AlD—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 5,1980
Lancaster Farming
Dramatic news photos broke this
week in the New York Times and
Philadelphia Inquirer of Maine potato
growers dumping loads of potatoes
to prevent trucks from crossing the
U.S.—Canada border with more
spuds.
The publicity given the Maine
growers underscores the attention
usually given them while Penn
sylvania spudmen languish in the
backlash of potato politics.
Keystone State growers are being
robbed of markets by subsidized
farmers both in Maine and in
Canada.
The facts in this case are simple
enough. There are just too many
potatoes. The industry realized this a
year ago and took action. Penn
sylvania growers reduced acreage by
10 percent. Meantime, Maine cut
output by less than 5 percent
But the latest crop was excellent,
and potato prices have taken a dive.
Current price on No I’s ranges from
MARY MAGDALENE
Lesson for April 6, 1980
Background Scripture:
John 20:1-8,30-31.
Devotional Reading:
1 Corinthians 13:51-58.
If you drive today from the
city of Tibenas along the
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TO DRAIN WET SPOTS
This is the tune of the year
when wet spots will be
showing m crop land. Some We urge farmers with wet
farms have considerable areas to have them tile
trouble with these wet areas drained; this should be done
each spring, or in wet before the crop is planted
weather. Land is a valuable and will improve the area for
item these days and every many years to come. This
acre should produce it’s can be done in pasture areas
maximum. These wet spots as well as in crop land,
do not produce well and are a Technical assistance is
nuisance with modern available through our Ex
machmery. Many wet areas tension Service and through
do not produce a thine the local Conservation
RURAL ROUTE
Spudmen need help with price famine
shore of the Sea of Galilee to
the rums of Capernaum
(Khafer Nahum), roughly
one-third of the way you will
pass on your right side a site
that is easily and frequently
missed by the pilgrim to the
Holy Land. At best, it is
usually pointed out as your
bus rumbles by m haste as
Magdala, the hometown of
Mary the Magdalene.
Several years ago, as I
was driving a rental car
throughout the Holy Land, I
stopped at that site. I had it
all to myself: few people, if
any, visit it. As I strolled
under the shade of its lofty
trees, I wondered why in this
because they cannot be tilled
and planted.
$4.70 to $5.40 per cwt. That’s a
dollar, or a full 20 percent, below
year ago prices.
Meantime, state growers face a
$4.80 cost of production to storage.
Factor in a 15 percent storage loss,
labor, packaging, and marketing
expenses, and a conservative
demand price should be about $7.90
per cwt. This is the fourth year in a
row Pennsylvania growers have
faced a tight situation
The only difference between
Pennsylvania growers and Maine
growers is that Pennsylvania’s
spudmen have no help.
Maine has Senator Edmond
Muskie When he sneezes, he gets
action.
Maine growers have been working
with disaster funding from FmHA in
recent years, paying three percent
interest Pennsylvania farmers are
borrowing at today’s inflated rates.
Despite this U.S government aid,
land of shrines and
memorials there was none
built here to the memory of
Mary Magdalene. There
may be such a shrine at
other places m the Holy
Land, but I cannot recall
ever having seen or heard of
one. This woman seems
peculiarly overlooked by the
Church.
Early To The Tomb
For, next to Mary, the
Mother of Jesus, Mary
Magdalene is the most
important woman in the four
Gospels. According to John,
it was Mary was came first
to the garden tomb on that
Easter morning. It was she
Service. Don’t put up with
wet spots any longer.
TO CONSERVE FUEL
I’ve heard many farmers
remark about the higher cost
of their fuel last year; they
are about to do something to
improve the problem. This is
not easy and I doubt -if
alcohol is going to be the
answer this year. However,
reducing the use of tractor
power might be one way to
reduce fuel costs.
I’m thinking of less tillage
to the soil - or minimum
tillage. In many cases, it
might be no-till plantings.
There is little doubt that
many of our Lancaster
--
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By Tom Armstrong
,THERE'S REALiy NOTHING- To IT
ONCE VOU LET 'EM KNOW WHOS BOSS,
insiders are predicting massive
FmHA loan failures in the Maine
potato region as farmers find
themselves unable to make
payments.
At the beginning of the year, an
estimated 60 percent of Maine
potato growers with FmHA financing
were in arrears. Those loans are due
in two months. And those growers
are sitting with storages full of spuds.
Farmers in New Brunswick,
Canada, just across the Maine
border, are given a 40 cents per cwt
subsidy by their government on the
first 10,000 cwt they produce This
coming year, the subsidy will be
raised to 60 cents
Canadians also benefit from a
hidden subsidy due to current ex
change rates. The Canadian dollar is
18 cents cheaper than the U.S
dollar
A mild winter has kept Canada’s
ports ice-free and allowed Canadians
to export much of their product both
who saw the stone had been
rolled away and it was this
Mary who ran to tell Simon
Peter. Furthermore, it was
Mary Magdalene who saw
the angels in the tomb and
spoke to them.
But, most of all, according
to John, it was Mary who
first encountered the risen
Lord. Supposing, at first,
that he is the Gardener,
Mary recognizes him when
he says to her m that
familiar way, “Mary.” Her
response is immediate:
“Rabbom” (Teacher)! And
it is this same Mary who
hurriedly carries the good
news to the disciples: “I
have seen the Lord! ”
County farmers till their soil
too much; some of our Penn
State agronomists have been
saying this for years. One or
two less trips over the field
will surely reduce fuel
needs. This might be very
much in order on many
farms. The point I’m trying
to make is to do the job with
as few hours of tractor time
as possible. You might be
just as well pleased with the
results.
TO GIVE PASTURES
ACHANCE
I notice that some herds of
cattle, or flocks of sheep, are
already running over the
pasture area. When this is
BY CURT HARLER, EDITOR ''
says...
Seven Demons
Matthew, Mark and Luke
differ from John’s account in
that they have Mary going to
the tomb in the company of
other women, but Mark
agrees with John in saying,
“Now when he rose early on
the first day of the week, he
appeared first to Mary
Magdalene, from whom he
''had cast out seven demons”
(Mark 16:10).
Of what importance to us
is this prominence of Mary
Magdalene? Perhaps, in this
day when we are re-thinking
and debating the
professional role of women
in the Church, it is
significant that it was a
done so early the grass does
not have much of a chance to
get well started. In addition,
the ground is very soft and
the animals will cut the sods
with their feet and damage
many plant roots. It would
be much better if the
animals were confmed to an
exercise lot area until the
ground dned, and until the
grass had a chance to get
started.
Also, most permanent
pastures should have been
fertilized, or manured,
during the past month. By
keeping the livestock off the
area, the fertilizer will have
a chance to work into the
plant roots and increase
growth. Don’t allow your
livestock to damage the
pasture area before the
season starts.
TO CONTROL
MULTIFLORA ROSES
Have you noticed the
spread of these wild roses in
your part of the community?
Every land owner should
make an effort to keep them
under control. These wild
roses were promoted and
distributed several years
ago by several federal
government programs; they
abroad and to traditional US,
markets.
Although Pennsylvania growers
are closer to big Eastern markets,
they are losing sales to subsidized
producers both in Maine and
Canada. This is forcing non
subsidized producers out of the
potato business.
“Those subsidies take away free
enterprise," agrees Tom Lyon with
the Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato
Growers, Inc. “Every acre of
potatoes we lose m Pennsylvania
we’ll never get back.” 4|)
There seem to be two solutions.
First, and best, is to get back to basic
free enterprise. Then, Pennsylvania
growers will have a better than
fighting chance to get a piece of the
potato market
Second is to get FmHA money for
Pennsylvania potato growers It's
hard to deny their business today is
bordering on true disaster.
woman who first visited the
tomb and encountered the
Risen Lord. Despite her
scriptural prominence,
Mary would find con
siderable difficulty in being
ordained m many Christian
Churches today.
And, secondly, it is well fJP
us to remember that the first
person to experience the
Risen Christ was one from
whom Jesus had cast “seven
demons” —‘ a pointed
reminder that the business
of Christianity has been, is,
and continues to be salvation
and the redemption of sin
ners, and not the celebration
of the righteous
were supposed to jet
wild game and serve as a
natural fence However,
they got out of control and
are spreading into
pasture and woodlot areas, w”
I hope that all land owners
will not plant any more of
these roses. Also, make a
special effort to kill the
existing bushes. Materials,
such as Tordon 10-K pellets,
or Roundup herbicide, will
do a good job; the best time
to make the application is in
May or June when the
bushes are growing fast and
in blossom. We need the
effort of everyone to keep
these wild roses from taking
over pasture and wooded
areas. Additional in
formation is available from
any Extension Agent’s of
fice.
Farm Calendar
Saturday, April 5
Maryland Polled Hereford
Sale, Frederick
Fairgrounds, Md.
Pennsylvania Relief Sale
continues at the
Show Complex”
Harrisburg.
(Turn to Page A3B)
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