—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, June 18, 1966
4
From Where We Stand...
The Renfr-A-Pig Plan
We read recently of a plan one
North Dakota farmer has been using
which has created a whole new business
for farm boys in his area. He’s a hog
farmer who leases feeder pigs.
How does it work? Well we don’t
have all the details, but the farmer re
ported that it had been quite successful.
He puts out 20-pound feeder pigs with
farm boys on a leasing arrangement. The
boys do all the work of fattening the
pigs for market. At sale time, the farm
er gets paid for the feeder pigs he loan
ed, his young partner deducts feed costs,
and the two split the profits. Of 960
pigs leased out this way, the farmer says
only two have died.
To the best of our knowledge no
comparable plan is being tried in Lan
caster County. Maybe it should be con
sidered. We think a 20-pound pig is
too small to throw into a fattening
operation, but that’s a minor point. One
of the most expensive and time-consum
ing parts of the hog business is breeding
and farrowing. This fact probably keeps
many boys out of hog production. A
scarcity of good, local feeder pigs and
the current high cost of same also keeps
the boys out. Some leasing program
similar to the one the North Dakota
swine breeder practices could have some
real advantages, both for the breeder
who may not have room to feed out all
of his pigs, and for the boy who has the
facilities and the time to go into that
business.
The most likely place for such a
program to start would probably be
among one or more of Lancaster Coun
ty’s nine organized vocational agricul
ture departments.
MANHEIM PFA CHAPTER OFFICERS for 1966-67 shown here with adviser
Mark Campbell, left, are. first row, Marlin Shearer, reporter, Jay Fisher, presi
dent; Richard Gruber, treasurer; second row, Norman Burkholder, secretary; John
NisSley, vice president; Glenn Nolt, sentinel; and not present for picture, Carl
Siegrist, chaplain.
Manheim FFA
Slates Summer
Activities
The Manheim Chapter of the
Future Farmers of America
expects to be plenty busy this
summer, according to the work
schedule reported this week by
vocational agriculture teacher
Mark Campbell.
The boys have planted 22
acres of corn part on the
LANCASTER FARMING-
Lancaster Coimty 1 * Own Farm
Weekly
PO Box 2bb - Lititz, Pa 17713"
Office" 22 II Main St ,
Lititz, Pa 17313
Phone LantaMir or
Lititz 620-2131
Don Timmons Editor
Robert (J Campbell,
Director
Subscription price v 2 per \eai n
Lancaster Comit\ , '3 eNewheie
Established No\tmbcr 4, 13 3 3
Published t*\er> Saturda\ b>
Lancaster Farming Litit/, Pa
Second Class Postage paid at
Lititz, Pa 17344
school farm and part on a
nearby rented farm They are
working with several commer
cial hybrid seed companies in
testing 14 different corn varie
ties Also, m conjunction with
the Geigy Chemical Co, they
are testing several plots of
weed control chemicals, and
are using materials for wire
worm and cut worm control.
In addition to the corn they
are farming five acres of bar
ley
The Chapter plans to esta
blish a workshop piogram dur
ing the summer for showing
and fitting of daily cows, beef,
and swine in preparation for
the upcoming Fair and FFA
show activities.
A beef show and sale will
also be initiated by the chapter
this year There are about 15
animals consigned so far, and
Campbell reports it will take
place at the time of the Man
heim Fair in early October.
In August, the Manheim
FFA Chapter will host the
County Red Rose Chapter at
its annual picnic. The exact
Ad\ ei tiding
Half A Million 4-H'ers .
Can't Be Wrong
That’s how many Pennsylvania
boys and girls have taken part in 4-H
Club work since 1914 when the Smith-
Lever Act authorized the Cooperative
Extension Service, and federal legisla
tion first helped finance and conduct
4-H programs.
At the present time there are ap
proximately 1200 youngsters enrolled in
4-H activities in Lancaster County.
Thirty-two of them will be attending
the State 4-H Club Congress next week
at Penn State University, where they
will be joined by some 950 other club
delegates from all over the state.
The 4-H program provides learn
ing opportunities and practical experi
ence to assist young people in preparing
for economic, social, and leadership
responsibilities.
While 4-H work has long been con
sidered an activity reserved for rural
youth, this concept is rapidly changing.
Figures show that 46 percent of 4-H
members come from farm homes; 32
percent from rural, non-farm homes;
and the remaining 22 percent from ur
ban homes.
With the constant depline in num
ber of farm families, this changing pat
tern is probably inevitable. But the fact
that 4-H opportunities are' now filtering
down liberally to urban neighborhoods
bodes nothing but good for America, as
we see it. Since most of tomorrow’s
leaders will come from these areas it is
reassuring that, as boys and girls, they
should have the benefits of this enrich
ing program which can dead-to personal
development, and spur a-sense of civic
and community service.
FULTON GRANGE HEARS
LANCASTER CO. AGENT
Fulton Grange ip66 held its
regular meeting June 13 at
the hall in Oakryn, with Mas
ter, Gyles H. Brown presiding
The Home Economics Com
mittee was in charge of the
annual homemade ice cream
party
M. M. Smith, County Agent,
spoke on' agricultural topics
of interest to farmers.
Richard VariNoy, State
Grange Secretary, Harrisburg,
gave remarks Colored slides
of several European countries
were shown by Richard Nye.
There will be a special meet
ing June 20 when First and
Second Degrees will be con
ferred Third and Fourth De
grees will be put on at the
next regular meeting June 27.
The annual picnic will be
held July 25.
time and place for this event
have not been determined as
yet
Gad's Own People
Lesson for June 19,1966
Background Scngturo II h 27 1 through 23 30.
Dovotionol Hooding Psot" 1 1 57 64
"How odd of God to choose
the Jews.”
Who Orst wrote that bit of dog-with God that the ’ original: He
gerel I have no.idea, but the brew* had:-Even-though the
question must have occurred to a whole nation Went to the bad,
threat many persons. Why are the God would and did keep hi* cov-
Jews called the chosen people of enant with any individual who
'dal nation? Our held up his side of the covenant,
the week tells of While it was true that God looked
one "renewal of after the Jewish people hi ways
the covenant,” that are amazing, this did not
But maybe it will mean that he looked over and
be better if we cared for Jews only. The prophets
ask what sort of Amos and Jonah, for instance,
covenant this made it quite clear that God had
was, who made an equal care even for the enemies
it and what did of his people, such as Asyria and
it mean; because the Philistines. Some of the greater
if we understand prophets even proclaimed that
what the cove- God had "covenant people” la
nant was all a- every nation of the world.
onhe*meaning RELIGION TWO-WAY STREET
of the expression "God’s people.” God is not an easy mark. He
can choose and he can reject. Re-
COVENANT ON SINAI ligion is not an affair in which
The Covenant ofwhichwehear we sit back and watch God do it
>o much in the Bible was a two- all. Religion is a two-way street;
,ided agreement between God on God expects to meet us going to
he one hand and the people (na- meet him. Another mistake is to
don, tribes.) of Israel. There had suppose that .God deals with men
been early-times covenants be- only in groups. On the contrary,
tween God and individuals such the Bible makes it clear that there
as Abraham and Jacob; but there is no substitute for the single in
could be 'no covenant with the dividual jiaked soul meeting God
nation till there was a nation, alone, one by one. Nobody-rides
This was first among the barren to heaven on a group ticked This
crags of - Sinai Mountain. The talk about the covenant is not
Israelites had been rescued from ancient history. Any one who to>-
Egypt, and the first thing God did day in humble obedience opens
for them was to make a covenant his heart to God like a little child,
with them. "I will be your God will find that he too is a child of
and you will be my people.” the covenant, but God aerer
BREAKING CHIEF TREASURE his c , hlldrenl
(msm «n •utlinM c«pyngnlM by Hit Wvitrwi
Think what it would mean for »f Chnsitivn Education, N«ti»n«l C*imeir«f
a tribesman out there in the un- f chn.t .n ih. u. s. A. bh««*W
friendly wilderness where them PrM ‘ s,rvK * 1
national life began, convinced
that his people, he included, were
.God’s own people! You would ATTEND THE CHURCH
have thought the Hebrews, wild ~
as they were at that time, would rvri vnTTi? f-irriTOii 1
keep that covenant and obey God YU UK LnulLli
to the best of their ability; but (
they didn’t. At various times,
Now Is The Time ...
By Max Smith, Lancaster County Agent
Livestock producers that are grazing pas
tures with a high percentage of legumes,
such as ladmo clover, should rotate the ani
mals to give the forage a chance to come
back, continued close grazing is hard on any
legume Also, a rotation, system will help
prevent heavy infestation of internal para
sites A two to three-week rest will provide
fresh grazing and better forage yields.
To Test Soil
It’s not too early to be testing the soil
for an August seeding of alfalfa or a late
summer seeding of pasture grasses. The
ground should be prepared and worked down
SMITH several weeks before seeding, and the lime
and fertilizer worked into the soil before seeding the grasses or
legumes. Don’t put the lime on top of the soil and expect it
to do" the best job.
To Be Careful
With Legume Pastures
Both alfalfa and ladino clov
er pastures may be dangerous
from a bloating standpoint
with nearly all kinds of live
stock. With the grass-ladino
mixtures, and when the ladino
clover predominates, extreme
care should- be used; the ani
mals should be allowed to
graze only when the forage is
dry With straight stands of
alfalfa cattle and sheep nour
ish the forage, but should be
allowed to graze when the
plants are dry and only after
a feeding of dry matter such
as hay or straw, or other
grass-type forages. Don’t risk
straight alfalfa pasture for 24
hour per day grazing.
under the leaderahlp of various
prophet*, the Icraellte* (Hebrew*)
would gather through their elder*,
and ask God (o forgive their di*»
obedience and promiie afresh to
obey. But finally the prophet
Jeremiah came to nee that any
covenant would always be broken
until it was written not on pa
pyrus or stone but on the hearts
of men. But that is getting ahead
of the question we asked. Why
did God choose Just that nation?
There is really no answering that
until we follow some hints some
prophets give us.
SOME HINTS
The Covenant was not the pri
vate property of Israel. God in
tended his people to win number
less others into the same relation
SUNDAY
To Rotate Legume Pastures
To Practice Farm Pond Safety
Many farm ponds and fakes
add to the enjoyment of ruial
living during the sutnmei
months The swimming season
is 'at hand and danger lurks
without proper supervision
and safety measures. Young
sters should be taught not to
swim alone and how to make
use of life-saving equipment
such as inner-tubes,. rope c ,
wooden floats, boards, .laddeis,
and any item that may be
thrown or floated to a bather
in trouble. Owners of faim
ponds are responsible for
having these safety measures
at hand and seeing that the
swimmers know how .to use
them.