10—Lai
LIFE on the farm
By Dieter Krieg
I was a happy young dairyman
when Phyllis arrived She was one of
six cows I had purchased at a sale
The first of the group to come fresh,
I was pleased with her production on
the first test, over 60 pounds of milk
with a 4 4 per cent butterfat content
That’s no record-breaking per
formance, but it was a good start for a
cow which had been fresh for only 12
days.
Phyllis, a gentle animal with an
appetite for both feed and affection,
received both She had a topline
which was straight as a ruler, good
feet and legs, and a nearly perfect
udder Her registry papers were
received with pride and she was
beginning to make a fine place for
herself in the herd
“Get up, Phyllis,” I said one mor
ning, tapping her gently on the rump
with the end of the milking machine
strap “It’s time for you to get up "
She just looked around at me and
made no effort to get up “Oh, alright,
go ahead and loaf a while longer, I’ll
come back to you," I told her.
About twenty minutes later I was at
the end of the row and it was Phyllis’
turn to be milked, whether she
wanted to get up or not I ordered her
to get up and tapped her rump once
more Phyllis continued to be “lazy."
Friendly persuasion didn’t work, and
All rights reserved by Dieter Kneg
Farm Commentary
Last week it was suggested in this
column that a long-term agricultural
trade agreement with Russia would
be of benefit to this country because
it would allow for some advance
planning rather than highly erratic
marketing changes
However, it was also suggested
that the United States should be very
cautious in signing any agreement
with the Soviet Union Some reasons
for that will be presented today.
To begin with, I’d just as soon
suspend all trading with the Soviet
Union to bring some economic
pressure on their government, but if
we must have trade in order to keep
our country’s financial ledgers in the
black, then let’s have it with some
regularity to avoid the disasters
which were a direct result of the
infamous 1972 wheaUdeal
“When the most productive nation
in the world reaches the point where
its economy is so out of control that
traditional abundance becomes
scandalous scarcity, then I think it's a
irmli
Saturda
By Dieter Krieg
it. 27. 1975
neither did force. She managed to
prop herself up on her front legs a
time or two but seemed to be
paralyzed m the rear
My mind searched her brief history
on the farm for a possible reason for
this condition The only thing I could
think of was that the largest cow in
the barn, Joyce, who had been in
heat may have injured Phyllis while
"riding” her The diagnosis from the
veterinarian was a cracked pelvis.
We managed to get the injured
animal up and Doc gave her a good
chance of recuperating We worked
with her several times a day, always
fearful that she might lose her
balance, fall, and go down per
manently. Much of the sweat
protruding from our faces and arms
wasn’t from the physical strain, but
from the worrisome thought which
occupied our minds.
Phyllis did fall one day, and she
never got up again. We moved her to
the end of the barn and worked with
her - hoping that a miracle would take
place. She looked at us with sad eyes
from day to day, and we who worked
with her returned her sad expression
The dollar loss would be missed So
would her friendly personality. She
was the kind of cow whom any
dairyman could be pleased with. Her
loss was one of those unfortunate
things which no dairyman is immune
to
disgrace equal to Watergate ... the
communists got our gram, the ad
ministration got credit for the sale,
the speculators got the profit, and the
rest of us got the bill ”
That quote comes from an address
two years ago by Lt. Gov. Lester
Maddox of Georgia, and I think it
accurately describes the turmoil the
US economy experienced after the
ill-planned wheat deal in 1972
Senator Henry Jackson of
Washington called the deal a
“monumental blunder"
In short, we were taken farmers
and consumers alike American
farmers, whether they realize it or
not, are the ones who have kept this
country’s trade balance tipped in our
favor And they’ve done so to the tune
of billions of dollars. Meanwhile,
however, industry has been unable to
keep up. We import cars, radios,
clothing, meat, dairy products and
just about everything else because of
inefficiency and unwillingness
(Continued on Page 11J
THESIGNI
Lcvton lor Scplcmbf r 2*. It7l
Background Scripture;
Genesis 6 through 9:17.
Devotional Reading: Isaiah
49:1-16.
The Great Flood is a theme
that is found in the ancient
literatures of many eastern
peoples. The ancient
Sumerians and Babylonians
shared the Hebrew belief
that at one time a great flood
had covered the earth and
almost extinguished the
human race. There are
reports that some cultures in
the Southeast Pacific also
have legends of a similar
catastrophe.
The Wickedness of
Man Was Great
The Hebrews interpreted
this great event with
religious significance. It was
not something that “just
happened,*’ but an event that
could be traced to the
relationship between man
and God.
First of all. the cause.
The Hebrews saw the
Great Flood as a con
sequence of the evil of men.
The wr.ter of Genesis tells
us: “The Lord saw that the
wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually” (6:5).
So God tells Noah: “I have
determined to make an end
of all flesh; for the earth if
filled with violence through
them: behold, I will destroy
them with the earth ...”
(6:18).
Evil was rampant in the
earth and it would have dire
consequences for mankind.
There would be many times
in the history of Israel when
the people of that land would
interpret all kinds of
disasters as the result of
human sin.
So, secondly, the con
sequences.
Initially it seems as if God
is going to wipe out all
mankind, but it is soon ob
vious that that is not his
intention. There will be a
remnant: Noah, his family,
and an arkful of animals.
For God finds worth in Noah
and he will rebuild on that
foundation.
The idea of “the remnant”
would also be a continuing
theme in the story of the
people of Israel. Again and
again there was massive
destruction, but God always
spared a remnant with which
to rebuild.
The Grace of
God Was Greater
Then, finally: the divine
“However”.
So, although the evil of
man was monumental, and
although the consequences
that would result were
catastrophic, nevertheless
there would be an even
greater reality than these:
the grace of God!
God had every good reason
-to wipe man off the map,
including Noah. Justice
demanded that humanity be
obliterated. But beyond both
reason and justice there was
God’s redeeming grace,
given to the remnant and
beneficent to succeeding
generations of men.
“Behold,” said God to
Noah, “I establish my
i&vjl
gi t'winlN
To Prepare Corn
Cribs
The new com crop will
soon be ready to go Into
storage; on many famrs
there is some old com left in
the crib or in the storage
facility. The old corn should
be removed from the storage
and then the area cleaned
and sprayed with an in
secticide to eliminate
possible grain insects.
Reports indicate con
siderable amounts of weevil
and other cereal insects in
stored com. It is not a good
practice to place new com on
top of old com. The use of a
Malathion spray in the bin or
crib should be a “must”
before storing new com.
To Control Rodents
Weather conditions will
soon turn colder when rats
and mice will be migrating
toward buildings. If they find
a suitable place to set up
house-keeping, they will stay
and be a menace for the rest
of the winter. I’d suggest
that the premises be cleaned
up and all possible nesting
places be removed. Stone
walls or foundations should
be repaired and “pointed”
with concrete; Broken floors
or piles of junk or other
materilas offer nesting
places. Rodents do con
siderable damage to feed
supplies, are a fire hazard,
and may carry contagious
disease. Poison bait stations
should also be used in con
nection with these good
sanitation practices. Do not
put up with rats or mice
because they will surely
decrease farm profits and
efficiency.
To Save Pigs
With the price of feeder
pigs and market hogs,
producers should consider
spending more time with
sows and gilts at farrowing.
With cold weather around
the corner, pigs that are
dried off and placed on a
nipple will have a better
chance to survive; this is
especially true with the
smaller weaker pigs. Sows
and gilts having problems
farrowing can be helped by
the producer if he or she is
present; many pigs die
because the sow takes too
long to farrow. Gilts
farrowing their first litter
may be very nervous and
bite or tramp pigs at
farrowing, if an attendant
isn’t present to help save the
pig from their mother’s
actions. Extra time spent
covenant with you and your
descendents you, and
with every living creature
that is with you ...” (9:9)
“never again shall all
flesh be cut off by the waters
of a flood ...” (9:11).
The ancients regarded the
rainbow with fear for they
regarded it as the bow from
which God shot his arrows of
vengeance and retribution.
But God would change that
feared symbol to a sign of
hope: “I set my bow in the
cloud and it shall be a sign of
the covenant between me
and the earth” (9:13).
Many years later, God
took another dreaded object,
the cross, and made of it an
eternal sign of his grace.
with the sow at farrowing
will surely pay good
dividends.
To Observe New
Cattle
Many bams and fcedlots
are being filled with newly
purchased feeder cattle.
Death losses are averaging
between 1 and 2 percent, and
most infections “Break" 3 to
7 days after the cattle arrive
in the feedlot. Therefore, it is
vital that feeders give
special attention to the cattle
for the first week to 10 days.
A separate pen should be
available for cattle that arc
“slow” or sick. A catch pen
with a head-gate will make
treatment much easier and
eliminate the need for ex
citement and stress. Good
grass hay immediately after
arrival is a very good way to
get them started. Be on the
alert for animals that do not
eat or drink and stay by
themselves. Prompt
treatment will save most of
them. Observe the cattle at
least four times daily and
protect your investment.
Weed Control
In order to do a good job of
chemical weed control, it is
important to select her
bicides that are effective on
the weeds in a given field or
on a given farm. The time to
start controlling the
Bicentennial weeds of ’76 is
this fall. Start by taking a
survey of the fields to ob
serve the weeds that were
not killed this past season.
Weeds that are uncontrolled
should be identified and
possibly another weed
control used next year. It is
difficult to get one herbicide
that will control all weeds
without harming the wanted
crop. Different materials
and methods may be needed
depending upon the weed.
Assistance in weed iden
tification and materials to
use is available at our Ex
tension Office.
Farm Calendar
Monday, Sept. 29
Com and soybean field day
at the Penn State
Research Farm begin
ning at 1:30 p.m. The
farm is located four miles
west of the Manheim
Auto Auction along
Auction Road.
Wednesday, Oct. 1
Lancaster County Con
servation District
meeting at the Farm and
Home Center 7:30 p.ra.
New Holland Farmer’s Fair
begins and continues
through the 4th. For
complete schedule see
the story in this edition.
Thursday, Oct. 2
County Ag Teachers meeting
at 4:15 p.m. at Ephrata
Senior High School.
Plowing Contest at the
Milton Hershey Farm
beginning at 12:00 noon.
No food will be served at
the event.
Monday, Oct. 6
Parents Anonymous meeting l
at 6:30 p.m. at the Grace
Lutheran Church in
Lancaster. For parents
concerned with Child
Abuse.