AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 9,1985 NOW IS THE TIME To Check Pasture With March arriving and moderating temperatures, our thoughts quicken to early spring pasture. We need to be concerned with pastures and exercise lots along rural roads for discarded junk. Unfortunately, people still throw bags of waste from their cars into nearby fields. Some of the materials may be poisonous to livestock. Every producer should remove these materials before starting to graze. Also, in hay fields the materials should be removed before growth begins. Bottles and tin cans will damage equipment and be a threat to the livestock eating the hay. Be sure your animals are not poisoned thorugh someone’s carelessness. To Treat Farm Pond Weed Early Pond owners who experienced weed problems last summer will undoubtedly have similar or worse problems this year. Acquatic vegetation will have a tendency to increase where no control measures were taken the year before. These weed problems unfortunately multiply. Early in the growing season is the better approach to gaining control of pond weeds. Aquatic plants are most susceptible to control by chemical herbicides when the plants begin growing, if mechanical controls are to be used, there will be less bulk in plant materials to contend with now. Control of the unwanted plants before flowering and seed setting occurs has benefits early treatment means less interference with fishing, boating, swimming or whatever other pond activities are involved. Always follow label directions carefully where chemical controls are used and be sure you have a permit from the PA Fish Com mission before applying any chemical to your pond. To Prune Fruit Trees Whether you have a few or several hundred fruit trees, or chard pruning need not be delayed until spring. It may be started in colder weather. But it is a good practice to work on the hardiest trees first. Early pruning can involve some problems from winter injury, but in many cases an early start will be necessary to complete pruning of large orchards before spring. By confining early work to the oldei*, hardier trees, fruit growers can keep injury to a minimum. Apple and pear trees are the hardiest of the fruits with plums and sour cherries next in order. Because peach and sweet cherries are most tender, delay their pruning, particularly the younger trees, until late in March. To Be Aware of Rural Crime Crime in the rural area con tinues to climb. Many thieves are drawn to rural communities darn! its snowing-.,. I WONDER WHAT CAUSES THESE LATE SNOWSTORM S? S ? ° V 0 OO 6 A By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent Phone 717-394-6851 because of the attitude that crime is a city problem, so it’s safe to leave your doors unlocked. As long as this notion persists, rural areas will remain a thieves’ paradise. You can make it less so by forcing a burglar to work harder. Install deed bolt locks on all exterior doors and windows. Keep in mind they only work if you use them. Get to know your neighbors; they can be a great crime deterrent. Agree to watch their plaee while they are away and Farm Credit annual meeting; Williamsburg, Va.; continues through Thursday. Monday, March 11 National Food Policy Conference in Washington D.C. at Mayflower Hotel. New Castle County DHIA Annual Meeting, Ches Del Diner, St. Georges, 7:30 p.m. Cumberland County 4-H Dairy Banquet. York dairy meeting on syn chronizing breeding of dairy heifers, 7; 30 p.m., 4-H Center. Tuesday, March 12 Swine Management Conference at Penn State University. York County Cattlemen’s Association Banquet. Adams County water quality fair, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Bowen Auditorium, Gettysburg College. Central Jersey Winter Dairy Meeting, Hunterdon Extension Center, 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 Penn State Turkey Conference, Sheraton Inn, Business Route 155., 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Adams County Poultry Producers Spring Banquet, 6:30 p.m., Cashtown Fireball. Annual Meeting, Atlantic Breeders Co-op; Lancaster. Hunterdon Wine Growers Association, Extension Center, Flemington, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14 Farm transfer meeting, Lancaster County Extension; 7;30 p.m. Wayne County Dairy Day, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wayne County Veteran’s Memorial Armory. York County Potato Growers Meeting, Centre Presbyterian Church, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Potter, Cameron, McKean County’s Dairy Day, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Vo-Tech School, Port Allegany. I ° ] o o 0 O ° o Q O o Farm Calendar Sunday, March 10 TAA AFRAID TAA RESPONSIBLE FOR TN/S ONE o IoV O O S o a I o ■ 0 o °o they’ll gladly do the same for you. It’s important to identify your property. Police won’t return items unless they’re positively identified. Private gas pumps, and storage tanks are popular targets for thieves. Be sure to lock these up whenever you’re not around. Exterior lights around your home, garage and bam will also do a lot to ward off burglars. The Extension Service is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educational in stitution Friday, March 15 Pa. Ayrshire Breeders Association Annual Meeting, Holiday Inn, Grantville. Lancaster County swine ven tilation school. Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pa. Angus Association Sale, Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg. Annual Conference and Spring Fling, Pa. Cattleman’s Association; Allenberry Resort, Boiling Springs. Saturday, March 16 York County Swine Banquet. Blue and Gold Show and Sale, Pa. Polled Hereford Association, Ag Arena, Penn State University. Fruit Tree and Bramble Pruning demonstration and lecture, Holly House, Cook College, New Brunswick; 10a.m. to 1 p.m.; $3 fee. Call 201-788-1338 for registration form. Monday, March 18 Lancaster County Woolies 4-H Club meeting, 7:30 p.m., Lancaster Farm and Home Center. Tuesday, March 19 Penn State Forest Resources Conference; University Park; continues tomorrow. N.J. State Board of Agriculture open meeting; Hunterdon Extension Center, Flemington; 10 a.m. Thursday, March 21 Farm Credit Co-op meeting; Historic Strasurg Inn, Strasburg, noon. Friday, March 22 Lehigh Valley Dairy Annual Meeting, Hershey. York County Extension Annual Meeting. Lancaster County Farmer’s Association Spring Banquet, 7 p.m. Harvest Drive Restaurant, Intercourse. Guest speaker, Congressman Bob Walker. For reservations before March 15 call Carl Martin, R 2 Ephrata. WHY? lift o °o \ O ° o O ° o o -V lO o NOTALONE March 10,1985 Background Scripture: John 14 through 16. Devotional Reading: John 16:4-15. In the classic motion picture, HUD, at the very end, realizing that his nephew is thoroughly disgusted with his life and is leaving the homestead, Hud sneers in these words (or similar): “Why there’s so much garbage in this world, you can’t hardly walk through it without stepping in it wherever you go.” Hud was right— well, at least in part. There is a lot of “garbage” in this world of ours, call it what you like: sin, corruption, evil, whatever. And it’s not just in the less reputable sections of town. It is also to be found in our neigh borhoods, our places of business, city hall, and even sometimes in our churches. And, if all you see in the world is that “garbage,” there seems to be little reason why we shouldn’t all agree with Hud and be cynics. LEFTALONE The world in which Jesus lived had at least as much “garbage” as ours. It was a hard, cruel, hateful existence. The circumstances of his own life would have made many of us bitter. As the last days drew near, Jesus acknowledged: “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, There is nothing to hold us back from an auction except our own doubt. The doors are wide open, so let’s get in and take advantage of this great opportunity. Too many farmers are saying buyers would plan not to bid against eachother, but it doesn’t work that way in other states so why would it work that way here? I recently talked with a buyer from the deep South and he said, “No, we don’t do that. We just keep on bidding to show the farmers we have pride in their crop so they grow it again next year. Sometimes if we come to a wet or poor pile (of tobacco) the price drops way down to 90 cents,” the buyer said, “ but the next pile is good again and the price goes right backup.” Supply, demand and quantity would make the price. Farmers would be better informed on what prices really are. And in an auction bam we could make the buyers more relaxed and comfortable. They won’t need to drive in the cold wind and snow to look for tobacco, or pay big money o O CAUSE I HAVE ALL MV MACHINERY READY FOR AN EARLY PLANT/N& v SEASON. o a o O o° kpo a t r * 1 b° c O°i o I OUR READERS WRITE, AND OTHER OPINIONS Favors tobacco auction r<\ oof oO $ .°o| lo R every man to his home, and wilt leave me alone” (16:32). Jesus didn’t call it “garbage” but it added up to the same things; hostility, jealousy, prejudice, malice, betrayal and so on. On one occasion he called it “tribulation” - - “In the world you have tribulation...” (16:33). Bu* than and being “all aio more to the world “tribulation” tells us, “yet I am not alone, toi tilt Father is with me” (16:32). And although it seemed that Jesus had been betrayed and deserted and left all alone, he knew that he was not alone. Though his disciples had forsaken him, God was with him and secure in that knowledge, Jesus was able to see the world, not through the eyes of cynical dispair, but of faith and hope. TRIBULATION, BUT... Best of all, Jesus assures us that we too can know that same assurance; “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (16:33). Yes, there is lots and lots of evil in our world, but there is also the presence of Christ and because we > are not alone, because he is with us, we can overcome because he has already “overcome the world.” Thus, whenever we are in the midst of some of the world’s tribulation or “garbage,” we need to remember this promise: “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you” (14:18). The key to the Christian hope is not that the world isn’t as evil as it appears, but that because of the presence of Christ in our world, the power of love is more potent than the stench of the garbage. Whenever we are feeling lonely and powerless in this world, we need to remember that we are not alone. to rent the receiving places. We would also get some new buyers direct from the tobacco companies. We need to show respect to all buyers, old and new, as we need them all. Let them think of us as pleasant folks to be around. Farmers should all fill out a questionnaire as soon a possible, as it (auction proposal) depends on a vote from the farmers, not the buyers. Our buyers we had in the past may not be recommending it, but if we start an auction they will be there. If you did not send in your questionnaire, you can answer the following questions on a postcard and send them to Earl Newcomer, Box 174, Rt. 1, Washington Boro, Pa. 17582. How many acres of Maryland and Pennsylvania-type tobacco do you grow? Do you favor an auction over the present methad of selling tobacco? Would you commit your 1985 Maryland harvest to be sold at auction? Would you like to be involved in planning and setting up an auc tion? If not, can you recommend someone who might be interested? It will work if we make it work. Signed; B.S. Beiler, tobacco grower and buyer from Christiana (Editor’s Note: An informational meeting concerning tobacco auctions will be held on Thursday, Mar. 14, at the Blue Ball Elementary School at 7:30 pnn. The school is located east of Blue Ball on Ewell Road.)
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