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10
LIFE on the farm
Lost Saturday turned out to be one
ot the nicest days of the year A friend
had called earlier to ask if I could help
him fill silo
Well can fish swim 7 Does Jimmy
Carter want to be President 7 Do bees
like honey 7
You bet 111 help fill silo 1
Life on the farm has admittedly
taken on a different light during the
past 2V? years that I have been away
from the everyday chores But
nevertheless, silo filling has been a
iob I've always looked forward to And
so starts the most recent episode of
my life on the farm
Happy to be aboard a 4020 again
for the first time since last Spring, I
fired the tractor up and aimed the
trailing chopper towards the nearest
two rows of corn With the power
take-off shaft engaged, the razor
sharp knives began to spin at 1000
revolutions per minute The tractor
thundered at full power, the chopper
hummed, and within another few
seconds a stream of silage flowed into
the wagon
Within 10 minutes the wagon was
full, and my friend, Bob Wenger, came
speeding across the field with an
empty one. After just one load it was
all routine again. Familiar work,
familiar surroundings, familiar
satisfactions I felt right at home.
The scents of diesel fuel, greasy
machinery, chopped corn, and naked
soil touched my insides. The rumbling
of the tractor and chopper was music
Dear Editor;
In the interest of
professional journalism, and
with the true spirit of
editorial responsibility in
mind, I request that you
print this letter in your
editorial section. No one,
since Christ, has been
faultless, and there are two
sides to every story. In
telling only one side of a
story or in pointing out only
certain things you are not
technically lying, but you are
suspect ethically and
morally.
I am referring to your
“series” of editorials and
stories attacking Jimmy
Carter, of course. While you
repeatedly assure us readers
you won’t support Carter
because you’ve already
made up your mind, you
have not mentioned reasons
telling us why farmers can’t
support Gerald Ford. As long
as you can only “report”
items Carter said or
allegedly said not favorable
to farmers, why don’t you
remind us of the negative
Od 2. i«76
to in*’ cars The tall corn was a pretty
sight and harvesting it was a
satisfaction even though I had
nothing to do with planting this field
Row alter row, load after load, the
work continued interrupted only by a
flat tire and lunch Eventually there
were just two rows left The other
side of the field became clearly visible
through the stalks
Approaching the end of the field, I
continuously adjusted the spout,
allowing the silage to pile up evenly at
a rate of 10C0 pounds per minute
Soon it was time to pull back the
throttle, lift the corn head, disengage
the pto and shut down the tractor
The wagon was filled to capacity
There was no empty one to hitch to
I could see Bob up on the silo
(That’s him on page 1) Across the
fields came the words “I plugged the
pipe"
“Must have loaded that last one too
full,” 1 thought to myself, as I jogged
towards the three tall silos - each one
20 feet in diameter and 60 feet high
"Can I help with something 7” I
hollered up to him "Yes, disconnect
the pipe from the blower," he an
swered
After some banging and prodding,
we finally had things cleared But we
couldn’t put much more silage in
because this 20 by 60 was filled to the
gooseneck-which is why the pipe had
clogged
Those last two rows would have to
wait until after milking
farming positions taken by
Ford and the previous ad
ministration?
Ford did the following
negative things for farmers:
(1) impounded funds fo
conservation measures (the
money was finally released
after a court battle initiated
by farmers proved the
withholding was illegal); (2)
placed an embargo on grain,
costing American farmers
important dollars; (3)
continues to-cost each and
every farmer money, since
according to the latest U.S.
Department of Agriculture
statisitcs, the farmer’s share
of the food dollar fell 2.4 per
cent in August from the
previous month and 9.4 per
cent from the previous year.
This figure is the lowest
since December, 1971; (4)
continues to permit far too
many imports, especially
those from countries with
much less stringent in
spection procedures and
requirements.
Why is Dieter Krieg so
upset with California labor
laws? I don’t like them
either, but I fail to see how
they apply to our family
farms. I’m a farmer,
and I generally only
hire some day labor during
busy season. But, a law’s a
law, and if California passes
the legislation, we must
abide by the rules. We should
all abide by the rules of our
great country. Labor unions
may contribute to higher
prices, but they certainly
don’t effect my family farm
labor situation. And in
Pennsylvania, we are a state
of family farmers.
Ford is not a farmer.
Never was. Earl Butz,
secretary of agriculture is
not a farmer. The Carter
family has been in
agriculture a long time.
Jimmy does really know
something about “dirt
farming”. Why do our
agricultural journalists and
“prosperous farm leaders”
always tell us not to vote for
farmers? Aren’t farmers
THE GUILTY
JUDGE
I nwn for (Wiohrr } ItTI
Itarkgroond .Scripture
Homan* J 16 through 2 11
Hr t o(f ana I Heading
Psalms I>l
I ran vr that we're doing
to have to get nd of the
maul. said a suburban wife
to htr husband. "I Just
caught her trying to steal
those towels >ou lifted from
the hotel in Miami'"
That little slice of life
illustrates the double
standard under which many
of us operate in our dally
lives we condemn in others
the sins which we easily
rationalize away in our own
lives The same sin appears
differently depending upon
your perspective
Judging Another
The author of a recent
novel about a great tram
robbery in nineteenth
century England points out a
persistent attitude that
prevailed m those days and
still is current today: that
crime and social evil is
performed primarily by a
distinct “criminal class” of
people. Today we speak of
“the cnminal-type.” It is
assumed that crimes are
committed by sinful people
and that the rest of society
for the most part decent and
law-abiding should be
protected from the
“criminal element” by
isolation and harsh punish
ment.
Criminological studies
have demonstrated the
fallacy of these assumptions
with statistics of “white
collar crime” that is largely
undetected and unpunished.
The criminal system in our
society is designed to detect
and apprehend mostly the
petty criminal. If a man
breaks into your house and
steals . fifty dollars, the
recompense if he is caught is
predictable and substantial.
But if that same man juggles
the firm’s books in order to
avoid several million dollars
in taxes, retribution is most
uncertain.
Yet, although our society
focuses upon only one strata
of criminality, it pervades
the whole society and is an
everpresent potential and
often reality in each person’s
life.
Condemning Yourself
This should not come as a
surprise to us because this is
the view we find in the Bible.
All men, not just some, are
sinners in the sight of God.
There is no person who in
some way does not rebel
against God. If we do not
realize this, it is usually
because we fail to see our
selves and others ob
jectively. We see the speck in
someone else’s eye and
completely ignore the log in
our own eye.
It is for this reason that the
New Testament warns us
against sitting in judgement
qualified or “smart” enough
to serve as our leaders?
Dieter Krieg tells us why
we can’t support Carter. I’ve
given four factual reasons
why we can’t support Ford.
Who should we support?
Sincerely,
Waiter B. Loncosky
Danville, Pa.
[I
To tnsett In
Useslock Kqolpment
Moth dairy and beef rattle
producers need to have
proper equipment to handle
and move their cattle We
arc aware of the great stress
and excitement caused in 100
many eases when animals
arc forced into trucks
without chutes and loading
ramps Also, the reduction of
injuries to market animals
will soon pay for the new
equipment We would
suggest that producers
should have cutting gates
with a narrow chute and
headgate, this is very im-
Farm Calendar
Sonday, Oct. 3
Bedding Plant Conference,
Hershey Motor Lodge
Educational programs of
this Ninth International
Conference get underway
Monday, conclude on
Wednesday.
Monday, Oct. 4
Farm Families for Ford
dinner meeting. USD A
Secretary Earl Butz is
guest speaker. Reception
at 5:30, .dinner at 6:15,
Penn Harris Motor Inn,
Camp Hill. For reser
vations, please call 717-
of others. “Judge not,” said
Jesus, “that you be not
judged” (Matthew 7:1). The
Apostle Paul expands upon
this, saying: “Therefore you
have no excuse, 0 man,
whoever you are, when you
judge another; for in passing
judgement upon him you
condemn yourself, because
you the judge, are doing the
very same things” (Romans
2:1). Just because our sins
are hidden and subtle does
not make them any less
objectionable than those that
are obvious. We may hide
them from ourselves and
others, but we will not be
able to deceive God. There is
no one more vulnerable to
the judgement of God than
he who judges his fellow
man.
RURAL ROUTE
NOW IS
THE TIME...
Ma* Smith
( ottnl) A{r Agetil
Trlrpborjr 3M-4ASI
porlanl in Ireallng and
implanting animals
A loading chute will save
pounds injuries, and man\
dollars in the value of n
rarravs I \r heard butcher
and paiurm remark of the
low (o the farmer when
market animals arc bruised
or injured Good equipment
will pav for itself in a few
vears
To Breed Dairy Cows
And Heller*
1-ocal milk prices usually
reach a low In May or June,
then climb to a peak in the
[Continued on Pace 12|
232-9949 by lunch-time
today
.American Rabbit Breeders
Association Convention,
and Show, York
Fairgrounds, today
through Friday.
Tuesday, Oct. 5
Hunterdon County (N.J )
Soil Conservation
District supervisors
meet, Hunterdon Count)
Extension Center, 8 p.m
Inter-State Milk Producers
District meeting, York
County, at the Airville
Fire Hall, 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 6
Manheim Fair begins, lasts
through Friday.
Lancaster County Con
servation District board
meeting, Farm and
Home Center, 'Lancaster
Manure management field
day and demonstration,
9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the
Marvin Peoples farm,
McAlisterville R 2,
Juniata County.
Unionville Community Fair
begins, Unionville,
continues through
Saturday.
Friday, Oct. 8
Hog sale at theat the
Manheim Fair begins at 7
p.m. Lamb sale is at 8
p.m. and the beef sale is
at 8:30 p.m.
Carnival night at the Hun
terdon County Extension
Center at 7 p.m.
Tom Armstrong
iTom Vftutron* 197*