—Lancaster Farming, Satprday, July 17, 1976
10
EDITORIAL COMMENTS
Price and Pride out of place
Recently my wife informed me
about a television ad which has since
been called to the attention of dairy
officials across the country. Some
readers of Lancaster Farming may
have seen it.
Although I personally have not seen
the ad, I’m told it shows “Price” and
“Pride" inside a dairy barn talking
about the values to be had at their
supermarket. As it turns out the item
they plugged (at least in this area)
was margarine.
Not surprisingly, the
misrepresentation of advertising
margarine out of a dairy barn lifted
My annual love affair
My annual love affair started a few
months ago, and it happens every
year. I take it all off, too, or just about
anyway. It has something to do with
hays, although it’s not supposed to be
confused with the Washington
variety.
I’m in love with blue skies, golden
grain fields, majestic corn, the scents
of straw and alfalfa, bright sunshine,
chirping crickets, the songs of birds,
frog concerts, and the ever-widening
memories of summers gone by.
We’re in the height of Summer
right now, and I’m thoroughly en
joying it. I always have. This season of
long days and an abundance of life all
around us is a time I always look
forward to and remember fondly.
When 1 was just a little fellow in
northern Germany I used to race
across the stubble fields ... chase
butterflies... and pick flowers which
grew wildly along the roadside.
Always barefooted, my constantly
moving feet were never bothered by
either sharp stubbles or hot sand.
And I enjoyed watching the horses
Excellent safety message
‘‘Look out, slow down, drive
carefully," is a message to be aired on
300 television stations across the
country next week to inform
motorists about the potential hazards
of driving in the country. It's a
message which is needed.
Produced and released by the Farm
and Industrial Equipment Institute in
Chicago, the 10-second television
spot was drawn up from footage
produced by the John Deere and
International Harvester people.
The effort is designed to promote
rural safety and is specifically
targeted to drivers from urban areas
who may find themselves out in the
country for vacations or weekends.
According to information supplied by
the FIEI office, the spot will attempt
to let motorists know what situations
they might encounter on rural roads
BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR
parniirig
r n Pennsylvania Areas
some eyebrows as well as a few
telephone receivers.
It's not the easiest mistake to
understand, but we're told that these
~ things happen It’s unfortunate that
they do. Word received here is that
those in a position to notify the
supermarket chain about their error,
were quick to do so, and they are to
be commended for it.
Farmers as individuals and through
their organizations have a continuous
job ahead of them in trying to keep
straight facts and a favorable image
before the public.
pull the binder along .. and better
yet was watching my favorite piece of
equipment the “Dreschkasten,”
(threshing machine). We played hide
and-go-seek among the shocks which
dotted the flat countryside, just a
short distance from the Baltic Sea.
And I remember the windmills
which stood just at the edge of the
village. Their huge arms twirled
around and around, creaking all the
while from the strain and stress.
Inside there was a low rumble as
millstones turned wheat and rye into
flour.
I've never lost that fascination and
appreciation for the wonderful things
of Summer. The work sometimes lost
its lustre after tossing hay bales day
after day, but the season never did,
and now I’ll gladly tackle a hay field
for the sake of totally submerging
myself in the pleasantries of sum
mer's fresh air laced with the per
fumes of the growing season. Dust
and all.
Anybody need some help?
and what various signs such as the
SMV emblem and amber lights mean.
The brief public service an
nouncements are a part of “Farm
Safety Week" which begins July 25.
Like so many other things, safety is
not just a one week per year
necessity, and it’s certainly not one
sided when it comes to using the
highways.
Although it’s only a few who oc
casionally are not aware of the
hazards they may be creating with
their slow moving or extra wide (or
long) vehicles and attachments,
now's as good a time as any to remind
those individuals that it's generally a
good idea to pull off the road from
time to time to allow motorists to
pass by.
Watch out for yourself as well as
the other guy and do it every day.
Matthew 7:15-29; 1 John 4:1-
12.
Devotional Reading: 1
Timothy 4:6-16.
Remember the old saying,
“The proof of the pudding is
in the eating?”
Well, for all of its sim-
plicity, the saying is really a
rather profound truth in life.
The value or integrity of
something is often best and
most truly reflected in its
performance. We may ad
mire a beautiful automobile
as it sits in the car dealer’s
showroom, but if, after we
have purchased it, it doesn’t
run very well, it will not be
worth nearly what we had
assumed. We may drool over
a certain item on the
restaurant’s menu, but if
when the waiter brings it, it
doesn’t taste all that
pleasing, the item will be a
great disappointment. We
may look forward eagerly to
a play that is “simply
great” but if, when we see
it, we are not entertained or
deeply moved, it will mean
little to us.
Test the spirits
The test of the value of the
pudding - like so many other
things in life - is our own
tasting of it and satisfaction
or dissatisfaction.
Doesn’t this apply to
religion as well? We may
argue about the relative
merits of this belief or that,
this church or another, but
argumentation is not the real
test of any religion. The real
testing is to be found in the
experience of that religious
conviction in terms of what it
can produce in our lives.
In the early church there
seemed to be a lot of concern
over “true belief.” Some
people were deeply con
cerned over the question of
how they could detennine
when they were receiving
essential Christian teaching
and when they were
receiving something which
was contrary to established
Christian faith. People were
deeply concerned that they
not slip deeply concerned
that they not slip unwittingly
into any kind of error.
By this we know
Many people today are no
less concerned about finding
the “right” beliefs, making
certain that they are not
beguiled into following the
“wrong” preacher or
teacher. To compound our
confusion, there are a great
multitude of religious groups
who weave a spell of un
certainty and anxious
suspicion by their constant
references to “heresy” and
“unbelief” and the various
means whereby suspicious
beliefs and practices can be
tested.
Yet, what is the one sure
test? It is not a matter of
argument or proof-texting or
even doctrinal standards.
Jesus said, “You will know
them by their fruits”
(Matthew 16:7), and the
writer of 1 John puts it into
these words: .. he who
loves is born of God and
knows God. He who does not
love does not know God” (1
John 4:8). Thus, the real test
of any religious idea and
practice is not argument, or
ecclesiastical rules and
regulations ... it is LOVE,
the kind of love so beautifully
illustrated in Jesus Christ.
That alone is the “proof” of
our ecclesiastical and
theological puddings!.
' ' ry'sa-' r--? %#?
NOW IS I
TO ATTEND AG. *
PROCESS DAYS...
One of the largest
agricultural events in the
state this summer will be Ag.
Progress Days 76 scheduled
to be held August 25 and 26 at
the Rock Springs Research
Farm in Centre County; this
farm is operated by Penn
State University and will be
the scene of a vast display of
farm machinery and other
agricultural products. A
special Bicentennial
Program is being planned
for this year. I am men
tioning this event at this time
so that local folks can in
clude it on their schedule
several weeks in advance.
There will be displays and
exhibits for women in
homemaking as well as the
agricultural events. Also,
special programs for youth
are being planned. We urge
local folks to take note of this
important event and plan to
attend one or both days.
Details available at our
Extension Office.
TO MAKE STRAIGHT
ALFALFA SEEDINGS.
We are aware that many
forage producers continue to
try to get a good stand of
alfalfa in winter grain. Also,
farmers are trying to
establish an alfalfa stand in
winter rye in some areas.
During the past several
years most of the better
stands of alfalfa have, been
obtained in a straight
seeding either in early
August or early spring
(March or April). Most
winter grains and especially
rye and barley provide too
much competition to the
small legume seedlings.
With the straight alfalfa
seeding along with good
weed control measures, the
chance of a good stand is
much better. The band
seeding method is one of the
very best ways to make the
seeding.
TO CHECK
LIGHTNING RODS..
The severe storms of last,
weekend reminded me of the'
value of rods on buildings.
Several times I wished that
we had rods on our home, but
we don’t, so we had to pray
RURAL ROUTE
THE TIME...
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
that we would not be hit with
one of those bed-jarring
bolts. However, buildings
that do have lightning rods
are protected to a degree
providing the rods are free
from obstructions and are
properly grounded. Owners
are urged to inspect their rod
system and remove any
foreign material, bird nests,
and be sure they are down
into moist soil. If they are not
in good condition, or not
grounded, the building may
still be set on fire.
TO PREPARE
FOR CORN CROP.,.
Proper storage for another
big com crop seems to be in
order; it appears that both
silage and grain storage
facilities will be taxed to the
limit this fall. With com
prices advancing weekly, we
may have .another very
valuable crop to harvest and
store - or sell. Plans for com
cribs are available from our
Extension Office in case
more storage is needed for
shelled or ear com. The
harvesting of high moisture
corn is becoming more
popular but good storage is
again needed. The protection
of the com crop from the
weather and rodents is
important and it is not too
early to be making plans for
the crop. With livestock
producers the making of the
crop into silage is the best
way to preserve the most
feed nutrients.
Farm
Calendar
Today, July 17
Lancaster County
beekeepers hold annual
picnic at Elmer Lapp
farm, 3 p.m. until dark.
Monday, July 19
Manheim Young Farmers
hold monthly meeting on
alfalfa management at
Southeastern Penn
sylvania Research Farm,
Landis ville. Program
begins at 7:30 p.m. Note
that this date is a week
earlier than was
previously planned.
(Continued on Page 12]
By Tom Armstrong
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