10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 4,1979 COMMENTS By DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR j In appreciation of those people who help make Summer a terrific time of year Something should be said on behalf of the many people we have in our area who year after year devote much of their time to keeping our rural heritage alive. There’s no end to the joy that the farm picnics and old-time festivals bring to par ticipants and visitors who have even just a tr&ce of nostalgia in them. The great outdoors is the farmer's arena, and what better place to hold a barbecue or pig roast. The smoke from the grills fills the air, carrying mouth-watering smells with it. The field or lawn becomes a temporary volleyball court. For most of us it's all a lot of fun. But for quite a few it also represents many hours of planning, preparation, and work. In some cases, such as a pig roast, the preparation begins shortly after midnight, a full 10 or even 12 hours before the delicacy is served. Where would our Summer pleasures be if it weren't for these fine people who devote their time and skills to such occasions. Surely, HEALING PROPHET Lesson for August 5, 1979 Background Scripture; Hoseall;l4. Devotional Reading Hosea6;l-6. TO AVOID BUTTERFAT TEST VARIATIONS Don’t be surprised if the fat test from your milk buyer vanes from that of your DHIA tester. The samples do not represent the same milk; no doubt they were taken dif ferent days and by different methods. If they do vary, the reason is usually in the feeding practices. Low forage intake and lack of fiber in the ration RURAL ROUTE We need prophets to wound up, but we also need prophets who can heal us. Hosea was that kind of prophet. Like most other prophets, he saw that there was lots in Israel that was wrong and corroding the life of the nation. He did not shrink from “telling it as it was.” With other prophets he saw bad times ahead for the people of Israel: “they shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. the sword shall rage against their cities, comsume the now is the time ' ' ByUMsvth .] result in lower fat tests. High com silage and heavy gram feeding will also cause fat depression. Some sires may increase milk production but lower the fat test. Dairymen are urged to feed balanced rations in cluding a minimum hay equivalent intake of two per cent of body weight. Con tinued problems with fat variation might be assisted by contacting the local milk sanitarian or your local Ex tension Agent. TO PLAN FOR WINTER COVER CROPS It’s not too early to be planning for some Winter green manure crop this we recognize that they provide a wonderful service at gatherings and field days. I've never been to one where I didn’t enjoy what they provided. The festivals deserve to be praised too. Every Summer there are a few of them which stir our imaginations and bring back memories. I appreciate them immensely. Whenever I go to a farm festival where the old ways are brought back to life, the experience pushes some of my earliest Summer recollections to the forefront of my mind. Without fail, the exhibits and activities carry my imagination back to my home town of Lichtenhagen, Germany, now a sprawling suburb of Warnemuende. Located just a short distance from the Baltic Sea, our rural village was complete with old homes with thatched roofs and unpaved streets. I lived there a generation ago, and the memories exist as my only link to a way of life which has disappeared. Memories of those years are bars of their gates, and devour them in their for tresses” (11:5,6) 1 But even behind his gloomy prophecies there was something mightier than gloom and destruction. That “something” was compassion. All of the dark prophecies have but one purpose, not to condemn, but to persuade the people to “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your G0d...” (14:1). Hosea was certain that what God desired was, not destruction and vengeance, but repentance and recon ciliation. Israel The Child In Hosea’s prophecies we year. For many reasons it is best to keep the ground covered with some kind of vegetation over the winter months. This can be grass type cover crops such as domestic ryegrass of bromegrass, or it may be one of the Winter grain crops. The cover crops may be grazed late into the Fall, as well as early next spring. Some farmers will graze the area this Fall, and then allow the crop to grow next spring using it as a silage crop. The mam objective would be to keep the ground covered to reduce both water and wind erosion this winter. especially dear to me They're revived at the gatherings we can all attend each Summer, thanks to the dedicated efforts of a handful of people. As a boy, Summer began whenever I could take my shoes and socks off and knead the warm sand with my feet while catching the breezes of the Baltic Sea in my hair. Summer was a barefoot race through the stubbles where rye once stood; green apples for the taking; a visit to the blacksmith shop: making mud castles by the pond; and watching the threshing machines m action. The “Dreschkasten" was still in widespread use in the early ‘so’s and nothing fascinated me more than to watch it chew up sheaves of gram. Those were the good old days. The wide, flat belt danced gracefully in an up and down motion as it sped around and around in a figure eight from tractor to thresher. Occasionally it slapped a little, reacting to a change in the load. The see God the Judge, but we see somethings even more important: God the loving fattier. “When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son” (11:1). Yet Israel did not respond to this com passionate love: “The more I called them, the more they went from me; and kept sacrificing to the Baals, and burning incense to idols” (11:2). Nevertheless, Israel’s childish rebellion against God had not overcome God’s love for his people: “YetTt was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took him TO CONSIDER SOIL CONSERVATION PRACTICES The Fall of the year is one of the good times to establish strip-cropping on slopes and hillsides. After the recent heavy rains, it might be quite evident where some at tention is needed to control run-off water. After the season’s crop is harvested, and before the Winter gram is seeded, contour strips, straight strips, or terraces can be established to help hold the water. On many farms these practices are needed. With more attention being By Tom Armstrong tractor growled: the thresher hummed and rustled; men sweated and were covered with dust; and I was there to watch it all until bed time. Always reluctant to be dragged home, I left the scene covered with dirt from head to toe. Once tucked into bed, I continued listening to the unique sounds of the thresher and tractor, mixed with the singing voices of crickets and frogs. The light of the full moon poured into my bedroom window, as I dreamed on about spinning pulleys, vibrating belts, chaff blown in the wind, and my bare feet digging in the sand. Sadly, that is no longer a part of life on the farm. Fortunately, we can still appreciate it at field days and festivals We're indebted to those in dividuals who keep this heritage alive for those of us who remember it, and younger folks who otherwise would have no idea of what rural life was all about in decades gone by up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of compassion, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and bent down to them and fed them” (11:3,4) Hosea’s descriptions of Israel as a little child could easily be applied to the lives of any of us, individually and collectively. Who among us has not failed to respond as some time to God’s com passionate love? I Will Heal Them Despite their childish rebellion, God is determined given to water and stream pollution it is quite proper that land owners give more attention to the control of water and the reduction of soil erosion. Many farmers have adopted practices to help eliminate this problem; however, others need to give soil erosion more attention. TO BE CAREFUL WITH FEED ADDITIVES The Food and Drug Ad ministration has ruled that DES production, and use by cattlemen, must end by July 20, 1979. This mcludes both the feed additive form and the implants. This hormone Farm Calendar Today, August 4 Master Fanners Picmc at the Quarryville Fairgrounds, 12 noon. Tours follow. The Chester-Delaware County 4-H Sheep Round-up, Goshen Fairgrounds, 9:30 a.m. Chester County Beef Club Show, 7 p.ra. at Goshen Fairgrounds. to win them back and he promises them: '“I will heal their faithlessness. I will love them freely...! shall be as the dew to Israel” (14:4,5). Judgement is necessary in our lives. We need to be reminded of what goes wrong within our daily living. Often it is only when! God wounds us with his judgement that we give him our attention. But the pur pose of the wound is always one of healing: “Return, 0 Israel, to the Lord your God.” This was Hosea’s message to Israel several thousand years ago. It is also his message to us today. has been under fire for years and is now illegal to use. Also, we are aware that Synovex, another growth hormone, is being strongly evaluated. This leaves Ral Gro implants, MGA, and, Remensin as feed and growth additives still allowed to be used. Producers are urged to keep informed on these materials so their cattle will be welcome at any of our local markets. The above materials have attracted FDA action because of the possibility of them being dangerous to public health. Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association Summer Picnic, Palmerton Rod and Gun Club, located between Palmerton and Forest Inn on Route 209 in Carbon County. Monday, Aug. 6 Lebanon Area Fair begins, continues all week at the Lebanon Fairgrounds. See details on pages 120-124. (Turn to Page 27)
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