4
-rLancaster Farming, Saturday, November 1, 1969
from Where We
Timeliness Puts You
Dollars Ahead
The Lancaster County Farmer these
days must skillfully combine land, labor,
capital and management to produce the dif
ferent raw products he sells. It certainly is
no secret that his investment in land, live
stock and equipment runs between $lOO,OOO
and $200,000. Being self-employed, his in
vestment often is greater than the busi
nesses in Ephrata, Quarryville, Mt. Joy or
any other local town.
Usually the farmer is quick to substitute
capital for labor mainly because good labor
is hard to find. And he will use herbicides,
insecticides, fertilizers and improved hy
brids, etc., to increase his farm income. But
too often, he does not recognize the value of
time. Or should we say timeliness.
Take for instance planting and harvest
ing corn. Purdue University’s William Uhrig
reports that delayed planting from May
2 until May 30 decreased the yield on a
full season corn hybrid by 19 bushels per
acre average for 5 years at the Northwest
lowa Experiment farm. And harvesting be
fore serious lodging set in also increased
total income for the farmer. All a matter of
timing.
Weather influences crop production and
farmers have the same number of days to
plant five acres or 150 acres. So to simply
say a day’s time is worth x number of dol
lars does not quite tell the story. At times, a
farmer might well add $lOO or $2OO an hour
to his income by getting a given job done on
time. One example given by Uhrig showed
farm income increased by $3,860 through
higher yields from more timely operations.
So, take a vacation when the work load
is a little slack. Farmers need more of
them. But when critical work periods are
pressing, get as much of it done as possible
on time. Do everything possible outside this
short critical time period like spreading
fertilizer, preparing seedbeds, etc. Hire
some extra labor or get some custom work
done.
Jobs done on time will put you dollars
ahead at income tax time. At least that’s the
way it looks from where we stand.
Dangerous Manure Pits
Everyone knows about the incendiary
tendencies of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow as a re
sult of the great Chicago fire.
Few, however, know that bovines are
four-legged bombs. To be more precise
and as delicate as possible a certain by
product of the dairy industry produces no
less than four gases, at least one of which is
highly explosive.
Now, most persons might think this to
be an esoteric perhaps almost non-exis
tent problem.
But W. J. Fletcher of the National Safe
ty Council’s Farm department says that’s
not true.
Gases from manure pits, Fletcher says,
have caused both human and animal
deaths.
In fact, an explosion caused by one of
these gases methane is known to have
literally lifted a dairy barn from its founda
tions.
Fletcher who was born and raised in
farm country says that in the good old
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P. 0. Box 268 - 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.
Stand...
days the only safety precaution necessary
with manure was to watch your step.
Urban sprawl and a labor shortage,
have changed all that.
Today’s farmer, relies more and more
on confinement feeding that is, you keep
the cows in the barn and the pit storage
of manure.
The manure drops through slots in the
barn floor directly into storage pits below.
Disposal is not required for several
months, which helps to drastically cut labor
costs.
All this would seem like progress, parti
cularly to anyone who has ever had to
shovel manure with a pitch fork.
Unfortunately, however, potentially ha
zardous gases primarily ammonia, car
bon dioxide, methane and hydrogen sul
phide can, and frequently do, build up to
dangerous concentrations.
Some of these gases, particularly hy
drogen sulphide, are poisonous, and, among
other things, Fletcher advises persons work
ing in or around manure pits to use are
you ready for this? self-contained air
breathing apparatus, the same SCUBA
equipment as used by underwater sports
enthusiasts.
The situation might seem humorous but
when you consider the hazards of each of
the major gases involved you begin to rea
lize the situation isn’t particularly funny;
Ammonia, lighter than air, is highly irrita
ting and absorbed readily in water but is
easily removed by ventilation. Carbon dio
xide, heavier than air, is not detectable by
smell, but a tankful of it will suffocate a
person if he stays in the area, passing out
before he knows what’s wrong. Methane also
causes suffocation "but usually rises and
escapes a building even without ventilation.
It is explosive and can cause considerable
damage if ignited. Hydrogen sulphide has a
rotten egg smell and is poisonous. As little
as 500 parts per million will restrict breath
ing and may make artificial respiration
necessary. Levels as high as 800 parts per
million of hydrogen sulphide have been
measured at slat level over a manure pit.
It is heavier than air and almost always
present over a manure pit. Hydrogen sul
phide tends to paralyze the diaphragm.
Fletcher says any closed space may be
gas-suspect silo pits, septic tanks, even
well pits and warns that agitation of pit
contents will release large quantities of gas.
All tanks, Fletcher cautions, should be treat
ed as though they contain explosive gas.
That is, no matches or other open flames
should be permitted. The NSC agricultural
engineer makes the following specific
recommendations for manure pit work:
never work alone; use a lifeline and make
sure there is power enough to lift a victim
clear of the tank; if you must go inside a
tank, ventilate the tank before entering it
and during the work; test for combustible
gases and oxygen level with a miner’s lamp
or other testing device, not with an open
flame and use a self-contained air breathing
apparatus (SCUBA) if in doubt. Let’s see, if
Mrs. O’Leary’s cow and a lantern could
burn down almost all of Chicago, then a
manure pit can - - -. At least that’s the way
it looks from where we stand.
Across The Fence Row
Hating people is like burning down your
own house to get rid of a rat.
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 near normal with
daytime highs in the mid 50’s to low 60’s and
over-night lows in the upper 30’s to mid 40’s.
Seasonably cool through most of the period.
The normal high-low for the period is 58-39.
Precipitation may total one-half inch or
more as ram showers mostly during the first
half of the period.
Harry Fosdick
ARE YOU LISTENING?
Lesson for November 2,1969
Beckgreund Scripture: Jenmiah 7,26.52.
Dtvohonal R««din|* Jeremiah 5 22 25,
The casualty lists from the
Battle of Megiddo were a crush
ing blow to the people of Judah,
The nation staggered under the
impact of this tragic news.
Necho, Pharaoh of Egypt,
army to assist
the Assyrians
whose empire
was being eaten
iway, bit by bit,
iy the Baby
onians. In order
to protect the
region of Haran
against the
Egyptians and
keep them from
Rev. Althouse aiding Assyria,
Tfing Josiah and his forces had
engaged the invaders in a fierce
battle at the fortress of Megiddo.
Many soldiers on both sides
were lost in this battle.
Both reformer and reform
Most stunning of all was the
name that stood at the top of the
casualty list that was hurried
back to Jerusalem:
Dead: JOSIAH, King of Judah,
age 39, in the thirty-first year
of his reign,
Judah’s noblest king, the great
reformer, was dead!
And so was the reform he had
established. It was not long until,
without the force of his leader
ship, the forces of moral and
spiritual decay began the work
of turning to reality the terrible
prophecies of the Book of Law.
Two kings . . . two sons . . .
and two reformations lost!
Hezekiah’s reformation had been
willingly ruined by his son,
Manasseh. Josiah’s reform was
allowed to die by his indifferent
son and successor, Jehoiakim.
Wouldn’t Jerusalem ever learn
its lesson? A cross on a hill
named Calvary some six
centuries later seemed to answer
"No.”
So, the reformation of Judah
was lost. Jehoiakim was not
Josiah. Furthermore, sincere
and well-intentioned as it had
To Ventilate Barns
Many dairy barns are filled to
capacity and this presents a ven
tilation problem. When we see
condensation on the ceiling or
on the windows, it indicates that
more ventilation is needed; also,
consendation on ceilings may
mean that more insulation is
needed Exhaust fan systems
have woiked for many livestock
producers and are well recom
mended Publications are avail
able from your Extension Office.
To Feed Loose Salt
The common practice on many
farms is to provide block salt for
livestock; this is much better
than no salt at all, but is not as
good as to piovide loose salt for
the animals at all times We
have reports fiom livestock au
thorities that many animals will
stop licking the salt block be
cause of a soie tongue before
been, fee reformation bad nof
gone far enough or cut deeply,
enough into the life of the nation. I
It changed many of the external i
practices of the people, but It
left untouched much of the
•plrltual decay that had ao
cumulated through the years. It
was only a repair job, when what
was needed was radical surgery, l
As Jesus might have put it, It
was like sewing a patch of new,
material on an old garment^
Continuing reformation
Had he lived longer, Josfalfl
might well have carried further)
and deeper his reforms. But those
who followed him were indifr'
ferent and the reformation'
eventually died. It is not enough'
to seek renewal Just
whether it be in the life of the,
individual, the church, or the
nation. We must constantly be
engaged in reformation. George
Webber has written: "Every age, |
perhaps in our time every,
decade, demands a new,
Protestant Keformation” (God’a
Colony In Man’s World
Abingdon: 1960).
The people of Judah who had
lived during the reign of Josiah
had failed to profit by the mis
takes and lessons of the past
Their neighbor to the North,
Israel, had refused to heed
prophetic warnings from Amos
and others whom God had sent
to them. Eventually, therefore, it
was conquered and obliterated.'
Unfortunately, Judah did not
profit from Israel’s example. Just
as Israel had ignored the
warnings of Amos, so Judah
turned a deaf ear to the
prophecies of Jeremiah. As a
result, Judah fell to the Baby
lonians in 587 8.C., most of her
people being carried off into
captivity. Judah was finished,,
One reform had not been
enough.
In every age
There have been times of
renewal and reformation in out
own national life. We can look
back to "the Great Awakening"
in America of the nineteenth
century and acknowledge the
renewal it brought to our land.
But renewal and reform and
repentance must continue ia
every age. It is of little value to
honor the prophets of the past
if we, like Judah, do not heed
the prophets of today.
Thexe are prophetic voices
today. Are you listening?
(lasod on ouHmtt copyrif hf«d by th* Division
•f Christian Education, National Council of Hi*
Church** of Christ in ih» U. 5. A Ktltajtd by
Community Pross Sorvict.)
NOW
IS
THE
TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
they can get sufficient salt We
recommend that a special box be
placed in the barn or pens, away
from the weather, that will per
mit free choice at all times. This
same suggestion will hold true
for minerals.
To Control Rats
Cold weather is here and soon
the ground may be covered with
snow, this means that many ro
dents, of which the rat is the
most destructive, will be coming
into buildings and other places
for protection. We would like to
again emphasize the large
amount of damage and hazards
that a large rat population will
present. By cleaning up and by
concreting all possible nesting
places will be of great help;
poison bait stations should also
bo used at all times in order to
eliminate as many as possible.
Eary fall is the time to start the
rat control program.