Alo—Lancaster Famine, Saturday, Saptembw 6,1980
Lancaster Farming says...
Among the many bureaucratic
curiosities in Harrisburg is the
current method for declaring war on
problem weeds.
Heaven knows Pennsylvania has
its share of weeds: there's Canadian
thistle, multiflora rose, John
songrass, and a whole flock of others.
Farmers pay a tidy sum each year
to control those and other problem
weeds. But in order to get financial
help and legal aid in eradicating a
given weed, it has to be declared
noxious.
Therein lies the rub. It literally
takes an act of congress (the state
congress, that is) to have a weed
declared noxious.
The classic definition of a weed is
simply ‘a plant growing were it isn't
wanted.’ But that definition doesn’t
go into who doesn't want the plant
were it is.
That brings us back to Harrisburg
TIED-DOWN &
FREED-UP
September 7,1980
Background Scripture :
Genesis 6 through 9.
Devotional Reading:
Psalm 8.
Ours is a day when
“banging loose” is becoming
TOBEWAREOF
NITRATES
1 1 there are drouth
stricken crops on your farm,
you had better manage them
carefully when being fed to
livestock. Our nutrition
specialist at Penn State,
Dick Adams, informs us
there is danger of excess
nitrate in com and other
crops after periods of dry
weather. The most
dangerous time is 3 to 5 days
following a soaking rain
RURAL ROUTE
v>
Weed out weed law problems
where the legislature periodically has
to decide what's a noxious weed and
what isn’t.
To relieve the lawmakers of that
burden a noxious weed bill was in
troduced in the House earlier this
year. It would have provided for a
panel, probably under the Secretary
of Agriculture, to study weed
problems and declare certain
deserving weeds noxious. That bill is
all but dead.
What we are going to end up with,
in the short run, is HB 2640,
something less than half a loaf.
HB 2640 would declare John
songrass a noxious weed, a deserved
title for such a pest. Our neighbors in
Maryland have been attempting to
eradicate Johnsongrass for years
and make no secret of blaming
Pennsylvania for reinfestirig their
state with Johnsongrass.
HB 2640 deals only with John-
a national norm. The term
“commitment” seems old
fashioned and obsolete.
People today do not want to
commit themselves to future
plans. “Hanging loose” to
them means the opportunity
to decide at Ac very last
minute.
Last year I was president
of a Dallas-area
organization that put on
monthly programs. I found
that, while all the members
of that organization wanted
to be guaranteed a quality
speaker each month,
relatively few would give
any commitments to make
those programs successful.
They wanted the
organization to guarantee
when the crops have been
hurt by the lade of moisture.
Also, there is more danger
of silo gases when ensiling
com that has been drouthy
and then got a good soaking
rain. Livestock producers
should keep this potential
situation in mind, if the dry
weather has stunted their
crops. Com that has normal
growth and development,
even though we have had
some dry weather, is not as
dangerous as stunted com
due to very dry conditions.
TO PREPARE
FARM PONDS
If you have made the in
vestment in a farm pond, one
of the reasons should be to be
used in case of fire.
them something, but they
resisted giving any
guarantees in return.
THIS I WELL DO
This is no less true in
personal relationships. Lots
of people today want the
benefits of human
relationships without being
bound by commitments. A
woman told me recently,
speaking of her relationship
with a man, “We make na
promises to each other;
there are no strings to tie us
to each other.” -She was
boasting, but I felt for both of
them a sympathy neither of
them were seeking, for, no
matter how satisfying their
relationship might be to
them, they are missing out
on one of the vital aspects of
However, too many farm
ponds are located in a place
where the fire truck cannot
get close enough m wet
weather. Most engines must
get within 25 feet of the
water in order to pump the
water to the fire.
We suggest that pond
owners have an all-weather
lane to the side of the pond.
This may not be important in
the summer months whent
the ground is dry and solid.
However, in the early spring
the fire truck may not be
able to reach the water. I
have known of a fire truck
getting stuck between the
main road and the pond, and
the barn burned to the
ground. Be sure the water in
songrass. Not multiflora rose. Not
other problem species. No noxious
weed panel. Why not 7
The straightforward answer is that
the Pennsylvania Game Commission
blew agriculture right out of the
ballpark on the noxious weed game.
The Game Commission, for years
the champion of planting multiflora
rose around farms and woodlots,
objected to losing its favorite game
cover.
Up in arms with its legions of city
based hunters, the powerful Com
mission made sure congressmen
knew how it feels about any law
which would allow multiflora rose to
be declared a noxious weed.
Thus died any chance of having
multiflora rose declared noxious this
year. Killed in the process was the
idea of a panel to act on other weed
problems as they arise.
Multiflora rose aside, it seems
human relationships
commitment.
It is significant that one of
the key terms inthe Judaic-
Christian tradition is the
word “Covenant”. Look (Hi
the New Testament flyleaf of
your Bible and you will
probably find it to read:
“The New
Covenant... Commonly Call
ed...lTie New Testament of
Our Lord And Saviour, Jesus
Christ.” The reason for this
terminology is that the Bible
is regarded as the living
record of God’s covenant
with his people. Much of the
uniqueness of the Judaic-
Christian tradition is the
element of covenant: a God
who makes agreements with
your farm pond can be used
by your local fire company
in case of fire. Consult with
your fire chief for details.
TO KEEP DOGS ATHOME
Stray dogs are very un
popular in most farming
communities. In fact, they
are in danger of being shot
when off your property and
unattended. The big reason
for this is that dogs and cats
may carry infection from
one farm to another. Also, in
sheep country stray dogs
have been known to attack
and kill sheep. Many sheep
producers will not tolerate
stray dogs.
In many parts of the
country, where we have
dense , farms and large
By Tom Armstrong
BY CURT HARLER, EDITOR
his people
them.
We see this very early in
the narrative of the Old
Testament. After the Great
Flood,'God “said to Noah
and to his sons with him,
‘Behold, I establish my
covenant with you and your
descendents after you, and
with every living creature
that is with you...never
again shall there be a Good
to destroy the earth”
(Genesis 9:8-11). It is a
promise given to “every
living creature” and “for all
generations”. God is binding
himself to an everlasting
promise upon which all
future relationships between
the Divine and humanity will
be built.
livestock or poultry
operations, every
precaution is taken against
the spreading of diseases
Stray dogs and cats are a
threat to healthy herds and
flocks. Owners should keep
this in mind and keep their
dogs at home. Un
fortunately, it is difficult to
control cats, rodents, and
wild birds; however, they
also, should be kept out of
buildings as much as
possible.
TO INSTALL DR AIN TILE
Farmers who have wet
spots in their fields might
use the early fall months as a
good time to install drain tile
or drain-pipe. These areas
should be more workable
Farm Calendar
District 4-H Horse Stow,
Lancaster Riding Club.
Woodturners Expo, Kutz
town Fairgrounds,
continues through Sun
day.
Eastern Division Pa. Jr.
Polled Hereford Assoc.
Summer Show, 3:30 p.m.,
York Fairgrounds.
Monday, Sept 8
National Barrow Show
plain stupid to have to go through
the entire lengthy, expensive
lawmaking process to have weeds
declared noxious. Problem weeds
hardly deserve the dignity of having
individual laws enacted each time
one needs to be declared noxious.
The time and expense of writing
individual laws is wasteful, especially
when the Agriculture Department
should be able to handle the
simply, swiftly, and knowledgeably.
Give the Game Commission token
representation on an Ag Department
Noxious Weed Board, the same way
the Game folks now have farmers on
their board. Provide the standard
hearing period and other required
terms for the Weed Board.
Let’s make it easier for the state to
help farmers rid themselves of
problem weeds rather than wrapping
the whole process up in a bindweed
of legal problems.
and keeps
Today, Sept 6
Sunday, Sept 7
FREE TO COMMIT ,
Actually, we need to make
commitments, to bind
ourselves to our best in
tentions. Without covenants,
we do not discipline our
selves to live by the highest
we know. We become im
prisoned by our vices,
weaknesses - and
inclinations to do less
our best. Actually, com
mitments, instead of taking
our independence from us,
make us free to pursue the
ideals and goals we set for
ourselves. Ironically, it is
only when we willingly tie
ourselves down that we are
truly freed-up to fulfill who
and what we were created to
be.
now than in the spring. When
the tile is put in place now,
winter grains can be seeded
on the area with little loss of
crop production. I realize
that in some areas of the|
state, the weather has been
so dry that wet spots have
disappeared. On the other
hand, many farms will have
one or more wet spots in crop
land that gives trouble in the
majority c£ crop seasons.
These can be corrected with
these drainage systems. In
most cases the cost of
draining wet spots in crop
land is a good investment.
Under current production
costs, every acre should be
managed to produce
maximum yields.
Contest, Ulm, MN.
Green Township Community
Fair, Commodore,
continues through Sept.
13.
York Fair opens.
Poultry Serviceman’s
Meeting, Holiday Inn
North, Rt 501, Lancaster *
6:30 p.m. •
Tuesday, Sept 9
Greenfield Township Fair,
Claysburg, Continues
(Turn to Page A 32)