—Lancaster Fannin*, Saturday, April 22,1978 10 Everybody wants a piece of country Land That’s the thing to have these days, it's valuable, gaining in value all the time, and precious for raising both crops and children. Years ago it wasn’t that way. Land was cheap and people would just as soon live in town. That’s where the jobs, playgrounds, golf courses, clubs, and stores were. That’s where the action was. The excitement, the fun, and the profit for business. Towns and suburbs were the places to be. Things and times have changed now, however. The cities are decaying. Streets are dirty, children grow up surrounded by concrete, and welfare rolls are expanding. Youngsters who grow up with nothing to do are easy game for crime. Cities aren’t the place to be anymore. Land is where it’s all at now. Those who can afford a piece of country are glad to call it home. The “country hick" of yesterday now has doctors and lawyers and architects and insurance men for neighbors. Their children have entire fields for DOWN TO SAMARIA Lesson for April 23,1978 Background Scripture; Acts 8:4-40. Devotional Reading: Acts 8;26-35 , The serious student of the TO GUARD AGAINST PARASITES internal and external parasites that infest our livestock population. All producers should make a COMMENTS FROM READERS Dear Editor: The failure of the Jeffords cow cull bill is that it offers a politically attractive hand out instead of a much needed solution to a basic problem Rural Route YOU WANT THE USUAL CHECK OFF PRICE DEDUCTED ? y Ob M Bible who follows the scriptures with a map may find him or herself perplexed in reading that “Philip went down to a city of Samaria and proclaimed there the Christ” (Acts ,8:4). How could Philip go “down” to Samaria when every Bible map clearly shows that Samaria was located North of Jerusalem? Of course, if you have a topographical map or you have even been there in the Holy Land there is no dilemma. Although Samaria is indeed North of Jerusalem (and therefore “up” from it on a map), it is lower in elevation than the Holy City. special effort to control all of local veterinarian will lice are likely on all species are not eaten by the family these pests. Stomach worms reveal any infestation. At the of animals and should be or fed to any livestock. Most part of the country because of the high humidity and the dense livestock population. A sample of the feces to the facing beef, pork and egg producers as well as dairymen. We (I fatten beef cattle) need larger markets. This means more demand and - if the government will YOU BET. t'tA A FIRM BELI EVER IN PROMOTING MY PROPOCT -w i Q- playgrounds and they can enjoy a thoroughly different and refreshing world. Shopping centers, schools, churches, and entire new “towns” have moved out to the country. There’s a brand new appreciation for the land. And with it there’s com petition for its use and eventual ownership. Despite the upsurge in appreciation and competition, however, not much is happening in regard to respect for the land. Land - - the soil -- is still abused by both farmers and non-farmers. Con servation is a popular topic of discussion, and is diligently practiced by a good many of our farmers, but erosion still continues and farmland - - even the very best of it -- gets “slaughtered" for development. That’s why land is the thing to have these days. Aside from the noble reasons supplied by agriculture, land is the thing to have because it’s as good as gold in most cases. While the dollar is sinking in value, apd the economy m general is in a slump, and foreign products are displacing the Thus, anyone going from Jerusalem to Samaria would have to go “down” from a higher to lower elevation. Multitudes gave heed There was, however, another sense in which one went “down” to Samaria quite apart from any con cerns of topography. In the eyes of the Jews Samaria was always a step “down.” Although Samaria occupied roughly the area of the old Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Jews regarded the people there as a racially mixed polygot of people whose racial and religious purity had been'dissipated forever. So greatly did they that some hog herds have the problem of mange mite; this causes severe skin irritation and poor weight gains. Body leave our market alone - better prices. The greatest food fad in our history - the low chloresterol diet - has hurt us (Turn to Page 29) r\ “Made in the U.S.A.’’ stuff, farmland is not only holding its own, it's considered a mighty attractive in vestment. Everybody wants a piece of country. Joining Americans in their quest for land of their own are foreigners. According to government officials, no one really knows at this time how much of America’s soil is owned by foreigners. But it is no secret that foreigners have been buying here, are looking to buy more, and In cidents of that type are increasing rapidly. The General Accounting Office in Washington has been asked by Congress to look into foreign ownership of American land. The fear in some circles is that foreign in vestors could gain enougfi control of land in some areas to have an impact on local conditions. Even without foreign speculators, businessmen, and farmers eyeing good land in the United States, there’s enough demand to keep prices up. That’s significant since farm prices for some commodities such as wheat and other grains look down on the Samaritans that, although it represented the most direct route North to Galilee, it was usually avoided by Jews who took the longer way around through the Jordan Valley. When, during his ministry, Jesus traveled through Samaria on occasion and found some response from these people, his Jewish peers were scandalized, and probably his disciples as well. Thus, Philip’s trip “down” to Samaria must have caused some ap prehension in the early church. There must have been those who wondered reduce vigor and profitable returns. Don’t allow them to reduce your bank deposits. TO BE CAREFUL WITH LEFT-OVER SEEDS This time of the year we often have extra crop and garden seeds left; this is only normal and if they are stored properly, they can be used later this year or next year. Keep them in a dry place away from all weed killer sprays or dusts. The main thing is to be sure they By Tom Armstrong aren't you the guy that GAUE OUT SAUSAGE LINKS INSTEAD OF CIGARS WHEN I YOOR KIDS WERE 0ORN? haven't been attractive enough to cause farmers to bid upland prices. Although farmers ~ particularly those near populated areas -- were rarely alone when it came to bidding up farmland, the farmers now have more “help" in that regard than they ever had before. With that in mind, it’s almost next to impossible for farmland values to stop escalating. Were we still back in "the good old. days" when everyone except the farmer wanted to lively, in town, land prices would probably " be going down now because of the economic squeeze so many farmers face in major agricultural areas of this country. Farmers can’t afford to buy land at present prices. But others can, and so the prices stay high. In many cases they're out of line with the farmer's ability to pay. Granted, some areas of the country are reporting slight drops in land prices. But that isn’t expected to last. The fact that everybody wants a piece of country is holding prices up. The world has learned that land is where it’s all at. why Philip couldn’t have remained in Jerusalem and Judea and worked among more “deserving” people. There was much joy There was even some irony in the fact that it was Philip who went to Samaria. Philip was not an apostle, but simply a man who had been chosen along with Stephen and some other Greek-speaking Jews to provide for some of the early church’s material needs. He was not chosen to do any preaching or teaching. He had no rank as an evangelist, yet despite his lack of high status, his results were gratifying: “...multitudes treated with one or more pesticides to control insects or diseases; this makes them unfit for human or livestock consumption. All growers should be careful in not allowing these seeds to be consumed. They should either be used, burned, or buried. Don’t leave them lying around the premises. They are dangerous to children, pets, or livestock. THE CULL DAIRY COWS The farm press has been Farm Calendar Today, April 22 York County 4-H Family Fun Night, 7 p.m. at the 4-H Center. Last day to pick up tree seedlings in Berks County, at the Ag Center, noon to 4 p.m. These are trees which were pur chased earlier this year through the ASCS program. Sheep shearing school in with one accord gave heed to what was said” (8:6). Furthermore, Philip was able to perform great miracles of healing and exorcism ther. Hardly the result one would pected from a low-gractr evangelist in a down-beat mission field! % • Sometimes God has a of making us come down from our lofty of prejudice and ego, showing us that he is in no way limited to>' the channels and parochialisms that seem to mean so much to us. There comes a time when each of ,us must go “down to Samaria.” suggesting the heavier culling of dairy cows, in recent months. The atnjs) dant supply of milk at thus time, and indications for greater supplies in the few months ahead, might sup port the suggestion. No doubt every herd might have several head that are not as efficient as others, which could be sold without hurting the net profit picture. In (Turn to Page 29) Cumberland County at the John F. Stamy, Jr. farm near Newville, 9:30 a.m. Hoedown at the Hamburg Field House, 8 to 12 p.m., sponsored by the Berks County Society of Farm Women. gfk Nut tree grafting demctf?* stration, 9:30 a.m. at the Senior Citizens Hall, Orwigsburg. (Turn to Page 34)