1 Farming Saturday. Sept 11. 1976
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EDITORIAL COMMENTS
Counting our blessings
I’ve always had a high level of
respect for agriculture... and that is
probably something which has'grown
during the past 29 months that I have
been off the farm. Viewing farming
from within the barnyard and hayfield
and now from across the fence gives
me a more complete and appreciative
picture which is somehow missed
otherwise. I’m proud of my farm
background and hope to remain close
to agriculture for all of my life.
Farmers in Pennsylvania if not
all of America —seem to be especially
fortunate with their blessings.
Granted, things don’t always go as
smoothly as we’d like, but .for the
most part we’re surrounded by good
fortune. Most other areas on the
globe are not as rich in their
resources.
Take, for example, the weather. It’s
not often that we experience a severe
drought in this area, and much of the
soil is such that a few weeks of no rain
will not be noticeably detrimental.
And as all farmers are aware, the
weather is the most important single
factor to make the crops grow and
keep the cows fed.
In much of Europe, this year, a
severe drought has caused a
catastrophe. Due to their location,
size, and population density, it hurts
them worse than it would have hurt
the United States. Some parts of this
nation also experienced an un
favorable growing season this year
and it will hurt those who are directly
affected, but it’s not causing a
national shortage of any kind, like is
developing in England.
Due to its vast amounts of good
land stretching from ocean to ocean
in a favorable climatic belt, the
United States can produce food for all
of its people and millions more
around the world.
Our blessings don’t stop with
favorable weather and good soil.
This country's industrial might has
allowed it to mechanize like no other
country on Earth. We’ve become
more efficient, more productive. Most
any farm can be cited as an example
of that. Just look at the equipment in
RURAL ROUTE
Serving The Central and ioofheosfem Penniylvanta Are os
BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR
the barn or the fancy machinery in
the field.
By contrast, look at Russian
example. An article in
the latest issue of U.S. News and
World Report describes what a group
of American 4-H’ers found over there.
In short, they announced upon
returning here, that the Russians are
so inefficient that you have to see it to
believe it.
There’s another blessing to be
counted here, m comparison to
Russia, the kingpin among com
munist nations. It is true that the
giant Asian nation is not as fortunate
as we are in terms of soil and climate,
but even more noteworthy than that
is the lack of freedom and liberty. The
Soviet government has its fingers in
everything; free enterprise and
private ownership of individual farms
is practically unheard of; and
decisions are made by dictatorial
means with no regard to specific
adaptability.
We might complain in this country,
but our rights and privileges here are
a far cry from what the Soviet farmers
have to put up with. Chalk that one
up as a special blessing.
American farmers have had the
freedom to do as they please for the
most part, which has given them
incentive and allowed them to be
productive. That makes a big dif
ference m any business.
Few spots on Earth have the
combinations of blessings which
America has good climate,
productive soil, the right to work in
what one likes best with only few
restrictions as to how, plenty of
minerals and fuel for the production
of machinery, good institutions for
research and engineering, and much
more.
In looking around at our good
fortune and productivity, praise goes
to not just ourselves, but to the
Creator who put it all together in the
first place.
And it’s up to us to live and work in
such a way to keep these blessings
with us for future generations.
Background Scripture:
Romans 4:1»25; Galatians
3:19 through 4:7.
Devotional Reading:
Romans 3:21-31.
In his search to find a
meaningful way of helping
followers of Jesus Christ to
understand the true nature
of their relationship through
the Gospel, Paul turned to
the analogy of “the heir.”
'lnheritance ‘was
something understood by
everyone in his day. Even
slaves knew the meaning of
being an heir and coveted
that relationship that was
almost always beyond their
grasp.
Under the custodian
For one thing, they knew
that an heir who had not yet
attained legal maturity was
under someone’s
custodianship. Thus a youth
who would some day inherit
both rank and possessions
would nevertheless be under
the custodial care of
someone until of legal age.
Even if the person of rank
and property were to die
while the heir was still under
legal age, there would be a
custodian for the youthful
heir.
Paul used this analogy to
try to explain the place and
purpose of religious law in
the life of the Christian. In
our spiritual immaturity, the
religious law has a function
TO ACCEPT LOCAL
RESPONSIBILITY
For many years I have
suggested that more farmers
should become active in
local government com
mittees and boards. This is
still needed in order to get
good, sound agricultural
thinking into some of the
regulations. When farmers
refrain from being active in
these decisions, then non
farm folks will be making
the regulations for
agriculture. This might be
all right in some cases, but in
others the outcome might be
unpractical and not for the
best interests of agriculture.
Many farmers in this county
should make good local
officials and we urge them to
become active and help
make major decisions.
TO PREPARE FOR
FALL GRAINS
The seeding of winter oats,
barley, and wheat will
happen in the next month;
all of these are adapted to
this part of the state and will
do good depending upon
weather conditions. In
southeastern Pennsylvania
By Tom Armstrong
THE HEIR
Lesson for September 12,1976
in our lives. It helps to shape
and control us while we are
yet spiritually immature.
But when through the Gospel
of Jesus Christ we attain
spiritual maturity, then we
no longer have a need for the
guardian. We discard it, not
because it is worthless or
wrong, but because we have
gone beyond it.
Secondly, it must be ap
parent that an iilheritance is
always a gift. Even the legal
rights of the heir are his or
hers only because that
inheritance has been given,
not earned. No one ever
works themselves into an
inheritance. It is always the
result of grace.
So, Paul said, it is with us.
We are heirs, not because we
deserve to be, but because
God in his grace has given us
our inheritance. If some day
winter oats should be seeded
about the middle of Sep
tember on well drained
ground; winter barley goes
into the ground late Sep
tember or early October, and
winter wheat may be seeded
anytime in October. Hessian
Fly suceptible varities
should not be sowed until
after October 10, or a killing
frost. In most cases only a
phosphorus-potash fertilizer
will be needed this fall. If the
ground needs lime, it should
be worked into the topsoil
before grain seeding, and not
Today, Sept. 11
Colonial Day in East
Berlin, Adams County, 9
a.m. to 6 p.m.
State Jersey Sale, Guern
sey Sales Pavilion, 12:30
p.m.
The York Inter-State Fair
began yesterday, will con
tinue for another full week.
The New Jersey State Fair
began yesterday, continues
through Sept. 19 at Trenton,
N.J.
Monday, Sept. 13
Lancaster County Far
mers Association holds
meeting on plans for the
Park City display scheduled
for next month. Meeting
begins at 7:30 in the Farm
and Home Center.
Tuesday, Sept. 14
Board of directors meeting
for the Farm and Home
Foundation of Lancaster
County; 8 p.m. in the Con
ference Room of the Farm
and Home Center.
PennAg Convention at the
Hershey Motor Lodge,
begins today, runs through
Thursday evening.
NOW IS
THE TIME...
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
broadcast on top of the
winter grain this winter.
The cost of feed is usually
the big item in both milk and
meat production. Animals
that are infected with
stomach worms are poor
utilizers of high-priced grain
or hay. We urge local
producers of either beef or
dairy to have fecal samples
tested at their local
veterinarian to learn the
Farm Calendar
County Fair opens It
Quarryville. See page 62 and
beyond for details.
Thursday, Sept. 16
State Guernsey Sale,
Guernsey Sales Pavilion,
12:30 p.m.
Oley Community Fair
begins, runs through
Saturday.
Bee conference and in
secticide meeting, Agway
Inc., 16th and Cumberland
St., Lebanon. 7 p.m.
The first annual York
County FFA Market Swine
Sale, York Inter-State Fair,
7:30 p.m.
Horl Show at Penn State,
runs through Sunday.
V.V«%V.V.V.V.V.VtV.V/.V
you were to be informed that
you had inherited a large
estate from a distant,
unknown relative, you would,
regard it as a marveloud
windfall. But how much
more wonderful is the
inheritance we receive from
God!
Heirs by adoption
One may become an heir in
one of two ways. Either we
may be born to our
inheritance or we may be
adopted. Regardless, the
inheritance is no less real
and no less ours. In a sense,
we are all God’s "sons by
adoption.” God sent his
natural Son, says Paul, “so
that we might receive
adoption as sons” (Galatians
4:5).
In this adoption there is
strict equality of relationship
and raids. “There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is
neither male or female; for
you are all one in Christ
Jesus” (3:28). There are no
first or second class heirs:
“...if you are Christ’s, then
you are Abraham’s off
spring, heirs according tr
the promise” (3:29).
The glory of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is to be found
not only in that he was God’s
Son, but that, as Paul puts it,
“In Christ Jesus you are all
sons of God, through
faith...and if a son then an
heir!”
TO CONTROL INTERNAL
PARASITES
I Continued on Page 14)
Southern Lancasten
Friday, Sept. 17
Saturday, Sept. 18
World Championship
Rodeo, Buck Tractor Pa'J
Stadium, 2 p.m.
Regional 4-H Horse and
Pony Show at Ludwig’ s
Corner, Chester Co.