Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Srpt ?t> 1976
10
By Dieter Krieg , Editor
NOTE Life on the farm columns
are written (or urban as well as rural
readers They're meant to bring the
joys, frustrations, sorrows, and
rewards and importance of
agriculture to all.
It was Sunday afternoon, usually
the only part of a Sunday which a
farm family can have to itself Out
side, a ram storm was making a mess
of fields and pastures This was the
kind of day that wasn’t good for much
except staying inside warm and
dry
Then someone noticed a group ot
our heifers running wildly from one
end of the pasture to the other
Behind them were five horses, which
had evidently been frightened by the
storm and were now running through
everything, including fences, because
of their panic
We hurried outside, our feet
splashing in puddles, and slipping in
mud. The poor traction and visibility
made it difficult to keep up with the
animals, a few of which had by now
found the broken section of fence,
and were heading for the woods
The heifers and dry cows weren’t
too difficult to calm down. We found
them at the far end of the woods, next
to the bank of a stream. We were
soaked from head to toe and splashed
with mud up to our ears. The storm
seemed to be sudsidmg, as we herded
Sunday, Sept. 26
Dairy Goat Workshop, Ag
Center, Westminster,
Md., 1-4 p.m. Talks and
demonstrations will
feature goat care,
breeding, milking, milk
products, and chevon.
Monday, Sept. 27
PFA directors meeting,
Schuylkill County, Ex
tension Office, 8 p.m.
Hunterdon County (N.J.)
Farm Bureau resolution
meeting and dinner, 7
p.m., Ringoes Grange
Hall.
Fulton Grange 66 holds
“Community Night;”
RURAL ROUTE
% Fom Armstrong I*7*
SHOWING SHEEP IS A TWO
DAY AFFAIR ... ONE DAY To
SHOW AND ONE DAY To
|| STRAIGHTEN UP.
Farm Calendar
covered dish supper 7
p.m., program and en
tertainment follows.
Public is invited.
Tuesday, Sept. 28
Housing Fair sponsored by
the Delaware
Cooperative Extension
Service today and
tomorrow, in Georgetown
and Dover, respectively.
Times for both days are
noon to 4 and 8:30 to 9.
Good Use 4-H Community
Club begins its Fall
meetings, 7 p.m. at the
South Christian Street
Mennonite Church.
Elizabethtown Marketplace
them home The heifers weren’t the
cause of our-Sunday afternoon ad
venture The trouble makers were
our neighbor’s horses, whi'dh
frequently went spooky during a
storm and then started jumping
fences Our two strands of electric
fencing didn’t help the situation any
The shocks from it spooked them that
much more, and a section of fence,
well over 100 feet long, was flattened
by them at the upper side of the
pasture
Our work was far from over once
the heifers were back home, and
counted Two of us guarded the
opening in the fence, while the other
two headed for the tool shed to get
the materials for fixing it Dark clouds
loomed overhead, but no ram, and in
the distance there was the rumble of
thunder and brief flashes of lightning
Broken posts were pulled out, and
new posts were driven m, and the
strands or wire were quickly put back
into place. If we were lucky we could
turn the electric fence controller back
on and find both lights flashing
Otherwise it would mean that
something else needs fixing. Any
short-circuits in the system will cause
malfunctioning of the unit.
A nice, warm bath or shower is all
we need yet By the time we were dry
it was milking time
Fair begins, lasts
through Saturday.
Inter-State District 6 annual
meeting, Blue Ball Fire
Hall, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 29
4-H baby beef and pig round
ups at the New Holland
Fair, Pigs should arrive
today between 8:30 and 10
a.m.; steers are to arrive
between 1 and 3 p.m.
Berks County Conservation
District board of
directors meet, Ag-
Center, Leesport, 2 p.m.
New Holland Fanners’ Fair
begins, lasts through
Saturday.
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AUTONOMOUS
SERVANTS
I n\on for Srptrmhrr TL 1976
Background Scripture-
Calatians 5 13 through G 18
Devotional Heading I
Peter 2 3-17
Several yearn ago I naw a
cartoon depicting a class of
>oung children with their
teacher m what was ob
viouslj a “modern
education" setting One of
the children had raised his
hand and was asking,
"Teacher, do we have to do
what we want to do again'’"
Anyone who has worked
intensively with children and
youth know that "student
autonomy" can be earned to
absurd lengths. As in
everything else in life, there
is a need for balance, a
balance between autonomy
and direction, between
flexibility and structure. We
may come to realize (as the
child in the cartoon) that
sometimes there is nothing
quite so confining and tinng
as always doing just what we
want to do.
Through Love
Be Servants
Often it seems that the
ideal situation is one in
which we are so free of
obligations and restraints
that we can devote all our
time and effort toward
satisfying our own needs. In
time, however, life seems to
teach us that nothing is so
imprisoning than being so
completely “stuck on one’s
self.”
No one has ever quite
grasped the true meaning of
freedom as Jesus did. He
realized that freedom does
not consist of exemption
from serving others, but the
attitude with which we
perform that service. For
example, he taught that if
someone were to compel us
to carry a burden for one
mile, we ought instead to
carry it for two miles. In so
Thursday, Sept. 30
Pesticide training meeting,
Hunterdon County, N.J.,
8 p.m. at the County
Extension Center; exam
follows.
Maryland broiler industry’s
20th annual Servicemen’s
Conference, Interstate
Inn, along U.S. Route 1,
College Park.
Tri-Valley Community Fair
begins, at Hegins,
Schuylkill County.
Sunday, Oct. 3
Bedding Plant Conference,
lasts through Wed
nesday, Hershey Motor
* Lodge and Convention
Center, Hershey.
By Tom Armstrong
TO BEWARE OF
FROSTED CHOI'S
Fall In here and wc can be
getting a killing frost at any
time livestock producers
should beware of the
possibility of poisoning of
animals from eating certain
crops after frost I refer to
the sudan-sorghum hybrids
that arc used for temporary
pasture or green-chopping
When these arc frozen there
is danger of the forming of
prussic acid for the first 5 to
7 days after the frost; during
this time the crop should not
be consumed by any type of
livestock. It may be made
into hay or silage and
allowed to cure or ferment
for 30 days and then it will be
safe to use. AFTER the crop
has been frozen and died
down in a dry form, then it
may be consumed from the
field. Also, there is danger of
poisoning from new growth
that may develop from the
roots after a killing frost.
Producers are urged to
manage these crops very
carefully this time of the
year.
TOSEGREGATE
LIVESTOCK
Newly purchased animals
of any kind should not be put
with acclimated animals
because of the danger of
doing, Jesus, indicated you
retain your freedom and the
service you render is not
under compulsion. In fact,
you even signify to the op
pressor that you are still in
control of your own life. In
“going the extra mile” you
manifest your own
autonomy.
Try it sometime and feel
the difference: when
someone is able to compel
you to do something, “go the
extra mile” and see how it
feels inside. How much
easier it is to serve someone
else when we feel that we are
still in control of our own
lives! Thus, Paul wrote,
“through love be servants of
one another” (Galatians
5:13).
Sowing and Reaping
There is nothing more
liberating than the freedom
to choose to serve someone
else in need. How good it
feels to be freed of that
compulsion to look after only
ourselves. In helping others
it is often ourselves who
benefit most. All of us want
to feel some sense of self
worth, yet often it is only in
helping someone else that we
can experience self-worth.
Both Jesus and Paul
emphasized the relationship
between “sowing” and
“reaping.” Thus, to the
Galatians Paul says: “Do
not be deceived; God is not
mocked, for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap”
(6:7). We best serve our
selves when we generously
serve others.
Nor are we more free than
when we give ourselves in
service to others. Therefore,
to “Bear one another’s
burdens” is no loss of in
dependence, for there is no
one more autonomous than
the willing servant who gives
himself or herself in the love
of Jesus Christ.
NOW IS
THE TIME...
Max Smith
< mint) Agr Agent
Telephone 394-CHSI
various infections This time
of the year wmc cattle
feeders may be bold enough
to buy replacement cattle,
these should not cat or drink
from the same bunks or
troughs Purebred animals
purchased for breeding
purposes should be kept
separate for at least 30 days,
and after all tests have been
negative Many producers
arc guilty of ‘‘buying
trouble" when they bring in
new animals You can’t be
too careful in preventing
infections.
TO EVALUATE
PESTICIDE PROGRAMS
Now that the growinjfty
season is about over, it is a
good tune to take a hard look
at the success in controlling
weeds, insects, and diseases
on garden and field crops.
Did the pesticides do the
control job intended? If not,
what was wrong and what
should be done differently
next year? If certain weeds
were not controlled, or if
insects damaged the crop,
then some changes should be
made for next year. If
recommendations were
correctly followed, and the
pesticide still did not give
good results, then the
company or dealer should be
notified. The proper use of
pesticides should give good
control of the pest; if this is
not the case, then some ef
fort should be made to getC.
good results.
TOPREPARE
CORNSTORAGE
The com crop is ripening
fast and many fanners will
be pressed to find sufficient
storage space. We urge
growers to try and put the
com in rodent-proof place
rather than pile it on the
bam floor. Old cribs and bins
should be cleaned and
sprayed with an insecticide
such a Malathion in order to
prevent infestation of the
new grain. The old grain
should be removed from the
storage before the new grain
is put in. If the premises are
already heavily infested with
rats and mice, then ar|[j
eradication program should
precede com harvest. Cora
prices continue to be
favorable and good storage
facilities will help keep the
crop in good market con
dition.
Cleaning Hints
Salt and cinnamon can be
an oven refresher Sprinkle
salt and cinnamon mixture
over spills while the oven
is still hot When dried,
remove the salted spots with
a stiff brush or cloth The
greasiest iron pan will wash
easily if you put a little salt
in and wipe with paper A
brisk scouring with table
salt will remove the most
stubborn tea stains from
cups You can clean your
sink disposer unit with ice
cubes and lemons Cut up
two lemons and place mj|
disposer Add two trays of r
ice cubes and operate the
disposer until lemons and
ice disappear Flush with
cold water