10—Lancaster Farming,'Saturday, July I<K 1971-
Corn Outlook Still Favorable
Reports so far indicate that the South
ern Corn Blight is spreading into all parts
of the country.
While this is not encouraging, the re
ports also indicate that the number of fields
infected is not large and that the infected
fields are widely scattered, except in some
areas, mainly in Indiana and Illinois. Ex
cept for the Southern states, which were hit
hard last year and turned largely to're
sistant seed this year the heaviest rates of
infestation appear to be generally in the
same areas that were hit hardest last
year.
It would appear that most of the infec
tions which have occurred have stemmed
from shelling and moving corn which was
infected last year.
We’re not sure what this means yet.
One obvious recommendation which has al
ready been made many times is that farm
ers should not shell or handle blighted corn
in such a way that it will contribute to the
spread of blight.
We recognize, however, that this may
run contrary to economical management on
the particular farm. Animals simply have
to continue eating and economy dictates
that the farmer continue using manage
ment practices and equipment which is
'available to meet the needs.
However, the farmer should weigh pos
sible adverse effects on his corn crop of
spreading blight against additional costs
which may be incurred in using other feed
Water Pollution
Our report in the July 3 issue on the
water survey by elementary agricultural
students in the Eastern Lancaster County
School District may have presented some,
surprises to some of our readers.
But the basic finding that about half of
nearly 800 water systems checked in the
New Holland area are polluted actually is
not news to many officials who are aware of
Lancaster County geology and water tables
and conditions. Many of these officials have
been saying for years that a very high per
cent, possibly half, of all non-public water
systems in the county are polluted.
The importance of the Eastern School
District survey is that it is the first exten
sive and reliable survey which has been
made to confirm what has always been
suspected.
While it is obvious that many citizens
have been using polluted water for years
without any known adverse effects on
health, it is also true that in some instances
polluted water has been at least a contribut
ing factor in adverse health. In addition,
polluted water poses future disease and
health problems.
Looking to the future, it is clear that as
farm operations, particularly the number of"
livestock and volume of animal waste, in
creases along with new residential develop
ment, the pollution problem will grow.
Actually, the pollution problem will
likely grow much faster than the numbers of
animals and people because of build-ups of
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P. O. Box 266 - Lititz, Pa. 17543
Office: 22 E Main St., Lititz, Pa. 17543
Phone; Lancaster 394-3047 or Lititz 626-2191
Robert G. Campbell, Advertising Director
Zane Wilson, Managing Editor
Subscription price; $2 per year in Lancaster
County: S 3 elsewhere
Established November 4,1955
Published every Saturday by Lancaster
Farming, Lititz, Fa.
Second Class Postage paid at Lititz, Pa.
17543.
Member of Newspaper Farm Editors Assn.
Pa. Newspaper Publishers Association, and
National Newspaper Association
sources until the present corn crop
matures.
Based on reports so far this year and
experience gained last year, we believe
that it is too early to predict what the blight
will do to the crop this year.
It would appear that the blight needs
moist conditions .to spread effectively.
Moist conditions in corn fields usually do
not occur extensively until the corn crop is
near maturity. As the stalks near full
growth and the corn begins to form—this
is the period when the ground will be
shaded and moist conditions can occur.
The extent of moisture, however, will de
pend very heavily on weather.
With hot, dry weather, blight apparent
ly would have a hard time causing much
damage. But with cloudy, humid and wet
weather conditions would be ideal for
spread of blight and damage to the corn
. crop.
• Weather so far has been nearly ideal
for corn production and the crop is off to a
vigorous start. This in itself should be
favorable. Healthy and vigorous corn, as
well as early corn, we are informed, is
much less subject to blight than corn which
is under stress and late in maturing.
Overall, despite early infestation, re
ports so far indicate that the local corn
crop outlook continues to be. favorable.
While this could change rapidly, we think
farmers should still be optimisitic at this
time.
- What to Do?
pollution which already exist and because
nature tends to purify a certain level of
waste, but at a certain point it cannot do so
any longer. The evidence is growing that
the point at which nature can take care of
the pollution problem has already been
passed.
The key question, of course, is what to
do about the problem.
We suggest that at the very minimum,
persons using well or spring systems be
aware of whether their water is polluted by
having periodic tests made. This way, if
health problems do occur, the water can be
checked out as a possible source of the
problem.
Better still, possible clearing up of the
problem should be studied. Sometimes, the
water system can be improved to eliminate
sources of contamination. Or we under
stand that chlorinators or ultra violet light
systems can be installed to eliminate prob
lems stemming from coliform.
In attempting to solve the problem,
care should be taken to deal with reliable
persons to make sure there really is a prob
lem and that any actions taken actually do
solve the problem. Reliable laboratory an
alysis is just as important in evaluating the
condition of water as it is in determining
the condition of soil and fertilizer needs.
If the problem is high nitrate count,
however, it cannot be economically treated
in a private water system. Since nitrate
poisoning can be fatal to infants during
their first few months of life, persons with
infants on water systems with high nitrate
counts should definitely find an alternative
water source during the crucial period of
infancy.
Farmers should keep in mind that
animals can also be poisoned by high con
centrations of nitrates in water. While we
have no indication that this is a factor in
animal deaths locally, it should be consider
ed as a possibility if unexplained deaths do
occur.
An obvious solution is a public water
system. However, this is extremely expen
sive and impractical in most rural areas.
While there is no uniform solution to
this problem of contaminated water, farm
ers should remain aware that the problem
is extensive and can affect both their
families and their fanning operations.
NOW IS
THE TIME..
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
To Control Wasps
Hornets, yellow jackets, and
wasps are all of the wasp family
and should be controlled. They
are getting more common m
many areas and often attack hu
mans and may cause serious ill
ness. Most of these stinging in
sects may be eliminated by
spraying their nests at night,
when there is less danger of
getting stung, with a chlordane
spray; aersol bombs may be
bought containing materials to
kill all members of the wasp
family. It is suggested that
heavy clothing and a bee veil
be worn to reduce danger of
serious stings.
To Beware of Lightning
An old saying that lightning
never strikes in the same place
twice may be but it is
certain that some places are
more dangerous than others
during electrical storms. The
greatest danger period is just
Help Us Serve You
Don’t assume we know about your farm organization’s
meeting. To get your meeting on our Farm Calendar, it’s
safer to assume we don’t know.
Remind us by calling 394-3047 or 626-2191 or by writing
to Lancaster Farming, 22 E. Main St., Lititz, Pa. 17543.
You’ll be helping us to serve you better,
P.S. If you’re not sure you told us already, we don’t
mind hearing from you again.
THE PROBLEM
WITH GOOD MEN
Lesson for July 11,1971
Background Scripture: Deuteronomy 17:
14*20, Judges 9 B-15, Mark 12 13-17;
Romans 13*1*7, Timothy 2 I*6
Devotional Reading* Romans 12*1*13
Reinhold Niebuhr, the great
American theologian, once noted
that “not much evil is done by
evil men.” To the contrary, “most
of the evil is done by good people
who do not know that they are
not good.” Along this same line
he concluded that
the First World
War had been
“made inevitable
not by bad peo-.-
pie who plotted
against the peace
of the world but
by good people
who had given
_ . . over their con-
Rev. Althouse science into the
keeping of their various political
groups.”
The problem with “fatness"
Niebuhr was commenting on
the tragic tendency of Christians
to “leave politics” to others. Many
of the failures of our society can
be attributed to a failure of
Christian citizenship All too of
ten we have been content to live
our complacent lives quite indif
ferent to rendering any more to
‘ Caesar" than we have had to.
This is the meaning of the par
able which Jotham tells in Judges
9.8-15. The occasion of the par
able is a crisis in the life of the
Hebrew confederacy. Gideon, the
great man of God, is dead. One of
his descendents, Abimelech, an
evil man, has successfully plotted
before the rain begins to fall.
Single trees out in the open or
wire fences are especially dan
gerous places during electrical
storms. It is not uncommon for
a single bolt of lightning to
kill a group of cattle under a
tree or along a wire fence.
When losses do occur, farmers
are urged to get a veterinarian
examination to verify the cause
of death; this will be needed
for insurance claims.
To Draw Soil Samples
The summer seeding of alfal
fa is less than a month away
and small grain fields will soon
be prepared for the fall seed
ings. To have a complete soil
on this ground is good soil man
agement and strongly recom
mended. Soil that needs lime
should have it worked into the
topsoil before the legume or
small grain seeding is made.
Lime and fertilizer go together
for maximum crop yields.
the deaths of almost all Gideon’s
other descendents. Ruthlessly, he
seizes power for his own selfish
aims
Jotham, one of the few of Gid
eon’s other descendents who es
capes, tries to rally the good but
indifferent men of Shechem. Abi
melech’s tryanny is possible, he
realizes, so long as the men of
Schechem fail to respond to his
challenge. So he tells them a
story of how one time the trees
sought a king. Going first to the
noble olive tree, they ask: “Reign
over us” (Judges 9:8), but the
olive tree responds: “Shall I leave
my fatness, by which gods and
men are honored, and go and
sway over the trees?”
Unfortunately, the olive tree
loved its prosperous existance
and did not want it disturbed for
the sake of exercising responsibil
ity. The same was also true of the
fig tree and the vine. Thus, be
cause the capable trees refused to
rule, the trees in desperation
turned to one who was not fit to
rule, but at least willing: “Then
all the trees said to the bramble,
‘Come you, and reign over us!”
(9:14). And the least capable
tree of all became the ruler.
Tyranny doesn’t “just happen”
One of the things that this par
able should teach us is that poor
government, corruption, and even
tyranny do not “just happen.”
Wc find ourselves ruled by evil
men, very often, not because they
have waged a campaign to seduce
us, but because we have actively
(not passively) allowed them to
fill the vacuum of leadership in
our communities and nations. In
the parable, the bramble bush did
not seek to become king; the
trees turned to him’.because the
capable trees could not be both
ered with' the responsibility
The problem with good men,
all too often, is that they sit
back and leave the world to those
who are not good.
(Based on outlines copyrighted by the
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Released by Community Press Service.)