i
Nixnutz's Corral
"All the news that's unimportant
but still interesting.”
Pucker up
What’s this we hear about someone
at the southern end who’s inviting
ladies to step forward to be kissed?
The incident took place earlier this
month when this fellow complete
with white hair and glasses found
himself to be an award recipient.
Since he happened to be the fellow
who was handing out the awards in
the first place, he decided to give the
plaque to his wife and along with it
a kiss (her reward for 25 years of
fiathfully washing the milkers). This
done, he turned back to the audience
and cheerfully announced: "If there
are any other ladies out there who
would like to be kissed, just come
right up."
Big milk check
And you think your milk check is
small! How would you like to receive
one for just $11.97? No, I’m not
referring to the Class I price, I’m
quoting figures from a monthly
receipt. According to Robert Mc-
Sparran, a white-haired, bespec
tacled Guernsey breeder from down
around Wakefield, that’s a net receipt
from the year 1900. The old
statement showed that 1,563 pounds
of milk were shipped during that
particular month; and 66 pounds of
butter were made from it. The elder
McSparran took three pounds of
butter home for his own use, and was
paid 19 cents a pound for the
remaining 63 pounds. That comes out
to $11.97.
H The mustard seed in times
E becomes a great tree and the
H tiny lump of leaven even
-11 tually permeates the whole
i loaf. The kingdom of heaven
E is a great reality that springs
H from small beginnings. The
s change comes, for the most
E part, not with dramatic
H suddenness, but slowly, often
H imperceptably and un-
E noticed.
E But behind that growth
1 and change, slight and
E plodding though it may
E seem, is the immutable
§ power of God working
E toward his purposes. If we do
= our part, however small and
H insignificant that task may
H seem, and if we leave the end
= result to him, the kingdom of
1 heaven will come. ..in God’s
= own time!
H “At the close
H of the age”
H Once again, in the parable
E of the “treasure hidden in a
E field,” we are admonished to
H “Let God do it.” If we really
E put our hope and trust in
H God, then we will put the
1 kingdom in undisputed first
E place, giving up everything
E else, if necessary, for that
E one certainty.
H Finally, the parable of the
E good and bad fishes becomes
E quite specific: God alone is
|| the ultimate judge;
H judgement is something we
E must “let God do!” We must
E not despair because it seems
p that evil goes unpunished
H and good unrewarded. We
E need not attempt to take
iiiiiiiii hud min mi ml God ’ 5 role and execute
Silent majority
No humor column would be
complete without a barb directed at
the Governor, so here’s one I picked
up at a recent meeting which had
approximately 160 farmers in at
tendance. The Governor was sup
posedly praising the achievements
and potential of farmers, then hinting
that it was partially due to his
programs. So, in acknowledging the
Governor’s wise policies, the emcee
at the meeting declared: “Let's hear
it for the Governor!"
The entire audience of 160 people
remained silent.
Noisy bunch
There are a bunch of dairymen in
the Mount Joy Farmers Cooperative
who have found new uses for com
mon milk house utensils. At their
annual meeting, last week, a group of
about 16 or so provided the gathering
with some new form of entertainment
which probably made Ed Sullivan
turn over in his grave because it’s too
By BARNEY NIXNUTZ
late for him to get them on his show.
Believe it or not, the group sang "Dry
Bones" to the accompaniment of
Hanging, clunking, and Hinging on
everything from a clevis to a stripcup
and strainer to milk can lid. The
audience loved it, but the milk in
spector who attended wasn’t too
excited about what the farmers
thought of their strip cups.
$lO an hour
A well-known Guernsey breeder
from the southern end of Lancaster
County was recently found in his barn
by a somewhat dimwitted hunter who
reportedly gaped at the work going
on. While the dairyman, K. D. Linde,
methodically went about his work, the
visiting hunter became more and
more overwhelmed. Finally, no longer
able to contain his amazement, he
blurted out: “You don’t do this twice
every day, do you?"
“O, yes," the dairyman replied,
“twice every day, seven days a week,
365 days a year."
“But you can hire someone to take
your place let you have some time
off and get away from it all, right?”
the stranger inquired.
"No, hired help costs too much,"
the farmer replied curtly*
Not easily persuaded to drop the
subject and still in awe over what he
saw, the hunter said: “But, surely,
you can afford to pay someone $lO an
hour?”
At this, by the dairyman’s own
admission, he nearly fell to the
ground. “I felt like I was going to fall
over, but I was too close to the gut
ter!” Linde confessed.
I Washington law
Victor Ziegler, a dairyman from up
in Lebanon County, has had a few
visitors to his farm who don’t know
too much about farming par
ticularly the dairy business. Here’s a
tale about one of his experiences,
which has previously received
comment in the Pennsylvania Mirror,
a State College newspaper. A partial
reprint follows:
The expression on the woman’s
face was one of amazement and
wonder as she watched a herd of
cows being milked in a double-six
parlor. Finally, unable to remain
speechless, she remarked: "You
don’t milk these cows every day do
you?"
The dairyman responded with his
Pennsylvania Dutch accent and
humor at its best: “Veil, I haf been
milking dese cows tvice a day, every
day for 25 years, but ve are in
troducing a bill in Vashington later
this year vhich vill allow us to skip
milkings on veekends!"
Have a good day folks! It's getting
to write this kind of stuff that makes
my day.
mm
I*.***'
iM** I*
LETGOD
DO IT!
Lesion for February 1.117<
Background Scripture:
Matthew 13
Devotional Reading: Psalms
78:1-8
“Let God do it!” can be
either an ezpreasion of
profound faith or abject
irresponsibility. It all dep
ends upon the context in
which it is said.
For example, “Let God do
it” is the response some
people make to any task or
challenge which is put in
their hands. It springs from
an unwillingness to do the
things we can do, to do the
things God has equipped us
to do. It is the ultimate “cop
out” and “passing of the
buck.” It stems from a
failure or unwillingness to
understand that God does not
do for us the things we can do
for ourselves. Thus, in his
famous prayer, theologian
Rheinhold Niebuhr prayed:
“Lord, give me the
courage to change the things
that can be changed. ..”
like “seeds”
s and “leaven”
s But there are times when
1 letting “God do it” can mean
H simply that a person
H recognizes his human
H limitations and posits his
H faith in the God who’s “...
M got the whole world in His
H hands.” Sometimes it is a
H matter of letting God be
1 God, of acknowledging that
s there are some things that
|j only He can achieve .
H We see this theme running
s through much of Jesus’
H teachings. It is implicit, for
H example, in the parables of
H the mustard seed and the
H leaven. Both of them are
E parables of hope that seek to
H encourage the response of
s faith.
I
To Repair
Fans Machinery
The beat of tbe afternoon
sun reminds us that in tbe
next 6 to 8 weeks there will
be action out on tbe land in
preparing for tbe 1976
cropping season. The con
dition of farm machinery as
the season begins is very
important in order to avoid
costly breakdowns and loss
of expensive labor. No doubt
most farms have already
given attention to tbe ser
vicing and repairing of
tractors and other
machinery. However, if this
has not been done, then it is
time to give some attention
to this important winter-time
chore. The proper timing of
plantings and of harvesting
is very important to get
maximum yields of top
quality products. Don’t hie
delayed by servicing and
repairs that should be done
before spring weather
arrives.
To Straight-
Seed Alfalfa
Many alfalfa producers
have experienced good
results in making straight
seedings early in the spring.
This can be done in this area
and fall or winter-plowed
land should make it possible
for earlier seedings. Late
March or early April seeded
alfalfa seeded without a
nurse crop, with proper weed
control, could give two or
more cuttings the first
season and be ready for
greater yields next year.
Proper liming to correct the
acidity is important in ad
vance of seeding and we
strongly suggest the band
seeding method as one of the
best ways to get the seeds
into the ground. Plans could
now be in tiie making for this
seeding because the ground
could be ready in 6 to 8
weeks.
To Control
Johnson Gnus
..This rank-growing weed is
becoming too common in this
part of the state. We urge
farmers to give attention to
its eradication without
delay. Johnson Grass
resembles sorghum in its
general appearance and will
grow 6 to 8 feet high; the
roots are very thick and are
pinkish, flesh-colored
rhizomes that grow rapidly 2
to 6 inches under the surface
of the ground. This weed is a
very rank-growing weed that
will take over most crops
and spread each season. We
suggest the use of Eradicane
this spring by discing it into
the soil and chopping up the
roots as it is incorporated in
the top 6 inches of soil.
Details are available and
vengeance upon those who
God seems to overlook.
Although we must be zealous
for both justice and
righteousness, still we must
leave the ultimate
reckoning to the kingdom of
heaven and “let God do it!”
(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 nw-fitGl
included in the 1976
Agronomy Guide.
Farm
Calendar
Feb. 9
Beef Cattle Management
Seminar, Schuylkill
Campus of Penn State,
7:30 p.m. Dave Kantner,
county' agent is guest
speaker.
Twin Valley Adult Fanners
hold welding class at high
school, 7:30 pan. jl)
Feb. 10 1
Annual Meeting of the
Lancaster County Ex
tension Service 6:30 pjn.
at the Farm and Home
Center.
Adult Fanner Meeting on
swine farrowing facilities
and housing; Ephrata
High School, 7:45 p.m.
Atlantic Breeders District 8
meeting, held in con
junction with Franklin
County Dairy Day at
Lemaster’s Community
Center, 10 ajn.
Feb. 11
Atlantic Breeders District 3
meeting at 7:30 p.m. in
Lennie’s Restaurant,
Halifax.
Atlantic Breeders District 7
meeting, held in con
junction with the Cum
berland County Darll)
Day at the Huntsdale
- Fire Hall, 10 a.m.'
Lebanon County cattle
feeders meeting, 7:30 -
9:30 a.m. at the Ex
tension Office ‘in the
Municipal Building,
Lebanon. Les Burdette
from Penn State will
discuss latest in cattle
feeding and update cattle
situation.
Feb. 12
Atlantic Breeders District 5
meeting, United
Methodist Church,
Quarryville, 7 p.m.
Atlantic Breeders District 6
meeting, for York
County, at the Dover Fire
Hall, 10 a.m.
Atlantic Corn Research
Conference, 10 a.m. to
3:15 p.m. at the Hunt
Valley Inn, Cockeysvil^
Open House at C. B.
Hoober’s Farm Equip
ment, Intercourse, 9 a.m.
to S p.m.
E-town Young Farmers
meeting at the high
school, 7:30 p.m. Subject:
income taxes.
Feb. 13
Pennsylvania Egg
Marketing Association
meets at the Sheraton-,
Conestoga, north of
Lancaster, 7 p.m. Henk
Wentink of NCEN is
guest speaker.
Atlantic Breeders meeting
for District 7 (Adams
Coimty) at St. John’s
Church, New Chester, 10
a.m. Held in conjunction
with the Adams County
Dairy Day.
Feb. 14
Travel and Adventure Serk\
program sponsored a/
the Paradise Rotary
Club, “Rio Colorado” at
7:30 p.m., Conestoga
Valley H.S.