Alo—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 19,1984
T his W
l/?GRI-
r ‘ -.4?
Crime in Country
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
An interview with one of the latest victims of
"crime in the country” might read something
like this:
Were you afraid?
“I was so frightened that shivers ran
throughout my entire black and white body
and I almost let down my milk right in the
stall.”
What did you think of when he held the knife
to your throat?
“I thought of all those happy carefree days
on pasture I might miss and those two little
twin calves that might be motherless."
Did you ever think that something like this
could happen to you right in your own home?
"Never. I thought my stall was the safest
place in the world. The peace and quiet of the
barn always seemed to be my haven against
everything that swirled around us in the
outside world. But then all of a sudden that
peace and quiet was shattered and that haven
existed no more.”
We’re not trying to be facetious or poke fun
at a serious situation, but this fictitious in
terview illustrates the extent that crime and
violence has invaded the rural countryside.
This week, an episode on a Lancaster
County farm included threats by an in
toxicated, knife-wielding hired hand, who held
the blade to the throat of a cow and poured
gasoline on the ground and threatened to blow
everybody up. He also cut milk hoses and both
he and the farmer ended up with injuries.
Sure, this particular incident is quite bizarre
Farm Calendar
Saturday, May 19
Lehigh County Beekeepers
Association, 2 p.m., Palmerton
Rod & Gun Club.
Bradford Forest Landowners
Landowners Indepth Woodlot
Management, 10:30 a.m. - 3
p.m., Lindstrom’s Tree Farm.
Bradford 4-H County Council, 8
p.m., Extension Office.
Monday, May 21
Strawberry Growers meeting, Bob
Dyes farm, Seven Valleys, 6:30
p.m.
Adams County Beekeepers, 7:30
p.m., Penn State Fruit
Research Lab. Biglerville.
Otis
S/J?. HOW DO you
SPELL RELIEF?
Tuesday, May 22
Pa. Noxious Weed Committee, 9:30
a.m.. Room 309, Ag Bldg., 2301
N. Cameron St., Harrisburg.
Wednesday, May 23
National Farm-City Conference,
Syracuse, N.Y., continues
tomorrow.
Pa. Senate Ag/Rural Affairs
Committee public hearings on
Sunset Review of Pa. Milk
Marketing Board and Farm
Show Commission, Room 459,
Main Capitol. Farm Show
Commission hearing at 9:30
a.m.; PMMBat 10:30a.m.
CD
n
and unusual But the occurrence of crime and
violence m the country unfortunately is no
longer unusual at all
The rural migration of the past couple of
decades by all those people seeking the
peaceful and quiet security of the country has
been followed by some of the things they were
trying to escape in center city
Consider just these few area examples
--A massive manhunt for a terrorist group
believed responsible for multiple state trooper
deaths was concentrated in rural areas where
they hked to hide
-Barn arson had farmers almost to the point
of vigilante thinking
-Bull semen, a valuable, highly mechan
disable ag item that comes in a relatively small
package, was stolen
-Theft of other farming supplies amounting
to losses of tens of thousands of dollars is
under scrutiny by federal investigators
- Farmers seeking a needed cash crop in
tough economic times become prey for un
scrupulous promoters or marketers.
And these are just a few examples Many
more of an even greater sensational nature
could be cited.
But our purpose here is not to recite a litany
of some of the things that have gone wrong in
farm country
Our purpose is to make a two-pronged
request.
First, law enforcement agencies need all the
help they can get in their investigations of
rural crime and their attempts to curb it.
Everyone knows the true market value of ag
supplies and if you’re approached about
bargain prices, you can't help but be
suspicious.
But just being suspicious isn't enough.
Those bargain offers should be officially
reported. Crime costs money and you the
consumer always pays the price somewhere
along the line.
Second, make it as difficult as possible for
criminals to operate in the country. Recently, a
Lancaster State Trooper spelled out some
good suggestions in Lancaster Farming on
how to make your farm safer and more secure.
And, everyone in the country should keep a
constant eye out for the welfare of everyone
else.
These two simple, but vital expressions of
cooperation will go a long way toward bringing
back that peace and quiet we all so fervently
seek
I SPELL
1T.,.
Thursday, May 24
Lancaster ' County Beekeeper
meeting, 6:30 p.m., apiary of
Marlin Kreider, Rt. 222, south of
Quarryville.
Friday, May 25
Pa. peach/nectarine research
referendum closes.
York Farmers Forum, 7 p.m.,
Rutters Restaurant, Red Lion.
Saturday, May 26
Bradford County Dairy Day
Festival, Wyalusing, parade at
11a.m.; pageant atB:lsp.m.
York County Dairy Princess
Pageant, 8 p.m., 4-H Center.
L-O-W-E-P
l-N-T-E-P-E-S-T
P-A-T-E-S
THE
INCOMPATIBLE
May 20.1984
Background Scripture
James 4.
Devotional Reading
I Peter 4:17-19.
There are a lot of things that just
don’t mix the proverbial oil and
water, for instance. Often we must
choose between one or more
alternatives when it is obvious we
can’t have both. From our study of
stress management it is obvious
that tension and relaxation arc
incompatible. A person does not
experience stress when they are
relaxed. Conversely, the cannot
relax when they continue to hold on
to tensions.
JUDGEMENT
AND HUMILITY
So it is, too, with our religious
life. As James has put it so clearly
in his letter, you cannot rightly use
your mouth to bless God and curse
his children. The curses spoil or
render useless the words of praise.
In James 4 we find still another
set of incompatibles: judgement
and humility. It is humility
remembering who He is and who
we are that best characterizes
the true disciple of Jesus Christ.
James quotes Proverbs 3: 34, “God
opposes the proud, but gives peace
to the humble” (4:6). And he
exhorts his readers to evidence
this humility in approaching God:
“Be wrf»tohed and mourn and
NOW IS THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717 394*6851
For Haylage and
Hay Making
Good quality forages can help
farmers generate more cash in
come with little to no additional
expense. And, what farmer
couldn’t use that right now! Cows
produce more milk and livestock
gain more rapidly on higher
quality forages. The need for
purchased concentrates is also
generally reduced. So if you are
growing forages, concentrate on
improving forage quality and
improving nutrient yield per acre.
Most important to quality is
stage of maturity at time of har
vest. For established stands of
alfalfa, harvest the first cutting at
the late bud stage; later cuttings
can be harvested in the late bud to
early bloom stage about 35 to 42
days after the previous cutting. To
enhance the vigor and longevity of
r r r •
[Car/
a
"I a
weep. Let your laughter be turned
to mourning and your joy to
dejection. Humble yourselves
before the Lord and He will exalt
you” (4:9,10). In other words,
remember who He is and who you
are and don’t ever minimize the
difference!
James then goes on to warn
against speaking evil of others and
even specifically against
judging others. “But who are yon
that you judge your neighl
(4:12b). It may seem that James
has changed the subject from
humbling one’s self before the
Lord but he is simply further
applying the need for humility
One cannot humble himself or
herself before the Lord and still sit
in judgement of the neighbor. Like
oil and water, humility and judging
others are incompatible. To em
brace the one, you have to let go of
the other.
THE LAWGIVER
As we’ve indicated before,
humility before God consists m
recognizing the essential dif
ferences between us. He is the
Creator; we are the creatures. He
is the lawgiver and we are the ones
to whom the laws are given to
obey. But, as James says, “There
is one lawgiver and judge...”
(4:12). Only he who gives the law is
capable of serving as judge. To
judge others means to usurp that
which belongs to God along -
Lawgiver and Judge.
Does this mean we are to remain
mute in the face of evil deeds by
others? Not at all. We oppose
wrongdoing whenever we can, but
that is not the same as attempting
to be the judge of the one whom we
determine is the wrongdoer.
Humility before God forces us to
acknowledge that we are not wise
enough, just enough or good
enough to judge our neighbor.
the stand, at least one of the cut
tings should be allowed to bloom.
Similarly, the first cutting of a new
seeding of alfalfa should be made
in the early bloom stage.
Grasses should be cut in the boot
stage of maturity, just as the heads
are beginning to emerge.
With the increased trend toward
no-till com planting or minimum
tillage, we can expect more
problems with com insects. Past
experience shows this. We urge
com growers to inspect their fields
frequently to observe any feeding
on small plants. You can have
cutworms, stalk borers and ar
myworms at any time feeding on
the com plants. The Agronomy
Guide lists several materials for
the control of cutworms and ar
myworms, including Sevin, Lor
sban, Permethrin or Dylox. The
stalk borer is very difficult to
control because they work inside
the com stalk. Flea beetles are
another insect that may feed on
small com leaves; they create
small holes in the leaves but
seldom do extensive damage.
Sevin can be used to eliminate
these small insects, if it is a serious
infestation. Keep an eye on the
com field for the first several
weeks and avoid serious insect
injury.
V
To Be Aware
of Wheat Diseases
I
We have had cool-wet conditions
in the past six weeks that just
might spell trouble ahead from
plant disease attacks on our wheat
To Be Aware
of Cora Insects
(Turn to Page Al 2)