AlO—t—catty Fiiwhg, Sihriy, Anrt)23,l9>o
Lancaster Farming says...
One of the most stupid, short
sighted proposals ever to come out of
local government will be discussed in
Pequea Township'on September 4
and again September 24.
Proposed Article 1912 actually is
written to ban any structure which
would house more than 500 poultry
birds or more than 50 pigs or hogs. It
would forbid more than 3 head of
livestock to be kept per acre of
farmland.
There are other equally mane
provisions which would hog tie any
kind of farming in the township.
We think it no accident that the
tentative date for adoption of this
asinine measure is the exact same
day that the Lampeter Fair will open.
While the farmers are away from
home showing their livestock, the
local lawmakers will be attempting to
rob them Of their right to farm.
Poultry houses, confinement
livestock operations, and mushroom
houses, among others, would no
longer be considered agriculture but
agri-business, in itself a uniquely silly
idea.
Why the rush to put the screws to
Pequea Township farmers?
Pequea has no flood plan yet—but
must have one by September 30.
Most other townships in the state
THE SCRIBE WHO
WAS A BUILDER
Leiioii for Angiut 24, 1980
Background Scripture:
Ezra 7 through 10.
Devotional Reading;
Psalms 133.’
I have often noticed that -
COVER CROPS
Late summer and early
{all are the best times to
make a cover croo seeding.
RURAL ROUTE
Here’s a stupid zoning proposal
took care of that project two years
ago.
Now that the Township finally is
getting around to that project, it also
wants to railroad through a whole
zoning package.
The comprehensive plan drawn up
in the 1960 s and still in use today is
woefully out of date. All of the farms
The 1980 Ag Progress Days is
history. By Friday the tents had been
struck, the exhibits removed, and
only a small amount of litter
remained.
This year’s edition of Ag Progress
Days was probably the smoothest
running yet, thanks to the experience
gained by Show Manager Joseph
Harrington ahd the rest of the Penn
State crew.
During the show some innovative
ideas were proposed, some rough
spots turned up, but for the most
part it was one of the finest hours in
Penn State agriculture’s 125 years.
Will there be livestock at Ag
Progress Days in future years 7 The
State Holstein Association thinks it
could draw 600 too-flight animals for
many people identify
themselves to others by
means of their vocation.
Sometimes in working with
discussion groups, I like to
begin by asking each person
who he or she is. Of course,
they always respond with
their name, but many people
go on to say, “I’m a car
penter," “I’m a housewife,”
or “I work for the insurance
company.”
There is nothing
necessarily wrong in
identifying ourselves in this
manner, so long as our
vocation does not presume to
sum up all or even most of
what we are. You are a
salesperson, but there is
much more to say about you
Land that has produced a
current crop and is not to be
seeded to winter gram
should be covered with some
vegetation during the winter
months. Any type of small
grain, domestic ryegrass, or
field bromegrass are
common cover crops. The
big reason for making this
seeding is to conserve the
beyond that. Too, often our
vocational image tends to
have the effect of locking us
into a confining role that
falls far short of that for
which God created us.
The story of Ezra is a good
illustration of how a man
was much more than his
chosen vocation. When he is
introduced to the narrative
m the book that bears his
name, he is described in
these simple terms: “He
was a scribe skilled in the
law of Moses...” (7:6). So he
was a scribe, nothing ex
ceptional about that for
there must have been many
scribes. Yet, the King of
Persia, Artaxxerxes, ap
parently saw that Ezra was
topsoil during the winter
months.
Many fields that are open
may suffer severe erosion
ham both ram and wind.
'When the ground is covered
with a cover crop, there will
be much less soil losses. Some silage growers may
These cover crops may be be thinking of making their
pastured during the late fall com crop into silage early
and early spring and th* n this fall due to the dry
By Tom Armstrong
IM SORE IT DOES...DOH‘r
forget t'write audtel
ME ABOUT IT
along the railroad line wiped out by
Hurricane Agnes are zoned in
dustrial. That plan still recognizes
the Southern Beltway proposal which
has been dormant for 20 years.
Along with shaking the cobwebs
out of Pequea Township’s master
plan, farmers should shake the
cobwebs out of the heads of
Reflections on ag progress
a state Holstein Show. The timing
would be perfect with the All-
American coming a month later.
Other livestock shows could follow.
But there are two problems: first,
local fair dates coming after Ag
Progress could interfere: and
second, Rock Springs, being a crop
research farm, has no livestock
facility.
The potential damage such a move
could do to Farm Show may bring
resistance from that area, too. Better
weather, fewer gawkers and non
farm kids, and a central location at
Rock Springs could hurt the
Harrisburg show.
Some corn hybrid salesmen were
disappointed with the way crops
looked. But most farmers realized
something more than just a
scribe for when he came to
the king asking for per
mission to return to his
homeland to rebuild the
temple, “the king granted
him all he asked, for the
hand of the Lord was upon
him” (7:6).
Yet, even as Ezra returned
to Jerusalem, he still
thought of himself as a
scribe and little more. “For
Ezra had set his heart to
study the law of th£ Lord,
and to do it, and to teach his
statutes and ordinances in
Israel” (7:10). Perhaps that
is the key to what happened
to Ezra: he not only was
determined to study the law,
but he was equally deter-
used to improve soil organic
matter next year. Don’t let
the topsoil get away when a
cover crop will keep it on yor
farm.
TO RECOGNIZE CORN
SILAGE MATURITY
\l
inte:
■REVE'
SERV
JJih
by curt hauler, editor
mined “to do it” and when
a person is determined to go
beyond studying about God’s
will and attempts to do it,
there is no way his or her life
can be contained in a nice,
neat little package.
Appoint Magistrates and
Judges
So Ezra set off for
Jerusalem a scribe, but in
years to come people would
remember him as prophet,
priest, teacher, ad
ministrator, governor and,'
m the broad sense of the
word, a builder! Because of
this man and his many
talents, the- Temple of
Jerusalem was raised up
once again from the ashes of
weather. I realize there are
crops that are drying up
from the ground and are
quite short in the stalk.
However, I’d like to point out
that more feed nutrients will
be harvested, if the ear can
be allowed to mature into the
early dent stage. Silage
research reveals that com
made into silage in the silk
stage will yield only 63%
feed nutrients, while com m
Eastern International
Quarter Horse Show and
Sale, continues through
August 30; Farm Show
Complex, Harrisburg.
Maryland State Fair; State
Fair Grounds;
Timonmm; continues
through September 2.
whatever politicians or citizens
would think of supporting a vacuous
proposal such as Section 1912.
Farmers should get a copy of 1912,
read it, and then work the phone
lines and grape vine overtime until
all idea of accepting that stupid
zoning proposal is put to rest
forever.
the problem was weather, not seed
genetics.
Machinery dealers still want bigger
and better areas for demonstrations.
It's difficult to wrap a big bale of hay
on a short windrow.
Crowd control at the demon
strations excellent, with both
roped-off areas and police keeping
people out of danger.
One measure of how far the show
has come is the general availability of
water, toilet facilities, phones and
electricity. That, of course, sterns
from having the show permanently at
Rock Springs.
With 252 exhibitors and a fine
show this yeat’t the 1981 Ag Progress
Days will have some big shoes to fill.
Farm Calendar
Today, August 23
Babylonian destruction. But
Ezra built more than a
'Temple, he built a renewed
community of God’s people.
The foundation he laid was
more than mortar and stone,
but faith, courage, leader
ship and wisdom. He was
much more than just a
scribe, he was a servant of
the Lord. *
Lurking in the shadows of
his scribal vocation and
image there llirked a ♦
builder, waiting to be freed
to serve God in whatever
manner the Lord might
direct. So look within
yourself to see what may be
waiting there to be set free
and thus serve your Lord.
m
the dent stage should give
silage with 69% feed
nutrients.
The important thing is to
allow the ear to develop
properly before ensiling, if
at all possible. In some years
when we have ample
moisture the stalk may
continue to be too green even
when the ear is in the dent
stage. Com silage is a very
(Turn to Page A 27)
Northeast Pa. Breeders
Sale; 12 noon; Meadville.
Valley Grange Meeting; 2:30
p.m.; Grange Hall,
Lewisberry.
New Jersey State 4-H
Show; Jamesburg. W
Hoof and Homs 4-H Fun
Show; Fairgrounds; 10
a.m.
(Turn to Page A 39)