Alo—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, Janaaty 29,1983
Whenever it gets to be income tax filing
time, I go a little crazy searching through
piles of paid bills for invoices to match check
amounts as proof for deductions and whatever
else the drudgery of farm bookkeeping
requires.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I'm not totally
disorganized. As a matter of act, I
masochistically enjoy entering those columns
of figures which bring back memories of
months gone by, and another goal ac
complished. As each figure corresponds to
another seasonal expense, I can watch the
year go by in review.
Fertilizer, seed, and planting bills mark the
beginning of another crop season. It’s the time
of year for long-awaited calves and greening
pastures and a busy time, despite the still
short days.
Summer months are accompanied by now
familiar bills from our Al technician, each a
report card in our heat-detection education.
With fall comes crop-harvesting bills and calf
registration slips. And following not far behind
are entry fees and supplies listed on ragged,
manure-stained slips of paper just recently
dragged out of a forgotten showbox.
Another farming year under our belts and
some folks said we wouldn’t make it through
the first one.
Speaking of firsts, Pennsylvania is trying
"something wild” and everyone filing a state
income tax this year has a chance to cash in on
the “fun."
With the logo, “Do something wild”
featuring a checkmark-perched owl, the state
has created a special “Wild Resource Con
servation Fund" to be used for the
OUR READERS WRITE
As a native of Pennsylvania, I
enjoyed reading the Jan. 15 issue of
Lancaster Fanning. I was reared
“going to the Farm Show” and was
especially interested to see the
show results this year.
This was only the second time
since the mid-1940s that my family
did not exhibit Belgian horses at
your ag-extravaganza. In some
years they exhibited not only
Belgians but also Percherons,
One of our highest priorities in
agriculture in 1983 will be con
vincing the European Economic
Community that its right to swing
its agricultural subsidy fist ends at
Uncle Sam’s nose.
Our American fanners are being
hurt by the predatory trade
practices of the EEC. Commodity
prices are severly depressed for
the third straight year, due in part
to massive surplus stocks of farm
commodities. Yet our farm ex-
or/s MUST" BE WORRIED )
ABOUT ThIE TAXES. HE J
MIGHT HAVE TO * \
v FAT THIS TEAR, j—/ HOW DO >
I you KNOW
7 s) , \ that? J
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Off the
Somdmg
By Sheila Miller, Editor
Do something told
Belgian breeder correction
an WaynesburginGreeneCounty.
enuueo rwm nra uraers wm ati in hnsimms in
Belgian grands. 1 ’ The Omdorff ewas hi aarterrineuiJ an
who bred the grand champion ”*******•
mare, Orndorff’s Congolaise
Pinky, and her mother, Orndorff’s horseman but l/has
p-
SIS. 1 ? IK b o“l "“fflSS—.
Time to deed with EEC
ports are declining for the second
straight year. And, through the use
of predatory export subsidies, the
EEC has gone from being a net
importer to a net exporter of
grains, beef, poultry, sugar, and
other commodities.
America would have no
legitimate complaint if the EEC
had gained these markets fairly. It
has not. American farmers, the
most productive and efficient in
the world, hold a comparative
' QeCfiOSE WHEN \
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Board
management and protection of nongame
wildlife and wild plants. The legislation says
nongame wildlife includes birds, mammals,
fish, reptiles and amphibians not typically
sought by hunters, trappers or anglers. Wild
plants will include native species excluding
farm crops.
Who’ll use these checkoff wildlife funds? The
Department of Environmental Resources, the
Fish Commission and the Game Commission.
To contribute to the Wild Resource Con
servation Fund, all that's needed is a figure on
line 19c of the PA-40 long form or on line 10c
of the short form PA-40A. Whatever you write
in will be the amount of overpayment the state
can expect to retain from your tax check
they’ll even keep some out of a reimbursement
check of less than $l.
Now, for those of us unfortunate enough not
to receive anything back from the state income
tax we've paid into the kitty all year, the state
tells us we can join the other conservation
minded Pennsylvanians in donating to the
conservation fund. “Simply make a check or
money order payable to the Pennsylvania Wild
Resource Conservation Fund. Mail it directly
to Do Something Wild, Box 2063, Harrisburg,
PA 17120."
If you really want to do something wild, tell
the state to keep your entire refund check.
Then claim it next year as a tax deductible
charitable contribution on your federal income
tax return.
Listen, maybe if this idea works, the state's
agriculture department can finagle a line on
next year’s income tax form. Then taxpayers'
could donate to another endangered species
the farmer.
advantage on the world market.
The EEC can export its farm
products only through the use of
massive subsidies that undercut
the prices of all competitive
countries.
Frankly, this situation is in
tolerable. As a Congressional
spokesman at the recent
Ministerial Conference of the
General Agreement on Trades and
Tariffs, I made it dear that
LOCAL
I.R.S.
OFFICE
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LEARNING
FROM A CROOK
January3o,l9B3
Backgroond Scripture: Luke 16:1-
13,19-31.
Devotional Reading: Amos 5:6-15.
The parable of the Dishonest
Steward in Like 16 is likely not a
very popular one ih the churches.
For the most part it is simply
ignored in the lectionaries and
collections of sermon resources.
Those who stumble upon it are
likely to race on without a back
ward glance.
The reason, of course, is self
evident: Jehus’ parable is about a
crook who cheats his employer and
then is commended for it How
embarrassing! Surely there must
be some mistake here.
TURN IN THE ACCOUNT
If we examine the parable more
closely,, however, we find there is
some important teaching here for
us from Christ The steward is
clearly dishonest - in fact, fiat’s
the point Jesus is trying to make. If
a dishonest steward is smart
enough to use worldly goods to
secure Us future, shouldn’t the
followers of Christ do even more?
Look at (he story carefully. The
steward is first in jeopardy
because charges were brought to
his master that the man is
“wasting his goods." Threatened
wftb the loss of his position, die
dishonest steward now begins to
use the material goods to protect
NOW.IS THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
UncMtar County Afrfcutoir* A*«n»
Phone 717-39*6851
To Reorganize
Fertilizer Values
Since the cost of commercial
fertilizers continues high, we
should take a look at other sources
of plant food; I am referring to
farm manure and legume sods in
the crop rotation.
The 1963 Agronomy Guide gives
a very good comparison of these
fertilizer values on page twelve.
With the amount of manure that
is being applied to some- of our
livestock and poultry farms, it is
quite possible that very little
commercial fertilizer will be
needed.
Alfalfa sod can add as much as
75 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
This is one advantage to having
legumes in the crop rotation.
A complete soil test will reveal
the needs of each field. Then the
needs can be met by using farm
manures, legume sods, or com
mercial fertilizer. Careful han
dling and storage of manure will
preserve many of these valuable
fertilizer elements.
To Make Sore
Ponds Are Safe
Over the last two weeks I've
noticed a lot of people, both young
and old, ice skating on farm ponds.
It’s good exercise and an excellent
sport. But, be sure you are
prepared in case of an accident.
Owners should be certain that
rescue equipment is handy and not
in the barn or garage several
blocks away. Wooden ladders,
boards or other items can be
shaved out to the person in the
water if needed; it should be large
enough to distribute the weight of
the person making the rescue. A
his Mure. Because he is a
dishonest man, he uses these goods
in a fraudulent way to insure his
security. Oddly enough, when the
master learns of this skullduggery,
he abodes us by commending the
crook for his crafty strategy.
Jesus does not condone the
man's deceit, but he is telling us
that we must be no less intelligent
in our own use of material goods.
“For the sons of this world, are
wiser in their own generation than
the sons of light" Hie choice
confronting the followers of Jesus
is not between being moral or
being wise, but of being both. Just
because the Christian chooses to be
good is no reason for him to allow
himself to be stupid. In the parable
it is apparent that resourcefulness
is a quality that God looks for in all
his children.
THE TRUE RICHES
The parable Jesus told about the
dishonest steward is meant not to
shock us, but to shame us. Even
the dishonest servant is a better
steward than some of God’s honest
servants. Being honest is not
enough gWhnngti it is a good start
for we are also expected to be
good stewards of what God give us.
If “the sons of this world” do a
better job in being crooked than we
do in being honest that is a
Judgement upon our stewardship.
Hie servant who hid his talent in
the ground didn't do something evil
nith it but his failure to do
something worthwhile made him
an ‘ ‘ unprofitable servant. ’ ’
Once again, let us understand
what Jesus is saying in this
parable: let not the dishonest but
enterprising, steward stand at the
top of the class when it comes to
using material things wisely. Let
the “children of light" be even
more enterprising in order to fulfill
their stewardship in God’s sight.
rope is also a good Item to pull
people out with.
Skating is a very enjoyable
winter-time sport Don’t be the
victim of an accident that could
have been prevented.
To Exercise
Dairy Cows
The importance of taming out
the dairy herd each day from
stanchion or comfort stalls should
not be overlooked. As we expect
more production per cow, the
stresses are greater, and if not
given exercise, more breeding
problems will result. Dairymen
with free-stalls have the op
portunity of observing heat periods
all the time. However, cows that
are confined to stalls present a
problem with heat detection. There
are very few days that the weather
is so bad that the milking herd
should not be turned out for a few
minutes. If the dairyman is alert
and observing, cows that are in
beat can be observed and bred. We
seem to be having breeding
problems'in many of our good
dairy herds. Exercise might help.
To Update
Pesticide Certificate
Most of you farmers have
license/permlts to buy and apply
restricted use pesticides to
cropland, livestock and poultry
buildings. These are usually issued
for three years. Many are
scheduled to expire cm September
30,1983, reminds Arnold G. Lueck,
Extension Agent, Agronomy-
Horticulture. This means you will
need to attend a meeting where
current pesticide uses and
recommendations are discussed
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