Ida’s Notebook Ida Risser It is wonderful to be able to keep busy doing things that you enjoy. 1 think that is why some people farm. Most of them certainly don’t do it to get rich. But if you like being your own boss, to a certain degree, and love the outdoors, it can be a good life. Now that our children have all left home, I certainly do not have the load of household chores that I had ten or twenty years ago. And, so I look for new challenges. Each winter I take advantage of various THEY W MORE! ONE JO Kubota’s mid- sized tractors are very versatile. You’ll find them at work on farms, in parks, nurseries, estate homes and even on construction sites. The reason is simple. Our L-Series tractors come with features you’d expect to find only on bigger, heavier machines. For example, 3-, 4-, or 5-cylinder diesel engines with PTO horsepower from 21 to 40. Other features you can select include Bx 7 or BxB mechanical or hydraulic shuttle-shift. A choice of 2- or 4-wheel drive on most models. icfty 3-point hitch. \d more. So if you’re ig for a tractor iat can get the job done, whatever it is, you’ve found it. The Yl k Kubota L-Series. Your Kubota Dealer Invites You To Come In And See The Full Line Of Kubota Tractors & Implements classes that our township offers, The Parks and Recreation Department in my area offers many different courses. They range from swimming and gym nastics for toddlers to crocheting and scuba diving for adults. The variety of classes always amazes me. Over the years, I’ve taken “Furniture Refinishing,” Psychology of Life,” “Stocks and Bonds,” and “Seasonal Color Analysis.” There are many others available such as computer train- UKUBOTH Nothing like it on earth? How Safe Are Waxes On Fruits And Vegetables? More than 20 kinds of fruits and vegetables, including cantaloupes, eggplants, oranges, peaches, per simmons, squash, sweet potatoes. ing, interim- design, watercolor, aerobic dance and racquetball. I’ve also taken sewing machine quilting at the Extension office and a class on rug braiding at a local museum. It gives me a good feel ing to be able to re-finish a chair or bureau and also to know how to braid a beautiful ring. Keeping a house and a garden is enjoyable but since we have no near neighbors, it is refreshing to be able to get out of the house in the evening and meet other resi dents of our township. There are lots of opportunities to team new things and keep busy if we only avail ourselves of them. Somehow we become “senior citi zens” before we are ready to assume the designation. sweet peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes, are often waxed before they reach supermarket shelves. This is done to reduce moisture loss and prevent premature shriveling. The waxes replace natural wax lost when the produce is washed. Waxing also improves consumer acceptance. Oranges, for example, have a natural dull matte finish, but shoppers tend to choose those that are shiny. Some consumers are concerned about the safety of eating waxed fruit. “All waxes used on foods have been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” says University of Delaware inter im Extension home economist Bea Phillips. According to Phillips, these waxes are derived from either veg- elable, petroleum or insect sour ces. For example, camauba, a common vegetable-based wax, is made from a type of palm leaf. Petroleum-based waxes contain the same ingredients as chewing gum bases. And the “shellac” used on some items is derived from the secretions of the lac bug. The FDA requires that all waxed produce at the supermarket be accompanied with a card above the bin or with a label on the bin or container itself listing the specific ingredients in the wax used on that particular commodity. Even so, one rarely sees such information displayed. One reason for this lack of labeling, Phillips says, is diffi culty in enforcement. Also packers often change the type of wax used due to changes in a variety of con ditions such as temperature and humidity. CALL YOUR LOCAL KUBOTA DEALER PENNSYLVANIA Reading NICARRY - Al —- _ EQUIPMENT CO. CANNS-BILCO 215-926-2441 215-966-3733 Revnoldsvilla smss McGARVEY THOM e“u” WER 215-268-2181 Slate College-Duß Bloomsburo KISSELL TRACTOR EQUIPMENT PARTS CO. 717-784-0250 814 ’«21’52! 371-0854 Carlisle dctcduam Wellsboro BENEDICTS FORD FA ™.«S NC ' ™"-™ 717-724-2839 Chjwibercbura Wet , SSTSL m v^ lev 717-263-8424 „ * 215-696-2990 Dover STRALEY FARM SUPPLY, INC. 717-292-2631 -4443 Honeedele MARSHALL MACHINERY, INC. 717-729-7117 Irwin LASPINA EQUIPMENT 412-864-5147 Jersey Shore THOMAS L. DUNLAP 717-398-1391 Lebanon KELLER BROS. TRACTOR CO. 717-949-6501 Utitz KELLER BROS. TRACTOR CO. 717-626-2121 Limenck THE HAY PRESS 215-489-0611 McAlislerville INCH EQUIPMENT CO. 717-463-2191 Milllinbum Hammonlon MIFFLINBURG RODIO TRACTOR FARM SUPPLY INC. SALES, INC. 717-966-3114 609-561-0141 MARYLAND Hagerstown ARNETT'S GARAGE 301-733-0515 Rwno Sun AG IND. EQUIP. CO. INC. 301-658-5568 NEW JERSEY Andover ANDOVER TRACTOR & EQUIP. INC. 201-786-5525 Fairfield CALDWELL TRACTOR & EQUIP. INC. 201-227-6772 Fleming ton PONIATOWSKI BROS. EQUIP. CO. 201-782-3514 Haines port MATERIAL HANDUNG SYSTEMS 609-267-6100