—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Jan. 4, 1975
10
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Farm Commentary
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FARM SHOWTIME
Last year we reminded our readers
to fill up before they went to the Farm
Show because they might not be able
to get gas in Harrisburg No need for
that warning this year You can have
all the gas you want at 55-cents a
gallon
Farm show director Wellington
Smith has high hopes for the revenue
to be gained from the $1 parking fee
we talk about in our page one story
His only fear is a traffic jam resulting
from folks who are a little slow about
getting their dollar out We hope
everything runs smoothly It’s a cinch
the Farm Show folks need the money,
and it’s sure a small price to pay for
the biggest agricultural exhibit in the
Northeast
One of our favorite Farm Show
highlights is that row of booths along
the East wall of the mam exhibition
building That's where you find some
of Pennsylvania's finest eating
Everybody gripes about the Farm
Show weather, but honestly, won’t
you feel something’s missing if you
don’t have to wade through three
inches of slush to get to the arena 7
Incidentally you’ll have to pay to
park at the mam parking lot, but
parking’s still free at the Harrisburg
Area Community College campus
CLEAN AND GREEN BILL
House Bill 1056 was finally signed
into law the other week This
preferential farm tax measure had
rocky going for awhile, with the
Pennsylvania Farmers Association
and the Pennsylvania Grange at odds
over key provisions The two groups,
though, worked with legislators
towards a compromise
The law allows farmers to pay tax
on actual farm value of their land,
rather than its potential value for
development It also allows them to
sell off some land each year, and it
contains a rollback provision which
requires farmers to pay back any tax
savings if they sell for development
Although the measure has been
touted as a land use bill, many farm
leaders think of it as a means of
releivmg tax pressures on farmers
The farmer who can’t afford to pay
taxes on inflated property values
can’t afford to stay in farming
County boards of assessment will
have the authority to decide on fair
values for farmland in their individual
counties
HAPPY NEW YEAR -
WE HOPE
Forecasters are predicting
generally gray skies for the nation’s
economy in 1975, but many of them
are saying that things aren't going to
be as black as some people think
In our page one progostication this
week, Lancaster County Agent Max
Smith tells us that good managers
should be able to weather the
economic perils of the year ahead, so
sharpen up those pencils
TOBACCO MARKETING BEGINS
Tobacco buying got oft to a roaring
start this week, with A K Mann
Tobacco Company paying to 60 cents
a pound for some of the 1975 crop
This price is up quite a bit from last
year’s average of about 53-cents a
pound and the high last year
3-cent range
The tobacco being sold at 60 cents
was all Pennsylvania Type 41 top
grade sorted binder tobacco
Maryland seed tobacco sold earlier
went for 75-cents a pound to out-of
state buyers Most growers of the
Maryland type tobacco are con
centrated in the Eastern portion of
the county
A COOPTHAT PAYS
With all the hoo-ha about failing
cooperatives lately, we were cheered
this week when we read about the
Maryland Cooperative Milk
Producers, Baltimore The MCMP
board of directors told their 960
members recently that the coop
management would be returning a
total of $238,000 to members as a
result of a $589,000 savings on
operations in the first ten months of
1974
MCMP business manager R L
Strock said the total savings for 1974
are expected to top 5700,000. with
the balance of around 5450,000
being distributed to members this
coming September
CANADIAN CLAMPDOWN ON
BEEF IMPORTS
The recent unilateral decision by
Canada to place quotas on its cattle
and beef imports is expected to
severely inhibit U S livestock trade
with Canada - by far the largest
foreign market for US livestock and
meat Reflecting in part problems
with Canada’s new beef grading
system which places a premium on
lean meat over the traditionally
preferred well marbled meat, the new
quota could mean a total loss of over
5100 million in our livestock and
meat trade
CATTLE GAIN WELL ON
WOOD PULP
Animal nutritionists with USDA s
Agricultural Research Service report
that wastes from paper mills may
. provide food energy for cattle in the
future Researchers have found that
cattle grow well and gam weight
rapidly on diets consisting of up to 75
percent pulp fines - they tiny wood
fibers which sift through the screens
used in making paper An estimated
1 7 million tons of wood pulp and
papermaking fiber residues are
produced annually in the United
States and currently these waste
products are burned or used as
landfill The USDA researchers fed
beef heifers a diet consisting of 50
percent pulp fines for 99 days and
found that these heifers gained
weight more rapidly than heifers fed
a control diet of hay When nine
pregnant heifers were fed a diet of 75
percent pulp fines, weight gam, calf
birth weight, and calving problems
were no different than with heifers
fed the hay
HIRED FARMWORKERS
About 2 7 million persons age 14
and over made up the 1973 hired
farm working force The group’s
profile reveals most where young
white males who lived in nonfarm
areas About half - primarily students
and housewives - were not in the
labor force most of the year and only
27 percent were engaged chiefly in
farm work The number of migratory
workers has been rising slightly since
1971, but the nonmigratory group
showed a 6 percent drop during 1973
after increasing during the 2
preceding years Last year’s decrease
in the number of hired farmworkers
was greatest in the South and among
seasonal workers, reflecting the
reduction in cotton acreage and m
the production of poultry
THE. MASTER
TEACHER
Leuon for January 5,1974
Background Scripture:
Matthew 5:17-48; 7:24-29;
10:24,25a, 13:33-52.
Devotional Reading: Psalms
78:1-8.
One of the most beautiful
afternoons of my life was
spent on a lovely hillside
overlooking the Sea of
Galilee. Having visited this
spot, the traditional Mount of
the Sermon, with a tour
group in December of 1973,1
determined last May on a
second visit to Israel that I
would spend some time at
this place alone.
I sat in the shaded garden
next to the graceful Italian
chapel and from my little red
New Testament I read the
Sermon on the Mount. The
familiar words took on a new
significance for me as the
Master Teacher spoke to my
heart.
. . These words
of mine ...”
As many were drawn to
Jesus because of his healing
works, others were attracted
because, as one of his
disciples put it, “You have
the words of eternal life ”
Men came to him, not only to
be healed, but also to learn,
to grow, mature.
They learned that the
teachings of Jesus, new and
different as they might
seem, were neither of these
His teachings were linked to
the teachings they already
knew What seemed dif
ferent was both the intensity
of these words and their
tendency to m ake clear what
before had been obscure “I
ha\e not come to abolish
them." said this Master
Teacher, but to fulfill
them" (Matthew 5 17)
His intention, of fulfilling
them, was to make clear
their purpose and intention,
to push them to their highest
application His teaching
always pointed beyond the
letter of the law to the spirit
“ For I tell you, unless your
righteousness exceeds that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven” (5 20)
Hearing and doing
Something else that was
significant about the
teachings of Jesus was the
imperative he set upon them
as well as hearing them.
Jesus was not dealing with
“nice words,” although one
would often think today that
that was their purpose. The
words were for instruction as
well as inspiration. Jesus
had great disdain for “pretty
words” that did not become
deeds.
The writer of Matthew
tells us two reactions to
Jesus’ teaching. “the
crowds were astonished”
and they regarded him as a
teacher with real
“authority.” Unlike their
scribes who were officially
recognized authorities, this
man taught them in a way
that needed no certification.
What he said touched
responsive chords within
their own minds and hearts.
His words had the ring of
truth.
One of the interesting
things he taught them about
truth is its pervasive in
fluence. Holding up a
parable, he said: “The
I
■fir
To Order Supplies
Farm planning for the 1975
season should be done soon.
This will require evaluation
of the farm records and
major decisions regarding
the enterprises to be ex
panded or stressed for the
year. The ordering of sup
plies should take priority
because many materials
may not be available later in
the spring. This is always
good advice but more im
portant this year. Dealers
will appreciate advance
orders in order to plan their
work load and make
agreements for their needs.
To Stress Forages
Feed costs are a major
item in all livestock
operations and every
producer should make an
effort to keep his costs as low
as possible. Under present
gram prices it is timely to
get as many of the feed
nutrients from quality
roughages rather than from
grains and concentrates.
Gains and production may
not break any records when
forage crops are utilized
more, but net returns from
the enterprise could be
greater Under present feed
costs prices, it appears that
Farm
Calendar
Mon., Jan. 1
Pennsylvania Farm Shows
opens, Harrisburg.
8 00 p m. - Lancaster County
Poultry Association
monthly meeting, Farm
and Home Center.
Thurs.. Jan. 9
Last day of Pennsylvania
Farm Show.
Tues., Jan. 14
Mid-Atlantic No-Till
meeting, near Baltimore,
Md. Sponsored by three
state extension group.
Contact county agents for
details.
7:45 p.m. - Ephrata Area
Young Farmers dairy
calf management
meeting. Ephrata Sr. H.
S. Ag department.
7:45 p.m. - Garden Spot
Young Farmer dairy
breeding management
meeting. Garden Spot
High School.
Fri., Jan. 17
Ephrata Junior Ag Club
annual field trip to Tioga
County to cut browse for
deer. Through January
19.
kingdom of heaven is like
leaven which a woman took
and hid in three measures of
flour, till it was all leavened”
(13:33). A little bit of truth
can change the whole world.
Mere words spoken on an
obscure Galilean hillside,
but with these words the
Master Teacher has changed
the course of mankind.
(Based on outlines
copyrighted by the Division
of Christian Education,
National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A. Released by Com
munity Press Service.)
NOW IS
THE TIME...
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
both livestock and dairy
operators will have to give
more attention to feed
nutrients from the forage
crops rather than from the
grain feeds. Therefore, farm
planning to have a good
supply of quality roughages
for 1975 is very much in
order.
To Beware Of
Bargains
We are aware of con
siderable salesmen traffic in
the rural areas from
strangers who may appear
to be promoting “bargains.”
Our experience with these
folks would suggest that
farmers be very cautious
about dealing with a
stranger that is selling a
product below the local cost.
In many cases the product
may be inferior and when
adjustments are to be made,
the salesman has traveled to
another part of the country.
We are blessed with many
good dealers and concerns m
this part of the state and
most of them are reliable
people in the community and
deserve to be patronized. In
far too many cases the
dealing with a stranger may
turn out to be very ex
pensive.
Tues., Jan. 21
7:45 p.m. - Ephrata Area
Young Farmer meeting -
new change in tax
elections. Ephrata Sr. H.
S. ag department.
Wed., Jan. 22
Farm Income Tax
Workshop, Lancaster
Farm and Home Center.
Tburs., Jan. 23
8:30 a.m. - Ephrata Area
Young Farmer beef and
poultry field trip. Leave
from Ephrata Sr. H. S.
parking lot.
12:00 noon - Inter-State Milk
Producers Cooperative
District 3 annual
meeting, Quarryville
Methodist Church.
6:30 p.m. - Farm and Home
Foundation of Lancaster
County annual meeting,
Lancaster Farm and
Home Center.
6:30 p.m. - Pennsylvania
Wintemational Tractor
Pull, Farm Show Arena,
Harrisburg. Through
January 25.
Tues., Jan. 28
9:30 a.m. - Beef Cattle
Feeders Day, Lancaster
Farm and Home Center.
7:45 p.m. - Ephrata Area
Young Fanners, second
meeting on dairy calf
management, Ephrata
Sr. H. S. ag department.
(We invite farm groups to
use our farm calendar
Send notice of your
meeting or event to:
Farm Calendar, Lan
caster Farming, 22 E
Mam St., Lititz, Pa.
17543.)