AlO-Lancaster Finning, Saturday, August 22, 1987
OPINION
Important Person
So there you have it Ag Prog
ress Days. A chance for us to see
the agricultural scientists at work.
And a chance for the scientists to
showcase what goes on at Rock
Springs when the thousands of
people who jam-packed Main
Street of Ag Progress City are back
home on the farm.
You might have been an exhibi
tor and contacted good prospects
for future sale. One said that the
crowd was smaller (not by much)
on opening day. But more serious
buyers were present
We know a lot of children had a
good time eating ice cream and
hamburgers and carrying around a
free balloon. Advertisers were giv
ing away more things this year, at
least that’s what we heard.
Of course, you could meet peo
ple. Governor Casey was there.
And so was Dr. Bryce Gordan,
president of Penn State University.
But more importantly, your next
door neighbor from across Pen
nsylvania was there.
When all of the dairy farm fami-
Farm Calendar ,
Saturday, August 22
Norlheast PA Championship
Holstein Show, Whitneyville
9:30 a.m.
Huntingdon Co. Fair, through
August 23, Huntingdon.
McKean Co. Fair, through August
23, Smethport.
Central PA Championship Hols
tein Show, Huntingdon, 6 p.m.
Cattlemen’s Field Day, Greystone
Manor Farms, 9 a.m.,
Lancaster.
Warren County Holstein Sale
Sunday, August 23
Crawford County Fair, Meadville,
August 23-29.
Somerset County Fair, Meyers
dale, August 23-29.
Westmoreland County Fair,
greensburg,August 23-29.
Monday, August 24
Crawford County Fair, through
August 29, Meadville.
Somerset County Fair, through
August 29, Meyersdale.
Westmoreland County Fair,
through August 29,
Greensburg.
Tuesday, August 25
South Central District Dairy
Show, 9 a.m., farm Show Com
plex, Harrisburg. Fulton County
Fair, through August 29,
McConnelsburg.
Non-Point Source Pollution Sym
posium, Annapolis, MD, Holi
day Inn
WWA
YOO
Dor
lies that won the Dairy of Distinc
tion award got together for a group
photograph on Thursday, you had
a cross section of friendly Pennsyl
vania dairy farmers all together in
a special way, because it happened
at Ag Progress.
Oh yes, we had a complaint.
Two ladies, sisters in fact stopped
this editor and said they wanted it
reported that there weren’t as
many activities of interest for
ladies this year. We asked them if
they had seen the chef demonstrate
how to prepare pork, lamb and
veal. Yes, they had seen that. But
they still wanted more. So, here
you have it sisters. Your com
plaints have been reported.
But mostly there were no com
plaints. Just a good three days of
summer ag festivities in the num
ber one agricultural state at the
number one agricultural college
research farm attended by the
number one very important
person—you! And we suppose
plans are already underway for
next year’s event.
Western Pennsylvania Potatoe
Growers’ Meeting, Francis Gri
fin Farm, Prospect, Butler Co.,
6:30 p.m.
Nutrient Management Workshop,
Lancaster Farm & Home Cen
ter, 9 a.m.
Wednesday, August 26
Northwest PA Holstein Show,
Meadville, 9 a.m.
Schuylkill Co. Grain Marketing
Meeting, Penn State Campus,
Schuylkill Haven, 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 27
Berks Co. Holstein Sale, Reading.
Wye Field Day, Queenstown, MD.
Dauphin County No-til Soybean
Tour, meet at Sweigard
Brothers Equipment, Halifax,
6:30 p.m. Teters Farm Supply,
East of Millersburg, 8 p.m.
Friday, August 28
Lebanon County Holstein Club
Sale, Lebanon Fairgrounds.
PA State Plowing Contest, Blaine
Rentzel Farm, 1 mile north of
Manchester.
Centre County Grange Fair,
Centre Hall, through Septem
ber 3.
Saturday, August 29
PA State Shorthorn Show, Hook
stown Fairgrounds.
Maryland State Fair, through Sept
7.
Monday, August 31
Nitrogen Management Field Day,
Francis Mains Farm, 9:30 a.m.
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Prepare For
Local Fairs
We are rapidly approaching the
time for local Fairs. These times
should be happy events - but once
in a while they are not because
planning was not done ahead of
time. This is the time to take neces
sary precautions to help prevent
the possibility of your taking dis
ease to the Fair with your animals
or bringing infection home to your
farm.
Many Fairs require health charts
and specific tests or vaccination
for animals and poultry. Be sure to
read the health requirements care
fully. And, it doesn’t hurt to be
more strict than what the regula
tions may require.
Animals or poultry with any
form of ailment should be left at
home.
When animals or poultry leave
the Fair and go home, it’s impor-
LOVE & ORDER
August 23,1987
Background Scripture:
Romans 13.
Devotional Reading:
Titus 3:1-8.
If your morning paper were to
announce—on good authority!
that the world would come to an
end in one week’s time, you can be
sure that one of the immediate
results would be looting and other
forms of public lawlessness.
Whenever a community is faced
with some kind of disaster
flood, earthquake, tornado, riot,
war order breaks down quickly
and people are tempted to take
what they can take and do what
they can do regardless of what
either the law or conscience may
dictate. Disorder seems to be one
Tuesday, September 1
Centre County Holstein Show,
Centre Hall, 9:30 a.m.
Maryland State Fair, through Sept
7.
Wednesday, September 2
Lancaster Co. Conservation Day
Mtg., Farm & Home Center,
7:30 p.m.
tant to have a place where you can
isolate them and observe them
closely for a period of time before
returning them to their herdmates.
If in doubt, consult your veterina
rian for advice.
To Be Alert
For Silo Gas
We are fast approaching silo
filling time; in fact many farmers
are servicing their equipment now.
This is one of the best methods of
harvesting the com crop to obtain
maximum feed nutrients. With the
dry conditions in some areas, we
need to be aware of the increased
danger of poisonous gases, known
to farmers as “silo gas”. We urge
our farmers to discuss this hazard
with their employees and all fami
ly members. These gases can deve
lop from one day to 14 days after
the silo is filled. Most of the gases
have a chlorine-laundry bleach
odor and irritate the eyes and
respiratory system. Some are yel
low and some are colorless. Don’t
take any chances - warn all your
people of this danger.
Never enter a partly filled silo
without running the blower for at
least 15 minutes, and never work
alone. These gases are heavier than
air and will come down the chute
and into the bam. Be careful
around recently filled silos.
To Determine
Fertilizer Needs
The early fall months are good
times to do soil testing and team
what plant nutrients will be needed
for the 1988 cropping season.
When the plant nutrient needs are
known for this fall, some of them
can be applied to the soil, and
of the everpresent potentials that
lurks just beneath the surface of
every civilization.
Sometimes it is assumed that
freedom by itself is an ultimate
condition for human existence.
The extreme form of this aspira
tion is called “anarchy.” Although
few people today would opt for
anarchy, there are many who
would like to see society move in
that direction. Others grudgingly
admit the necessity of some kind of
order, but only as a barely neces
sary evil.
GOD’S ORDER
Christians have often found
themselves on differing ends of the
spectrum, some strict adherents of
an authoritarian order, others sus
picious and resentful of all but the
barest minimum of order. The for
mer cite passages in the New Tes
tament such as Romans 13: “Let
every person be subject to the gov
erning authorities. For there is no
authority except from God” (13:1).
Paul makes a very powerful case
for Christian civil obedience, even
going so far as to state that “author-
Garrett Co. MD Manure Mgt.
Workshops, Deer Park Fire'
Hall, 9 a.m.
PA Food & Dnq* Council meet.
Rural Elective Assn, confer
ence Room, Harrisburg, 10:30
a.m.
(Turn to Pag* A3l)
others can be ordered. Be sure to
include the nutrient value of man
ure when planning your fertilizer
needs. The appropriate nutritive
values of the different manures are
listed on page 22 of the 1987-88
Agronomy Guide.
With fall application, the plants
will have time to absorb some of
the plant nutrients and strengthen it
for the winter. This is especially
true with alfalfa and some of the
perennial grass crops. When soil
tests are made in the fall, the land
owner has more time to locate and
deal for his lime and fertilizer
needs.
To Keep Stand-By
Generators In Order
The value of stand-by genera
tors was very evident this summer
with the many power failures from
lightning and high winds. The
important thing is to have a genera
tor that is in good working condi
tion. We never know when we
have storms (rain, snow, ice or
wind) that will take away our regu
lar power source.
Highly mechanized farmers are
urged to test their generators and
be sure they are in top condition. If
the generator is old, or not in good
condition, it might be wise to
invest in another one. Some losses
have been very high due to the lack
of electricity for a short period of
time. Planning for emergency
action when electric power is off is
very good management
The Cooperative Extension Ser
vice is an affirmative action, equal
opportunity educational
institution.
ides are ministers of G0d...”
(13:6). What Paul is saying, there
fore, is that order is of God. God
ordains systems of order in the
world so that there can be peace
and stability in daily life. Chaos
and anarchy are evils which are to
be avoided at almost all costs.
I will not dispute Paul’s argu
ment. nor his conclusion: order is
essential if God’s purpose is to be
fulfilled. But what about evil
authorities? What about an unjust
• government? And what if the order
is in conflict with God’s will and
purpose? Shall Col. Khadafy be
supported by the people of Libya
because he is, as the duly consti
tuted ruling authority, “God’s
minister”? Shall we meekly obey
when it requires us to violate our
conscience?
ORDER & FREEDOM
Actually, the choice is not really
between freedom and order, but of
finding a happy medium between
the two. If order is of God, so is
freedom. If obedience to authority
is ordained by God, so is faithful
opposition. Jesus was basically a
law-abiding man, but when his call
from God conflicted with the polit
ical order, there was no doubt
about his highest loyalty.
The ideal is a combination not of
law and order, but of love and
order. For the motive behind order
is love. Laws and commandments
are intended to make love manif
est As Paul writes; “The com
mandments are summed up in this
sentence, “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” And Paul
concludes: “Love does no wrong
to a neighbor; therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law” (13:9,10).
Neither freedom nor order are
paramount, but love is:
NOTE: Rev. Althouse will lead
a 9-day Holy Land Pilgrimmage,
March 11-20, 1988, with an
optional one-week extension to
Greece. If interested, contact him
at: Ist United Methodist Church,
Ross & Harwood Sts., Dallas, TX
75201.
(Based on copynghted Outlines produced
by the Committee on the Uniform Senes and
used by permission Released by Community
& Suburban Press)