4—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. June 10.1967
From Where We Stand...
"Plastic" Tobacco
No. that’s not a new agricultural
substitute product. But using plastic to
cover tobacco seedbeds is a pretty good
way to add a couple of weeks to your
glowing season
We’ve reported for at least the last
three years on fanners who have used
this method successfully, and each year
their number increases. In this issue, a
Willow Street area fanner makes his
second appearance in Lancaster Farming.
For the past two years he has gained
about two weeks in getting his plants to
the field by growing them under plastic.
And. according to John Yocum, superin
tendent at the Penn State University
Field Research Station, ten days to two
weeks is about the normal time advan
tage for tobacco plants grown under plas
tic instead of under the conventional
muslin.
While some muslin-covered beds
were reported transplanted this week,
many are still not field-ready In the case
of the Willow Street farmer and the
state research station, plants under plas
tic were ready by Memorial Day
Yocum reports a new method is
being tried at the station. Since plastic
on a framework is at a disadvantage in
windy locations: his staff is now placing
the plastic flat, right over the seedbed
This is then covered with muslin to hold
it m place When the May weather gets
too warm, the plastic can be removed by
sliding it right out from under the mus
lin, leaving the latter m place until
weather permits complete removal. One
big advantage to this method, besides bet
ter wind resistance, is a labor-saving lack
of watering Yocum reports that, after an
initial watering, the job didn’t have to be
repeated until the plastic was removed.
Next year he plans to experiment with
sub-irrigation in the seedbeds.
While the method of growing tobac
co plarits under plastic undoubtedly re
quires more Careful management than
the 'old way, we think more farmers
growing Lancaster County’s multi-mil
lion dollar tobacco crop would do well
to look into this faster method —especial-
ly if these cold, wet springs are going to
become our normal weather pattern
★ ★ ★ ★
Hunting A Job?
Many boys who graduated from
Lancaster County High Schools this
week are probably even now out hunting
jobs, and some others will be looking for
Weeds Reduce
Soybean Yields
The cold weathei this spring
may force some farmers to re
plant soybeans which have fail
ed to geiminate If pi e-plant m
coiporated heibicide has been
applied, weeds should not be a
pioblem when replanted If a
pieemeigence heibicide was ap
plied, leplantmg soybeans will
incoiporate the heibicide into
the soil and probablj lessen its
effectiveness
We^fAer
Generally warm weather is
called for right through the
weekend. Although it will be
cooler on Tuesday and Wed
nesday, temperatures during
the five-day period. Saturday
through Wednesday, are ex
pected to average abo\e the
normal 82 to 59 degree
range.
And some needed moisture
is anticipated during the pe
riod also, with showers Sun
day and Wednesday expected
to yield Vi -inch, or more.
In some of these countries where
food is scarce and starvation a daily visi
tor, seed grain is often consumed as food,
and manure is burned for fuel rather
than invested in the next crop Progress
in educating such people agriculturally is
slow
Regardless of personal or religious
sentiments on the subject, if the food
supply and population in under-develop
ed countries is to be brought into balance,
some means besides starvation will have
to be used to slow down population ex
pansion If highly developed agricultural
countries are to help, and if those in
need are to honestly accept that help, it
is necessary that the stork’s busy sche
dule be slowed That provides the best
method we can see to give agricultural
education a fighting chance to win the
race
Fortunately, this line of reasoning
seems to be becoming generally accepted
by those close to the situation on both
sides of the fence If that is so, agricul
ture may win this race yet
Good weed conti ol is a must Piopei seed bed prepaialion
foi a high soybean jield Just is one of the best means of weed
a few weeds one every 10 conti ol By working the soil to
inches in the low can ieduce stait weeds growing and then
yields as much as 30 percent woiking the suiface to kill
A band ot mormng-gloues in a weeds that have started, weeds
row may cut yields as much as are killed before planting time
60 pei cent, according to Dr A i otary hoe is also effective for
Richard Cole, chauman of the conti oiling weeds m very young
depaitment of agionomy at the sovbeans Shallow cultivation
Umveisity ot Delaware just deep enough to control
Weeds take then toll by robb wee ds, but not deep enough to
mg the plant of moistuie, food bring buried seed to the surface
and sunlight, reducing stands cause double later on, is also
and inci easing lodging The lecommended
common weeds affecting area
soybean piodnction include pig-
weed, lambsquai ter, velvet ONE USDA EMPLOYEE FOR
weed, yellow foxtail, giant rag- EVERY 15 FARMERS IN US
weed giant foxtail, mormng
gloiy. jnnson 'weed, green fox
tail and ciabgrass
Weeds have then death gup
on soybeans because the beans
giow veiy slowly duung then
eai ly stages The weeds can out
gi ow them and offei severe
competition foi water, food
and light Cole says reseat ch
shows that weed conti ol is
needed foi the first eight weeks
until the soybean plant can com
pete and keep weeds down A
total weed conti ol piogiam
should considei soil chaiacteus
tics weed species present and
the ciops in lotation which dic
tate the type of weed conti ol
and the heibicide needed
work just for the summer. What are
your chances of finding what you’re look
ing for?
Although Lancaster County is re
portedly a job-deficit area with skilled
help m demand by industry, your
chances will be greatly affected by your
appearance. If you think we’re referring
to your long hair, plastered down with
that greasy kid stuff, you’re right!
That hokey style may have been
very much in while you were a school
boy, but laddie, it is not going to do a
thing for you When you are interviewed
by a prospective employer unless of
course he’s hiring a combo.
As a graduate, you will find success
far more attainable in the working world
it you dress and behave to please the
adult crowd, not the in-school bunch. As
a bonus you’ll find you can see everyone
else better, and, for a change, they can
see you. So. come on out from under the
thatch, boys; it’s not bad out here in the
light, really.
★ ★ ★ ★
Between The Stork And The Plow
The outcome of the foot-race being
run these days in under-developed coun
tries between the “stork and the plow'’,
as one authority expressed it this week,
is critical for the future of many peoples
of the world With the pace being set by
the swift flying stork, the tortoise-paced
plow is running a very poor second
The USDa resources are for
midable, says AFBF president
Chailes Shuman While farm
numbers have steadily de
creased, USDA employees have
increased Theie is now one
USDA employee for every 15
tdimers in the nation, and the
USDA spends S 8 9 million a
year for publicity and repoits.
Shuman charges
“However, with all these re
souices I don’t think the Ad
ministialion will be able to
quiet the growing revolt on
the faim against the outmod
ed and wastetul federal faim
progiams which have diiven
the pauty latio to the depies-
No, lord!
Lesson for June 11,19G7
•a<kf S<r«ph/r# Ach 9 »Kr© -»3h ) ) 19.
D*v«ti«rwt XMiling Acl *0 I4i
Several months ago, while at
tending a meeting in Dallas, I
had a chance conversation with a
man who obviously wanted very
much to talk with someone. We
were sitting at neighboring tables
in a restaurant. I’m not sure how
the conversation
began, but we
hadn’t talked for
more than a few
minutes until
he was unbur
dening himself
of something
that apparently
troubled him
_ ,very deeply.
Rev. Althouse j[ e was an
engineer, a civil engineer with a
master's degiee, to be He
had just started a new job that
day, but it was his previous job,
the job he had just left, thai
bothered him \\ eeks ago. he had
been approached b> a firm that
offered him a substantial raise
■n salary Desiring to be fair with
his present emplovet, he informed
his emoloyer that he was con
templating the offer and asked
whether he might want to con
sider meehng it
‘I Don’t Understand”
His employer refused, saying
‘T know that other engineers o
your ability are getting'that mud
ana more, but it is "more than
enough for an Indian’" With that,
the employer began an abusiv
‘made, demeaning the man anc
ais race The engineer was a
highly competent man. but be
cause he was an American
Indian, his -employer could not
fully treat him as an equal human
being. "I don’t understand,” the
man at the next table tteotsaying
1 worked for him twelve years
and he never called me a d c
dirtv Indian before’ ’
This incident just ha opened
to occur m Dallas The man
across from me might just rs
easily been a Puerto Rican in
New York Cit\, a Kegio in Phila
delphia, or a Mexican in Mm
Now Is The Time . ..
By Max Smith, Lancaster County Agent
To Provide Shade
Protection fiom the hot, summei sun is
veiy important foi most efficient production
from all kinds of livestock If trees ate not
present m the area, then artificial shade
should be piovided Most all research work
indicates that direct sunlight at all times in
this part of the country will reduce gam in
weight as well as milk pi eduction A tempor
ary roof with open sides will gi\e protection
and plenty of ci oss-ventilation
To Control Flies
Fly control starts with a good sanitation
program supplemented by an insecticide spray
program Breeding places should be removed
and not allowed to exist It is suggested that
vai ious fly sprays be used from
yeai to year to reduce the in human flesh and could be
dangei of building fly resist- the °f several infections,
ance Some alternating from P are nts are urged to inspect
application to application dur- their youngsters carefully and
mg the same season using two remove the tick carefully fol
or more insecticides might * OWe d by use of antiseptics,
also improve the control The preventative measures in
clude spraying playgrounds or
areas with DDT, Sevm, or Lin
dane
To Be Alert For Wood Ticks
Lancaster countians living
working or playing neai wood
ed aieas should be on the alert
foi wood tick infestations
They seem to be more plenti
ful this spring These eight
legged ticks bury their heads
sion low of 1934
(The pauty latio shows the
relationship between the pric
es faimeis icceive and the
price of items purchased for
pioducticn )
Diego. Or and this li hard foe
me to admit it might have hap*
pened in the little town where I
live or the county-seat metropolis
nearby.
This is not a new problem in
the world. The New Testament re
calls for us the wall that stood
between .few and Gentile. It was a
wall so great that Peter refused to
have anything to do with Gentile
converts to Christ. So strong waa
the heritage of prejudice in Peter
that he responded with an out
right refusal: "No, Lord!”
To Avoid Corruption
The barrier between .Tew and
Gentile (and we must remember
that at that time the followers of
Jesus still regarded themselves as
Jews) seemed reasonable enough.
Throughout the history of the He
brew people there had been a con
stant and obvious temptation to
adopt the pagan (Gentile)reli
gious practices of their neighbors.
Time and again the Lord sent
his prophets to warn the people
to give up their Gentile ways and
worship him alone. The Hebrew
people, therefore, learned to
avoid all contact with Gentiles in
order to avoid being corrupted
by pagan influences. It began as
a "reasonable" idea. In time, how
ever, it developed into prejudice
and racial pride. It was carried
to the usual human extremes.
Peter said, "No, Lord!” It was
rare for Peter to defy his Lord’s
wishes. So it is today. If we are
going to say, "No, Lord!”, it is
more than likely that it will be
over some issue of pride and
prejudice. He shows us clearly
what is his will for society and
we respond, saying: "No, Lord,
I don’t mind 'them’ having equal
Tights, so long as they don’t get
'uppity.’” "No, Lord, I’m not
prejudiced, you know, but I don’t
have to have 'them’ in my home,
do I?” "No, Lord, our property
values will plunge.” "No, Lord,'
you don't know them as we do.*'
"No, Lord” , . . (and you fill in,
the rest).
Insulting The Creator
"What the Master said to Peter,
however, he says also to us;
"What God has cleansed, you
must not call common.” When we
demean any of God’s creatures
and he created them all, didn’t
he?—it is an insult to flie Creator,
not the creature. It was hard for
Peter to rise above his prejudice,!
but he did it and so must we:
"Who was I that 1 could withstand’
Jesus Christ?” Let our "No” he*
come "Yes!” i
(*osad on outlines copyrighted by ffit DivTshn >
•I Christian Education# National Council of tha
Churchas of Christ in tha U, S, A. Helaasod by
Community frass Serviced '
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s own Farm
Weekly
P 0 Box 206 - Lituz, Pa. 1764#
Otliue 22 n Main St,
Lititz, Pa 17643
Phone: Lancaster 394-2047 or
Lititz 620-2191
Do-i Timmons, Editor
Robert G Campbell, Advertising
Liie< tor
Subscription price $2 per jear In
Lancaster Countj , $3 elsewhere
Established November 4. 1955.
Published ever* Saturday by
Lancaster Farming, latitz, Fa,
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SMITH