AlO—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 20,1983 Price of progress BY DICK ANGLESTEIN PROGRESS Any dictionary gives a number of definitions for this word. But all of the them are centered on a meaning of moving ahead. As Ag Progress is about to open at Penn State, it's appropriate to take a look at a few examples of agricultural progress. The first area is animal genetics and reproduction, particularly in the dairy field. Likely no other area of agricultural technology has shown greater recent “progress" than dairy genetics and reproduction. But has dairy genetics and reproductive technology become the vanguard and living laboratory for similar human genetic research? There have been some peculiarly similar parallels lately to indicate this sup position. I just wonder if it doesn’t bother some veterinarians and veterinary scientists that their techniques are being translated into the human arena. There's quite a difference between the two areas. It’s one thing to ar tificially breed batches of super offspring from super cows and long-dead super sires. But it's quite another thing when this technology starts to creep into human reproduction. Pioneer research in this area just before and Saturday, Aug. 20 NE District 4-H Dairy Show, Hartford. Central Pa. Holstein Cham pionship Show, Huntingden. Monday, Aug. 22 District Horse Production Show, Franklin. Tuesday, Aug. 23 Penn State Ag Progress Days open, Rock Springs Ag Research Center. Continues through Thursday. Featured at Ag Progress are the Pa. Hay Show and the Com petitive Hay Crop Silage Show. Penn Ag Democrats luncheon will take place at 11:30 a.m.. Holiday Inn, State College. Penn Ag Republican Summer Otis tufts a healthy, good \ „ ) well, they eat a \ f \ LOOKING- HERD. VOU GOOD MIXTURE OP ), I MRS. FILLMONDS | HAVE Tf/ERE 0775, WHAT I GRASS. ALFALFA, JL FLOWERS } progire^ Penn State Farm Calendar Outing, Penns Cave, at 4:30 p.xn. Performance Boar Sale, Meal Evaluation Center, Penn State, at 6 p.m. NW Holstein Show, Crawford Co. Fair. 4-H Breed Show, Williamsport, at 1 p.m. Lamb Pool, Wyalusing Sale Bam, from 9 to 11a.m. Lehigh Co. 4-H Market Swine Round-Up at Quakertown Livestock Market. Show is at 9 a.m. and the sale is at 4,30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25 All-New Jersey Holstein Show at Mullica Hill. during World War II was deplored by the entire world. This area of ag progress brings to mind one of the many stories about the late “Dutch” Bucher, motorcycle-riding county agent in Lancaster County. Quite a few miles were put on those motorcycles as Dutch went from farm to farm giving his Al sales pitch in Penn sylvania Dutch. Without him the new technology would not have been as readily accepted among the Pennsylvania Dutch dairymen. At onp farm, Dutch gave his pitch out in the barnyard. When he was through, the husband and wife excused themselves and huddled for a conference. Finally, they came back and told Dutch: “We’ll go along with you, Dutch, as long as they stick only to the cows." Not bad advice to keep in mind these days - quite a few decades later. Another area of burgeoning ag technology in which Penn State is becoming particularly involved centers on computers. There are plans to make Penn State an Ag Computer Center for the Northeast. Likely in not too many years, all of the state’s Extension offices will be tied into the network. In addition to dialing into it, farmers will also have direct immediate electronic access to other things like DHIA records. All of this is fine. Immediate, accurate in formation will permit farmers to react much more quickly to changing situations and im prove their management. But I just hope that county agent staffs don’t go the way of the family doctor. How many family doctors do you know that make house calls? Let’s hope that county agents don’t stop making farm calls in the future. So as you walk through aisles of Ag Progress hearing and seeing new technology at every turn, keep these words in mind. It's great to move ahead on the road of progress. But every once in a while a pause should be made along the way. A glance back will tell if the proper path was taken. And a glance ahead can tell if any adjustments in direction may be needed. Wednesday, Aug. 24 August 23-25 Lancaster County 4-H Pig Round- Up at 8 a.m. at Lancaster Stockyards. Friday, Aug. 26 Pa. Farm and Food Show, Point State Park, Pittsburgh. SE District 4-H Dairy Show at 10 a.m. at Kutztown Fairgrounds. Saturday, Ang. 27 NW Holstein Breeders Sale at Crawford Fair. 4-H District Horse Show, Kersey. Forestry Safety Field Day, Fairgrounds at Smethport. Horse exercise clinic. Journey’s End Farm, Glenmoore. Con tinues tomorrow. SE District 4-H Horse Show, 4-H Center, Lansdale. THE COST OF FRIENDSHIP August 21,1983 Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:1-9; 19:1-7; 20:1-42; 23:15-18; 2 Samuel Devotional Reading: 1 Thessalomans 3. Jonathan arid Dqvid were the best of friends. it is an interesting friendship, when you examine it closely, for there seemed to be a certain inequality about it. Jonathan appeared to give a lot mure than he received. He was the son of King Saul and heir to the throne of Israel. David, on the other hand, came from a humble family. Even more than thaW- however, David stood as a threat to Jonathan’s succession to the throne. For, although Jonathan had the legal right to that sucession, David obviously had the popularity from the people. JONATHAN SPOKE WELL Even from the beginning of their friendship we can see what it cost Jonathan. At their very first meeting Jonathan recognized that David was a man blessed with God’s greatest gifts. In an act of typical unselfishness, Jonathan than ‘stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to - David, and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his girdle.” When Saul, unlike Jonathan, b» oame increasingly bitter and NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent Phone 717-394^851 To Apply Lime When Seeding Small Grain Preparation is being made for fall wheat and barley seeding. This is an excellent time to apply lime. A soil test will indicate how much per acre, if needed. This is doubly important if you plan to seed down a grass-legume mixture next spring. Many times a clover or alfalfa producer will wait until spring to have lime applied to his field. This is not the best way to obtain a good stand. Lime needs up to six months to react in the soil and correct the acidity. If soil needs lime, it should be worked into the topsoil when the small grain seedbed is being prepared. Legume seedings are costly; be sure the soil is between 6.8 to 7.0 pH so they have a good chance to survive. To Not Hedge Crops Yon Don’t Have Hedging is one way of establishing the price you will receive for your crop. It helps guarantee you some income to cover your production costs. Many farmers have made good use of this technique by hedging part of their exported com crop; the remainder of the crop they’ve decided to hold for the open market. When the price of com goes up, as it has done, and it exceeds the price you’re already contracted for, it may be very tempting to hedge even more of your crop in an effort to reap the profits of a stronger market. Watch out! Make sure you have enough crop to cover your con tracts. Walk into the center of your jealous over David’s mushrooming popularity, it was Jonathan who risked his father’s ire by first warning David to hid himself and ihen persuading his father not to kiil Ids friend as he had planned. In douig so, he risked his own relationship with his father. But perhaps the greatest cost of their friendship was to be Jonathan's recognition that it was David, not *-niself, who was to be tus father’s successor. While David is in hiding at Horesh, Jonathan goes to him and declares; "Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; Saul my father also knows this.” With these words, Jonathan is willing to give up everything except his love for David and his recognition that his friend has been chosen by God to possess what had been his birthright. WHATJONATHAN GOT Jonathan dreamed of that day when David would be king and he, Jonathan, would be his friend’s right-hand man. it was a dream that he was not to realize. At Mount Gilboa he fell alongside his father in defeat at the hands of the Philistines. Perhaps it might seem that Jonathan’s life was snuffed out before he had ever had the chance to benefit from his friendship with David. We know what that friend ship cost hime, but perhaps we might overlook what that friend ship brought him; the satisfaction of giving his love without counting the cost or worry about balancing the accounts. The epitaph David gave him, is evidence that Jonathan got as much out of the friendship as he put into it: 1 am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me' was wonderful, passing the love of women. com fields all your fields! Many of these fields look well-eafed from the outside, but the centers may be 75-90% barren. And, when you’ve hedged more com than you’ve got you’ve suddenly moved from a hedger to a speculator from a position of guaranteeing a price on com you have to a position where the risk of losses are great! Be Cautious When Adding Water To Silage Last week, in this column, it was pointed out that to raise the moisture content of dry silage 5 poings, from 59% up to 60%, would require about 30 gallons per ton. That is correct, but it deserves further elaboration. Com silages will differ in their ability to absorb water, depending upon die con dition of the crop going in, and the break down of the material once ensiled. If it doesn’t get absorbed, it will run, and create real problems, especially in the bottom of the silo. The last thing you want to do is add so much water that you create excessive pressure on the structure or create wet conditions in the bottom of the silo that will encourage poor fermentation or freeze-up in the winter. So, if water has to be added for better preservation of dry material, do so carefully, and only to the silage in the upper portion of the silo. To Plan Winter Cover Crops This is a good time to give some thought to a winter cover crop on land that has been tilled this past season. The seeding of ryegrass, bromegrass, or winter grains following the harvesting of the main crop this fall, will help reduce soil erosion.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers