—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 30,1971 4 ’7l Outlook: What will 1971 be like for the Pennsyl vania farm economy? Prices will piobably be lower than in 1970 in the early part of the year in most major livestock and poultry products be cause of increased supplies, and costs will be higher. The dairy outlook continues good, although individual producers face prob lems. The crop situation is firm because of a relatively low supply situation, caused nationally (but Pennsylvania was an excep tion) by the corn blight. In the latter part of 1971, the situation could begin to improve for most local farm ers as farmers nationally move to reduce the supply of their products in the face of lower prices and higher costs. At the same time, the consumer demand could begin to pick up in response to improvement in the national economy. These are among the findings of an assessment of the “1971 Farm Business Outlook” by the Pennsylvania State Univer sity agricultural economics Extension staff, including H L. Moore, A. K. Birth and W. F. Johnstone. The Extension men begin the report by stating, “The economy of the United States is undergoing a discomforting adjustment. It appears that the recession bottomed out shortly after midyear and there is some evidence of recovery. 1971 will be an unusu al year, since recovery will not be as rapid as in past business cycles. Recovery wall take longer because we have had only limited success in solving the serious prob lems of inflation.” The report also sees some sectors of the economy continuing to lag. Unemploy ment may show some further increase and business investments in new buildings and equipment will drag. Business profits are expected to increase slowly and further de fense cuts are likely. “ New housing, however, should give the economy a boost, but high interest rates and increasing taxes will continue to hamper in dustry, the report states. Consumers “may continue to be appre hensive,” but many have increased savings and paid off debts over the past year. Con sumers are expected to begin to spend more freely, particularly in the area of services. Overall, the Penn State farm econo mists’ forecast is one of cautious optimism, with the expectation that the year will start Fire isn’t a pleasant subject, but it is always a possibility, warns James K. Rath mell Jr., Penn State floriculture and nurs , ery agent. If fertilizers and pesticides, including all the various chemicals such as insecti cides, fungicides and herbicides, were to be invohed in a fire, certain things might happen, Rathmell warns. While Ratnmell was making his re marks for florists, w r e think his advice should also be considered by all farmers. Knowledge of what happens during a fire may help farmers take preventive steps to keep losses down if a fire should occur. * According to Rathmell, here are some of the hazards from pesticides that might be involved in a fire; A. Highly flammable or explosive. 1. Oils spray materials in oil. Con tainers may rupture or explode if overheat ed. 2. Aerosol containers just like a hand grenade! 3. Solvents Some pesticides are car ried in highly flammable and explosive sol vents. An example is xylene is used as a base for «ome soiLfumigants. 4. Dusts or powders cdn literally exi- 3. Identify, pesticide storage, on water •"'pfode, ; if ignited. “ '' l proof signs located over each entrance."AH' ' f ’’ 5; Ammonium nitrate fertilizer never sides of the building should be marked, 'store this 1 with pesticides. When this fertihz- 4.> Use a locked cabinet or storage area, '■er burns, it releases'lar£e' amounts ot oxy- away from your workroom area, gfep. This in turn will cause the fire to i 5 Tell your local fire department what With even more intensity. f-ty 2 K 4 i- ,plate'rials you have stored. Your Jocal fire 6. Calcium hypchlorite Common iise. ■■ chiet. cr- Jiis' representative may give you 4°r this.is in a swimming pool as a sanitizer. Some professional advise on the stor- It is a very reactive and powerful oxidizer. age of your pesticides. Pesticides and Fire will explode, Cautious Optimism out slow for most sectors of farming and gradually pick up through the year. The optimism is based largely on the assump tion that the national economy will imprpve gradually; if economy does something else, then the forecast would have to be revised accordingly. In making their own plans for the next year or more, farmers should recall that the economists generally have been wrong about the farm economy for the past two years. Failure to make the proper projec tions in recent years-have stemmed largely, it appears, from a failure to correctly anti cipate the direction of the national econo my In 1969, farmers were projected to have a so-so year, based on the expectation that the national economy would be a normal one. But inflation became rampant, con sumers had lots of money to spend and they spent a large share of it for top quality food items, including beef, pork, poultry and eggs. Farm prices were unusually good. In the face of good prices, many key segments of farm production were expand ed. This was notably true of eggs and pork. Despite increased production, most econo mists projected a good demand and con tinued high farm prices in 1970. But just when the larger output of farm products began to hit the market in the lat ter half of 1970, the federal government be gan to push the pamc button on inflation. The anti-inflation drive began to work, un employment rose sharply, the boom slowed down. The result was that beginning late last year, farmers were hit from both sides by increased production and decreased de mand for their products. In recent months, farmers have been moving to cut back production, particularly eggs and pork, while the national economy has been moving slowly toward revitaliza tion. If these trends continue, if farmers nationally continue to show restraint on production and if the national economy con tinues to improve the demand for farm products, 1971 should turn out to be another good year for Pennsylvania farmers. This is particularly true because the corn blight damage last year was minimal in Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania farmers are getting off to a better start in 1971 than farmers in most other areas. B. Toxic fumes or smoke dangerous to people. ' , 1. Organophosphates and carbamates can be highly toxic. Parathion is a phos- phate 2 Chlorinated hydrocarbons toxic, 3 Solvent fumes. — toxic. 4. Plastic flower pots depends on plastic material used, but can produce toxic tumes. C. Toxic fumes or smoke dangerous to plants. 1. Herbicides the smoke may kill or injure plants some distance from the fire. D. Water run-off from fire hoses. 1. Can be highly toxic, if it carries a heavy concentration of pesticides or other chemicals. 2. May be toxic to people, plants, and animals. Some of the materials can be ab sorbed directly into the skin. 3. May run off into the ponds, streams, lakes, etc. and cause serious pollution prob lems. What to Do? RathmelLadvises: 1. Use separate building, it possible, for storing pesticides. 2. Store herbicides in a separate area from the other pesticides. To Provide Free Choice count against a heavy load ofj ... , , dung locks. In addition to Water, loose salt and min- we ' suggest' the use of, eials aie very important o 'he Qod shavi or ch sawdust maximum gams or production t or shredded o. every farm ammaL Producws J odder Wlth greater corn acre aie uiged to provide these items many farms stalks thafc at all times to then flocks or - into the sllo could be held Loose salt is recommend- shredde(J for beddlng . ed over block salt because or greater consumption followed by gi eater intake of water Minerals To Transfer Silage will help with the digestive pro- , ■ cesses and increase breeding ef- Some producers have made ficiency Some of these smallersilage in bunker or above-ground items in management will help storages until part of the silage obtain more efficient f ed f lom their upright silos, and gains if this material is to be moved into the upnght silo for auto; To Recognize Bedding Problemmatic feeding, it is suggested that it be done before warni The shortage of straw isweather arrives The months of reaching more farms each win-February and March would be ter and the purchase price makes a desirable time. When moved it a questionable practice How-in warm weather there is greater ever, most animals do need somedanger of heating, especially if bedding in older to be reason-the silage is on the dry side. It ably clean and especially in the should be moved as rapidly a$ dairy industry Fattening cattle possible and will make good w ill survive with limited bed-feed if the air was sealed out of: ding but some-buyers may dis-it in the temporary storage. , RUMBLINGS IN THE VINEYARD! Lesson for January 31; 1971 Background Serlpftir*: Matthew 1f.23 through 20*16. At the beginning of the twen tieth century, most Christians were Europeans, Russians, or North Americans. By the beginn ing of the next century, however, it is predicted that Christianity will have shifted its base in a southerly direc tion and will be' well on its way to becoming pre dominantly a re ligion of non whites. Africa, Asia, and Latin America will most „ .itt. likely be its new Rev. Althouse , focus. highly The “others" who will come in By the end of this century, ac cording to a report of the Africa Department of the National Coun cil of Churches, the number of African, for example, will be about 351 million or 46 per cent of the continent’s population. In 1900, by comparison, thera were about 4 million African Christ ians, or 3 per cent of the total population of Africa. “For sheer size and rapidity of growth,” says a National Council spokesman, “this must be one of the most spectacular stories in history. This tremendous growth of Afri can Christianity may “well give Christianity a permanent non- Western base.” It may not be too far-fetched, say some observers, to envision a day when mission aries Trofn Africa and Latin. America might be sent to evan gelize in the very Western coun tries that first brought the gospel to them. -Many of us will have two dif. ferent reactions to this news. Oa~ the one hand there will be i a feel ing of gratification. Afters these years of struggling' and NOW IS THE TIME... By Max Smith Lancaster County Agent worrying over our overseas mis*; sions efforts, it seems they are to, hear fruit perhaps beyond our,' greatest dreams. How wonderful, to know that the Gospel has made such great progress in what we| once called “the dark continent.'* "Our Vineyard” > Yet, mixed with the elation ofj -this “success story” there majjj be feelings of disquiet Supposq Christianity should become “pre dominantly a religion of non; whites?” Suppose the next cett tury should give Christianity “« permanent non-Western base?” We have long believed that ths nonwhite had a place in Chris* tianity. We have-prepared that place and everything has beea fine so long as they have stayed within it. Until now they have al ways seemed to know their place; we are the “Daddy’s” and they are the “children.” T Today, however, they are not staying in their place. According to the article, they are beginning to move up into our place, and that shakes us up. I For too long we have regarded the Church as “our vineyard.? We broke the soil, planted the seeds, tended the vines— the fruit is ours to dispense as we please! But we are quite wrong and have always ben wrong about the vineyard: it is not ours, it never has been, it never will beL The Church belongs to God, n* matter who erected its paid its debts, or held its offices^ ... "What belongs to me” | It has never belonged to thp Western world. Anglo-Saxons got the Good News from Italians and Greeks, and these got itfronji Jews. It began, not in the West, but in the Near East and among its first converts were black Copr tics and brown Egyptians. 1 Many of us have come to look upon the Church as many re garded the Kingdom in Jesusf time. They thought it belonged 5 to them and when Jesus told oi. “outsiders” coming in, they wen i. upset. Thus, in the parable, thi owner of the vineyard says to thi i malcontented: -Friend,-1 am d<] - itg you no. wrong ~. .-Am I no: allowed to do, what I choose witl t what belongs to me?” It is that same question whic! t God poses to those who murine r in his vineyard today. (>£s*d ton pyH!nts A Division of ChristtQn Eduction, Notional S® o " 6 * l ®f ■Jh® CHurchts if Christ jin Mho U 5.A. Rtleased | by Comqiunfly , Pf*»
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers