AtO-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, January 6,1990 OPINION Lottery At Farm Show Again To win the top prizes in state lotteries across America, you need to pick maybe six or seven correct numbers out of 36,44, 49 or even up to 54 or 80 numbers. The California lottery has recently jumped from 6 out of 49 to 6 out of 53. This makes the odds of winning go from 1 in 14 million to 1 in 23 million. That’s quite mind-boggling odds when you consider that your odds of having quadruplets are 663,470 to 1; of being hit by lighting, 606,944 to 1; of getting a royal flush in a five-card pok er game, 659,341-1. In fact, you have a better chance of flipping heads on a coin 24 times in a row: 16.7 million to 1. We know that in Pennsylvania the support for senior citizens’ programs (not to mention the lottery’s administrative and sales group) is quite extensive. And we do get a few warm fuzzy pic tures from the farm show out across Pennsylvania in prime evening viewing time. But it’s disappointing to know that the Pennsylvania State Lottery is again scheduled to bring their “show” into the State Farm Show arena next week to capitalize on the association with the wholesome reputation of Pennsylva nia’s farmers and agri-business community. Farmers believe you should obtain your profit the old fash ioned way, by earning it. And to trick millions of Pennsylvania citizens that they must “play to win” without openly publicizing the odds for that possibility just does not fit the deep-rooted work ethic in the Pennsylvania agricultural community as we know it. Farm Calendar Sunday, January 7 Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm Show Building, Harrisburg; runs through January 12. Times are 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sun day, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Monday, January 8 Mercer County dairy nutrition school, Mercer County Exten sion Center, Mercer, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; continues January 15 and 22. Northeast Winter Dairy Manage ment School, Ramada Inn, Watertown, N.Y.; through January 9. Tuesday, January 9 Penn State income tax meeting, Perkins Pancake House, War ren, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Horticultural business manage ment short course, Lancaster Farm & Home Center, Lancas ter, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Associ ation annual meeting and ban quet, Sheraton Harrisburg-East, Harrisburg, reception at 6:00 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 10 Penn State income tax meeting, Holiday Inn Edinboro, Edin boro, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pennsylvania Beeef Council meet ing, Harrisburg Marriott Inn, Harrisburg, 6:30 p.m. Vegetable management meeting, library, Sumit Valley Elemen tary School, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 by r Lancaster Farming, Inc. A SMnrmn Entt.prk» Robert G. Campbell General Manager Everett R. Newswanger Managing Editor e>pyri|M iaa by LaneMr Fvmlnf Lancaster County home horticul ture seminar on vegetable gar dening, Lancaster Farm & Home Center, Lancaster, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Dairy Feeding System Sympo sium, Penn Harris Inn & Con vention Center, Harrisburg; runs through January 12. Northeast Winter Dairy Manage ment School, Sheraton Inn, Canandaigua, N.Y.; through January 11. Eastern Pennsylvania Turf Confer ence and Trade Show, Valley Forge Convention Center, Val ley Forge; runs through January 12. Thursday, January 11 Penn State income tax meeting, Mercer County Extension cen ter, Mercer, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday, January 12 Penn State income tax meeting, Holiday Inn, Dubois, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PIC Swine Seminar, Leola Family Restaurant, Leola, 10:00a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Northeast Winter Dairy Manage ment School, Holiday Inn, Jamestown, N.Y.; through January 13. Saturday, January 13 Forage Conference, Caroline County 4-H Park, Williston, Md., 9:30 a.m. Franklin County Holstein Club annual meeting, Lemasters Community Center, Lemasters, 7:00 p.m. It V' NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent To Service Farm Machinery This is the time of the year to be preparing your farm equipment for spring work. In the first place, this machinery should not be out in the weather. I know that build ings are expensive to construct, so if you are out of building space, cover the equipment with a tarp; this will reduce weather damage. Preparing farm machinery for the coming spring and summer is necessary during this slower sea son. You can make use of the off season labor supplies. Machinery is a huge investment and should be kept in good condition at all times. We had a policy on my father’s farm to always give a good grease job to all equipment going into storage for the winter... this kept moisture out of the bearings. Rain and snow will soon develop rust on equipment; this will shorten the life span and is a primary cause of many unnecessary breakdowns. To Be Aware, of Pesticide Applicator License Requirements The Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act was amended in 1987 and brought about some important changes. Requirements for certifi cation and re-certification for pri vate applicators changed. To be Certified, the private applicator shall pass a written examination administered at our approved test site by the PDA secretary or his agent. For your convenience, exam sites have been established state wide. Contact your nearest Penna. Department of Agricultural Reg ional Office for details. In our area it is the Southeast-Central Penna. Office at Summerdale; the number is 717-787-3400. A private applicator shall be re certified as competent with respect to the use and handling of restricted use pesticides upon the successful completion of an update training program as deter mined by the PDA. The program shall include a review of certifica tion topics, but shall NOT include a written exam. All update training programs must be pre-approved- by the PDA with a meeting number assigned. Private applicators will need to acquire six Core and sue Category credits during the three years pre ceding the expiration date of their permit. A number of meetings this winter will be offering credits toward re-certification. To Separate Farm Show Animals The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a big event in our state next week. And, in spite of the winter month, the show attracts a large number of animals. Show regula tions do a pretty good job of pro tecting these show animals and in building up resistance to a number of infections. However, the ani mals in the home bred or flock may not have had the same treat ment and resistance. Therefore, it is very important to keep these two groups of ani mals separate for at least 30 days after the show. Segregation and sanitation are still very important practices in the livestock world. We have known of Farm Show animals that were returned to the farm and remained in good health; howev er, the rest of the animals in the bam came down with shipping fever or some other infection. Don’t take chances by mixing the home animals with Farm Show animals, or with newly purchased animals. Give them a 30-day per iod without this dangerous ON MISSING THE POINT January?, 1990 Background Scripture: John 5:19-47. Devotional Reading: Luke 4:16-21. It is a dramatic confrontation. Jesus throws down the gauntlet to the Pharisees: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39,40). It is important to understand that this is not personal pique on the part of Jesus. One might easily get the impression that in this pas sage he is “pulling rank” on his listeners. But, in fact, he makes it very clear that his concern is not for himself, but for the Father “I can do nothing on my own author ity... I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me... If I bear witneess to myself, my testi mony is not (rue.” His mission, therefore, was to bear witness to the one who sent him. LEARNED, BUT BLIND How could it be that these men so learned in the scriptures could be so blind to the one of whom the scriptures bore testimony? Because they were learned in the scriptures, these should have been the very persons to recognize him, for what he was. In rejecting him, these learned biblical scholars were, in fact, rejecting God him self. Despite all their study. exposure. To Use Sawdust On Icy Walks Freezing rain, sleet and hard packed snow on walkways and driveways are quite slippery and dangerous. The next time you have this condition, try using coarse sawdust to reduce the hazard. Ammonium nitrate and other fertilizers have been used for melting ice and they may be effec tive, but the chemical reaction will ruin a concrete surface in just a year or two. Sand and grit from deteriorating concrete, when tracked into the house, is a nui sance to clean and it marks and scratches finished floors. Some commercial ice melting compounds containing ammo nium nitrate are just as bad as fer tilizers and die runoff from these melting chemicals may kill grass, trees and shrubs. Coarse sawdust spread on slip pery sidewalks provides a rela tively skid-free surface. It has no harmful effect on concrete or plant life. It is much easier to pick up with a vacuum cleaner if tracked into the house. despite all their scholarship, despite all their devotion to the scriptures -- they completely missed the point! The purpose of the scriptures is to reveal God, but they failed to recognize God’s revelation in Jesus. Actually, the Pharisees had three strikes against them. God did not limit his revelation to the scriptures. Jesus is careful to point out the threefold revelation of God. In addition to the scriptures, God witnessed to Jesus through the work of John the Baptist: “...there is another who bears wit ness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth” (5:32,33). STRIKE THREE And there is still a third witness: “But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which my Father has given me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me” (5:36). The “works” to which Jesus is referring here include his miracles and the basic forms of his ministry. Three strikes! The Phari sees missed the witness to Jesus through the scriptures, through John the Baptist, and through the mighty works of Jesus. Three strikes and they were out! But why had they struck out? The most compelling reason com es from Jesus’ own words: “But I know that you have not the love of God within you” (5:42). They studied the scriptures, but without love! They went through their reli gious rituals, but there was no love in it. They scrupulously obeyed the laws, but love was not the motive. The purpose of searching the scriptures is not so that we can become learned, but so that we can become loving. Without love, we’ve missed the whole point. (Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by the Committee on the Uniform Series and used by permission. Released by Community St Sub urban Press.)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers