—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Febriaryl^l97B
10
Send a letter while it’s still a bargain
If President Carter has his way,
readers of Lancaster Farming may
have to wait until Monday or even
later to receive their issues. The
President is favoring the elimination
of Saturday mail deliveries in order
to cut costs of the Postal Service.
And that isn't all.
Since 1972, mailing costs for
newspapers and magazines
skyrocketed by over 500 per cent.
That should help explain why-
Lancaster Farming had an annual
subscription rate of $2 five years
ago, and $6 todav. Carter wants
those mailing costs to go even
higher.
The favored higher mailing costs
and cutbacks in service, such as the
elimination of Saturday deliveries
just don’t add up. If costs go up that
much, one would expect that ser
vices be improved. Instead, just the
opposite is true.
While the above information is
A SPECIAL
PLACE
Lesson for February 19,1978
Background Scripture:
Psalms 43; 46; 84; 122.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 43.
Just about one year ago I
TO APPRECIATE SNOW
COVER...I realize this may
not be a very popular though
to some people, but the snow
cover that we have had since
the first of January should
be of value to agriculture.
When the ground is covered
with snow, there is
protection to plant roots and
to all kinds of vegetation.
Also, water pipes will be
protected with large
amounts of snow cover. This
year, unless we have some
very cold weather after the
snow melts, we should have
a good winter wheat and
barley crop. Snow keeps
these grains from winter
killing. Also, many types of
RURAL ROUTE
,-vo
-'Jo
7.
I*
siF\\
&
something to be concerned about in
itself, more alarming information
came earlier this year when
President Carter intervened in
Congress to prevent postal reform.
Congress has had a bill in its midst
- H.R. 7700, which would help ease
some of the problems the Postal
Service has had. The bill was
designed to keep costs in line while
preserving services instead of
allowing them to disintegrate.
Politicians of both parties give
overwhelming support to H.R. 7700.
But Carter doesn’t like it.
The President is entitled to his
opinion on the matter - just like
everyone else. But Carter went
beyond that. He didn’t just say he
didn't like it. He urged House
Speaker Tip O’Neill to keep the bill
off the House floor. That effectively
sabotaged cpngressional efforts to
upgrade the Postal Service.
saw one of the most mar
velous sunsets I have ever
seen. Standing atop Mt.
Nebo in what is today the
nation of Jordan, I looked
across a vast valley to
another mountain ridge on
the far side. On the valley
! floor to my left was the
shimmering Dead Sea, to my
right was the Jordan River,
and in the middle was a dark
green patch that was
identified as Jericho.
But it was on the mountain
ridge on the other side of the
valley rift that our attention
was focused, for a monstrous
orange ball began to slip
down the far side of the
ridge. As is did, Jts rays
evergreen shrubbery will be
protected by the snow cover.
These plant roots will not be
dehydrated under the snow,
as compared to bare grounds
and very cold weather. I
realize the many hardships
and expenses of blizzards
and heavy snowfalls, but it is
not all negative.
TO PREPARE FOR
SPRING...This is a very
pleasant thought after so
much snow and cold
weather, but after looking at
the calendar, we must
realize that spring is just a
month away. Over the years
I’m aware that many gar
dens and tobacco beds have
been seeded, or prepared, on
OT*m
illuminated the spires of
churches on the Mount of
Olives over-looking the Holy
City of Jerusalem.
The lovely dwelling-place
In a space of five minutes
the sun had completed its
daily duty and Mt. Nebo
plunged into darkness. Still,
our little group stood there,
staring into the darkness in
the direction of the Judean
hills that could no longer be
seen. It was with reluctance
that we finally walked back
to our bus.
The next day it was with
that vision of the Holy City in
our minds that we began our
journey from Jordan across
or-about St. Patrick’s Day -
March 17. That means that
garden seeds and fertilizer
supplies should be on hand
ready for the season. Far
mers who plan to broadcast
alfalfa or red clover in their
stands of winter wheat
should have the seeds on
hand. The choice of varieties
and of top quality seeds
should be much better now
than later in the spring when
there will be “line-ups”
waiting for supplies.
TO PROVIDE SALT AND
MINERALS...This time of
the year some cattle feeders
and dairymen may be
running low oh the supply of
The President has pulled quite a
few “fast ones” during his first term
m office, and this latest one stands as
a good example of how he uses his
authority to cripple the democratic
process. He disallowed a bill to come
up for a vote. The end result of the
postage reform block means not only
are postage rates going to keep
inflating -- especially for newspapers
and magazines -- services will be cut.
And that isn’t all.
With subscription costs rising,
and services cut, many people will
consider forgetting about sub
scribing to newspapers and
magazines. What’s likely to be left
then is a society which effectively had
one of its information and news arms
amputated. In other words, freedom
of information is seriously affected.
To illustrate how much support
postal reform measures have in
the valley into Israel and
started the climb up to
Jerusalem. As we climbed
ever higher, some of us
remembered the an
ticipation of the ancient
Hebrew pilgrims as they
made their way up to the
Holy City. Although the
Temple is long gone and no
longer carries contemporary
significance for the Jew, let
along the Christian, still it
was an easy matter to share
and understand the
tremendous excitement the
Jewish pilgrims must have
felt as they approached
Jerusalem. As.we rounded
the curve on the road from
Bethany to Jerusalem and
either salt or minerals for
their herds. Both of these
materials are important for
efficient production of eith
ef meat or milk, and should
be available at all time. No
doubt some minerals and
salt are mixed mto the
ration; however, the needs
of animals vary and this
presents the need of having
free-choice elements. This is
especially true of salt and it
is best if presented in the
loose form, rather than by
the block. Many cattle will
develop sore tongues before
they can get sufficient salt.
Both salt and minerals are
needed for top digestion and
By Tom Armstrong
YOU CAN (JET TO T(
BAf?N A LOT FASTER
FEBRUARY THAN YW
IN JULY /
saw the city spread out
before us, we knew in our
own hearts why this had
always been for so many
people a special place.
To dwell in they house
But God is everywhere,
the skeptic reminds us. We
don’t have to go to a sacred
city or holy place to find him.
We don’t even have to enter
a church.
No, we don’t have to, we
can find and experience God
anywhere - and life is richer
and fuller when we do - but
nevertheless there are
certain places where our
experiences of him are
deeper '‘and fuller, not
because he is limited to those
for maximum water con
sumption.
TO BE ON HAND...The
birth of little farm animals is
quite common at all times of
the year, but sheep
producers and hog breeders
have a lot at stake, if these
animals are bom into a cold
barn. We urge some type of
supplemental heat at this
time of the year in order to
get best results. Most
farrowing houses have heat,
but the owner of a few sows,
and the sheep breeders,
should be sure the new-born
does not get dulled that first
few minutes. To be on hand
Farm Calendar
Today, Feb. 18
IE
IN
:ah
Lancaster County Swine
Producers Association
and Pennsylvania Pork
Producers Council hold
joint meetings and
banquet at the Harvest
Drive Restaurant, In
tercourse. Dinner at 6:30
p.m.
Cumberland County 4-H
Beef Club weigh-in,
Carlisle Livestock
Market, 8 a.m.
Art show featuring
Congress, consider that the full
House Post Office and Civil Service
Committee had already approved
H.R. 7700 by a vote of 19 to 4.
Furthermore, the House in 1976
voted 399 to 14 in favor of a
moratorium on postal rate increases,
service cuts, and post office closings.
The House also voted 377 to 9 to
oppose the cessation of Saturday
deliveries.
President Carter, however, who
used to make promises of postal
reform when he was campaigning, is
ignoring the issue now.
Carter often speaks of taking the
issues directly to the people.
1 think it’s abogt time we start
taking the issues to him instead.
Send.him a letter soon, while you can
still mail it for the big bargain of 13
cents.
places, but because they
have a special meaning for
us and we are more likely to
be receptive there, more
open to his indwelling
Presence.
God -is certainly not
limited to our churches,
shrines, and holy places, but
because we come to them
with anticipation, because
we enter them as places of
refuge apd inspiration where
“even the sparrow finds
home and theswallow a nest
for -herself,” these places
become “special” to us as
with praise and singing we,,
enter not so much into &
place, but into a Presence.
is the best practice, and
make a special effort to get
the new animal to nurse the
colostrum milk and to be
kept warm. To “sleep in the
bam” at lambing time, or to
check expectant Mothers
several tunes during the day
and night is very important.
Don’t be caught “sleeping”
while your new-born animals
get chilled and die.
agriculture at Bloom
sburg State College in the
President’s Lounge of the
Kerr Union Building.
Now through March 20.
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Monthly meeting of the
Ephrata Area Young
Farmers, 7:45. Topic for
the evening, dairy
nutrition.
Lancaster County Crops and
Soils Day, at the Farm i
(Turn to Pace 18) -