- Lancaster Farming. Saturday. December 13. 1960
4
From Where We
At The Check-Out
Counter
Recently, we were in a grocery store at
the check-out counter and the lady in front
of us was complaining about the high cost
of food "If you could only stop eating." she
said, “you would not ha\e it so bad."
Sure we know food prices have increas
ed in recent months. And >et. despite food
price increases, disposable income has in
creased even faster; thus, relatue to family
income, food prices are actuallj down.
The United States Department of Agricul
ture recently reported that in 1968, the per
cent of disposable income spent for food
dropped to 16 8 per cent and was expected
to go down to 16 5 per cent in 1969 the low
est point in history. The decline has con
tinued consistently for the past 20 years.
And a food chain association thinks
further reductions can be expected in the
future as incomes go up and the food in
dustry adopts new technological innovations
which will assist in keeping distribution
costs from rising faster than wage increases
for food business employees.
We don't know about that. But we do
know that other countries don’t stack up
very well along side the American consum
er when it comes to using disposable in
come for food. The people of northern Euro
pean countries must set aside about 30 per
cent of their disposable income for food;
Mediterranean countries and Japan, about
40 per cent; and Russia, 50 per cent.
The lady at the check-out counter real
ly had no true gripe. At least that’s the way
it looks from where we stand.
Winter Comes Again
Most of the U.S. is blessed with four
distinct seasons determined by the rhythm
ic movement of celestial bodies. As the sun
moves North in the spring, it crosses an
imaginary line, and 10, it is summer. In the
fall, it works its way South until it again
crosses this imaginary line, and we have en
tered winter.
The metabolism of nature is so finely
balanced that not a living creature escapes
the influence of the seasons. As winter ap
proaches, the sap recedes from the trees,
small creatures burrow into the ground and
store up stocks of food, animals put on their
winter coats and man surrounds himself
with a thousand and one wonderous con
trivances of technology that make winter
one of the most enjoyable periods of the
year.
Yes, winter is nearly here It arrives
December 21 just one jump ahead of
Santa Claus Whatever man’s other accom
plishments, it is doubtful if he can ever
change the march of the seasons. Those
who wish to beat old man winter have but
one recourse. They can follow the sun, as it
m South. For those who live in the
North, the time has come to get out the
Christmas tree trimmings, sleighs and pop
corn poppers, and enjoy the days of the new
season
Farm News This Week
Poultry Symposium Airs New
Ideas In Waste Disposal Page 1
Farmers Asked To Separate
Moldy Tobacco Page 1
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P. O Box 268 - Lititz, Pa 17543
Office 22 E. Mam St, Lititz, Pa 17543
Phone- Lancaster 394-3047 or Lititz 626-2191
Everett R Newswangcr, Editor
Robeit G Campbell, Adveitising Director
Subscription price $2 per year in Lancaster
County; $3 elsewhei e
Established Novembei 4, 1955
Published eveiy Satuidav by Lancaster
Farming, Lititz, Pa
Second Class Postage paid at Lititz, Pa.
17543.
Member of Newspaper Farm Editors Assn.
Stand. ..
The Christmas Spirit
Theologians and historians may have
many interpretations of Christmas. But, in
our own country, as in other lands, no mat
ter how it is observed, the power of Christ
mas makes itself felt in every home. Even
the most cynical must bow before the moy
ing experience of Christmas. Perhaps this is
the best evidence of the authenticity of the
events of nearly 2000 years ago that intro
duced reverence and humility in the life of
man.
Christianity has given man a con
science, a sense of right and wrong and a
determination to appear worthy in the eyes
of his creator. The tenets of Christianity are
the basis of modern civilization. They stand
between man and the jungle from which he
emerged so long ago. Much of the confusion,
much of the strife and intellectual decay we
see around us today but reflect a denial of
the ancient truths that have guided Chris
tian behavior for some twenty centuries.
As we approach another Christmas Sea
son, we should try to analyze the thing we
call the Christmas spirit. It is far more than
good cheer, happy Christmas cards and pre
sents under the Christmas tree. The Christ
mas spirit separates man from the beast.
Christmas is a time of renewal, as well as
rejoicing. It is the most important moment
of the year.
Across The Fence Row
Good Timber
The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light.
That stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of ram
Never became a forest king.
But lived and died a scrubby thing
The man who never had to toil
To heaven from the common soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man,
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow in ease —
The stronger wind, the tougher trees,
The farther sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the
strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snows,
In tree or man good timber grows.
Where thickest stands the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both;
And they hold converse with the stars.
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and utmost strife—
This is the common law of life.
If fifty million people say a foolish thing,
it is still a foolish thing. Anatole France
You would probably not worry about
what people think of you if you could know
how seldom they do.
If a speaker does not strike oil in ten
minutes he should stop boring.
Local Weather Forecast
(From the U. S. Weather Burean 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 40’s and over-night
lows in the 20’s. Cool on Saturday with some
moderation Sunday. Cool again Monday
and Tuesday and moderating again Wednes
day.
Precipitation may total one-fourth to
one-half inch as rain or snow showers Sun
day or Monday and again at the end of the
period.
Lesson for December 14,1969
ft«4frwnd Scriptural Pulmi I] 119 1-16, liV«
I 57 Ihfowqh 2 3
D«v»h«n«l tiWinf Piolmil3o.
And (hey all lived happily ever
after. Perhaps it seems that that
is the way the Old Testament
ought to end. But It doesn’t.
The people of Israel had
certainly had their up’s and
down’s. Led. out of Egyptian
ym captivity by
Moses and
’ wandering in the
wilderness of
Sinai for forty
years, they had
finally come to
the Promised
Land of Ca
naan. Under
Saul and David
they had be
come, at least for a short while,
a united monarchy. Yet, at the
death of Solomon, the nation had
been split into two, never again
to re-umte. Both ruled by a suc
cession of many bad kings and
a few good ones, the two nations
grew farther and farther away
from the covenant relationship
with God. Consequently, in 726
8.C., Israel was carried into cap
tivity by Assyria and in 586 B.C.
Judah fell to the Babylonians.
Thus began the long exile and
the days of longing to return.
Not “happily ever after”
During the exile the prophets
counseled the Jews with the
promise of a new restoration
which God would send. At last,
when the Persians had replaced
the Babylonians, the Jews were
allowed to return to their home
land. Some did return and we
have been studying the story of
how they began to rebuild both
the city and the temple under the
leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.
And that is where the Old
Testament narrative ends. We
leave the returned exiles rebuild
ing the Jewish state. When we
enter the New testament, we find
that roughly four centuries have
elapsed and many ciienges have
taken place which indicate that
these people had not lived "hap
pily ever after.”
—D. Malloch
To Get Income Tax Guide
The filing of a proper income Many local soils are low in
tax reports seems to get more available phosphorus; complete
important each year; theie are soil tests reveal this shortage,
many changes and many small Livestock men may supplement
details that may turn out to be their barnyard manure by adding
v f. important All farmers and supei phosphate in the gutters of
a oiks helping farmers to file dany barns or with the bedding
a tax report are urged to get an i a ca ttle pens. This will help
ncome Tax Guide and be pre- keep the barn more sanitary and
pared- will add one of the very import
ant fertilizer elements to the
manuie.
To Provide Salt And Minerals
ll t ve f ock should have free Joe Kubarich was the only
. t iA ° Salt and minera * s Notre Dame football coach
a a 1 times They are many ways never to have a losing record
to do this but both of these items
should be provided from a con- The southernmost point in the
tamer under roof and out of U m ted States is South Cape,
the weather Block salt is too Hawan - ’
commonly used because many Bright’s disease is named af
ammals may not get sufficient ter Richard Bright, an English
salt before their tongde becomes > physiciah.'. >
sore Both salt and minerals are The Green Bay Packers won
-important to efficient gams and’the first two Super Bowls in
production. 1967 and 1968.
STILL LOOKIN6
Read Lancaster Farming
For Full Market Reports
"\Vhat hnd liapf .■'n.d In thoi#
four hundred yonra h told In
purl In the Appocryphn. the
writings that arc not Included In
Protestant versions of the Bible.
Protestant reformers held that
these hooks were not authorita
tive as scripture. For the most
part, thev were written in and
are about the period that sepa
rates the Old and New Testa
ments.
A history of domination
Actually, the restoration after
the Babylonian exile hnd never
been full or complete. Cyrus had
allowed them to return to Jerusa
lem and rebuild the nation under
his protection, but that did not
mean thev were free and indepen
dent. When, in turn, the Persian
rule was ended and replaced by
the Macedonians under Alexander
the Great and his successors, the
situation remained very much the
same.
The conquest of the Jewish
state by the Greek King of Syria,
Antiochus 11, at the beginning of
the second century B.C. had a
serious effect upon the Jews.
Already threatened and divided
bv the Greek culture (Hellenism),
their faith was threatened with
extinction. A priest named
Matthias, slew the Syrian officer
sent to erect a heathen alter m a
place named Modein. From that
act of defiance, there was ignited,
first an underground resistance,
then guerilla warfare, and finally
open armed conflict, that drove
out the oppressors and regained
Jewish independence once again.
The revolt was led by the sons
of Matthias, particularly by Judas
Maccbaeus, for w'hom the era is
named.
Puppets again
This family ruled briefly until
the rise of Rome brought new
domination and internal division.
The nation was divided and ruled
by a number of Roman puppet
rulers, the situation which we find
as the New Testament opens.
Despite the end of the Baby
lonian exile and the brave new
beginning, the messianic prop
hecies had not been fulfilled. Jews
still looked for God to send a
Messiah to usher in a new dayfor
Israel.
It was in response to this need
and into this world that Jfeus
came.
(Based an outlines copyrighted lay the Division
•( Christian Education, National Council of the
Churches of Christ m Hie U* S. A* Released by
Community Press Service}
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
To Add Phosphate