow a mai
whose goodness God fully rt
n es—to suffer in the many v,
Job has endured 9 What the st
of Job has to say about thu
tne theme of the Bible study
next week
(Based on outlines copyrighted
tor i)iv siou of Christian Pducai'
> Council of *he C’trcie
4 the V. S A Reicasr
ty Pi css Ser Ii e >