—Lancaster Farming, Saturday 10 EDITORIAL COMMENTS BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR It’s a crazy situation According to analysts and ob servers of the agricultural economy, _ there’s going to be some tough sledding ahead for farmers. The outlook for the remainder of 1977 and early 1978 is not very favorable, according to ag economists. There’s even some concern over the country heading for a recession within the next year or so. What's helping to bring a lot of this on is a sharp decline in exports. The wheat situation serves as an ex cellent example. Everybody seems to have a lot of it and prices are* way down. About the only guys who are really making out on the wheat crop are those who have straw to sell. Straw is now selling for about four Beware of No one hears this killer, although most all of us know about it. War nings are issued each year and still deaths are claimed by this extremely subtle villain. The killer carries no knife or gun. There are no screams. No blood. The killer is gas. Specifically: nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen tetroxide, nitric oxide and carbon dioxide. ■ The scene of the crime is nearly always inside a tower silo, or on occasion, near the chute area of a poorly ventilated feed room or barn. Most anyone who has been in volved with filling a tower silo has seen the brownish-yellowish gas hovering over the surface of the silage, and perhaps slithering down the chute through an open door. Of the four gases mentioned above, carbon dioxide is the most dangerous. Unlike the others, it is odorless and colorless. You can’t see that one, but if you’ve filled your silo, it’s there. Your best bet to avoid its A Labor D Those of us who aren’t particularly fond of unions got a real nice present this week which is worthy of men tioning on these pages. Last Winter, you see, a group of boro employees in Lancaster County voted to join the Teamsters. It wasn’t a unanimous vote among the men involved, but it was sufficient to get union representation. RURAL ROUTE , September 3,1977 farming Pe> ntylvomo A»eov cents per pound, comapred to 3Vz cents per pound for wheat! It’s crazy situation. Except for hay, feed is going to be comparatively cheap for the- next year or so. That won’t make the sledding for dairy and livestock farmers as rough as for those who are strictly in grains and other crops, but the lowered feed costs could lead to production increases and sur pluses. No matter which way the economists look at it, they foresee a squeeze on net farm income which will be felt by most farmers as well as agribusinesses. On the other side of the fence, expenses other than feed costs, aren’t going to be going down. the killer suffocating clutches is to stay out of the silo. The other three gases are just as deadly, but they at least allow you to see them. If you’re crawling up a silo and smell a strange gas or see the brownish-yellow gas floating near the surface, that’s your warning to change into reverse fast! If you must enter the silo during a period of time when poisonous gases are around, then it's strongly suggested that you run the silo blower for 15 to 20 minutes before you enter. Even then, get out of the structure if your throat gets irritated shortly after entering the silo. A few lives have been claimed by silo gases in this area in recent years. Sometimes it’s even two at a time, when one goes in to rescue another. Silo gases are extremely dangerous and the best way to protect yourself against this killer is to stay out of the silo during the first week or so after filling. Don’t take the matter lightly. ay present Within the past week, the boro workers decided to drop out of the union, claiming that the union ‘‘ended up telling us what to do." They found out that the union wasn’t really working for them after all. That's just half of the good news. The real gem in all of this is that the Teamsters Local involved has (Continued on Page 39] SOUND DOCTRINE Lesson for September 4,1977 Background Scripture: Titus 2; Colossians3;ls-17. Devotional Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20. Most people don’t even know that there is a book called Titus in the New Testament, let alone have any idea what it’s about. Its contents are not likely to be found on anyone’s list of favorite Bible quotations. That’s unfortunate, for the Book of Titus, despite its brevity - its three brief chapters require a page and a half in my Bible - deserves its place in our New Testament. It has something quite important to say to us and,'although its content can be found in either similar or different language in other books of the New Testament, it is clearly and significantly stated in Titus.- Teach What Befit* A hasty, examination, of Titus has often led people to assume that this epistle is mostly about doctrine. In the first chapter the writer alludes to the correction of those who hold incorrect beliefs, “that they may be sound in faith, instead of giving heed to Jewish myths or to commands of men who reject the truth” (1:13b, 14). He also begins chapter two, saying, “But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine” -<2:1). Later he says, “Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority” (2:15). Actually, however, this brief epistle is concerned, not with religious ideas as such, but with religious behavior. From beginning to end of Titus, the writer is concerned about actions, not words or ideas. For although the writer speaks of choosing elders who “give instruction in sound doctrine” and “confute those who con tradict it” (1:9), he is con cerned not with what people believe about God, but how what they believe motivates them to live in his presence. The writer’s concern is not for ideas, but action that “befits sound doctrine” (2:1). A Good Model The writer has checklists of certain kinds of behavior that he believes are essential for certain groups of people. There is one list for elders (local pastors), one for “older men,” another for “older women,” as well as “young women” and “younger women.” His highest expectations are for the older men and women. All of these expectations he sums up in this one Tom Armstrong By SILO GAS The com crop ripened rapidly in the past week and now it is silo filling time. Silo gases can develop from filling time until two weeks later. They are formed by micro-organisms which are active in the jensiling process. Nitrogen Dioxide is asually an organe-yellow color and Nitrogen Tetroxide a yellow color. Nitric Oxide is colorless. All three of these are extremely dangerous, causing throat and lung damage. Another one is carbon dioxide, which is colorless and odorless, but can cause suffocation because of the lack of oxygen. Silo owners are urged to warn their families and employees about these gas dangers. Do not enter the silo or silb chute the first 10 days after filling, unless their is good ventilation, or the running of a silo blower. Be aware of silo gas dangers. TO UTILIZE CORNSTALKS Straw and other forms of livestock bedding are scarce and very expensive. Local com growers who pick or shell their com in the field can use the shredded com stalks, or harvest them for selling purposes. These shredded com stalks make very good bedding and will absorb large amounts of water in the bam and livestock pens. After the com is picked, the stalks can be shredded, allowed to dry, and then baled in the usual manner. With the big com acreage in this part of the state,' large amounts of bedding can be utilized to keep down bedding purchase costs and keep livestock more sanitary. Farm Calendar Today, Sept. 3 Peachilicious Labor Day Weekend, three-day celebration at Maple Lawn Farms, New Park. Monday, Sept. 5 South Mountain Fair begins, lasts through Sept. 10. At Arendtsville. " Tuesday, Sept. 6 Hunterdon County, N.J., Soil Conservation District supervisors meet, 7:30 p.m. at the Extension Center. Wednesday, Sept. 7 Executive Committee meeting of the Hunterdon County (N.J.) board of agriculture, 8 p.m. at the Extension Center. statement: “Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds'...” (2:7). If they are to be zealous about anything , let it be, not religious ideas, but “for good deeds” (2:14). Many Christians seem to believe that the essence of Christianity lies in disputing and defending the right doctrines and dogmas. But the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as Titus makes clear, is a sound doctrine that issues in loving deeds and fruitful lives. ALFALFA WEEDS August seedings of alfalfa should be getting a good start, but the weeds may also be growing rapidly. When we make these straight seedings without any nurse crop, it is very important to control the broadleaf weeds. The best time to do this is when the plants are small, one to two inches, when tJtey can be more easily killed; materials such as 2.4-D.B (butryic acid) can be used to kill the small weeds and not harm,the alfalfa plants. Too many growers will not do anything about the weeds until they are too large to control without killing the small alfalfa plants. Alfalfa is a very important forage crop, and in recent years, has been a good cash crop. Every effort should be made to get a good stand and to get maximum yields next summer. TO USE CERTIFIED SEED The seeding of winter grains should be in the planning stage; soil testing should be done and the seeds ordered. We urge the use of Certified seed in order to get the best quality and to get good yields without disease and weed problems. Some varieties may not be in sufficient supply this fall. Growers are urged to consult with their seedsman and the 1977 Agronomy Guide for variety selections. Winter oats should be seeded in mid- September in this part of the state; winter barley is usually seeded during late September and early Oc tober; while winter wheat is seeded from mid to late October. Lime and fertilizer needs should be worked into the topsoil before seeding. Lancaster County Con servation District board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Farm and Home Center. Red Rose Beef and Sheep Club has picnic at Penryn Picnic Woods. ' Thursday, Sept. 8 Susquehanna River Basin Commission meets at 9 a.m. in the Constellation Room of the New World Trade Center Building, on Pratt Street, Baltimore, Action is expected in the meeting which will accept the Mount Joy and East Petersburg "areas in Lancaster County. Friday, Sept. 9 Field day highlighting pond construction, terracing and waterway con struction, today and tomorrow, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Site of the field day is along Route 17, ap proximately 4% miles south of Ickesburg. York Fair begins in York, runs through Sept. 17. Saturday, Sept. 10 NEJBA Open House, Tunkhannock, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 Pennsylvania Junior Angus Heifer Show, York Fair, 4 p.m.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers