AlO-Uncastar Farming, Saturday, Novamber 30,1985
V
NOW IS THE TIME
To Tighten Farm Security
Rural crime is a serious problem
in many parts of our country
Lancaster County included. We
need to take every precaution to
protect our property from theft
and vandalism. This is more dif
ficult on a farm because of the
number of buildings and exposed
items. A good place to start is to
install automatic lights; also a
good watch dog will signal the
arrival of a stranger or something
unusual happening.
Another preventive measure is
to keep garages and workshops
under padlock to make it more
difficult for illegal entry. Farm
machinery should be stored under
cover or near farm buildings at all
times. It's a good idea to engrave
all tools and equipment with your
driver’s license. Social Security
numbers are non-retrievalbe so
your driver’s license number is a
much quicker identification.
Neighborhood watch is very
successful notify your neighbors
if you see something unusual.
To Control Weeds In Alfalfa
Have you been bothered with
some of the winter time weeds
such as chickweed or Shepherds
purse in your alfalfa stands? If so,
now would be a good time to apply
a herbicide to knock out these
WASHINGTON Agricultural
production is increasingly con
centrated on farms with sales of
$500,000 or more, according to the
Commerce Department’s Census
Bureau.
Although these farms made up
only 1.2 percent of all farms in
1982, they accounted for about one
third of the value of agricultural
products sold. The leading states
were California, Texas, Kansas,
Nebraska, and lowa.
Farms with at least half a
million dollars in sales gradually
are increasing their share of the
market They accounted for 22
percent of all farm sales in 1974
and 28 percent in 1978 as measured
by the bureau’s agriculture cen
suses.
How the relatively few farms
with sales of at least $500,000
dominate the market for major
crops is illustrated clearly by
figures from the 1982 Census of
Agriculture. These larger farms
accounted for:
• Four percent of farms selling
vegetables, but 69 percent of
vegetable sales.
• Three percent of fruit, nuts,
and berry farms, but 52 percent of
sales.
• Seven percent of cotton farms
but 46 percent of cotton sales.
• Five percent of nursery
CAAON FLOYD, BRING THAT
BOARD OVER HERE. s
YOU CAN \NORK A LITTLE
HARDER THAN THAT/ J
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
weeds. Too many alfalfa growers
wait until they see a heavy growth
of these weeds and then think of
spraying.
All weeds are easier to kill when
small and before they choke out
the alfalfa plants. The period
between Thanksgiving and
Christmas is excellent for applying
herbicides to alfalfa stands. The
material to use will vary with the
age of the stand and whether or not
any grass is there as a companion
crop. We suggest that growers
refer to the Agronomy Guide, or to
their local pesticide dealer for
suggestions relating to materials.
The important thing is to do the
spraying while the weeds are
small.
To Plan Work Schedules in
Layer Houses
If you are planning to work with
your layers, such as applying a
miticide to control lice or mites or
do any noisy repairs to the feeders,
fans or waterers, do this work in
the afternoon. By afternoon the
hen has laid her egg for the day,
and she is a lot less susceptible to
injury and damage to the future
eggs. Your everyday chores won’t
upset them because they are ac
customed to them, but these
unusual conditions can upset their
regular cycle.
Production concentrated
on large farms, study says
products farms but 62 percent of
nursery sales.
The dominance also is apparent
in the livestock industry. Farms
with sales of a half-million dollars
or better reported;
• Forty-nine percent of cattle
and calf sales by 1 percent of farms
selling cattle.
• Thirty-three percent of sheep,
lamb, and wool sales from 1 per
cent of sheep farms.
• Forty-one percent of horse
sales from 1 percent of farms
selling horses.
Poultry industry production also
is concentrated on large farms,
NEWARK, DEI. What does it
cost to grow an ai re of corn'* What
are your break even costs'' How
can you cut your production costs''
What can you eliminate'' Can you
afford the land rent you're
presently paying''
These are some ot the questions
Delaware extension agriculture
agents hope to answei at the up
coming series of statewide tarrnei
meetings, Smart Farming toi
Tough Times
The informal, sessions die
designed to help farmers idenliK
Just a word on the number of
birds per cage. It may seem like a
good idea to add one extra bird per
cage, but this could lower your
hen-housed production. There are
a number of density experiments
and they all show a lowered
production per hen when you add
that extra hen.
Keep in mind that very small
differences in production can
result in large economic dif
ferences over time in large flocks.
With an oversupply of eggs, we
really don’t need that extra bird
anyway.
Winter weather is very hard on
farm machinery. As we travel
throughout the county, we still see
too many pieces of machinery
sitting out behind the building or
still in the fields. This is very costly
to the owner.
Moisture causes rust and
shortens the life of the equipment.
Machinery costs are very high and
weather protection is one way to
reduce the cost of replacement.
Separate machinery sheds are
suggested in order to keep
everything from being stored in
the main bam. Good care and
maintenance is needed to lengthen
the life of all farm machmen
particularly on turkey farms
where 69 percent of turkeys sold
were from farms with sales of
$500,000 or more. For all poultry
operations, 51 percent of sales
came from 4 percent of the farms.
The Census Bureau points out
that these data are subject to
statistical variability and non
sampling errors. Single copies of
the Volume 1, Geographic Area
Series, Summary and State Data,
from the United States may be
obtained from the Superintendent
of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
20402.
Delaware to hold 6 Smart Farming’ meetings
accurate production (osts toi
every field they farm With these
figures in hand, they will be
prepared to spot aieas wheie the'
(an trim costs toi greatei et
tiuency Those who attend the
meetings will also learn how to
make critical marketing decisions
based on then production c osts and
the current rnaiket outlook The
result we're attei, say piogiam
planners, is a maximum i eturn to
each producer
The program toi all sessions will
be the same The meetings will be
WELL NOW OTIS, A WHILE
BACK Z HOOT '
AND
ME T'
To Protect Farm Machinery
GOD’S SPECIALTY
December 1,1985
Background Scripture:
Isaiah9:l-7; Luke 1:26-56.
Devotional Reading:
Luke 1:46-56.
Zechariah the priest and Mary,
his wife’s kinswoman in Nazareth,
both pose pretty much the same
question that countless people
have asked from the beginning of
time and it is a question which
many of us continue to ask today.
To be sure, there are many dif
ferent ways of putting the question
into words, but essentially all the
questioners want to know how it is
possible for God to fulfill all that he
promises or at least all that
people tell us he has promised.
Although his wife had long
proven barren and both were
“advanced in years,” Zechariah
was promised by an angel that his
wife, Elizabeth would bear him a
son. And, although this had long
been Zechariah’s unceasing
prayer, he could not help
responding “How shall I know
this? For I am an old man, and my
wife is advanced in years” (1:18).
“HOW SHALL THIS BE?”
Later, when the angel Gabriel
assured Mary that she too would
bear a son who would be God’s
annointed, she responded, saying:
“How shall this be, since I have no
husband’” P"** 7echariah
Farm Calendar
Monday, December 2
Southern States Safety Demon
stration Activity, Southern
States Taneytown Cooperative,
York and Commerce Streets,
Taneytown, 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, December 4
Lancaster Conservation District
monthly board meeting, Farm
and Home Center, 7; 30 p.m.
Thursday, December 5
Frederick County Sheep Breeders
Meeting, Elks Lodge,
Frederick, Md., 6 p.m. Contact:
Ann Ruppert, 13117 Bunker Hill
Road, Union Bridge, Md. 21791.
held in Decembei as follows
Dec 9 2p m to 4p in at lai ly
•lestei farm shop on Hunkei Hill
Hoad, Middletown
Dec 9 7 .10 p in to 9 ,1(1 p in at
Hichaid Lester. Ji , taim shop on
Hoad 411, just north ot St Georges
second farm on left betoie
(lunning Bedfoi d Sc bool >
Dec 10 9 a m to 11 a in at
Snow s Hunting Lodge on HI
noithol Leipsic
Dec 10 t p m to 4 p in at
Warrington s taim shop |ust west
(it Lake Kcuest High School on
ON, JM SORRY FiOVD, i
X DIDN'T KNOW, WHEN
ao TNfifT
HAPPEN
and Mary are saying, in effect, this
is wonderful news, too wonderful to
be true. We cannot blame them for
being dubious. Zechariah 'and
Elizabeth had tried for so many
years and all they had to show for
it was a sense of disappointment
and failure. Why should they
believe it would happen now when
they were well past the child
bearing age? And Mary: Why
should she believe that God would
choose her to be the mother of the
Messiah? She wasn’t even
married.
Often, that’s the way God’s
message and promises seem to us.
He speaks to us of his plan and
purpose for creation, but the world
seems chaotic and bent on self
destruction. He speaks of world
brotherhood and peace and his
kingdom come on earth, but we
can’t help looking at the world and
asking, “How can this be?”
NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE
The answer that Gabriel gives
Mary is the same answer that he
gives us and the whole world: “For
with God nothing will be im
possible” (1:37). That’s the theme
of both Advent and Christmas: not
that God does the impossible, but
that with God, nothing is im
possible.
At youth camp we used to sing
this song:
Got any rivers you think are
uncrossable? Got any mountains
you can’t tunnel through? God
specializes in things thought im
possible; He’ll do for you what no
other power can do.
God’s specialty is what we think
is impossible.
(Based on outlines copyrighted by the Division of
Christian Education National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA Released by
Community Press Service )
Drinking Water Workshop, Lan
caster Farm and Home Center,
1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 7
York 4-H swine/sheep banquet, 4-H
Center, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, December 11
Western Pa. Vegetable Growers
Seminar, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Quality Inn, Butler. Contact
Butler Extension.
Thursday, December 12
York Comercial dairy day, 4-H
center, 9 a.m.
Hoad 384, neai helton
Dec 18 9 30 a in In 11 30 a in at
( arlisle Hi othei s tai in shop on HI
30, Greenwood
Dec Hi 2p in to 4p in at Alton
Hastings farm shop. HI 494 'Old
Sharptown Hoad Mieai Laurel
Dec 17 9 30 a m to 11 30 a ni at
Hair) Isaacs tami shop on Hoad
331 just northeast ol Milton oft Ht
30
Dec 17 3p in to 4p in at I 1
I ow'nsend tai in shop on Ht 20 neai
Dagsboro
Dec 17 i 30 pin to 9 30 p in at
the Univeisit> of Delawaie .Sub
station meeting loom on Ht o west
ot (Jeoi getown
Koi furthei mini m.itiuii about
thehe meetings miitait the iounl\
I'Xti’iihion otfu «■ in Meuaik Del
.451-250(11
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