AlO-Lancaster Faming, Saturday, February 23,19t5 Citicorp extends $6 Million in credit to beleaguered NEDCO BY JAMES H. EVERHART SYRACUSE, N.Y. Citicorp, one of the nation’s largest financial institutions, has come to the aid of the Northeast Dairy Cooperative Federation, officials said. The Cincinnati-based banking concern has extended a $6 million line of credit to NEDCO, whifch has been rocked by problems with cash flow, member dissatisfaction and a price war in upstate New York. The action also comes on the heels of a $1.50 per hundredweight assessment levied by the federation earlier this month. The assessment, which averages out to 8.3 cents per hundredweight for all milk delivered over the past year, is the first such assessment in nine months. NEDCO’s new credit arrangement is its first relationship with Citicorp. The association was not able to reach a NOW IS THE TIME To Demand Health Papers A healthy herd or flock is very important to all livestock, dairy and poultry producers. Many farmers have been very successful in developing healthy animals until they bought a new addition. Then the trouble started. This is so true in many cases that we cannot stress strongly enough to be very careful when buying animals. Too many fanners have “bought disease” when they brought new animals to the farm. This is very easy to do, especially when pur chases are made several times each year. Close attention to the source of the animal or animals, is very important. Our current swine infection situation is hard to control and eliminate because of the large number of feeder pigs coming into the area each week. More care in buying and the m sistance of authorized health papers needs more attention. To Consider Topdressing Wheat At this time, we are not certain how our wheat crop will survive the winter elements because we still have March to contend with. And March, with its freezing and thawing conditions is one of the hardest months on wheat. In any event, topdressing wheat with nitrogen will generally result in an extra 10 to 12 bushels per acre. This can result in extra profit to the grower. The ideal time to topdress wheat is just when it begins to “green up” in the spring. This will HAVE V GO STARTED LAM3IMG- OUT AT YOUR PLACE. OT/S ? ... or/sf _ r 3 similar agreement with its current '’'•editor, Irving Trust of New York. “Our current credit line was simply too low for the volume of business NEDCO is doing,” the federation’s Chief Executive Of ficer Dean McCormac, said in a prepared press release. “This, coupled with operating losses, has added to the problem by gradually reducing the amount of cash available to us.” The firm’s cash flow situation resulted in the return of several checks recently, NEDCO in formation director Calvin Cobb said. He was not able to provide the exact number or amount of the overdrafts, but said all the checks have now been presented again, and have been honored. The company, which has $3OO million in annual sales and a capital reserve equity base of $7 million, has been rocked by a price war over the past 18 months. By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent Phone 717-394-6851 generally occur in the middle or latter part of March. However, wheat can successfully be top dressed earlier in March when the ground is “honeycombed”. Be cautious of highly fertile land that has received a lot of manure in the past. This kind of land does not need additional nitrogen. Most wheat varieties can use between 40 and 50 pounds per acre of nitrogen. There are few ac tivities around the farm that can return more profit with less input, than topdressing wheat with nitrogen. Many fanners have purchased and accepted early delivery on seeds, fertilizer and other supplies. Proper storage of these items is important. I have seen bags of fertilizer stored too close to a bam door, or to an open window; the same with farm seeds. Extra moisture on these materials, or under them on a damp floor, can cause problems. Also, it is very important to keep seeds away from chemical weed killers. These herbicides may reduce, or kill, the germination of the seeds. Also, children, pets and livestock should not have access to stored seeds or farm chemicals. All of these materials become more expensive each year. It’s only good management to store them carefully. r D D' 5 « □ To Store Supplies Safely arts? OTIS? r J In addition to tne price war, NEDCO was forced to contend with shortages of certain grades, which forced the federation to purchase milk on the spot market at in flated prices in order to satisfy long-term contracts. Member disgruntlement over the financial instability has resulted in a flurry of complaints, including several threatened withdrawals from the organization, Cobb said. The federation is hoping that those groups that have threatened to withdraw will reconsider before their memberships are terminated March 31, he added. “Things will right themselves sooner or later, as they do in business," Cobb said, adding that he was convinced that the federation is now on a firm financial footing. NEDCO has 2,700 members, including 600 in Pennsylvania. To Prepare For Dormant Sprays Many types of trees are infested with various kinds of scale insects. These pests attach themselves to the bark and twigs of trees and shrubs and suck strength from the plant. One of the best treatments is to apply a dormant spray oil before the buds start to open. The date of the spray will vary with the weather. However, on many fruit trees and shrubbery this will be late February and early March. The spray should be applied before the buds open. In addition, a spray during May or June while the in sect is in the crawler stage is strongly suggested; materials can be Malathion or Sevin. Scale in sects should be controlled - the way is to use a dormant spray. The Extension Service is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educational in* stitution. Celery Meeting LANCASTER - Penn State specialists will be on hand to conduct the program at the Regional Celery Growers Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Farm and Home Center. Alan Mac Nab will discuss celery diseases, Pete Ferretti will talk about cultural needs and Ernie Bergman will comment on seed and nutrition. If i SOME SAID IT THUNDERED February 24,1985 Background Scripture John 12. Devotional Reading: John 12:44-50 There is not much time left tor Jesus. In a few short hours his ministry will come to a close and there will be begun those terrible events that lead to a cross on Golgotha. Jesus moves toward those final hours with a deep sense of com mitment, but not without a struggle inside himself. On the one hand, he knows that death cannot keep him from being vindicated. In tact, although neither he nor his Father are seeking that death, still he knows that through it he will emerge triumphant; "Unless a gram of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but it it dies, it bears much fruit'' (12 • 24 ). SAVE ME! On the other hand, his inapt human sense of self-preservation tempts him to call upon God to save me from this hour." He did not seek this martyr’s death, but neither would he turn from it No, tor this purpose 1 have come to this hour" (12:27). In answer to his petition to Glorify my name," God has a voice speak from heaven. “I Have glorified it, and 1 will glorify it again." Here was divine con firmation ot Jesus and his mission. Farm Calendar Monday, February 25 Berks County Dairy Day, Berks County Ag Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, February 26 Conservation Tillage Conference, Farm and Home Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vegetable Growers Meeting, Penn State Fruit Research Laboratory, Biglerville, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 27 Lancaster-York Vegetable Meeting, Farm and Home Center, 9:30 a.m. t03:30 p.m. Regional Celery Growers Meeting, Farm and Home Center, 7 ;30 p.m. Maryland-Delaware Dairy Day, Hartly Fire Hall, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Chester County Dairy Day, Sad sburyville Fire Hall, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 Lancaster Estate Planning But not everyone understands this heavenly voice. Some believe that “an angel has spoken to him," but others disagree about what they heard and said instead “that it had thundered” (12:29). Although there is a considerable difference between a heavenly voice and a clap of thunder, it is interesting to note that not all who witnes greed on what had happened. 1 am reminded of the two who heard Jascha Heifitz play the Brahms Violin Concerto. One of them described the performance as a magnificent musical event, but the other termed it merely some strands of horsehair scratching over catgut." Both were accurate descriptions and both depended upon the person's perspective. PERSPECTIVE And so it is with almost everything in life: what you see is pretty dependent upon your per spective. Some will hear heavenly voices, while others will say simply that it thundered. Some will experience the resurrected Lord, while others will be quite unaware ot his presence. Thus, some people ian see the cross as a link to continuing life, or as a one-way street to shame and humiliation. Jesus could have focused on the tragedy ot the cross that was waiting tor him. Instead, he chose to concentrate on what he could accomplish even through crucifixion. “1, when 1 am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (12.32). Jesus sees the cross as an opportunity to reach people for God even in his death. In our world today, God < on unues to glorify Jesus. It should not disturb us that, while some lieai that heavenly voice clearly, others will maintain that it thundered'. Meeting, Farm and Home Center, 7; 30 p.m. York Agribusiness Seminar, York Fair Banquet Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 1 Pennsylvania State Guernsey meeting, Holiday Inn, Cham bersburg. Saturday, March 2 Pennsylvania State Guernsey meeting, Holiday Inn, Cham bersburg Monday, March 4 Lancaster Dairy Days, Farm and Home Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Annual Forage and Grassland Conference, Hershey Motor Lodge and Convention Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Berks County Extension Service Milking School, Berks County Ag Center, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, MarchS Berks County Extension Service Milking School, Berks County Ag Center, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 6 Pennsylvania Potato Growers Institute, Sheraton Inn, State College Lancaster Conservation District monthly meeting, Farm and Home Center, 7:30 p.m. Bucks-Montgomery County No-till Conference, Creamery, Pa. (Turn to Page Al 2)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers