—Lancaster Farming. Saturday April 30, 1977
10
AL ROUTE
I THINK THE QUICKEST WAY TO BECOME
A MILLIONAIRE WOULD BE To FIND A
CONSTRUCTIVE use for crapsrass ahd
BARN CATS. f J 55
By Tom Armstrong
Help
appreciated
We would like to thank the
people of Manheim and
Lititz communities who
helped clean up after the
recent barn fire. We would
especially like to thank those
whom we did not thank in
dividually. We feel very
fortunate and thankful that
we will be moving into a
community where there are
so many willing hands to
help when the need arises
May God bless each one of
you for your willingness to
share in our misfortune.
Robert and Lois Fahnestock
Mount Joy, Pa.
NO CHEAP
CROWNS
Lesson fpr May 1,1977
Background Scripture:
Janies 1:1-18
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 73:2-17
You know the song;
If you can’t bear the cross.
Then you can’t wear the
crown.
Well, it’s easier to sing
than do - much, much, much
easier.
People don’t like crosses -
except ornamental ones in
churches - and many would
much prefer a crossless
Christianity. Wouldn’t it be
better if we could have all
the plusses of Christianity
without the minus of the
cross?
The origin of crosses
Ideally, perhaps, the
answer is “yes,” a
Christianity without crosses
seems greatly to be desired.
The fact is, however, that
isses do not originate in
.tianity, nor is the cross
to be found in the will of God.
He does not send us crosses.
They are the manifestations
of the sins which men
commit against themselves
and their brothers. The
Cross of Jesus Christ was
fashioned, not by his loving
Father, but by the
ignorance, the sinfulness,
the wilfullness of his con
temporaries.
Where, then, does God fit
in the picture?
The answer is that,
although God does not send
us crosses, he can and does
use them. God used the cross
of Jesus Christ to lift up his
Incarnate Love before the
whole world. God used the
crosses of the apostles and
martyrs to spread the Good
News of Jesus Christ. And
God can use the crosses in
our lives to teach us some of
the greatest truths of life. So,
coming from the sin of man,
the cross, the symbol of
man’s moral failure and
tragedy, is transformed by
the redeeming power of
God’s love as revealed in
Jesus Christ.
The key, it would seem, is
to be found not in trusting
that we will escape all
crosses, but in the faith that
all crosses can be tran
sformed by the love of Jesus
Christ.
Count it all joy
The writer of the Epistle of
James seems to have a Com planting tim* has Wednesday, May 4
perverted attitude toward arrived and the recent good Lancaster County 4-H Beef
trials and temptations: weather permitted many and Sheep Club meeting,
Count it all joy, my acres to go into the ground 7 p.m. at the farm of John
brethren, when you meet early again this year. Last Zimmerman, Ephrata
various trials...” (James year mid-Anril weather also HI.
1:2). He seems to be saying
that we should be happy .
when we’re miserable! over us. The only way to
That, however, is not what defeat or transform a cross
James means. What he is is to refuse to let it ac
saying is that the only way to complish in us what it is
transform our crosses is to supposed to accomplish,
take a different attitude This is what James means
toward them. If the purpose when he says; Blessed is the
of the cross is to depress and man who endures trial, for
discourage us, then we fulfill when he has stood the test he
that purpose when we allow will receive the crown of life
ourselves to be made which God has promised to
depressed and discouraged, those who love him” (1:12).
If, instead, we look at our If we keep that in mind, then,
crosses as opportunities, if as James says, we can
we concentrate on the “count it all joy.”
benefits that can be squeezed The problem with many of
from our affliction, if we can us is that we want to travel
keep our eyes fixed on the first class on economy fares -
crown, then we have begun but there are no cheap
to rob our cross of its power crowns.
TO PROVIDE FARM
PONDSAFETY
Hot weather is ap
proaching when any body of
water will attract swim
mers. We realize that farm
ponds are a very popular
place during the Summer
months and we hope that
many folks can enjoy this
type of good recreation.
However, there is some
danger around any body of
water with a group of
youngsters, or with any
person swimming alone. We
suggest that owners of ponds
have rescue equipment at
the pond for immediate
assistance. Wooden rafts,
boards, ladders, and inflated
inner tubes may be very
useful in case of an
emergency. Pond owners
should have this equipment
at the scene before tragedy
happens. The posting of NO
TRESPASSING signs will
not prevent drownings, and
will not take the place of
safety equipment.
TO USE POULTRY
MANURE SPARINGLY
We have often stressed the
value of both poultry and
livestock waste, as a source
of fertilizer elements. The
amounts of nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potash in
the various kinds of manure
are-known, depending upon
the 'amount of litter, the
moisture content, and the
amount of weathering or
leaching. However, one thing
is certain, poultry manure is
the highest in nitrogen
content, and when used
excessively can bum crops
and seeds. Normally I’d
suggest that not more than
four to five tons of straight
poultry manure be applied
per acre of ground; when dry
this materrial could contain
80 to 90 pounds of actual
nitrogen per ton! With larger
amounts of litter it will be
less in nitrogen content.
Therefore, go easy on
poultry manure for both field
crops and for gardens.
TO PLANT CORN
NOW IS
THE TIME
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
permitted the planting of
part of the com crop. Long
time records on full sesson
corns favors early plantings
(by the 10th of May) rather
than later plantings.
However, I’d like to point out
again, farmers having
trouble with Johnson Grass
should wait until late May to
apply Eradicane herbicide
and disc in several times to
chop up the grass rhizomes.
Poor control can be expected
with early planting of com
and then trying to kill the
plants with a herbicide in
growing corn. Additional
information is available at
our Extension Office.
TO BE CAREFUL
WITH LEFT-OVERS
Surplus seeds, fertilizers,
and spray materials are
quite common and can be
used in the future. However,
it is very important to store
them away from children,
pets, and livestock. Half
empty bage of fertilizer or
pesticides is surely an in
vitation to trouble. These
materials should be kept in a
special room or building and
doors kept under lock and
key. We have known of too
many cases of either
livestock or children getting
into these materials with
fatal results. Take time to
put them where they belong
and prevent a serious
tragedy. Also, left-over
seeds should not be used for
food or feedings purposes.
Most of these a*e treated
with chemicals to prevent
insect or disease trouble and
should not be consumed.
Farm
Calendar
Tuesday, May 3
Hunterdon County (N.J.)
Soil Conservation
District board of
supervisors meet, 8 p.m.
at the Extension Center.
Executive Committee of the
Hunterdon County Board
of Agriculture meets 8
p.m. at the Extension
Center.
New Jersey State
Agricultural Society
annual dinner, 6 p.m. at
Cedar Garden
Restaurant, Route 33,
Mercerville.
Lancaster County Con
servation District board
meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the
Farm and Home Center.
Thursday, May 5
FFA Lancaster County of
ficers elections. 7:30 p.m.
at the Brownstown Vo
Tech.
Public information meeting
on the use of sewage
sludge for fertilizer, 8
p.m. at the I. Walton
Bobst Rec Center, Lititz.
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