AlO-Lancastvr Farming, Saturday, March 8,1986
Assessment vs • price cut
Congress is considering an industry-backed proposal to allow
the money saved by a 4.3-percent Gramm-Rudman cut in milk
support prices to be raised by a producer assessment.
Let’s emphasize from the outset that no one likes to see
prices drop for any reason. But a 10-cent assessment is better
than a 50-cent drop in support price. And it makes a lot more
sense for America’s hard-pressed dairymen.
Farmers have been the first to call for fiscal responsibility in
Washington...and they’re not being hyprocntical in asking for
relief now. They're willing to accept the burden of Gramm-
Rudman, but they’d like a more equitable way to distribute it.
Congress presumably had a reason for establishing dairy
price support figures contained in the 1985 Farm Bill. Are we to
accept the idea that Congress didn’t really mean what it said, or
worse yet, has changed its collective mind in just two short
months?
For many producers, the rapid decline in milk prices over the
past two years has driven much of the profit out of dairying. And
given the startup costs, a whole generation of younger dairymen
may be squeezed out of business.
The 50-cent Gramm-Rudman cuts, on top of those reductions,
we feel, could play havoc with the dairy industry...and ultimately
with the supply of milk to consumers.
It's time for Congress to think of the long-term consequences,
and pass legislation substituting a 10-cent assessment for a 50-
cent Gramm-Rudman cut in support prices.
NOW IS THE TIME
To Plan Weed Control Program
Weeds continue to be one of the
major factors in reduced crop
yields. This is true in the garden as
well as in the field. The battle to
control weeds is not a new one;
years ago cultivation was the only
method of weed control. Now,
herbicides are widely used for
weed control. However, we still
have too much crop damage from
weeds.
An agronomist once said that for
every pound of weeds produced,
the crop yield was reduced by the
same weight. Some weeds amount
to several tons per acre; this
means that much less of the
desired crop. Follow the recom
mendations in the Agronomy
Guide and plan for a better weed
control program this year.
To Be Aware of Rural Crime
Crime in rural areas continues to
climb. Many thieves are drawn to
rural communities 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 thieve’s paradise. You
can make it less so by forcing a
burglar to work harder. Install
dead bolt locks on all exterior
doors and windows. Keep in mind
they work only if you use them.
Get to know your neighbors;
they can be a great crime
deterrent. Agree to watch their
place while they’re away and
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
OTI9 WHAT" BRAND OF
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PLANT TMJS YEAR ? ,
i
Editorial
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
storage tanks are popular targets
for thieves. Be sure to lock these up
whenever you aren’t around.
Exterior lights around your home,
garage and barn will also do a lot
to ward off burglars.
To Avoid Soil Compaction
One of the real dangers of being
in too big a hurry in getting on the
soil in the spring with heavy
equipment is that we pack this wet
soil so hard that poor yields result.
With modem machinery, the
weight is much more than a team
of horses or mules. As a result we
have ground that is as hard as
concrete and it is slow to recover.
It is important to wait until the
soil is dried out sufficiently before
taking this heavy equipment over
the fields. When the soil is worked
too wet, it becomes hard and forms
clods. This type of soil structure
will not give you the best yields.
Don’t be in too big a hurry; slow
Farm Calendar
Saturday, March 8
Berks County Guernsey Breeder’s
Association Meeting, Shar
tlesville Grange Hall, 11 a.m.
Raising farm animals on limited
acreage seminar, Delaware
Valley College, Doylestown,
9:30 a.m. t03:30p.m.
Mnnw.v u.r.1.» Tuesday, March 11
Cumberland Co“ty 4-H Dairy Pa p %? C^eren Ce Umversity
Banquet, Penn Township Fire e
Hall, Huntsdale. Center, 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
TUB SAME BRAND THAT I
USED LAST YEAR
- IT MUST BE 'S —
GLAD TO
SUFFER?
March 9,1986
Background Scripture: 1 Peter
2:11 through 5:14.
Devotional Reading: 1 Peter 2:21-
25.
I cannot remember ever having
to suffer for being a Christian. No
one has attacked me physically for
my faith, nor have I even been
forced to suffer any verbal abuse
or discrimination. Actually, my
Christian discipleship has been
pretty safe and secure and
perhaps yours has been, too!
So, in 1 Peter when we are told to
“rejoice in so far as you share
Christ’s sufferings . . .”, I find it
difficult to identify with what the
writer is saying. To be sure, I live
down and wait for the weather
catch up to you.
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 older,
hardier trees, fruit growers 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 later in March.
” nr —
M*
,
Dairy Day, Mercer County
Sheraton Inn, West Middlesex,
9:30 a.m.
Lancaster County Ayrshire,
Jersey, Brown Swiss 4-H Club
meeting, 7:30 p.m., Farm and
Home Center.
u fl
m 2
in a relatively tolerant and secure
society and the original readers of
1 Peter did not. Because they
confessed and attempted to follow
Christ, they were vulnerably to
terrible persecution.
REJOICE IN SO FAR...
But, there’s more to it than that,
isn’t there? 1 Peter is not just
warning them that the Christian
faith may be dangerous for their
health, but, on a much more
positive note, he is suggesting to
them that in suffering there is
something for which they can
rejoice and that is where I find
myself having trouble. How can I
be glad to suffer? There seems to
be something unnatural in that.
This difficulty i have with the
concept of suffering is further
engendered by some experiences I
have had with a few Christians who
actually sought to suffer as
martyrs. They wanted to be
martyrs and they enjoyed their
martyrdom. Does God want us to
go out and actually find ways so
that we can suffer for his sake?
I doubt it. I really doubt it. But
then what do I do with 1 Peter and
his admonition to rejoice in suf
fering?
Perhaps the clue is to be found in
1 Peter 3:17 when he says: “For it
is better to suffer for doing right, if
Lancaster County Dairy Day.
Lebanon County Extension annual
meeting, 7 p.m., Schaef-
ferstown Fire Hall.
Swine vaccination meeting, York
Extension office, 7:30 p.m.
Lancaster County 4-H Guernsey
Club meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the
Peter Witmer Farm, Refton.
Wednesday, March 12
DHIA meeting, Jo-Lyn Diner, 10
a.m.
Berks County Extension milking
school, Berks County Ag
Center; continues through
tomorrow.
Lehigh Valley Farmers Annual
Meeting, noon, Host Farm.
Shade Gap Mills Crops Day, 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m., Hilltop Restaurant.
Thursday, March 13
Farm Transfer Meeting, Lan
caster Farm and Home Center,
7; 30 p.m.
Penn State Turkey Conference,
Sheraton Inn, Gettysburg, 9
a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Mercer County Sheep and Wool
annual meeting, New Vernon
Grange, 6:30 p.m.
Inter-State Dinner Meeting,
District 18, Zimmies Diner,
Mifflintown, 11:30 a.m.
Pa. Guernsey Breeders 55th an
nual meeting at the Quality Inn
in Lebanon; continues
tomorrow.
Inter-State dinner meeting,
District 28, 7 p.m., Kauffman’s
Ruritan Building.
Lancaster County Kids and Kows
4-H dairy club meeting, 7:30
p.m., “new” building at Solanco
Fairgrounds, Quarryville.
York County Extension banquet,
Wisehaven Restaurant.
Northeast Regional Christmas
Tree Growers Meeting, 8:15
a.m. to 4 p.m., Luzerne County
Community College, Nanticoke
'CAUSE I HAD MORE
CROWS IN MV FIELDS
LAST YEAR, THEM ANY
OTHER YEAR Y
ns
Friday, March 14
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PBs!
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that should be God’s will, then for
doing wrong.” And in 1 Peter 4:15:
“But let none of you suffer as a
murderer, or a thief, or a
wrongdoer, or a mischief
maker...” Let none of us seek to
suffer or be martyrs, but if suf
fering does come, let it be because
of our faith in Christ, not our
wrongdoing. Let us be glad that, if
we must suffer, it is for our refusal
to betray our Christ with words
and deeds. And, if we are able to do
that, is that not cause for
rejoicing?
ENTRUST y6uR~SOULS
Christian martyrdom, then, is
not something to be sought, nor is it
to be run from. If we are con
fronted with the choice of suffering
or debasing our discipleship, let us
choose suffering as the better of
the two evils. Because no good
thing can result from my failure to
remain loyal to Christ, but very
often with the help of God we can
turn our suffering into something
good particularly “good” for the
cause of Christ. And let us then
rejoice that we have found the faith
to make that choice, to “do right”
and “entrust” our souls to “a
faithful creator.”
Based on copyrighted outlines produced by the
Committee on the Uniform Senes end used by
permission Released by Community and Suburban
Press
Pa. Ayrshire Breeders Annual
Meeting, Grantville Holiday
Inn, 10:30 a.m. Contact Milt
Brubaker, 717-626-5788.
Monday, March 17
Sullivan County 4-H Leader Din
ner, ForksvUle.
York Sheep Management Meeting,
4-H Center, Bair Station, 7:30
p.m.
Small Fruit Seminar, Warrendale
Sheraton Inn, 8:30 a.m.
Bucks County Milking School, 9:30
a.m. to 3 p.m., Delaware Valley
College, Doylestown; continues
tomorrow.
Potter, McKean and Cameron
counties Calf and Heifer
Management Workshop, 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. at Calvary
Baptist Church Youth Center,
Coudersport; continues through
tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 18
Crop management meeting, 7:30
p.m., Blue Ball.
Pesticide handling and safety, 10
a.m. to noon, Jefferson Fire
Hall, Jefferson; 1:30 p.m. to
3:30 p.m., Dover High School.
Wednesday, March 19
Future of Pa. Ag Conference,
Holiday Inn, Harrisburg;
continues tomorrow.
Thursday, March 20
Pequea Valley FFA banquet, 6:45
p.pi., Plain and Fancy Farms.
Holstein Investment Opportunities
Inc., merchandising workshop,
8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Bird-in-
Hand Motel, Bird-in-Hand.
Friday, March 21
Crops Day, Berks County Ag
Center.
Lancaster County Conservation
District Banquet, Brickerville
Fire Hall, 7 p.m.
Red and White Dairy Cattle
Association show, Guernsey
Sales Pavilion.
Saturday, March 22
Montgomery County dairy prin
cess pageant, and Mongtomery
County Holstein Club annual
banquet, 7 p.m., Towamencin
Fire Hall.
Red and White Dairy Cattle
Association’s Sale, Guernsey
Sales Pavilion.
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