AIQ-UncMtw Fanning, Saturday, March 12, 1988 OPINION Hog Producer’s Farm Management Problem The National Fanners Organi zation is asking all livestock pro ducers in conjunction with the National Pork Producers Council to suspend the use of sulfametha zine products as a measure to pro tect die integrity of US pork pro ducts. Japan says that traces of the chemical were found in shipments they imported and the USDA inspectors are on their way to con firm the report. So far no one is quite sure if this alleged sulfur contamination is merely speculation related to the beef and citrus quotas currently being debated between the US and Japan, but it has affected the pork and cattle markets. Whatever the outcome of this “scare,” there are two things to be considered from the event. First, sulfur residue is a producer man- Farm Calendar Saturday, March 12 Md. Eastern Shore Calf sale. Hun ters Sale Bam, 11:00 a.m. N.E. Region Christinas Growers meeting, Split Rock Lodge, Poconos, Lake Harmony. Monday, March 14 Ag Energy Conference, Farm & Home Center, Lancaster, 10:00 a.m. Atlantic Dairy Cooperative Dis trict 5 annual dinner meeting, Lampeter Fire Hall, noon. Sulbra Crop Management Direc tors Meeting, Bradford Exten sion office, 8:00 p.m. National DHIA Convention, Indianapolis, IN; runs through March 17. Holstein Winter Forum for associ ation members, Sheraton Inn, Penn State; runs through March 15. Poultry meeting, Holiday Inn, North Lancaster. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 State Board of Ag. Open Meeting, Extension Center, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Lancaster County Adult Farmer Vegetable Growers meeting, Summikt Valley Elementary School, New Hol- land, 9:15 a.m. Pesticide Update Training, Exten sion Meeting Room, Pleasant Acres, 7:30 p.m. Call John Rowehl, 757-9657, for information. PA Organic Crop Improvement Association meets at Farm Show Complex, 7 p.m. Speak- Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday At Record-Express Office Building 22 E Main Street Lititz, PA 17543 by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A SMnimn Enmprkt Robert Q Campbell General Manager Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor Cipylf** IMi by Line—Hr Farming agement problem, and labels on feed additives should be read and followed explicitly. Whenever the additive is not needed, it should not be used. Secondly, markets, especially the commodities market, have a way of jerking around these kinds of circumstances more than the event really justifies. The amount of pork exported to Japan is rela tively small. But the downward pressure on hog prices in the past 60 days along with the increasing hog weights may present produc ers with a more realistic long-term problem than the “Japan scare.” As NFO President, DeVon Wood land, says, “Producers must mark et their hogs at lighter weights and utilize good farm management techniques if we are to see this hog market rise.” •^Vi. w. er, John Clough, Int’l and state president. Call 717 354-4936. Wednesday, March 16 Tri-County Soybean Meeting, Memorial Lutheran Church, Shippensburg, 9:30 a.m. to noon. CPR Recertification, Glenda Mill er, YF-Kennard-Dale High School, 7:00 p.m. Call Ralph Travis, 717/382-4871, for information. Swine Management School, North Carroll High School, Hamps tead, MD, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. County Agricultural Development Board Meeting, Extension Cen ter, Flemington, 8:00 p.m. PSU Turkey Conference, Sheraton Inn, Rt. 15, Gettysburg. Carroll County Calf Sale, Ag Cen- ter, Westminister. Eastern Lane. Co. Adult Farmer Cattle feeding meeting, Bethany E.C. Church, Martin dale. 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17 Atlantic Dairy Cooperative Dis trict 1 annual dinner meeting, Moorhead’s Catering Service Banquet Hall, Trappe, noon. Conservation District Banquet, York Springs Fire Hall, 6:30 p.m. Bradford County 4-H Leaders Banquet, Elk’s Club, Towanda, 7:45 p.m. Lancaster Conservation District Banquet, Yoders Restaurant, New Holland. PA Egg Marketing Meeting. Olde Hickory Inn, Lancaster. 6 p.m. NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent To Practice Safety Around Liquid Manure Pits Many manure pits will be cleaned out at this time of year for field application. This by-product of the livestock and dairy business is very useful as fertilizer. Howev er, the pit can be a safety hazard because of poisonous and explo sive gases. When the mixture is agitated in order to be removed, these gases are more plentiful and much more dangerous. Good ven tilation above the pit is very impor tant. Also, anyone who goes down in the empty pit should be wearing a gas mask. These gases are dangerous and can be fatal to both humans and animals. We urge all farmers to caution their employees of this potential danger. To Control Wild Garlic Wc may like onions on our ham burgers and in other foods, but very few of us like onion-flavored milk. This can easily happen on dairy farms where wild garlic plants are allowed to grow. Many pastures are infested with wild garlic. One of the best times to start control measures on this weed is early in the spring when the young plants are 4 to 8 inches high. An application of 2,4-D will knock them down. Follow the label for directions. When this is applied around the middle to latter part of March, little damage is done to any legume in the area. If garlic plants are allowed to mature each year, the pasture area will become so contaminated that dairy cows can not utilize the grass. To Check Ventilation Systems Wc arc into the season of the Twin Valley Ag Day Breakfast, 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call for reservations. Friday, March 18 Mercer County Risk Management Seminar, County Extension Center, 9:15 a.m. York County 4-H Auction, 4-H Center, 6:00 p.m. Call Roxanne Price, 757-9657, for information. Soil Conservation District Annual Dinner, Quakertown Firehouse. Tioga County Holstein Annual Meeting, Mansfield. Somerset County Annual Meeting, Berlin. Saturday, March 19 1988 Eastern Shore Showcase Sale, Hunter Sale Bam, Rt. 276, west of Rising Sun, 11:00 a.m. (Turn to Pag* A 27) year that ventilation is very impor tant. The fans in our poultry houses and dairy bams have been working hard through the winter months. They have accumulated dust on the louvers and screens and developed loose belts, so they are less effi cient —in other words they are not moving as much air as they are rated. This is a good time to go through your buildings and clean the fan blades, the louvers and screens. Tighten the fan blets, and be sure to check the inlet screens. Many times, in our poultry houses in par ticular, we’re nor getting air circu lation because the air can not get into the building. Clean these inlet screens so they are not restricting air. Also, be sure to check the ther mostats to make certain they are working properly. THE GREAT BETRAYAL March 13,1988 Background Scripture: Matthew 26:1-35. Devotional Reading: John 6:48-58. Judas’ betrayal of Jesus on Maundy Thursday is sometimes referred to as “The Great Betray al.” It is an apt description of what Judas did and even today after all these centuries we find it difficult to understand why Judas would have done what he did. We can perhaps understand, if not approve, that in some sitations one might betray a friend, a colleague, maybe even a member of our family—but to betray Jesus, the Son of God, is beyond comprehension. “Beyond comprehension,” per haps, but not beyond commission. We will never know why Judas betrayed the Master —greed, jea lousy, lust for power, disappoint ment, a bid to force Jesus’ hand— but something led this man whom Jesus had trusted and loved as his own brother to betray him in cruel and final manner. Maybe it was none of the above. Perhaps it was something more subtle and complex like the motives with which we must con tend today. Might it have been that Judas simply wanted to be on the “right side” for a change? The “right side” of course, was the side of the great majority. It was the “respectable” side where all the “right” people were. Walking side by side with this dymanic prophet might have been exciting for a while, but maybe Judas decided that being in the minority wasn’t to his taste in the long run. SAFE & EASY “That’s no reason!” you may protest But think a minute before you jump to cone lusions. You and Poor ventilation can cause health problems in poultry houses and “off” flavored milk in dairy bams. This is a good time to take care of some of these inside jobs. To Control Mice in Orchards Now that the winter weather is almost gone, our fruit growers should take a look at the newly exposed grass sod in their orchards. If there are runways at the surface of the grass, it is a good sign that there are plenty of mice in the orchard, even though a mouse baiting program may have been followed last fall. The mice have used up their stockpiles of stored food and are now looking for a fresh supply. At this time of the year they will move quickly onto bark and roots of fruit trees. Fruit growers should rebait their orchards as soon as possible if there are fresh mouse signs. I find it relatively easy and safe to identify ourselves as Christians today. No one wants to lock us up or run us out of town because of it, do they? No one is keeping us from getting ahead in our place of employment or profession because of it? Being identified with Christ doesn’t mean more taxes, social rejection, persecution, or risk of life and limb. So, not denying our Lord hardly costs us anything. Let’s assume, however, that tomorrow all that would change. Starting tomorrow, because of your identification as a “Christ ian,” you will be demoted at your place of employment, your child ren will be taunted and abused in school and in the neighborhood, and you’ll be shunned in your neighborhood, and members of your own family will feel embarrassed because of your insis tance of trotting off to church every Sunday. Wouldn’t it be a lot better if you denied being a Christ ian and managed to practice it in private where no one could possib ly know? Who could ask for any thing more? SECRET DISCIPLESHIP? As a matter of fact, Jesus could and does! “Secret discipleship” is a contradiction in terms. Actual ly, many of us don’t really keep it a secret, but neither do we go out of our way to let it be known, either. We don’t mind people knowing that we attend this church or that, but we often demonstrat with what we do and say that we don’t lake our religion all that seriously. We try to demonstrate that which doesn’t keep us from being part of the mainstream. So, our betrayal of Christ may be more subtle and hid den, but is it any less real than that of Judas? When the disciples began to ask, “Is it I, Lord?”, they raised a ques tion that each of us must ask ourselves every day of our lives. The “Great Betrayal,” as far as we are concerned, is not that of Judas, but of all of us who one way or another deny him in what we say and do. (Based on copyrighted outlines pro duced by the Committee on the Uni form Series and used by permission. Released by Community and Subur ban Press.) r N£VER