AiO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 22,1986
OPINION
Beware Of Rabies
Between January 1 and October
17, 1986, residents in nearly 30
Pennsylvania counties have
submitted a total of 463 rabid
animals to the Department of
Agriculture. That compares with
450 total cases for all of 1985. As
you probably know, rabies is a
deadly disease carried by animals.
Often wild animals effect domestic
animals who in turn pass the
disease on to farm families.
Philip Johnson of Garret knows
first hand about rabies. Johnson is
quoted in the Adams Electric
edition of Penn Lines as follows.
“It sounds fairly simple until it
happens to you.” After the family
dog killed a rabid raccoon last
October, four Johnson family
members had to undergo treat
ment, a series of five shots at a
total cost of over $l,OOO.
“If I had happened to think, I
would have realized right away
that something was wrong,”
Johnson now says of the incident
that Friday evening. “We knew the
dog had probably licked all of us
after he killed the coon. We also
knew we all had scratches on our
hands, because we’d been cutting
firewood and doing farm chores
that day.”
“By the time we knew the coon
was rabid and had all the in
formation, almost 10 days had
passed—the limit they said we
could wait before treatment.”
Johnson says. “We decided, ‘Let’s
get the shots started.’ You can’t
take a chance like that with the
whole family.”
The Johnson family learned that
everyone—including health-care
professionals—should know that:
One, rabies can be contracted
from contact with the saliva of a
rabid animal for up to two hours
after it is dead. The virus can enter
either through bites, cuts or
scratches on the hands or other
parts of the body.
Two, you have from seven to 10
days after exposure to rabies virus
to begin treatment. There is no
blood test to detect exposure, and
treatment must begin before
symptoms are noticed. Symptoms
may appear from 12 days to one
year after exposure, and vary
from depression to erratic
behavior, from a dry mouth to
foaming. It is most often fatal.
What precautions can people
take? Health officials say:
FARM FORUM
lUR READERS WRITE
Dear Sirs
In looking over the list of Cen
tury Farms in Pennsylvania I was
disappointed not to see any listed
in Bucks County.
My wife and I have a plaque
from the government. Our farm is
known as the Moyer Homestead
Farm. It is listed.
My grandfather purchased this
farm 1870. Four generations have
lived and farmed that farm. I am
Qd&ti&l
Goßßtef
• Be extremely cautious around
animals acting in a suspicious
manner; normally shy animals
can lunge and bite even when
apparently paralyzed. Never
approach a wild animal, especially
if it appears to be acting “frien
dly” or dazed.
• Suspected rabid wildlife should
be killed and buried. Wear gloves
when touching the carcass to avoid
contact between the animal and
your skin, eyes, nose or mouth.
• If anyone has been exposed to the
suspected rabid animal, submit
the carcass as soon as possible to
the nearest health department.
Place the carcass, with head in
tact, in a heavy duty plastic bag
inside a metal container, and keep
the specimen cool and away from
children and pets until it reaches
the nearest health department.
According to Dr. Ernest Witte,
director of the Division of Acute
Infectious Epidemiology of the Pa.
Department of Health, this wave of
rabies, which started in Florida in
the 1970 s and moved north, is
expected to continue to the north
and east across Pennsylvania.
“It won’t taper off in the winter
months, though fewer incidents
may be reported. In fact, it may
run for several more years,” Dr.
Witte says. The last rabies
epidemic to hit Pennsylvania
wildlife, in the 19505, affected
mostly foxes. The current, greater
epidemic affecting Pennsylvania’s
large raccoon population is
alarming because raccoons by
nature are more likely to wander
into populated areas and come in
contact with people and pets.
Only one death from rabies, that
of a young boy last year, has been
reported in the state since 1952.
Dr. John Cable, a veterinarian
with the state Department of
Agriculture, emphasizes that
vaccination for pets is a valuable
barrier between people and rabid
wildlife. Even though the vaccine
is not 100-percent effective in
preventing rabies in an individual
animal, it has been extremely
important in control of the disease.
So if you suspect that you, any
member of your family or any of
your livestock or family pets have
been exposed to rabies, act im
mediately. Don’t take any chan
ces. It can happen to you. So
beware of rabies.
86 years old, bom and lived here all
my life.
There are a few other farms in
the county.
The Hunsberger Farm in
Plumstead Township, owned by
George Hunsberger and his wife, is
also a Century Farm.
Mr. Moyer:
The list of Century Farms in last
week’s issue was not meant to be a
comprehensive list of all Century
Farms in the state. It listed only
farms added to the list during 1986.
Editor.
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7K
TRANSLATOR
TAIKT&RKEy^
Yours Sincerely
Alvin F. Moyer
?
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Be Careful
Around Flowing Grain
A major hazard of stored grain is
to become covered up and
smothered by it. It is very
dangerous to be standing in a grain
bin when it begins to flow. It takes
only a few seconds for an
unloading auger to remove enough
grain for a person to start sinking
into the grain.
Never enter a grain bin without
first “locking out” all the power
source; also, never enter the bin
without another person present.
Children should be warned about
entering grain bins because of the
danger of “bridging” of the grain
or die shifting of large areas. All
employees should be alerted to the
I -
Farm Calendar
Saturday, November 22
Huntingdon County DHIA Annual
Banquet, Ladies Auxiliary
Building, Shade Gap, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, November 24
Tax Reform Meeting, Lancaster
Farm and Home Center, 7:30
p.m., and York County 4-H
Center, Bair, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, November 25
Pa. Grassland Council Annual
Forage Conference, Penn State.
Lebanon County DHIA Banquet,
Prescott Fire Hall.
Agriculture-Industry Banquet,
Four Seasons Restaurant,
Landisville, 7 p.m. Century
Farm Families will be
recognized.
Friday, November 28
Christmas ’B6 Arts and Crafts
Spectacular, Farm Show
Complex, Harrisburg; con
tinues through Nov. 30.
Saturday, November 29
Mercer County Holstein Banquet,
Steese’s Restaurant, 8 p.m.
Contact the Extension office.
Monday, December 1
Superior Calf Sale, Harrisonburg,
Va.
National Agricultural Aviation
Association annual con
vention/expo, Acapulco,
Mexico; continues through Dec.
4.
Tueiday, December 2
Delaware State Grange Con
vention, Capital Grange Hall;
continues tomorrow.
ALL OF THE FOLKS AT 'UINCASTERFffrm/NG' )
WOULD LIKE TO WISH VQ V A HAPPY, ANOj 1
HEALTHY THAN^S6mN&^_
mL' INI) 11 _
-rjf TALK TuRKtY^
hazards of flowing grain.
To Consider Attending
No-Till Conference
“No-Tillage: The Key To
Profitable Fanning,” is the theme
of our 1986 Mid-Atlantic No-Till
Conference scheduled for Wed
nesday, Dec. 17 at the York
Fairgrounds.
The program committee has
arranged for prominent speakers
to cover such timely topics as:
New Sprayer Technology; Take
Home Weed Control Programs;
Economics of No-Till; Diseases of
Corn; Creating the Environment
For Successful No-Till Forage
Establishment. The keynote
speaker, Dr. Earl Butz, will speak
on, “There Is Still A Rainbow In
Agriculture.”
There are a great many com
mercial exhibitors with
representatives eager to greet and
help you. The program starts at 9
a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
Tickets and program details are
now available from County Ex
tension offices.
To Be Careful When
Cleaning Manure Pits
Many manure pits will be emp
tied at this time of year; it’s an
opportunity to clean out the pit
before cold weather arrives. When
this volume of manure is agitated
there is greater danger of toxic and
explosive gases being released.
Every precaution should be taken.
If animals are housed above the
pits, maximum ventilation should
USDA “Outlook ’B7” conference,
Washington, D.C.; continues
through Dec. 4. Contact Diane
Decker, 202-786-1494.
Southern Maryland Crops Con
ference, MechanicsviUe Fire
Hall, MechanicsviUe, Md.
CHARGED
TO BUILD
November 23,1986
Background Scripture: Ezra 1:1-
14; 6:14-16; Nehemiah 4 through 6.
Devotional Reading: Nehemiah
2:17-20.
As a pastoral counselor, I have
often- noted that many people
suffer from a deep sense of
unaccomplishment. They have
never really failed in much, but
neither have they attempted much
either. It is as if by failing to at
tempt anything, they have
guaranteed themselves an absence
of failure in their lives. Often,
however, they are nevertheless
beset by feelings of failure because
they have not accomplished
anything.
FEAR OF FAILURE
As this is true in general, it is
true spiritually. Many people have
little sense of spiritual ac
complishment because they have
seldom, if ever, ventured
be provided.
When the pit is empty or par
tially empty, no one should enter it
without a respirator or gas mask.
Dangerous gases may be present
Also, no smoking or open flames
should be nearby. These pits art
the modem way to store manure,
but they do present a hazard to
both man and animal.
To Appreciate
Harvest Completion
Once again we have come to the
end of another growing season and
the end of the harvest.
The 1986 year was in general
favorable in most areas for field,
orchard and garden crops and this
has meant good production of food
and feed. Some neighboring
counties cannot say the same.
The harvest is now 95 percent
plus complete. There now comes a
good feeling of satisfaction when
all is safely gathered in. And it all
brings rewards of a feeling that
you’ve done your best.
Rewards from crop production
come as a result of a choice
selection of seeds and plants; of
careful preparation of the seed
bed; of applying soil nutrients,
tilling soil and weeding; of
cooperation from weather’s rain or
sunshine and of owner or manager
inputs. Harvest time follows. A
time of joy and thanksgiving
should now prevail.
The Cooperative Extension Service is an af
firmative action, equal opportunity educational
institution
Contact H. Travis McPherson,
301-645-3903.
Wednesday, December 3
Lancaster Conservation District
Board Meeting.
Chester County Fall Homemaker’]
Day, Dilworthtown
Presbyterian Church, 1331
Birmingham Road, West
Cheater, 9:30 a.m.
Insurance Coverage for Farm
Families, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.,
York County Extension office,
Pie aunt Acres Road, York.
(Turn to Page A2S)
spiritually. There has been little
from those early years when the?
made their basic Christian coin
mitment. And so they come to fed
spiritually stagnant and un
fulfilled.
So, in every department of our
lives God charges us to build
something. It may be a local
church or a project in outreach. It
may be a vocation through which
you can minister or it may be an
avocation which permits you to
witness. But, regardless of what
the project may be, God wants you
to build something.
There were, of course, practical
reasons for the returned exiles to
Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls
and the temple. The city could not
be secure so long as the walls lay in
ruins and the temple needed to be
re-established as the center of
Jewish worship. But even apart
from these practical reasons, the
returned exiles needed to build
something. They needed the
challenge and the experience of
accomplishment.
OBSTACLES!
OBSTACLES!
The obstacles to their success
were great. The walls were in
ruins. The workforce was
relatively small. Their enemies did
all they could to discourage and
hinder them. Everything, or
almost everything, seemed against
them. Except that Cyrus, the
Persian king, himself believed that
the Lord “charged me to build hun
a house at Jerusalem ...” (Ezra
1:2). Furthermore, there was
inspiring leadership in both Ezra
and Nehemiah.
But, most of all, it was God
himself who charged them to build
the walls and the temple. Although
their enemies tried to thwart them.
“When our enemies heard that ■ ■ ■
God had frustrated their plan, w*
all returned to the wall, each to his
own work” (Nehemiah4:ls).
With God, as in all things:
nothing ventured, nothing gained.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by W
Committee on the Uniform Series and used W
permission Released by Community l> Suburb* 11
Press)