OPINION Not a very nice job Because so much rides on the final outcome of the herd buyout program, these animals mi sign-up farms must be permanently identified. That’s only fair to everyone involved. This includes the dairyman who chose to remain in business, the officials who must carry out the program and the tax payers who foot more than half of tiie bill. A farmer we talked to this week said he certainly didn’t want these buyout animals showing up in someone’s milking parlor a few months or years, down the road. And we agree! But how these condemned cows and heifers are branded should be scrutinized. Certainly ear tags are not permanent enough. They can be changed or removed out behind the bam. But to hot brand these animals on the cheek seems un necessarily cruel. And on the rump probably hurts too. Of- It’s time to recognize Pa Poultry Products Now that the avian influenza has been declared over by the Penn sylvania State Department of Agriculture, it's time other states and countries recognize the fact and lift the embargo on our Penn sylvania poultry products. Recently state agricultural secretary Richard E. Grubb sent this request to 17 other states. These states included: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Farm Calendar ; -ihi / Saturday, April 12 Maryland State Holstein Show, State Fairgrounds. Pennsylvania Angus Association Sale, Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Mountains Dairy Goat Association meeting, 1 p.m., Salem Township Municipal Building, 1 mile west of Hamlin on Route 590. Sunday, April 13 Pennsylvania Flying Farmers Meeting, Airport Restaurant, Selinsgrove, 1 ;30 p.m. Monday, April 14 Franklin County Conservation District Director’s monthly meeting, 7:30 p.m., Con- DO HEIGHTS SCAPE 'OU cm<b? ficially, the brand is to only remove the hair and not burn the hide. But that’s impractical in the actual operation. The animal is going to get burned that’s for sure. Of course in western states cattle have been identified by a brand on the side for many years. But somehow to be branded to live seems different than to be branded to die. In a letter to the editor of this newspaper last week, Sally Fairbairn of Fleischmanns, New York, suggested that freeze branding would be a better solution-not as hard on the animal and not as dangerous to the person who applies the brand. But not many people seem to know how to freeze brand. While we may not find the perfect solution, let’s everyone try to do our best with a job that’s not going to be very nice any way you look at it. Virginia, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. In addition, copies of the letter were sent to the gover nments of Canada, Brazil, Japan, Venezuela, Great Britain,, and Argentina. We believe that the virus has been eliminated from our state poultry flocks. And in view of our surveilance and quaranteen program, we now provide the safest place in the nation to buy poultry and poultry productrs. And the quicker everyone around the world recognizes this fact, the better off all of us will be. servation District office, 550 Cleveland Ave., Cham bersburg. Berks County 4-H Sheep Club meeting, 7:30 p.m., Berks County 4-H Center. Berks County 4-H Development Board meeting, 7:30 p.m., Berks County Ag Center. National 4-H Conference, Washington, D.C.; continues through Friday. - - Tuesday, April 15 Poultry Sales and Service Con ference, Penn State University; continues through tomorrow. Ephrata Area Young Farmers Meeting and FFA Slave Sale, Ephrata Senior High School, 7:45 p.m. By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent Many bams, poultry houses and feed lots will be cleaned out in the next few weeks. We repeat the suggestion that this material be either injected into the soil or worked into the topsoil within a few days after application. This will not only preserve more fertilizer elements but will reduce odors and preserve good public relations with your neighbors. Discing, chiseling or plowing after the waste application is strongly recommended. Livestock and poultry manure have con siderable fertilizer value when applied into the soil before exposed to weathering. We urge our far mers to recognize this organic fertilizer and utilize it fully. We hope our non-farm people FARM FORUM OUR READERS WRITE Several weeks ago there was an article about the PFA quizzing gubernatorial hopefuls. Did you misquote some when they said they wouldn’t sign a returnable bottle bill? I wouldn’t vote for anyone opposed to a deposit on beverage containers. The issue should receive more attention in the agricultural press. All candidates profess at least lip service to the family farm, im proved income, more funding for ag programs and rural developement. Differences need to be pointed out. The only time to pick up bottles and cans along the road is after the snow melts and before new growth starts. Only a returnable container law with a deposit will reduce litter. Wayne County Extension beef cattle meeting, 8 p.m., Ex tension office, courthouse, Honesdale. Upper Adams Young Farmers meeting, Biglerville High School auditorium; program Dr. Loren Tukey, Penn State pomologist, speaking on tree training systems. National Milking Shorthorn Convention, Historic Strasburg Inn, Strasburg; continues through April 19. Vet Nutrition Forum, Host Town, Lancaster, 7 p.m. NO, TOE HEIGHTS DONT SCARE ME... NOW IS THE TIME K m Jay Irwin To Incorporate Manure Dear Sir Richard M. Wright EUiottsburg Wednesday, April 16 to our fields is part of farming and part of rural living. It may be unpleasant for a short time, but as far as l know, rural odors have never been proven to be a health hazard. We hope everyone tries to understand the needs and cares of others. To Start Grazing Gradually With the early warm spell this spring, we are seeing rapid growth in most pasture areas. This will also be fine with producers who are planning to graze winter grains sufch as rye or barley. The herd or flock should be controlled at first, and not allowed on the area for more than a half hour; bloating and scouring may result if they consume too much of the bush forage the first few days. Also, it’s best to feed the animals some dry matter such as hay, silage or straw before turning them out to pasture the first few times. Dairy fanners should keep milking cows from the grazing area at least four to five hours before the milking period. To Check Water Supplies Your water supply should be checked at least once a year for nitrates and bacteria. Nitrates can get into ground water from several sources from a septic field, a barnyard or feedlot, silage seepage or from nitrogen fertilizer on surrounding cropland. Nitrogen can travel farther through the soil than bacteria, with the likelihood that more wells may be polluted with nitrates than with CONVINCING THE SCOFFERS April 13,1986 Background Scripture: Jude. Devotional Reading; John 10:22- 30. Dr. David C. McClelland, a professor of psychology and social relations at Harvard University, has spent almost 40 years in researching human motivation. This research has sought to determine whether people really want what they say and think they want. Hunterdon County Agricultural Development Board monthly meeting, 8 p.m. Petersburg Homemaker’s Tour, Harrisburg, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 17 Grange Meeting, Pre-Flemington Fair, Stanton Grange, 7:30 p.m. Berks County Dairy Bowl Prac tice, 7:30 p.m., Berks County Ag Center. Berks County Tractor Cer tification, 7 p.m., Berks County Ag Center. Pa. State 4-H Leader’s Forum, (Turn to Page A 33) dangerous. Nitrogen in drinking water reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen and causes symptoms of oxygen deficiency in people and animals. If your drinking water hasn’t been checked within the last year, then do it now. Also, if you notice any changes in your water, such as an off-color, an unusual flavor or even an odor, then be sure to have it tested immediately. Remember, these samples should be taken to the lab in either a container provided by the lab or a sterilized bottle. To Manage Alfalfa Stands With nearly every species of livestock, the feeding of top quality alfalfa hay or silage is highly recommended. At dairy meetings we hear how good alfalfa is in the ration, and at sheep meetings we learn that good alfalfa hay is the backbone of the live feeding program. Alfalfa meal is often used as a source of protein in other rations. It all adds up to the fact that alfalfa is one of our most important forage crops. Every farmer should make a special effort to produce maximum amounts per acre. This takes cutting management along with proper .lime, fertilizer, insect and disease control. Since we are now at the beginning of another cropping season, more attention to alfalfa might benefit many far mers. Don’t be satisfied with a poor stand. The crop is worthy of our best effort. In one of his research projects, he showed to a group of Harvard undergraduates a motion picture film of Mother Teresa, the Nobel Laureate Roman Catholic nun, caring for the sick and dying in the slums of Calcutta. When asked, “What did you think of Mother Teresa?”, the undergraduates split approximately 50-50. About ludf of them thought she was wonderful, while the other half were negative in their response. The latter response was typified by one student who said, “I dislike her intensely, all this religiosity. It’s fake...” T.L.C. By measuring the amount of immunogkthulln M secreted in their saliva, Dr. McClelland was able to discern how each of the students reacted to the Mother Teresa film on an unconscious level. Dr. Mc- Clelland found that the negative opinions they voiced did not correspond to .the positive chemical reactions recorded in their saliva. In a report printed in the Journal of ffto hntftuU for tho Mdvoocomout of HooHh, Dr. Mc- Clelland concluded, “To me, the results mean that she was con tacting these consciously disap proving people in a part of their brains that they were unaware of and that was stUl responding to the strength of her tender loving care.” So, although it appeared that her loving service made no impact whatsoever upon ap proximately 50% of the group, nevertheless, on an unconscious level these people were being significantly and positively af fected by her loving witness for Christ. KEEP IN LOVE Dr. McClelland seems to confirm what many Christians have long suspected: that their witness for Christ does not fail simply because people either reject it or ignore it. Even when people seem not to be responding to our witness of Christian love, there may be deep, unconscious impressions within them that later may have the af fect of convincing them of the truth and power of Christianity. Thus, Jude admonishes us to “keep yourselves in the love of God” and later says, “And con vince some, who doubt. .(vs. 21, 22). With love, we can! Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by the Committee on the Uniform Senes and used by permission Released by Community and Suburban Press
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