4—-Lancaster farming, .Saturday ~M«rch.23,.1M8 From Where We Stand... Farming’s Future In Lancaster County Looking at the number of farm sales this spring, many people have come to the conclusion tlrst more farm ers than ever are going out of business. We have heard so many pessimistic remarks about the future of farming in the Garden Spot that it was a real treat recently to hear a well-known agricul turist in the county say, “I really believe that farming is going to come into its own in a few years.” He went on to say he had checked with a number of auctioneers and found that several of them had had one or two more sales this spring than last, but sev eral others had had one or two less. Every spring someone moves someone sells out, and someone else moves in. We have to expect a certain number of farm sales every year. But we seem to be in a period of pessimism in the farming community right now. The ‘ predictions from the dairy experts are almost all gloomy. The livestock picture is not painted much brighter, and the tobacco and canning vegetable growers are all pre dicting an ever poorer prospect. Is there any reason, then, that we would appreciate a vote of confidence from someone who has been in~the busi ness for quite a few years. We believe he is right. Several times this year we have been asked our opinion on the future of farming in Lan caster County. We can’t help but see the unmistakable signs of urbanization that is taking some of our best land out of agricultural production, and we will agree that farm income is too low. But then farm income has always been low, and more and more food can be grown on less and less land. All too many farmers are lamenting that the family farm is a thing of the past. With this we do not agree. The family farm is here to stay. This is not to say that we will not have to do some re-aligning of our thinking about the family farm, but we believe this re-alignment is long over due. Just a few years ago every farm had 3 or 4 hundred chickens in ad dition to the major enterpnzes of dairy, or beef or cash crops. With the advent of the huge caged layer houses and the fully automated broiler systems, the farm flock is virtually out of the picture. But with labor saving equipment one family can manage 10 to 20 thousand laying hens or 50,000 broilers, and it is still a family farm. A few years ago, a dairy herd of 10 cows was a commonplace thing along with other farm enterpnzes With labor saving equipment and automatic mater ials handling, the farm family now has a herd of upwards of 50 to 75 cows, but it is still a family farm. There is no question that farming has become more specialized and it is likely to get more specialized in the fu ture, but this is not all bad This in it self does not make a corporation out of a family enterprize. Farms are larger and fewer, but with modern equipment one man can handle larger acreages. Large acreages alone do not mean the end of the family farm We believe the family farm is a strong unit We believe the family farm has a great future in Lancaster County. It is time to stop peddling gloom and • Farm Bureau (Continued Irora Page It lento conpeiative repiesertati •\ < s thev would not develop a plan lr the tobacco men rams up with a program of then OK 11 Jobacco Coopeiative Har»y Jleisbev said that while the co operative was not cirtneh dt\- < mping the pio-,iani, the board 3f It thev luid acfomplishod its aim ot getting a maik-lmg x ii ogi am foi tobacco gi ov ei s appreciate the opportunity we have in agriculture in the Garden Spot of the world. ■ At least that’s how it looks from ' where we stand. We have long been an advocate of an adult dairy show to be held in con junction with the Pennsylvania Junior Dairy show each fall. Recently Secretary of Agriculture Lee Bull announced that his department will push for such a show combining the already successful Junior Dairy Show and the Pennsylvania Livestock Exposition with -an adult dairy show. The plan has some merit, but it also has some drawbacks. On the plus side of the ledger is the proven success of both the shows already in operations, and the size and quality of the state’s dairy herds offers a plentiful supply of entries for an adult dairy exposition. On the other side is the experience we are now facing with the state Farm Show in January. For the past several years all available stable space has been reserved long before closing date for en tries. With the combination of dairy cat tle and the existing livestock entries, would we not soon be in the same condition with no place to stable the ani mals available for entry? However, with the show coming in the fall of the year, it is possible that many of the entries could be stabled in tents or other temporary shelters on the farm show grounds. This is not possible at the January show, and we believe it would be highly unsatisfactory at any time of the year. All considered, we support the idea of an adult dairy show, whether it be held in conjunction with the Livestock Exposition or just the Junior Dairy Show, and we will back the Secretary to all reasonable limits if the proposal ever gets beyond the talking stage. At least that’s how it looks from where we stand. By 1980, farmers will be applying about eight times as much fertilizer as before World War 11, if the present trend continues. USDA reports most farmers would profit from using more fertilizer. If you’re considering better cost income records, the experience of Her bert Turner, Saginaw, Mich., may help you decide. “Records my wife keeps have made me cost conscious,” he says. “Before we start a farm job, we con sider the best method even ask if it’s necessary. Since we’ve kept records, we do a better job of farming, mainly be cause everything goes in the ledger. We want to end the year on the profit side.” ★ ★ ★ ★ Less trouble with loose housing Ohio State University researchers found that while cows with free access to roughage in stanchions ate about as much as cows in loose housing, those in stanchions had more teat injuries re quiring mastitis treatment. They also had almost twice as many cases of foot rot. ❖ ■O - ❖ ❖ -0--0-4 Lancaster Farming Lancaster County’s Own Farm AVeekly P. 0. Box 1524 Lancaster, Penna, P O. Box 266 - Lititz, Pa. Offices: 22 B Main St. Lititz, Pa. Phone - Lancaster BXpress 4-3017 or Lititz MA 6-2191 f s « * * * * State Dairy Show ★ ★ ★ More fertilizer, more profit ★★★ ★ . Bigger balance on right side Jack Owen, Editor Robert G. ■Campbell, Advertising Director Established November 4, 1955. Published every Satur day by Lancaster-Farmlng, Lit itz, Pa. Entered as 2nd class matter at L-ititz, Pa. under Act of Mar, 8, 1879. Tr , . Critics Crushed Lesson for March 24, 1963 Bible Material: Mark 12*13-44 Devotional Reading:: John 12:44-50. VOU can always tell how a 1 man’s mind works by getting him into some kind of corner. It may be a physical corner, such as being caught in a burning build ing; or it may be a mental corner, public and contro versial personage is being grilled by a “Meet the Press” panel. So it is not only in teresting but ex citing td study tiie short story of the clash Jesus had critics during His Dr. Foreman Jast earthly hours. His critics, as is well known, were smart men. They belonged to the intellectual classes, they had what we would call a high education, some were trained in the art of debate. For reasons which may be mentioned later, they were determined to crush Jesus, and they would stop at nothing. But while they had a sort of plan in reserve by which to get Jesus legally murdered, they did not try that at first. What they wanted was to show him up before the crowds, as an ignorant, con fused, wrong-headed man. They hoped to get him laughed at, and that would finish him. Three questions Three questions in a row were thrown at Jesus, in the hope of “smoking him out.” First ques tion: Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government (Caesar)? This was a hot question. If He said Yes, all the 100% patriots would be after him at once. For Judea was an occupied country. Jews loved the government by Rome no better than Hungarians love Russian troopers. But if Jesus said No, then the Romans would have him in jail before dark. Second question - If a woman has had seven husbands, in the next world which of the seven is going to be her husband? The object of that question was not for information. The object was to show how ridiculous the whole Now* Is The si\ Growers of spring oats are reminded of the need to sow the seed during late March or the first two weeks in April. In this part of the state the weather gets dry and hot quite early in the summer; spring oats is a cool weather crop; early plantings will give greater yields. To Beware of “Hardware Disease” To dairy and livestock pro- Livestock producers may Queers this means the pre push the spring pastuie season senc e of any type of wire, iron, by 10 days to two weeks by or metal in the stomach of the top-dressing dui mg late March bovine Cattle don’t chew their or early April with 40 to 50 f ee< j throughly when they eat pounds ot actual nitrogen per lt) and often swallow nails, acre Good results may be oh- screws, pieces of wire, pins, or tamed on winter lye or wheat other pieces of metal. These tor pastuie, as well as stands sharp obiects may pieice the ot the common pasture glass- stomach wall causing diges es Treat from one-third to tive troubles, or work their one-halt acre per animal unit way to the heart and kill the with nitrogen tor eaiher graz- animal. Producers are urged mg. This will reduce the a- to be very careful about the mount ot hay and silage need- barn with these items, and to ed this spring. clean up their pastures befofe To Force Early Pasture 1 ~ AV^^w ' tWe4 »2£wJwiSMwesiw'iwi‘eti*si*SHSSSSßsß W35£22332 idea of a future life Is. From theft point of view,.,tots,BaddUceesigyhfl( asked, they had a sure-fire way to hold both Jesus and the Pharisees (theft enemies) up to ridicule. Third Question: Which is the greatest commandment? (Mean ing which of the Ten Command ments, no doubt.) Whatever Jesus said about this, He would run into people who had other ideas, and have endless arguments on His hands. How the Master answered The reader is referred to his Bible (Mark 12, the Bible Mate rial) to see exactly what Jesus said to each of these questions. We here observe the how of His answers. The first question He an swered by calling attention, dra matically too, to something they hadn’t thought of: these profes sional patriots owed something to Caesar. The government they hated had made business possible by coining money, had made life safe by their military police, had made travel possible by building roads. And then Jesus calls their attention to something else they hadn’t thought of; What about their debt to God? The second question He showed was meaning less; no one would ask it who knew as much about heaven as Jesus knew. The question-assum ed that the next life would be jhst like this one, with wives—and per haps groceries, medicine and gos sip! Jesus never tried fully to describe the next life; He made it clear that it could not be de scribed. As for the last question. He answered it in such a way as to attract a thoughtful, serious man, and do him good. Why the critics? with his tireless So Jesus crushed His critics, in different ways. But why did He have critics at all? For the same reasons that He is resisted today. Some men are too proud to bow to the Carpenter of Galilee. Some men do not want to believe what they cannot first understand. Some perhaps in their hearts would like to believe and follow Him, but they are afraid of what might be said about them if they turned Christians. (What did the Sanh