* May g i5r1976 » v X ' >T , » , : * By Dieter Krieg, Editor EDITOR'S NOTE: Life On The Farm is written for both rural and city readers. The column is meant to entertain farmers, while giving urban readers a glimpse of what farm life - the rewards, frustrations, joys, hardships, responsibilities, and sorrows - is like. Hour after hour, and acre after acre, the corn planter scratched its marks on the dusty field. Back and forth, back and forth stopping only to refill with fertilizer after each round and occasionally for seed corn. From early in the morning, when the long shadows of trees still stretched across the field, until evening when they returned from the opposite end, the job of corn planting goes on and on. The air is clean and refreshing when I start, and in some places the dew is still on the ground. As the sun rises the day gets warmer, the air gets drier and a cloud of dust encircles the equipment like plumage on a peacock. I take off my shirt, and before long I pick up a sunburn and a beautiful “tan." Each time I pour a bag of fertilizer into the hoppers, some of the dust from it clings to the sweat of my face and body. You can’t avoid inhaling some of it if there’s a small breeze going; it stings my nostrils and tastes bitter. Parts of my chest and arms receive slight burns from contacting the chemical fertilizer. By lunch time a cold drink is more than welcome to wash the fertilizer May 10 The first corn was planted five days ago, and I’m wondering how it’s progressing. I should be up, and I'm anxious to see what I have to show for the long hours and plenty of sweat I’ve been putting into it for the past few weeks. The miracle of life is never taken for granted on a farm Seeing things grow and develop is one of the satisfactions of being a farmer That’s why crops are inspected on an almost daily basis every year. It's not just to look for potential problems, such as insects, mineral dificiencies, weeds, etc, but to admire what’s taking place To appreciate what Nature is doing and feel satisfied in having had a part in it. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ My eyes scan the ground carefully and closely as I look for tiny plants protruding through the sun-warmed soil I poke around a little with my fingers Our dog takes advantage of my lowered profile and drags his big tongue across my face The corn is up It's all there It's a happy finding Each small plant is ' y ✓ LIFE on the farm and dust out of my mouth. I ask my sister if she likes my “tan” and she just points to the wash basin, knowing very well that it’s the kind which dissolves in water. Lunch time is short during this time of year. The fields have to be tilled and corn must be planted. Before continuing, I grab a grease gun and lubricate the planter. The tractor’s fuel tank is refilled, and if necessary, some adjustments are taken care of. The heat of the sun, combined with heat from the engine and exhaust, makes it “comfortably warm" sitting on the tractor. “Big John” pulls steadily, constantly pounding out a low rhythmic tune with his two cylinders. The corn planter clicks rapidly, like a loud clock which has lost its timing. It’s almost hypnotic and tends to make a man drowsy. The regular stops for refilling the fertilizer hoppers break the monotony somehow and the straight lines continue to be scratched from one end of the field to the other. In a week young corn plants will emerge where these marks are. The work continues even after milking, when the sun has “turned off" most of its heat, the dust has settled for the most part, and the air is calm like it was in the beginning of the day. The long shadows crawl across the field again. Far in the distance is our house the bottom half in the shade, and the top part reflecting the last rays of the huge, red setting sun My corn planter and I will continue making the rounds for at least another half hour. stretching towards the sun, nestled in warm soil like small babies in their cribs. Satisfied with what I’ve found, I can walk back to the tractor and plow some more With just three 14-inch bottoms, and many acres to go, I’ll be inspecting seedbeds for quite a while yet The hours will be long, and muscles will ache at times from handling hundreds of fertilizer bags, but when you see the corn coming up - it’s a pretty rewarding feeling RURAL ROUT THE MOULD Lesson for May 16,1976 Background Scrip ture:Joshua 24:1-18; Romans 12. Devotional Reading: PcalmQ 94 “But Mother, all the kids are doing it!” Children have been saying those words or their equivalents from the beginning of time. The pressure to conform to alien standards and values is a perennial problem for both children and parents. The underlying reason is usually the same for both: for all we say about the importance of individuality, few of us will dare to be different if our acceptance by others is likely to be at stake. The world’s mould The child is afraid that if he or she is different in any way, acceptance by peers will be endangered Thus, although youth and adolescence is a time when children are struggling for independence and in dividuality, the pressures to conform are powerful and often override all other considerations. The parent, on the other hand, is often fearful of being “different” from other parents. The parent is strongly tempted to give in and go along with something to which he or she is nor mally opposed. Once again, the root cause is an over whelming desire for ac ceptance. He not onlv wants to “keep up with the Jon ses,” but often wants to get ahead of them! Although it has been a long-standing problem for the family, it is particularly significant today. Our children want to look alike, sound alike, think alike, and be alike-all of this often in the name of achieving their own individuality! So, very often the key to family values and morals is not the question of whether something is “right or wrong?”, but whether “Everybody else is doing it!” Although Paul wasn’t thinking specifically of the family, he was nevertheless addressing,-himself to this problem in Romans 12. He knew of the tremendous pressures upon Christians to conform to the values and practices of others. Thus, he writes: “And be not con formed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (12:2). Let Christ remind us I like the J. B. Phillips translation of that verse: “Don’t let the world around To Check Alfalfa We are right mto the decision making period with alfalfa. There is weevil damage showing up so should you cut it or spray it. This depends on the degree of damage and the degree of maturity. If you decide to spray, then it should be applied when 60-70 percent of the plants show slight feeding damage at the tips. Be sure to read the label for the tolerance periods for the different chemicals. In fact, regardless of what spray material you use, be sure to read the label. The label gives you a great deal of information about the chemical and how it should be used. Some alfalfa fields can be harvested early to prevent further damage. When this is done, keep a close check on the stubble to make certain the new growth is not being damaged. The stubble may need protection to permit the new shoots to develop. Do not spray when there is a possibility of driftage over a pasture field. To Be Safety Minded The busy spring season always brings on increase in farm accidents. This is caused by farmers using a lot more equipment and by rushing through one job to get to the next one. Here are a few suggestions to help you prevent your next accident - First: be sure your equip ment is in good working order; also, be certain all protective shields are in place before you start the engine. When you feel tired and sleepy, stop for a glass of ice tea or water and walk around -your equipment you squeeze you into its mould, but let God remake you so that your whole at titude of mind is changed.” Thus, the Christian - par ticularly the Christian family - is constantly in a struggle to maintain a Christian identity. The world attempts to mould us, our ideas, our attitudes, our values, but we must resist that pressure. So, instead of letting the world put its mark upon us, we are called by Christ to place our mark-the mark of Christ-upon the world. As our own lives are to be moulded from within by the power of Christ, so we are to let that same power work through us and mould the life of the world around us. Thus, the power of Christ transforms both us and the world around us as well. 40 rrc * NOW IS THE TIME. . J f Max Smith County Agr. Agent Telephone :{!M-(>S">| several times; you may even spot a loose bolt or belt. Never allow anyone to nde on the open cab with you, and when traveling on highway, be sure to use the slow moving Vehicle emblem and flashing lights. The most important factor is to be safety conscious at all times. Be safe and not sorry. To Watch For Ticks We are right into the tick season and I know they are out because of the calls from people that contacted them while on picnics and through wooded These pests may be on almost any dog or person that roams freely in un cultivated fields or woody areas from May through August. Ticks await their victims on low growing shrubs and on tall grass. They attach to, and feed on the blood of dogs, humans as well as any other animals. There are two common kinds of ticks. The American Dog tick and the brown dog tick. Both ticks are brown, but the American dog tick has a mottled white shield on its back. The brown dog tick is a household pest and cannot survive our winters out doors. For control of the American Dog tick, clear the area of tall grass and weeds on which the ticks their victims. Also, bushes 20 to 30 feet on either side of paths with either Sevin or Lindane. The dog should also be treated wjth a 5 percent Sevin dust at weekly intervals, or as needed for .control of either the American Dog or the Brown Dog tick. Farm Calendar Sunday, May 16 Old Woodmill and Wolfgang School House will be open for Bicentennial celebration, 2 to 6 p.m. Located between Brodbecks and Glenville m York County. Monday, May 17 Thomasville 4-H Community Club, meets at 7:30. Program is exchange student from Sweden. Tuesday, May 18 Ephrata Area Young Far mers Association (Continued on Page 13| By Tom Armstrong DO you SUPPOSE A FARMER AND A fty CAN SURVIVE J UNDER DETENTE. 9
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