—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. February 15.1969
4
From Where We Stand ...
Land Does Not Breed
What Rood is a supermarket if it sits
on ground that should be used to raise the
food to stock its shelves? This is a question
we may be asking ourselves with increasing
frequency as more and more of our best
land is buried under concrete.
A Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
warns of the evil of a tax system that drives
farmers out of business in favor of the
developer. He said this taxation system “is
one of the causes of the eventual destruc
tion of our ability to feed ourselves.... Soon
we will be farming our rocky foothills and
wondering what happened to our bottom
land. No matter how much our country may
someday wish we had more carrot patches
and beanfields, the farmer cannot afford to
save his land for future food production if
the land is being taxed according to what it
is worth for a shopping center.”
It may be that one of the principal rea
sons the farmer is receiving very little con
sideration is that so few people any longer
have the slightest notion of what it takes to
put the food on our tables. One farmer to
day under present modern agricultural
practices feeds scores of people whose
knowledge of food production ends at the
checkout counter. Farmers and the land
are an irreplaceable resource that must be
encouraged and preserved, or our high
rise developments are going to be mighty
uncomfortable places to live.
It has been estimated that you might
expect to pay $3OOO to $6OOO in land taxes
per year if the day comes when you are
taxed on the basis of what your land is
worth to sell it rather than what it is worth
to farm it. We think all farmers should be
concerned. Many urban people think you
should be taxed at the industrial rate.
Just over a year ago, Governor Ray
mond Shafer appointed a committee to get
the opinions and suggestions from farmers
as to how agriculture land can be kept in
food production. Members of this committee
are coming to the New Holland Fire Hall
next Friday, February 21 at 1 p.m.
We think it is absolutely right that this
committee should bring a meeting to Lan
caster County since we are the Number 1
farm county in Pennsylvania. We also think,
however, that every farmer in this county
should attend this meeting (the committee
assures Lancaster Farming it will be in
formal) and either express himself as to
ways local agriculture land can be preserv
ed or simply by his presence show to the
powers in Harrisburg that he wants farm
land in Lancaster County to remain in a
taxable position where it can continue to be
farmed and need not be sold to pay the
taxes Let us always keep in mind that un
like animals, fish or even people, land does
not reproduce it’s kind for future genera
tions. The only vay to have it is to keep
it. This we must do At least that's the way
it looks from where we stand.
Farm News This Week
Attention To Details Gets Top Production
On This Poultry-Dairy Farm Page
Miller Announces Republican
Break With Gov. Shafer On Tax
Issue At Co. Extension Meet Page 1
Sugar Beet Acreage In Co.
Is Uncertain Page 1
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P. 0. Box 266 - Lititz, Pa. 17543
Office: 22 E. Main St, Lititz, Pa. 17543
Phone: Lancaster 394-3047 or Lititz 626-2191
Everett R Newswanger, Editor
Robert G. Campbell, Advertising Director
Subscription price; $2 per year in Lancaster
County; $3 elsewhere
Established November 4,1955
Published every Saturday by Lancaster
Farming, Lititz, Pa.
Second Class Postage paid at Lititz, Pa.
17543
Member of Newspaper Farm Editors Assn.
Old-Fashioned?
An interesting little pamphlet, issued by
one of the country's larger life insurance
companies, tells the story of the flag of
the United States. In describing the birth of
the Stars and Stripes, it quotes George
Washington: “We take the star from
Heaven, the red from our Mother Country,
separating it by white stripes, thus showing
that we have separated from her, and the
white stripes shall go down to posterity
representing liberty.”
According to the pamphlet, nearly a
year passed after the signing of the De
claration of Independence before anything
was done relative to the establishment of a
national flag. But on June 14, 1777, the
American Congress adopted the following
resolution: “Resolved, That the flag of
the thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that the
union be thirteen stars, white in a blue
field, representing a new constellation.”
There is a story that the American flag
was first flown on July 4, 1777, when it was
hoisted by Captain John Paul Jones over
the war vessel Ranger. In the years since
then, the original thirteen stars have been
added to many times as new states joined
the Union.
In commenting on this growth, the
pamphlet says, “Now it waves majestically
over forty-eight States, extending across
the continent; and flies over islands of the
Atlantic and Pacific, and other outlying
possessions. More than one hundred and
thirty million people owe it allegiance, a
vast assemblage composed of nearly every
race in the world, but all united by one bond
of loyalty and devotion to the Flag which
symbolizes Liberty.”
Yes, the figures are a little out of date!
The pamphlet was written more than forty
years ago. In these days of strife and de
famation of the flag, it is a wonder that we
do not see the story of the American flag
in print more often or is it too old
fashioned?
Catch The Thieves
The head of a firm specializing in man
agement engineering and investigation
states, “Crime in the streets is being over
shadowed by white collar thieves m busi
ness, not just in dollars and cents, but in the
number of participants too.” It is pointed
out that white collar employees steal more
than $5 million in cash and merchandise
alone from their employers every working
day more than a billion dollars a year.
Many of these “thieves” can be found with
in the ranks of supervisory and executive
personnel In addition to outright theft, this
authority on employee ethics states that
“ .even larger sums go down the drain
as a result of malingering on the job, falsi
fication of labor vouchers, improper disposi
tion of scrap and damaged material. . .”
All these losses are finally reflected in high
er price tags on everything we buy.
From the standpoint of helping streng
then the moral standards of our society,
not to mention the cost of the things we buy,
everyone of us has a stake in helping in
whatever way we can to halt the rising tide
of thievery in the nation’s business enter
prises.
Local Weather Forecast
(From the U. S. Weather Bureau at the
Harrisburg State Airport)
The five-day forecast for the period
Saturday through next Wednesday calls for
temperatures to average below normal
with daytime highs in the upper 30’s and
overnight lows in the low 20’s. Generally
cold throughout the period. Normal high-low
is 42-24.
Precipitation may total one-fourth inch
or less as snow showers Tuesday or Wednes
day, mostly over the north portions.
THE SECOND DUTY
Leuon for February 16,1969
sends them forth oidy after thejr
?XTi c. ‘nlh'ion, 517 M have completed a certain amount
l i o> of training and preparation with
. , . him. They have apent many daya
As a boy Ine ve rwaa Buc c eBa-jj gtenln g t 0 preac hing and
ful in building model airplanea. witnessing his miracles.
My problem was 1 „ talking privately with him,
wanted to start building them pra yiug a nd worshipping with
without taking the time to read jjjjn. ara not finished in
the instructions which, at a jjj eir {ota i p repara tion, but they
glance, seemed too long and In- are now rea( jy to go forth for
volved. Conse- first « s0 i 0 " mission,
quently, I fin
ished few of them Duty close at hand
and those I fin- often we lack that kind of
ished were some- pa tience. We become discouraged
thing less than we canno t reap the fruits of
what was in- that which comes only after much
tended by the practice, perseverance, and dis
manufacturer. cipline. Shortly after writer
. This desire'Thomas Carlyle died, two friends
iMinniw for shortcuts is met on a foggy London street.
Kev. Aitnouse common t o "So Carlyle a dead,” said one.
many of us. We want to cross "Yes,” replied the other, "he la
home plate before we have gone, but he did me a very good
touched first base. We all would turn once.” "Did you ever see
the finished product, but few him or hear him?” his friend
of us are willing to take the pre- wanted to know. "No,” replied
liminary steps the product re- the other, ”but once when I was
quires. We desire to be powerful, younger I became utterly di«-
effective disciples of Jesus Christ, couraged and did not care
-yet we shun the necessary first whether I or &ed. One
steps that must be taken along oriMr^l
the way to that goal. We all would Hhraiw^here
like to be graduates of the school
development neare#t w h ic h thou knowesf
Piminn for shortcuts to be a duty. The second duty
passion Tor snoncuis a lr ea dy become clearer. That
A number of years a B° a sentence was a flash of lighning
young stranger came to my study m dar]c soul .«
door. He told me that he had All of us would do well to heed
recently received a call into a dmonition, "Do the duty
Christian ministry. He nearest thee , .In
spoken to his pastor and the of- B tead of looking for more at
ficial body of his church, but tractive advanced steps, let us
when he learned that his denomi- take the first step before us and
nation required four years of col- trust God in his own good -time
lege and three years of seminary, an d way to provide the second,
he decided that he would have to in living the Christian life as in
look elsewhere "I still believe building model airplanes, there
God wants me to be a preacher,” a re important first steps that
he told me, "but I can’t see going must be taken before we can pass
through all that education when on to those that lie beyond.
I’m ready to begin now. As be <n fcy DivU!m
WaS driving by our church, the cbn«H«n Eduoohon. Nohonol Council ol 111.
thought had occured to him that Churcho, mf Chri.t in Iho U. S. A. RoloMod by
perhaps our denomination was Community Pr«« sorviet.)
less demanding in its require
ments. "Isn’t there some easier
Lancaster Farming Ads Pay
To Order Wheat Fertilizer
The practice of top-dressing
winter wheat about the middle
of March with nitrogen fertiliz
er has given good results Grow
ers that are not planning to
under-seed the wheat with alfal
fa or clover are urged to make
this application for increased
yields Sand, shale, or gravel
soils usually respond the best
because of more leaching of the
nitrogen from the soil The time
of application will vary with
weather condition but should be
made about the time vegetative
growth is starting.
To Transfer Silage
Livestock producers that have
silage stored in a temporary
silo and who plan to move the
way?", he wanted to know. When
I assured him there was not, he
thanked mo and left, never to
return.
Delayed fishing trip
The disciples of Jesus might
have experienced similar feelings.
Ha had begun by calling them to
"Follow me and I will make you
to become fishers of men”. (Mark
1:17 RSV) By the time we came
to Mark 6, much has happened,
but they still have not been sent
out on their own. Now, at least,
he is going to send them on their
first "fishing trip.”
Let us note, however, that he
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
silage into an upright silo,
should make this transfer dur
ing cool weather. When outside
temperatures are from 30 to 50
degrees there will be less
chance of heating and molding.
The transfer should be made as
rapidly as possible.
To Consider Hi-Moisture Corn
We’re aware of growing in
terest in making hi-moisture
corn for both dairy and fatten
ing cattle. This corn can be stor
ed in any good upright silo and
lends itself to automatic feed
ing. Cultural practices do not
differ from growing any good
corn crop. This subject will,get
complete coverage at the Feb.
28 cattle feeding meeting in
the Farm and Home Center.