11 Yfcl?rjl'v?..nni(mr.l , i3^r3fi6j YO^nca«ft?Ta>WrfrVSirore«^^^ Marvin, our hired man, had just climbed up to the silo a few minutes ago to throw a pile of silage down for the cows. Each forkful of feed came down with a burst of air and a loud thump. The entire barn smelled of fresh silage as I came walking by with hands and arms still dripping wet from washing the bulk tank. Suddenly an idea struck me. There were at least a half dozen straw bales stacked up by the wall, and the pile of silage wasn't very high yet. I ran for the bales and tossed them over the top of the row of stanchions. Next I grabbed a pitchfork and leveled the silage, stepping back quickly each time as I heard another forkful come down from about 45 feet up. I began to stack the straw bales up against the wall, one on top of the other, directly under the chute. Once that was done, I occupied myself with some other chores for a few minutes, anxiously awaiting the climax of this prank. Marvin tossed the silage down with regularity. The sounds of it hitting the bottom were muffled and I thought he might be able to tell something wasn’t in order below. But he didn’t, and the column of silage went higher and higher into the chute. After a little while I went outside and pretended to be in a state of Farm Commentary A visit to the Midwest is an educational experience in more ways than one. To see thousands of acres of corn-is one thing and really nothing new. But to see the crops harvested with the efficiency and speed which was demonstrated at the Ag Progress Show is over whelming. Judged by what was seen in Illinois this past week, I came away with a feeling that agriculture has advanced as much or more in the past 10 years (or even five) as it did in the previous 50. American agriculture certainly has a lot of muscle to it when it comes to producing food for Americans and the rest of the world's people. It’s almost awesome. I left Illinois impressed with the size and efficiency of the equipment that's used out there, and the amount of grain l that is in this country, because it must be remembered that even a 1,000 acre farm in the Mid west isn't a drop in the barrel con sidering how much farming takes place in America. The question arises; What are we going to do with all of those crops? Seeing the situation in the Midwest adds a new twist to the sales to Russia controversy. Midwestern gram farmers want immediate sales to Russia. Although I continue to hold my position of op- LIFE on the farm panic "Hey, Marv," I yelled, "you've got enough silage down here for a month' It’s at least half way up the chute." Marvin replied with a loud and clear “Oh, it is not." "Yes, it is, Marv, you stop and see for yourself," I hollered back. There was a moment of silence as I struggled to keep from laughing out loud. When I heard Marvin begin to laugh, I burst out laughing too. In between the chuckles he shouted down a few names which can’t be printed, and then he just sighed as he waited to be rescued. The chute was the only way down. Anyone who has ever plugged a chute full of silage knows that it packs itself pretty tight so I must admit I had quite a time of clearing it. I was glad I didn’t let it go any higher than it was because standing under the chute and trying to knock the silage loose wasn’t much fun, and if a big amount of it came down at one time, I sure did know it. But it was worth it. It had been a slow day anyway and the gag livened things up a little. “You got to have some fun sometime,” Marvin often said, and it was occasional incidents like these which made work fun instead of a chore. Isn’t that right, Marv? All rights reserved by Dieter Kneg By Dieter Krieg position to such sales unless several strings are attached, it’s not hard to see why they, want such export sales. They’re needed. Gram farmers were asked to go all out in production by the U.S. government, have done so, and a potential market was wiped out by actions in Washington. The federal government.is now accused of having broken a promise, and of attempting to use American grain as leverage in foreign policy, somewhat similar,, perhaps, to what the Arabs have done with their oil. But the latter is doubtful. While sympathizing with the feelings of gram producers, who need to make a living by selling gram for profit: I, also sympathize with the people behind the Iron Curtain who need a life with the freedoms and liberties we Americans take for granted. The need for exporting American gram is clear we have more than we can use. In considering Russia for gram sales, however, my position continues to be that any deals with the communists should yield not only additional profits to American far mers, but additional freedoms for the people the communist system en slaves. We must not forget the atrocities Russia has committed, instigated, and condoned over the years, nor the threat they have made of burying us. By Dieter Krieg WHEN GOD SAYS “GO!” Lcmod for October 5.1175 Background Scripture: Genesis 11:25 through 12:20. Devotional Reading: Hebrews 11:8-16. If God were to come to you today and in a dream or vision say to you: "I want you to sell your house and go to an island in the South Pacific where I will make you prosperous and prominent," how would you likely respond? Well, I don’t have to be all that psychic to suppose how most of us would respond. It would go something like this: First, we would probably dismiss God’s call as an overactive imagination, since people don’t believe much in dreams and visions anymore. Some other time, Lord Secondly, if we did take the call seriously, we would say, “But God, surely you don’t mean for me to leave my family circle.” Family ties are too strong for many of us to sever, even if it is God who is calling us. Thirdly, we might also say, “But I can’t leave the USA and live in a country I hardly even know.” After all, we are accustomed to a certain way of life, certain living standards, con veniences and services that would hardly be available anywhere else. Fourthly, we might say to God, “But, Lord, I’m too old for this sort of tiling; that’s the kind of thing you ought to ask of a young man.” No doubt about it, we reach an age where it seems there is less and less adaptability left in us and we look to the familiar for our security. Of course, these are all responses which Abraham could have made when he received his call from God. His family wak well - established in Haran. His whole clan lived there and in those days the clan was much more important than family ties are now. Abraham also could have protested that he did not want to leave his adopted homeland for a strange place about which he knew little. He too could have questioned whether the vision was authentic. Some other place If anyone ever had reason to refuse on the grounds of advanced age, Abraham could have. The writer of Genesis tells us that “Abraham was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran” (12:4). Seventy-five years old! That must be a mistake. That is well past the age when most people think they still have a contribution to make. Surely God was mixed-up, had the wrong man! And, when at last Abraham and his party reached Canaan, they might have been justified in protesting that they had been sent to the wrong place. As the writer of Genesis tells us: “At that time the Canaanites were in the land” (12:6). That would have been the point at which many of us To Fertilize Alfalfa Stand Fall is one of the good times to topdress the alfalfa field for improved yields next summer. After the removal of the last cutting, is a very good time. If not any crop is to be taken from now on, then the phosphorus potash fertilizer may be applied at any lime. Since alfalfa plants are heavy feeders of both phosphorus and potash, these elements should be replaced once to twice each season. Ap plications of three to five hundred pounds of an 0-15-30 or 0-20-20 are very common and should strengthen the plant roots. Recent weather conditions have not been very good for taking the last cutting; some good growers will no wait until after a killing frost to remove the final cutting; some stubble or re-growth is preferred in order to hold the snow on the field during the winter months. To Use Testing Services Fall is a good time of the year to do both soil and forage testing. Many crop producers will be collecting their soil samples before the weather turns cold in order to know their fertilizer needs by the end of the year. This will permit early ordering and planning for the 1976 growing season. Soils tested this fall will reflect the lime and fertilizer needs just as accurate as those collected next spring. Also, better service may be experienced at the testing laboratory by not waiting until the “spring rush”. Here at the beginning of the winter feeding program would be an ex cellent time to learn the true feeding value of both the hay and silage supplies. More efficient feed rations may be developed when the real nutrient value of the roughages are known. These testing services do not “cost” money, the should “save” money for all far mers and producers. To Beware of Herbicide Residues Recent questions at the Extension office related to the possibility of growing winter grain in com ground that has been sprayed with atrazine for weed control This is a difficult question to would have thrown in the sponge. So Abraham was con fronted with a challenge: to turn around and go back home or to put up his tent in this strange new land. Abraham did not waver. Although he did not un derstand what was before him, “... he built there an altar to the Lord and pitched his tent” (12:7,8), Later generations would admire his faith: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go” (Hebrews 11:8). When God says “Gp!”, what do you do? ‘ * NOW IS THE TIME.. Mux Smith (ounl.v Agr. Agent Telephone answer in general because it depends upon the amount applied per acre and the amount of time and rainfall; however, the current practice is to use less than two pounds per acre of atrazine and with ample amounts of rainfall this season, it is possible that an October wheat seeding can besuccessful; the ground should be plowed rather than disced in preparing for the wheat seeding; this should reduce the danger of any toxic residue to the small wheat plants. If the field is to be seeded down to clover or alfalfa next spring or summer, and needs lime, it should be worked into the toposil before the grain is seeded this fall; this will give time for the lime to correct the soil acidity. To Prepare for Pesticide Certification We have one year to go until all spray applicators using any of the restricted materials must be certified or licensed. October 1, 1976 is the proposed deadline. The average producer doing his won spraying need only to pass the pesticide examination in order to be certified; the Penn State Correspondence Course on Pesticides will be a help in this respect. Application forms for this course are available at out Extension Office. Commercial ap plicators will need to pass an examination and then secure a license in order to qualify. Details available. National 4-H Week, Oc tober 5-11, will be observed across the United States by over 7 million members, 550,000 volunteer leaders, and thousands of professional workers and friends of 4-H. Obtain in formation on 4-H from your county Extension agent. Farm Calendar Monday, Oct. 6 Parents Anonymous meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Grace Lutheran Church in Lancaster County. Wednesday, Oct. 8 8-10 Manheim Farm Show • for complete schedule see the listing and fair in- troduction in this issue. 8-11 Unionville Fair in Chester County. Thursday, Oct. 9 Lancaster County 4-H leaders banquet at the Farm and Home Center. Saturday, Oct. 11 Paradise Rotary Club will sponsor the first in a series of travelouges at the Conestoga Valley School. “Alaska Ad ventureland” will be the first presentation at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12 4-H goat show at 1:00 p.m. at the Kimberton Fairgrounds for youths in Chester, Delaware and Berks Counties. SML 0 0 £ £
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers