BIS-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 15,1986 On being £* a farm -And other^ Joyce Bnpp “Geese! Geese!” I run, shrieking, into the dairy bam. Cynical due to my advancing age,- as I am constantly reminded by a pair of teenagers -1 don’t run, shrieking, about too many things any longer. But geese? After a February packed in wall-to-wall clouds and dreariness, who wouldn’t thrill to the faint, haunting honking, and a ragged, lopsided, “V” of floating shapes against a gray, early morning sky. Spring? It starts this week, says the calendar. Announcement by geese is far more romantic than announcement via a terse phrase on a page of methodical square numbered blocks. But this announcement by air is merely a symbol of seasonal restlessness. Time to be out and about, to let morning sunlight wash over the kitchen through the dusty stormdoor glass and rejoice in a gentle warm breeze. The cats, too, are enjoying this peek at spring fever, rolling in the thick sawdust that mulches the floral border. Nature handled this mulch job, spreading the once-neat pile of wood residue over the farmstead by way of a wicked West wind that swept across the place like a prairie fire. While the tulips are struggling up through the thick insulation, and the felines figure it was put there for their sole lounging pleasure under the remains of last year’s chrysanthemum plants, I see the sawdust layer as a barrier to the April showers that are supposed to bring later return in blossoms. Off it must come. The farmer stops by the house and insists he heard a robin singing somewhere. No fair - you have to MADISON SILO CO. OF PENNSYLVANIA 1070 Stemmetzßd , Ephrata, Pa. 17522 Phone 717-733-1206 see the robin for it to count in the spring-sights countdown. Mom beat him already. She spied a large flock - like several dozen - of the feathered harbingers fresh in from the tropics on a morning that could best be described as chilly, gray and wintry. Sort of makes you feel that you ought to rewrite that old cliche: “The early bird gets frostbite.” And muddy feet. For if spring brings the soft, fuzzy-gray pussywillows back on the bush so high I can’t reach the best cutting stems, and a yellow cast to the willows storing up golden sun shine, and green spots dotting the bare, brown roadbank littered with old ugly leaves, likewise it brings mud. Mud tracked through the milk house, just hosed down to sparkling concrete that would make the milk inspector proud. Mud tracked into the car carpet, where it breeds and reproduces like fungus to coat the rubber floor mats and burrow into carpet coils, never to be removed. Mud tracked across the basement indoor outdoor floor covering, around the freezer and washing machine, up the stairs, through kitchen, living room, office, and wherever busy feet travel. I long ago came to grips with mud. Mud does not freeze up cattle watering fountains, cause car and tractor batteries to roll over and play dead, nor send you skidding down a hill as you round a cold corner and hit a patch hiding in a shady spot on the pavement. Mud is a seasonal inconvenience, traded off for the likes of robins bursting in song and geese honking toward Canada. NJ FFA Fewer shew, design contest set ter March 20 NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - The New Jersey FFA is gearing up for the State Flower Show and Floral Design Contest on March 20 at the Quakerbridge Mall in Law renceville. This contest is to encourage high school FFA members to develop skills in floriculture. The students’ work will be on display at the mall on Thursday, March 20 through Saturday, March 22. The Floral Design Contest is open to a team of four from each FFA chapter in New Jersey. This contest is sponsored by the New Jersey Florist’s Association. Students will design a freestyle arrangement and an assigned And, our Eastern Shore farm friends surely rejoice, as do we, in the flight of the long-necked departing, feathered messengers of spring. For it is on their fields of tender shoots of wheat and barley that these spectacular, almost mystical, birds winter and grow fat for their long journey North. In return, they leave bare patches of field, covered amply with thank you’s of nitrogen rich droppings - but reduced yields of grain. Good for the soils - but hard on cash-flow economics. To them, we say a hearty “Thanks” for fattening our V formation spring announcement. And what is symbolic to us, must surely be good riddance from their point of view. updos, parts and service. As your authorized Roto-Master distributor, we offer new and re built turbochargers for most popular diesel applications, including IH, Case, John Deere, Massey, AC, M & W and others * New - Rebuilt - Exchange * Custom Rebuilding Available * Turbine Wheels & Shafts Dynamically Balanced And Straightened As Required * New Bearing, Seals & Gaskets w/Each Turbo * All Makes Serviced * Service Since 1952 * Free Hat With Each New, Rebuilt, Or Exchange Turbo Thru 5/31/86 (Limited Supply) PENN DIESEL SERVICE CO. Interstate 81, Exit 27 Harrisburg, RA 17112 PA 800-223-8836 arrangement, such as a cen- nove ity arrangements. Wreaths, terpiece or symmetrical triangle, corsages, hanging baskets, Students also compete in the State planters and dish garden classes FFA Flower Show while at the are included for student com nisll* petition. Twenty-eight classes of floral All arrangements and designs arrangements are open to the FFA are prepared prior to the show, students. The show includes Designs are entered on Thursday classes of silk and fresh designs of f or judging and remain on display holiday, spring, wedding, and at the mall until Saturday evening. Conrad Weiser FFA Berks County FFA members competed in the annual County Public Speaking Contest at the Berks County Intermediate Unit on Feb. 24. FFA members could enter conservation, general prepared, and the FFA creed contests. Five members of the Conrad Weiser FFA participated in these contests. Eight FFA members competed in the Conservation Division. Kay Fessler, a sophomore, placed second with her speech, entitled “There is No Longer Pure Rain.” Centre County Dairy Club The Centre County 4-H Dairy Club elected officers during its Feb. 28 meeting. The new officers are: James Houser, president; Eric Stine, vice president; Todd Homan, secretary; Lori Houser, treasurer; Chad Homan, recreation leader: We cialize B LIVESTOCK fpatz T?"**conveyor"? EQUIPMENT j w/1 h-p . motor, ( == I *6OO. \ Galvanized smooth wall hopper feed tanks, 4 thru 12 ton models in stock lor immediate delivery. Loucks Grain Equipment, 717-755-2868. Locust fence post sawed, tapered, 8' rounds & Vt rounds. Delivery avail able. Chester Co. 215-932-8923. New Smidley covered feeder for sheeps or hoes. Make offer. 717-862-3731 WANTED; Veal milk mixer, in good working condition. Montgomery County, Call alter 5:30 p.m. 215-257-7050 Fourteen FFA members com peted in the General Prepared Contest. Becky Sonnen, also a sophomore, placed first with her speech entitled “Mastitis-Money Down the Drain.” And, in the FFA Creed Contest Kirk Sattazahn, a freshman, placed first; Brenda McFarland, a freshman, placed third; and Karen Fessler, also a freshman, placed fifth. The top three places in each division go on to Area Contest Competition, on April 16th. Eon Gilligan, historian; Joy Gates, news reporter; Joyce Harpster, parliamentarian; and Martha Hartle, county council. Leaders are Nancy Kocher, Joseph Hartle, Jay Houser, Boyd Homan, and Jeff Harding. Junior leaders are Betsy Dupuis and Judy Vonada. BALE THROWER WAGONS Length -18 ft. Width-8 ft. Height - 8 ft. SPECIAL FEATURES * Rear gate opens 270° both ways * 2 position front support bar * 1 hook releases 3 chains simultaneously * Removable sides for long distance deliveries * Buy Direct & Save * CALL 717-665-6259 for more information and quantity prices BUY im.THADI on HCNT THROUGH THE PHONE: 717-A36-1164 or 717-394-3047 | Starline 10’ con- ? j veyor, *lOO / ) Union County ) LZJZ£2^%33j FOR SALE Patz 70' Bunk feeder with ad justable legs and motor. Very good condition. Call 717.284-4722
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