Lancaster Farming says...
The short-term effects of the wacky
1980 weather surely will throw a lot
of short-term pricing predictions out
the window.
Below Champaign, Illinois the corn
belt looks like a disaster. South in
Virginia farmers claim it hasn’t
rained in so long there are two year
old fish in dried-up creeks who
haven’t learned to swim yet.
In Missouri the ground is so
parched they say you can drop a tow
chain down the cracks in the soil and
listen to it rattle for 30 seconds.
Pennsylvania is one of a host of
states eligible for disaster funding.
And our situation is made more ironic
because half of the eligible counties,
mostly those in the east, are disaster
areas because of the drought. The
other half is struggling because of
excess rain.
September corn is nydging $3.55
this week, with corn for summer
WHEN ABRAM
WAS 99
September 14,1980
Background Scripture
Genesis 12:1-9; 17:1-21.
Devotional Reading:
Romans 10:5-13.
TO ESTABLISH REGULAR
FUEL SUPPLIES
During the gasoline crisis
of 1979 some farmer* bad
trouble getting sufficient gas
for their term work. In order
to keep going they bought
fuel from various sources,
since their regular supplier
could not meet the need. At
this time we urge termers to
establish regular sources of
supply for both gasoline and
RURAL ROUTE
Dear Readers:
With much regret, I write to inform
you of the cessation of the cartoon
strip, “Rural Route". The decision to
stop drawing the strip has not been
an easy one. After nearly seven years
(four of them with Lancaster Far
ming), Luke has become very much a
member of our family.
However, he was created during a
less hectic and demanding time
period for our family and how times
change' When every day needs 25
hours and each week 8 days, painful
decisions to weed out the non-
My WW , ,
Look for com price pressure
Abram became a new man
at the age of 99! “No longer
shall your name be Abram,”
said God, “But your name
shall be Abraham; for I have
made you the father of a
multitude of nations”
(17:4,5). At an age when
most people assume they are
“too old to cut the mustard,”
this Aramean shepherd was
to assume a new identity and
anew vocation. That was the
covenant, the agreement
that God was offering to him.
In every covenant there is
an offer and an acceptance,
there are privileges and
responsibilities. And,
whenever God made a
diesel fuel. This is important
to protect fuel supplies in the
event that the Department of
Energy would change the
base year for making fuel
allocations.
Farmers who continue to
purchase fuel from the
“curb” may find themselves
on the short end of
allocations, if a new base
year is selected. Every ef
fort should be made to have
a dependable supplier that
will do everything possible to
furnish the fuel that is
needed. At the present time
farmers are receiving
allocations at 100 percent of
delivery close to $3.75. The effect of
the USOA crop report has yet to be
felt, although many private crop
reporters are looking for extremely
short crops.
There is little we can do about the
expected short-term price run-up but
grin and bear it. Still, a tight corn
situation may be the rule rather than
the exception in coming decades.
Any farmer, indeed any good
manager, should have a five year and
a ten year plan. There are some
changes on the horizon in the corn
industry that may change some of
your medium-term thinking.
Take gasohol, for example. If by
1990 only five percent of our gasoline
needs are met by gasohol the U.S.
will use 1.5 billion bushels of corn for
fuel alone. That’s about one-fourth of
this year’s expected crop.
We will need an average of 121
bushels corn per acre on all ground
and will have to plant 17 million more
covenant with anyone, the
initiative was with the Lord.
Abram was not seeking a
new understanding with
God, but God came to Hin?
with offers he could hardly
refuse.
“I WILL...”
Much of the covenant God
was offering was made up of
the Lord’s “I will”s.
Specifically:
“I will...make my
covenant between me and
you
...multiply you ex
ceedingly
...make you the father of a
multitude of nations
...make nations of you
the use for the 1977 crop
year; however, this may not
continue indefinitely. Fuel
supplies are very important;
make an effort to get yours
in line for the future.
TO PREVENT BACK
SIPHONING
A common cause of water
contamination is back
siphoning; this occurs when
there is a drop in the water
pressure and the liquid in the
tank or sprayer flows in the
wrong direction. Sprayers
should never be left unat
tended during the filling
operation. Filler hoses
should be kept above the
By Tom Armstrong
essentials must be made.
If only we could make these
decisions by our hearts instead of our
heads, but society and financial
obligations have it otherwise.
Perhaps when the nest is empty
and the tuition bills stop flowing,
there will be time again to pick up the
pen and ink in the fat little farmer.
I want to thank Lancaster Farming
and its readers for allowing me to
share the absurdities and humor that
are an everyday occurrence on the
family farm.
Tom Armstrong
C ellarewiilA
acres of corn than we do today to
meet our food and fuel needs for the
coming decade.
While the future of the grain-fuel
industry is open to conjecture there’s
another major consumer of corn
certainly coming on line within a
matter of three to five years.
Look for most consumers of sugar
to switch to fructose, a corn product,
for sweeteners.
Coca-Cola already is using Fruc
tose 55, one form of corn sugar, as a
sweetener. It's cheaper than cane
sugar and the price is less volatile.
The Cola-Light America 76
Company is producing a diet soda
using Fructose 55. There is no
warning needed on the can about it
being hazardous to one’s health. Plus
it does not have the saccharine af
tertaste.
Fructose 90, a related sugar, may
replace common table sugar. It is
...(make) kings...come
forth from you
...give to you and to your
descendants after you, the
land of your sojournings
...keepmy covenant...”
All these things God
promised Abraham and his
descendants.
In return for these great
promises, there would be
some responsibilities that
God would require:
You shall...“walk before
me
...and be blameless
...keep my covenant...”
Twenty-four years
previously, while Abram
still lived in the land of
spray tank opening and not
allowed to extend into the
liquid. Filler hoses and pipes
should be fitted with check
valves to prevent a reverse
flow of the liquid. I have
known of wells that have
been contaminated because
of the above problem. When
this happens in streams
serious contamination and
fish kills may result. Far
mers and spray operators
are urged to be very careful
in order to prevent back
siphoning.
TO BUY LIVESTOCK
CAREFULLY
Last week the Bureau of TO MANAGE ALFALFA
Animal Industry held a STANDS
special meeting regarding Healthy alfalfa plants can
livestock diseases and stand more abuse. No doubt
especially Brucellosis you have heard this
(Bang’s Disease). It seems statement many times, but it
there has been some is very true. The question
unauthorized and reckles often arises this time of the
movement of cattle in year regarding the bad time
Pennsylvma. As a result, .
there are several outbreaks M | J _ __
of Brucellosis. I mention this Ctl lit V>4 ctlCll Qai
fact in today’s column Today. September 13 Elizabethtown Community
because I feel that both 12th Annual Harvest Fair; Fair; continues through
dealers and buyers may be a noon to 6 p.m., continues September 20;
fault. In the first place, through tomorrow; Elizabethtown
dealers should not be han- Alexander Schaeffer Gratz Fair; contmues
dlmg cattle without Farm,Schaefferstown. through September 20;
authorized health charts; Regional 4-H Horse Show; 8 Gratz, Williamsburg
they will lose their license a.m.; Ludwig’s Comer Farm Show; continues
when found suiltv of this Horse Show Grounds. „
ST COST HAULER, CDITOS
Haron, God had come to him
with a promise to “make of
you a great nation, and I will
bless you, and make your
name great, so that you will
be a blessing” (12:2). He had
also challenged this aged
man to “Go from your
country and your kindred
and your father’s house to
the land that I will show
you” (12:1). Who could have
blamed Abram if he had
said, “Lord, I’m too old for
this sort of thing, get
someone younger and
stronger”? At a time in life
when most people assume
that it is just about over, God
was challenging him to trust
practice. Secondly, fanners
should not buy cattle without
official health charts. The
practice of buying females
at a sale of feeder or
slaughter cattle, and then
bringing them home as
breeders, is a very poor
practice and will surely lead
to health problems. Every
livestock producer should be
extremely careful when
buying and also, be sure to
segregate the new animals
for 30 days with a negative
test, before adding to the
herd. “Don’t buy Diseases”
about twice as sweet as regular table
sugar so people will need to use only
half as much a real plus for
dieters.
Home economists say it is good in
pies and seems to bring out the fruity
taste of the filling.
With ail of its advantages there is
little doubt half of the sugar usef p
this country by 1990 will be corn
syrup based, experts say.
There is little doubt, too, that the
increased demand is going to make a
dollar difference to our grain deficit
area.
Will the Soybean South switch to
corn as it did from cotton to follow a
potential price increase? What will
higher gram prices mean to meat and
poultry producers?
Let’s hope America does not
sacrifice its food and feed for two of
its great vices: a lust for fuel and a
craving sweet tooth.
him and venture forth to a
strange land.
“I AM GOD ALMIGHTY”
Abram did as God in
structed him, going forttyn
faith and finding that dK
kept his promises. Twenty
four years later, Abram had
proved his faith and God had
proved his faithfulness,
laying the foundation for the
eternal covenant. “I am God
Almighty,” the Lord an
nounced, and Abram at the
age of 99 would henceforth
be known as Abraham, the
father of multitudes to whom
God gave the great
covenant.
to cut the last crop of alfalfa.
We used to say “stay away
from mid-September cafe,
tings.” Now, I’m told
an old fashioned idea and
most varieties can be cut
most any time if they are
in good condition. No doubt
this is the secret. Therefore,
growers should be making
an effort to fertilize
liberally, control insects and
diseases, and meet lime
requirements. Research
workers now report that
most current varieties may
be cut most anytime in the
fall without hurting next
season’s yields. However,
late cuttings should be cut
high in order to have some
stubble to hold the snow
during the winter months.
Treat alfalfa stands liberally
with fertilizer, lime, and
other gocd management
practices.