r
Once again it's time to celebrate
America's birthday. Unfortunately,
we can’t always have the kind of
uplifting party we experienced last
year when Americans gave,their
country some badly needed
solidarity.
A positive approach is what we
need to make and keep our country
great. There will always be a place for
constructive criticism, but that alone
won't do. Sure, the voicing of
. dissatisfaction's will hopefully lead to
improvements. But we also need
praise -- whether it’s as individuals or
a nation.
We, as Americans, haven’t taken
enough time to rally to the positive
sides of our nation. That’s why last
year’s big celebration was so
refreshing. We haven’t always stood
by her like we should, and yet it
seems as though God -- in whom
we’re supposed to trust -- has kept
the blessings flowing.
We must believe that the answers
to improvement as a nation and
people lie in a positive approach. We
must strive for it. That means putting
our thinking caps on and searching
for new ideas -- rather than sitting in
gloom and awaiting an end to this or
that.
America has nourished ideas of
freedom and a lifestyle which are still
********************************************** *®***®***^j
I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR j
• •
Time to put up or shut up
Editor, Lancaster Far
ming:
Over the past few years I
have received thousands of
requests and comments by
cattle producers that
something should be done to
help livestock industry
profits. A group of dairy and
cattle producers developed
the Beef Information and
Research Act 'as the best
RURAL ROUTE
10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 2,1977
By Dieter Krieg
the envy of most every other nation
on Earth -- be they friend or enemy.
We can be.proud of that, and we
have the right to pursue a con
tinuation of those blessings.
We’re not guilty, for example, of
being selfish when we consume as
much as we do. America’s record has
always been one of generosity, and I,
as one who has received some of this
country’s generosity, can verify that.
It must also be pointed out that while
consuming more, we also produce
more. The two go hand-in-hand,
although is not to say that we aren’t
wasteful. Unfortunately, we often are
wasteful.
Americans acknowledge many of
their present problems. What we
need is positive initiatives to over
come them -- not negativism as is too
often the policy of our government.
What we need is self-assurance and
positive thinking, not more and more
government intervention.
The spirit of independence -- the
rights of individuals and free en
terprise, among others - is what this
country was founded on. It’s what
made it great. And it’s what will keep
us great if we as a people have the
courage to not be put down by op
posing pressures and have con
fidence in the principles which
patriots fought for two centuries ago.
answer to the problem. The
ideas have been worked and
reworked for over two years
and over 200 agriculture
organizations have en
dorsed the program.
Now it is with great in
terest that I watch as three
or four persons, and a few
“Johnny come lately”
organizations “nit pick” a
phrase here or a sentence
3d
there. These persons have
done no research nor have
they offered a better or even
an alternative program. To
them it is the same game as
usual. These are the people
who are always “against”
any improvements. It is .
alwfiys easy to find fault and
be a defeatist. It is quite
(Continued on Page 14]
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S 3
Background Scriptures.
Exodus 19 through 20;
' Deuteronomy 10
through 12.
Devotional Reading:
Deuteronomy6:4s 4-15 „
The story of Exodus did
not end the victory
celebration. When the people
of Israel had sun their songs
and danced their dances,
there was still something
important to follow. After
the celebration came tee
covenant.
The covenant of God with
Israel brings to our minds
the laws God gave to the
people as they wandered in
the wilderness. But the
covenant was more than just
laws, more even than the
Ten Commandments. The
word covenant denotes an
agreement, but the
agreement itself denotes a
relationship. What God was
proposing to the tribes of
Israel was a unique and
Significant relationship.
You havesecn....
It was a relationship that
was founded upon what God
had already done for them.
God did net first come to the
Hebrews with com
mandments; he came first
with saving acts- and
liberation. It was only after
God had freed the people of
Israel that he came to them
with commandments. So, he
begins by reminding them of
what he had done: “You
have seen what I did to the
Egyptians, and how I bore
you on eagles’ wings and
brought you to myself”
(Exodus 19:4).
It is on the same basis that
. God comes to us, both as
individuals and as a nation.
Corporately, he says to
America, “You have seen
what I did...” And we have
seen what God has done in
and through this nation.
Despite- our failures and
faults as a nation, despite the
incompleteness of our
American dream, candor
forces .us to acknowledge
that God has done great
things with our nation.
It is a cliche to say that
Americans don’t appreciate
their freedom until they go
somewhere else and realize
the value of what they have.
Yet, cliche or not, it is true. I
have traveled in countries
where people are not free,
where the police state looms
ominously behind every
wall, around every comer. I
have been behind the Iron
Curtain and I have never
stepped through that gate
without uttering a spon
taneous sigh of relief. Yes,
we can see what God has
done - if we will open our
eyes.
By Tom Armstrong
(SOMETHING TELLS ME THIS
[isn’t WHAT THEY HAD IN MIND.
The potato leafhopper does
not overwinter in Penn
sylvania but moves north
each spring. This is the
reason they are most
abundant in July and August
and it is the second and third
crop of alfalfa that is subject
to injury.
Use an insect net to check
the population of leafhoppers
in the field. Sweep the alfalfa
in front of you, taking a
stride or two between
sweeps. After ten sweeps
examine the inside of the net
carefullly. If you average
one leafhopper per sweep,
you had better either spray
or if it has been 35 days from
the last cutting, then harvest
it.
When he has reminded the
people of Israel of what they
have seen him do, then he
says: “Now therefore, if you
will obey my voice and keep
my commandments...”
(19:5). God does not ar
bitrarily made demands
upon us, but appeals to us to
obey him because of what he
has already done for ns.
“Now therefore,” because
God has dealt with us so
abundantly, he also calls us
to obey his voice and keep his
commandments.
There is also a future
tense to the convenant for
God also speaks of what he
will do in the days ahead. In
the case of the Hebrews, the
promise of the future was the
land of Canaan, the
Promised Land that would
be their heritage. To the
Church of Jesus Christ it is
the promise of God’s
Kingdom. And to each of us
there is the promise that
God’s purpose for us will be
fulfilled if we will walk in his
ways and listen to his voice.
TO CLEAN UP
GRAIN BINS
We are in the barley
harvest season and fast
approaching the wheat
harvest season so we need to
clean up our grain bins in
preparation to this harvest.
This is a three .step
operation. The first step is to
clean out all old grain. Sweep
down the sidewalls and floor,
making special effort to
remove old grain lodged in
the cracks. The second step
4s to spray the floor and walls
with an approved residual
insecticide such as
maiathion or methoxychlor.
Follow the label for proper'
rates of application.
Step three is to prevent
birds and rodents from
entering -the bin. Repair
holes with metal or rat
proofing materials. More
grain is condemned due to
rodent contamination than
for any other cause. Clean up
all spilled grain around the
bin to discourage the various
pests from the area.
A dean bin is an important
step to insure good quality
grain.
TO BE ALERT FOR
LEAFHOPPER ON
ALFALFA
This insect can cause
yellowing of the leaves' and
dwarfing of plants; in fact it
is one of the most injurious
insect pests on alfalfa,
potatoes and beans.
You shall be..
TO PRACTICE E\
SAVINGS
The energy S h
appears to be here t
and it is likely to)
This means that enerj
will continue to nse
extremely important
and continue enerj
serration practices |
stretch fuel suppli
lower production cost
technology should q|
soon, but our emeq
now.
I would like to
following suggest!
guide to reduce
and .costs. Tune
engines, this will
and increase pow
above ground ft
shady area to
evaporation loss,
underground str
leakage loss,
brooding temper;
in broiler houses
or four days .
weekly. Repair *
windows - sealing
carefully. P
preventive maint
all equipment.
These are just a ft
but the important'
be aware ; and
energy, conservatit
area's of the home;
TO CHECK FORI
The wet wea(
humid conditions
excellent for W
garden and on
Now would be a
spray your fruit
garden - -espec
tomatoes, potat
cucurbits. 'Use a
and insecticide in
plication. If you ha 1
few fruit trees anc
the combination of
(Sevin)andCaj
one - or if the
already started
need a little
fungicide so fi
copper culfate
advisable. For
control, maintain
day interval for
schedule.
Be sure to follow
recommendations
proper application
is also important'
material in its
container and keei
of the read) of '
Farm C
Monday, Ji
Have a happy In<
Day.
Tuesday, Jui
Voting begins for'
off program
county ASCS'
now until Jul;
regular bv
or by mail,
your local
Poultry met
Montgomery i
the managemei
home poults
4-H Center
Road, Lansd
pjn.
Hunterdon Count
Soil Cons'
District S>
meet, 7:30 '
Extension '
(Continued on