AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 4,1989
OPINION
Do Likewise
The American Heritage Trust Act would establish a $25-$3O
billion tmst fund for acquisition of private lands by federal,
state and local government agencies. Within five years, $1 bil
lion per year in interest accruing from the fund would be spent
for land acquisition. Appropriation would be automatic, requir
ing no additional congressional action.
Jim Hess, Vice President of the Lancaster County Farmers’
Association thinks the following should be of concern to all
members. And we think it should be of concern to everyone in
the agricultural community.
The American Heritage Trust Act would create a huge, new,
off-budget spending program outside the regular appropria
tions process. Last year, the office of Management and Budget
estimated that this legislation would increase annual federal
outlays $1.2 billion by fiscal year 1990.
Large-scale land acquisitions resulting from this legislation
could impact local communities by transferring large amounts
of land from private to public ownership. Government land
acquisition on this large scale would also increase property tax
burdens on remaining landowners, especially in areas which
already have a high percentage of public lands.
Another concern is that there is no provision in the legisla
tion which requires that lands be purchased from willing sell
ers. For this reason, landowners fear that this legislation could
result in widespread taking of agricultural land by federal, state
and local government agencies.
Hess urges members of the Lancaster County Farmers’
Association to contact their Congressman as soon as possible
and express opposition to the American Heritage Trust Act and
ask that he not cosponsor the legislation. And we urge everyone
in the Ag Community to do likewise.
Farm Calendar /^/
Saturday, March 4
Dauphin County Conservation
District Nut Tree Grafting
Workship, Dauphin County
Agricultural and Natural
Resources Center, 9:30 to 11 ;30
a.m.
All Pennsylvania Sportsmen’s
Rally, Marianne Towers on Rt
66 and 322 between Clarion
and Shippensburg, 10:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m.
Gphrata Young Farmers annual
meeting, ML Airy Fire Hall,
6:45 p.m.
Sunday, March 5
Philadelphia Flower Show, Civic
Center, Philadelphia; runs
through March 12.
Monday, March 6
Pesticide exam, Lancaster Farm &
Home Center, 8:30 a.m.
Dairy Reproductive Management
Seminar, Days Inn Conference
Center, Allentown, 9:45 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.; for program details
and registration (Feb. 27)
215/588-3121.
Planning For the ’9os, Part 11, Penn
State Schuylkill campus, 12:30
p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
RCMA meeting, Region 14, Court
House, New Bloomfield, 1:00
p.m.
Octorara Young Farmers Associa
tion banquet, W. Fallowfield
School, 6:45 p.m.
'Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMnmtn EMWpnbe
Robert G. Campbell Central Manager
Everett R. Newtwanggr Managing Editor
C'erlfM Il£fcr Umm, rat*h«
Northwest Pennsylvania Cattle
men’s annual meeting, Mercer
Co. Extension office, 7:00 p.m.;
make reservations by Feb. 27 at
412/662-3141.
Fayette County Cattlemen’s Din
ner, Hoss’s, Belle Vemon, 7:00
p.m.
March 7
Dairy Days, Day 2, Lancaster
Farm & Home Center, 9:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m,
Multi-County Potato Meeting,
(Turn to Page A4l)
j* FARM FORUM our readers write J
Editor:
The recent article by Everett
Newswanger - Animal Rights
Vol. 34 No 14, Sat, Feb. 18 was
excellent and thoroughly reported.
It ended with a positive and work
together note.
I am a NJ. Mini-Horse Farm
owner with relatives in the dairy
business in Upstate N.Y. Fortu
nately my husband and I enjoy
reading about the farm industry in
LF. It helps us to appreciate all
farmers, their hard work vs. little
rate of return. Thank you for put
ting the food on our table.
The point I would like to make
f SAV RALPH,I DON'T
THINK THAT THE GAS> GAUGE
\ ON AAV OLD'PICKUP I6>
) WORKING, COULD )CO
TAKE A LOOK AT (Tf.
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay frwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Check Pastures
With March arriving and mod
erating temperature, our thoughts
quicken to early spring pastures.
We need to be concerned with
pastures and exercise lots along
rural roads for discarded junk.
Unfortunately, people still throw
bags of waste from their cars into
nearby fields. Some of the mater
ials may be poisonous to lives
tock. Every producer should
remove these materials before
starting to graze. Also, in hay field
the materials should be removed
before growth begins. Bottles and
tin cans will damage equipment
and be a threat to the livestock eat
ing the hay. Be sure your animals
are not poisoned through some
one’s carelessness.
To Be Aware Of
Safe Drinking Water
A private water supply is just
that -- private. The quality of your
water supply is the responsibility
of the homeowner or farmer,
according to Mitchell Woodward,
Nutrient Management Agent.
State laws do not require testing
and regulatory agencies do not
monitor the quality of private sup
plies. Therefore, the only way
you, as a water supply owner, can
be certain that the water is safe to
drink is to have die water tested
periodically.
♦WHAT SHOULD WATER
BE TESTED FOR?
A comprehensive water analys
is can be very costly. The follow
ing tests can determine the most
common water quality concerns.
BACTERIA: A test for total
coliform bacteria can determine
contamination from septic tanks
regarding this article is an objec
tive one from a non-farmer. The
issue is definitely animal welfare
and this should be kept clear to the
animal welfare activists out there.
As farmers you don’t have the
time to get involved with all these
seemingly petty issues. Who has
enough time in one day. So if you
don’t have time to beat them, join
them.
My advice is DON’T BE
NEGATIVE working with an atti
tude against the animal groups.
Okay, yes some are overly fanali-
(Turn to Page A 42)
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or manure.
NITRATES: Excessive levels
of nitrates' can be harmful to
human infants and some animals,
although the occurrence of this is
rare. A level of 10 ppm nitrate nit
rogen has been set for humans,.
100 ppm for livestock.
pH: Water with a pH less than
6.S of greater than 8.0 can cause
problems in plumbing. Corrosion
shortens the life of the pipe and
can introduce dissolved metals
into the water that can stain fix
tures and pose a poisonous health
hazard.
To assure that a well supply is
safe, it should be tested for bacter
ia and nitrate at least once a year,
preferably during wet spells. Only
after accurate testing can a deci
sion be made on treatment
equipment.
To Plan Location For
Tobacco Planting
We have been saying for years
that animal and poultry manure is
an excellent fertilizer. It still is...
but not for tobacco. Research
shows us that animal manure, par
ticularly dairy, increases the
chlorine content of the tobacco;
this chlorine content reduced the
“bum” quality of the tobacco, and
buyers frown on that.
Locate the area that you plan to
transplant your tobacco, and be
sure NOT to apply any manure to
THE REAL
PRISONER
March 5,1989
Background Scripture:
Philemon
Devotional Reading:
I Corinthians 13
“A weak letter” is the way in
which I have heard some people
describe Paul’s letter to Philemon.
“Weak,” because although, as he
says in this letter, he “could com
mand” Philemon to accept the
runaway slave, Onesimus, he
makes only an “appeal” to his
conscience.
At least one commentator has
speculated that it was Paul’s posi
tion as a prisoner when he wrote
this letter that weakened his re
solve to secure Onesimus’s free
dom. But, if you read this letter
carefully, I think you will find that
it is not “weak” at all. In fact, it is
a very powerful response to a very
sticky issue, but the power is more
spiritual rather than temporal.
FORMERLY “USELESS”
Just note all die ways in which
Paul uses this spiritual power. He
reminds Philemon what a fine
Christian he has 'been up until
now: “I thank my God...because I
hear of your love and of the faith
which you have toward the Lord
Jesus...” (Philemon 4,5). Next, he
appeals to Philemon “for love’s
ABOUT A QUARTER \ g^T 1
OF A MILE BACK 1
that area this year.
We suggest that a soil test be
taken as an indicator of your pre
sent nutrient level. Then apply fer
tilizer at the recommended rates.
The fertility program, recom
mended by Research Agronom
ists, for a 2,000-pound tobacco
crop, should consist of 80 pounds
of nitrogen, 35 pounds of pho
sphorus (P 205) and 165 pounds of
potash from either sulfate of pot
ash or potassium nitrate. This fer
tility program will increase quality
and reduce buyer resistance.
To Prune
Fruit Trees
Whether you have a few or sev
eral hundred fruit trees, orchard
pruning need not be delayed until
spring. It may be started in colder
weather. But it is a good practice
to work on the hardiest trees first.
Early pruning can involve some
problems from winter injury, but
in many cases an early start will be
necessary to complete pruning of
large orchards before spring. By
confining early work to the older,
hardier trees, fruit growers keep
injury to a minimum.
Apple and pear trees are the
hardiest of the fruits, with plums
and sour cherries next in order.
Because peach and sweet cherries
‘are most tender, delay their prun
ing, particularly the younger trees,
until late March.
sake,” although reminding him “I
am bold enough in Christ to com
mand you” (v. 8). Then, he tells
Philemon that his former runaway
slave has, under Paul’s spiritual
guidance, lived up to his name.
(Onesimus means “useful,” but
until Onesimus found Christ, he
had been “useless” to Philemon).
As he sends the slave back to
Philemon, he is sending “my very
heart” (v. 12). He points out that
he could very well have kept One
simus with him, but that his pur
pose was to pursuade Philemon to
do the right thing, not by “compul
sion, but of your own free will” (v.
14).
NO LONGER A SLAVE
Paul goes on to present the
runaway slave “as a beloved
brother” now that Onesimus has
become a Christian. Philemon is
reminded of his partnership with
Paul and he now asks him to
receive the runaway slave “as you
would receive me” (v. 17). The
Apostle also promises to make
good on anything Onesimus might
owe his master. Although he
reminds Philemon that actually he
owes something to Paul. Writing
in his own hand, Paul says: “Yes,
brother, I want some benefit from
you in the Lord. Refresh my heart
in Christ.” Confident that Phile
mon will do even more than he
asks, Paul closes by saying that he
will be visiting Philemon soon!
Paul may have written this from
behind bars, but his position was
not one of weakness. Paul, the
“prisoner for Christ,” writes to
free his friend Philemon from his
own spiritual imprisonment.
(Bated on copyrighted Ouilmet produced by
the Committee on the Uniform Senet and used
by permission. Released by Community & Sub
urban Press.)