NOW IS THE TIME
To Plan For Oat Planting
I know some farmers are con
sidering the use of feed oats for
planting this spring, but this may
not be a good idea. Feed oats may
contain quackgrass, bindweed and
other weed seeds. Planting feed
oats will generally result in lower
yields. You also have the problem
that any weed seeds planted will be
a problem for years to come.
Keep in mind that high quality
seed is the smallest part of
producing a crop. So, saving a few
cents by using inferior or weedy
seed doesn’t make much sense.
On the other hand, homegrown
seed of verities proven successful
on the farm can be cleaned,
treated and planted if the ger
mination is 80 percent or better.
You can place the seed in a tray
with moist soil, cover with wet
burlap and keep in a warm place.
Then count the seeds that ger
minate against the total and
determine the percent ger
mination.
To Evaluate Winter
Wheat Topdressing
During this season of the year
many farmers ask the question,
does winter wheat need fertilizing?
According to agronomists, top
dressing with fertilizer may or
may not be a good idea. There are
several things that should be
considered before making the
decision.
In the first place, do not topdress
winter wheat with a fertilizer that
contains nitrogen if the wheat is to
be overseeded with clover or
Farm Calendar
Saturday, March 29
Adams County Beef Ball, Sheraton
Inn, Gettysburg.
Pa. Holstein Spring Show, 8:30
a.m., Farm Show Complex,
Harrisburg.
Antique Show and Sale, Mif
flinburg Area High School, 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., $1 admission.
Monday, March 31
York ASCS Feed Grain/Wheat
Program meeting, 10 a.m. to
noon, York ASCS office.
Wednesday, April 2
Lancaster Conservation District
board meeting.
Berks County Marketing Meeting
on Futures Contracting and the
Future.
Md. State Jersey Sale.
Thursday, Aprils
Adams County Water Quality Fair,
Penn State Fruit Research Lab,
Biglerville, 1 to 3 p.m. and 7 to 9
p.m.
I HEAR THAT
T“ '
if, Saturday, march 29,1986
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
alfalfa. Nitrogen causes heavy
growth of wheat which may
smother the new seeding. The
winter wheat fields that have come
through the winter looking thin,
should be topdressed now. Use only
a straight nitrogen fertilizer, such
as urea. Topdressing winter wheat
with phosphate or potash fertilizer
has not given any increased wheat
yields.
Apply the nitrogen fertilizer in
early spring at the rate of 30 to 40
pounds of actual nitrogen per acre.
To Provide Farm Security
Thefts and vandalism on farms
in on the increase. This is very
difficult to prevent because of the
various items around farm
buildings and homes; also the
number of buildings and places to
enter are many. However, we
suggest that every farmer take
some steps to protect his
machinery, tools, livestock and
supplies. The automatic lights that
come on at dusk and go off at dawn
should be of real value in
discouraging burglars. There are
also many new sensing devices
that detect movement around the
premises.
Watch dogs are also very useful
in detecting strangers around the
property. Shops, garages and other
smaller buildings should be kept
locked when possible. The iden
tification of animals by tags,
branding and photographs is very
helpful. It is also a good idea to
mark all machinery and tools with
a permanent ID number. The best
number to use is your drivers
license number proceeded by DL
Lancaster County 4-H Holstein
Club meeting, 7:30 p.m, Farm
and Home Center.
Safe Drinking Water meeting,
Penn State Fruit Lab,
Biglerville, 7 to 9 p.m.
Elizabethtown Young Farmers
Meeting, 6:45 p.m., Country
Table Restaurant, Mt. Joy; for
tickets at $8.50 each call Ken
Balmer at 367-0895.
Montgomery County 4-H
Showcase, Montgomery County
4-H Center, Creamery, 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m.
PSU Dairy Science Club annual
dairy judging contest, Penn
State Ag Arena, 10 a.m.
Sheep Shearing School, Mercer
and Venango County, Carl
Gadsby Farm, Grove City, 9
a.m.; continues through
tomorrow.
WELL.TWEY'RE
n\
o^7
Friday, April 4
Saturday, April 5
Monday, April 7
PA (Drivers License, Penn
sylvania).
Remember, Social Security
numbers are non-retrievable so it’s
best not ot use them. Farm thefts
are on the increase so farmers
should take steps to protect their
property.
To Increase Pasture
Prductlon
One of the best ways to improve
permanent pasture is to apply lime
and plant food, practice rotational
grazing and clip them regularly.
This is quicker, cheaper and in
volves less risk than tearing up the
old sod and reseeding.
Most permanent pastures have
sufficient seed of desirable grass
species. The only thing they need is
a little tender loving care and the
opportunity to grow and to recover
from grazing pressures. Thus,
fertility and rotational grazing are
very beneficial.
The more paddocks you have,
the better it is. If your acreage is
limited for your herd size, restrict
the amount of time cattle and
livestock are permitted to graze.
Don’t let them trample the grass
unnecessarily by allowing them to
roam freely over the pasture while
not grazing.
After a paddock has been
grazed, it can be clipped to control
weed growth and to keep the grass
young and nutritious. This is also a
good time to apply fertilizer and
necessary herbicides, while
allowing the grass to recover prior
to being grazed again.
Toll-free phone set up for NFU campaign
HARRISBURG - Uniting
farmers, small town bankers and
business leaders, and consumers
to end the rural crisis is the goal of
a “Fight Back!” campaign waged
by National Farmers Union.
NFU has established a toll-free
telephone number for interested
callers to find out how they can
“Fight Back!” against the
inadequate 1985 Farm Bill,
droppiing farm income, proposed
budget cuts for rural programs
and the crisis in rural America.
Tuesday, April 8
Beef Producers Meeting, 7:30
p.m., Adams County Extension
office, Gettysburg.
Wednesday, April 9
Sheep Shearing School, Lawrence
County, David Whiting Farm,
Pulaski, 9 a.m.; continues
tomorrow.
Saturday, April 12
Maryland State Holstein Show,
State Fairgrounds.
THIS IS
THE VICTORY!
March 30,1986
Background Scripture: 1 John 4
through 5.
Devotional Reading: 1 John 4:1-6.
Somewhere in my files is a
quotation from Christofer Fry’s
chancel drama, A Stop of Prisoners.
I cannot give it to you verbatim,
but perhaps even the kernel of it
that I do remember will be helpful
to you. The occasion is the return
of David’s general, Joab, from the
battlefield. Joab has not yet
revealed to David that his son
Ahab has been killed, but David
senses it when he asks: “What are
you bringing me? Is it the victory?
So often what you have brought me
is not the victory, but something
else.”
WHO OVERCOMES?
Even if I have remembered
Fry’s words imperfectly, I still
remember well after all these
years the impact they first had on
me. And today I understand them
even better than I did 30 years ago.
I have experienced in my own fife
those “victories” that are not
really rictorws.
Much of life is spent in trying to
find the real victory. For example,
on the day on which Jesus was
crucified, it was a day of victory
for those who had plotted his death.
They killed and discredited the
Nazarene. They scattered his
disciples. They silenced the voice
that seemed to endanger their
The toll-free telephone number is
1-800-437-7571.
“We can unite to turn things
around in Washington, in our
state capital, on the farm and in
town. Or, we can allow the
situation to get worse,” the general
family farm organization says in a
rural newspaper advertising blitz.
“Every member of the rural
community and every city resident
is feeling the effect of this disaster,
whether it is through the effects of
a lowered tax base on education
and road construction and repair,
the loss of income to small
businesses and banks, the drop in
contributions to local churches, or
the unjust proposals contained in
President Reagan’s budget to end
support for rural programs,”
Pennsylvania Farmers Union
President Stetler said.
“There is genuine concern
among the public on this issue, and
genuine desire to end the rural
crisis and start on the road to
justice and equality for farmers
and consumers,” Stetler said.
“This campaign will harness that
concern to produce constructive
"Q
place in society. But today, who
would regard their temporary
success a real victory?
Conquerors and tyrants have
won an amazing array of victories
since the very beginning of time:
the Pharoah’s armies, Alexander
the Great, the Roman legions, the
barbarian hordes, and so on. But
where are their victories now’
Nowhere, for they were not real
victories.
THE WORLD
OVERCOME
That’s why, on the other hand,
Easter is a real victory. As the
writer of 1 John says, “and this is
the victory that overcomes the
world ...” (5:4). Easter means
not only that Christ was victorious
over death, but that we will be, too
And it means, not only that we
shall survive death on earth, but
that we shall share in Christ’s
great victory. Easter is not just
survival, it is victory!
Easter is our reminder that
Christ overcame the world through
his resurrection. But there is
more: “Who is it that overcomes
the world but he who believes that
Jesus is the Son of God?” (5:5)
Not only did Christ overcome the
world, but we too are aware
overcome it with our faith. Our
purpose is not just to outlast death,
but to be part of God’s victorious
purpose and fulfillment.
Nathaniel Micklem once wrote.
. . had it not been for the
Resurrection ... the Cross would
have been the final proof, not of the
presence of God in history, but the
absence of God from history." But
the resurrected Christ proclaims
the presence and the pre-eminance
of God who, in the long run,
overcomes the world and shares
with us the victory that for once is
the reel one.
Based on copyrighted outlines produced by the
Committee on the Uniform Series and used by
permission Released by Community and
Suburban Press
action. We cannot allow the
situation to worsen, or even to
continue.” Callers on the toll-free
telephone line will be greeted by an
NFU member who will explain
several options for immediate
action. Options include speaking
out against the proposed budget
and lack of farm income, writing
letters to the editor, to
Congressmen and other public
officials, inviting legislators to
visit farms and small communities
to view the depression first-hand,
and joining a farm organization
they believe in. Callers will also
leam about NFU’s legislative
activities.
As an organization, NFU is
preparing to meet the challenge
legislatively by:
• Seeking an emergency bill to
improve farm income for family
farm survival.
• Seeking emergency credit for
Spring work and for farmers
facing financial disaster.
• Pushing for agricultural tax
reforms that help restore
profitability and fairness m
agriculture.
• Addressing the Gramm-
Rudman budget implications to
America’s farmers and rural
small businesses, with the
possibility of taking court action
against the ominous law wlucn
hangs over any potential farm
recovery. ..
• Oppose merger of Conrad wu
the Norfolk Southern Raimoa
because of monopoly implications
for agricultural shippers.
• Seeking further refinements m
the U.S. Bankruptcy Code so tnai
farmers can successfully use it
reorganize their operations an
continue farming.