AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 15,1990
OPINION
Ag Budget In Jeopardy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun
sending out letters to its employees notifying them of a reduc
tion of hours and others await word as Congress and the White
House attempt to solve the government’s budget crisis.
Under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law, the 1991 budget
deficit must be lowered to $64 billion by October 1, or severe,
automatic budget cuts of $6O to $l2O billion will take place.
More than $22 billion of USDA programs would be affected.
That’s about a 32 percent cut in farm programs.
Budget watchers say the Middle East crisis could cause a sus
pension of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law IF there is a for
mal declaration of war. The only other way the Gramm-
Rudman-Hollings law could be suspended is if there arc a set of
conditions which meet the statutory definition of recession, that
is: two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth.
The American Farm Bureau (AFBF), says the budget cuts
could affect agriculture in several ways. First, there would be
major staff reductions in state and county USDA offices. Many
offices would be closed at least two days a week and some
employees would go on a limited woric schedule.
In program areas, farm price support payments and deficien
cy payments would be severely reduced. Housing and operating
loans would also be curtailed, and the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) could be affected. The cuts would also affect
meat and poultry inspection, research and Extension.
Dairy farmers would be assessed approximately 8.7 cents per
CWT of milk marketed, severely reducing cash receipts of the
farm.
The Federal food stamp program, which is considered an enti
tlement program, would only lose about $6OO million out of its
$23 billion budget.
The Pennsylvania Farmer’s Association and the American
Farm Bureau is urging President Bush to immediately institute a
spending freeze and no new taxes. They believe that a spending
freeze, coupled with revenues from economic growth can pro
vide the deficit reduction necessary to meet the expected budget
summit requirements. Tax increases will harm an already falter
ing economy.
Farmers should ask their congressman why agriculture is
called upon to take more than its share of budget cuts.
Farm Calendar ;4S/
1
Fulton Co. Society of Farm
Women annual convention,
Needmore Fire Hall, 9:00
a.m.-l:00 p.m.
1990 Western Pork Field Day,
New Stanton, Pa., 9:00
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
1990 Southeast Regional Beef
Field Day, Pheasant Hill Farm,
Glenmoore.
York Inter-State Fair, York.
Green Township Fair,
Commodore.
Albian Area Fair.
Denver Community Fair.
Berlin Brothers Valley Communi
ty Fair, Berlin.
Williamsburg Community Farm
Show, thru Sept. 17.
Pride of York Co. All-Breed Sale,
Buy 4-H Pork and Lamb Show,
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E Mam St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright IMO by UneMtor Fvmlnf
Weikert’s Livestock Buying
Station, 2:00 p.m^
Beaver Community Fair, Beaver
Springs, thru Sept. 22.
Williamsburg Community Farm
Buy 4-H Pork and Lamb Sale,
Weikert’s Livestock Buying
Station, 6:30 p.m.
Beaver Community Fair, Beaver
Springs, thru Sept. 22.
Gratz Fair, thru Sept. 22.
Williamsburg Community Farm
Show.
Reading Fair, thru Sept. 23.
Westover Harmony Fair, Westov
er, thru Sept. 22.
Gratz Fair, thru Sept. 22.
Beaver Community Fair, Beaver
Springs, thru Sept. 22.
(Turn to Page A 27)
HARVEST SEASON IS FAST
approaching- , and as you ■
KNOW, IRE:/MAJORITY OF
FAR/W ACCIDENTS OCCUR
DURING THIS BUSY SEASON,
SO PLEEEAfiASE..,
1 .
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Control Weeds
In New Alfalfa
Recent growing conditions
have favored the growth of alfalfa
and weeds. In many cases the
broadleaf weeds will crowd out
the small alfalfa plants, if not con
trolled. Early seedings of alfalfa
without a nurse crop need some
weed protection.
One practice suggested in the
Agronomy Guide is to spray with
2,4-DB when the weeds are one
inch tall. This will knock out the
broadleaf weeds without harming
the alfalfa plants. Be sure to fol
low label directions.
If the weeds are permitted to
develop larger, they will be hard
to kill without hurting the alfalfa.
Alfalfa seeding is expensive; this
investment needs protection by
controlling the weeds. Many good
stands of alfalfa have been ruined
by excessive weed growth.
To Be Careful
During Silo Filling
Two real problems occur during
silo filling time. One is overload
ing wagons causing broken spin
dles, twisted frames and bent
axles. Com silage is heavy this
year and overloaded wagons
crossing ditches or ruts in fields
causes excessive strain on equip
ment If your wagon is full when
you are only half way around the
field, change wagons; the “down
time” to make repairs is more
costly than the time to change
wagons.
the other problem is “silo gas".
I’ve discussed it before but it is
important enough to review again.
One farmer called to inform us
that chickens walking under the
chute of his recently filled silo
dropped over dead from the gases
coming down the chute. These
gases can develop from one day to
14 days after the silo is filled.
Most of these gases have a
chlorine-laundry bleach odor.
Some are yellow and some are
colorless. Don’t take any chances
- never enter a partly filled silo
without running the blower for at
least 15 minutes. These gases are
heavier than 'air and will come
down the chute into the bam. For
more information on how it
affects your lungs, contact the
Lancaster County Lung Associa
tion. Be very careful around
/zzr
recently filled silos
To Mow
Weedy Pastures
If your pasture is weedy, and
many are, then get out the mower.
There are two good reasons for
this; one it eliminates the produc
tion of weed seeds and two, it
removes mature forage which lets
plants send out new and tender
growth. But, before you mow, you
should graze the pasture heavily.
With grazing you can utilize all
the available feed. The animals eat
some weeds, but they also eat
some of the tall grasses that would
be wasted by mowing. Remember
to mow closely... 2 to 3 inches.
And instead of trashing the clip
pings, save them. Many farmers
recover enough hay from pasture
mowings to winter their cattle.
To Store
Pesticides Safely
Most producers are about fin-
FACING
THE MUSIC
September 16,1990
Background Scripture: 2 Samuel
11:1 through 12:25.
Devotional Reading: Psalms
51:1-15.
What is harder than “facing the
music”? What is more soul
wrenching than acknowledging
that we have grievously sinned?
What is more difficult for the
human mind than to accept the con
sequences of our own choices?
In fact, it is so difficult for many
of us that the only way our minds
can grasp these realitites is to be
tricked or finessed into it. Faced
with an accusation of wrong doing,
our minds become miraculously
inventive in finding legitimate rea
sons for what we have done. We
are rarely more creative than when
trying to rationalize our sins. In
fact, that’s one of the reasons that
the word “sin” is no longer in vog
ue. It is too stark, too clear-cut
What we want is something a bit
more fuzzy and equivocal.
The prophet Nathan was facing
just such a situation with King
David. Nathan knew that David
had sinned grievously: coveting
another man’s wife, committing
adultery with her, and then plotting
to have the husband killed to cover
up Bathsheba’s pregnancy. But he
also realized that if he confronted
David, the clever king would not
admit that he had sinned. Perhaps
he anticipated that David would
become extremely angry and even
do violence against him.
When we are concerned with our
sins, we very often respond by pro
jecting our anger with ourselves to
someone else.
SETTING UP THE KING
So, Nathan cleverly “setup” the
ished with their spray materials
for the year. Many of these can be
held over until next year with
good results. However, it is
always best to buy only enough
for one season at a time. When
storing spray materials, always
keep them in their original con
tainers and away from children,
pets and livestock. It is best to
have a separate room or building
for pesticide storage. Wettable
powders are easy to store; howev
er, emulsions and liquids may be
harmed by freezing weather. Pro
ducers are urged to follow the
label and instructions in this
respect. It may be necessary to
keep some of them in a heated
building. Be sure they are not near
feed supplies because accidents
can happen. Pesticides kept in a
room or building under a lock is a
good way to prevent costly mis
takes and tragedies.
king by asking him to render judge
ment upon the acts of another man.
Nathan knew that David, like all of
us, loved to judge the deeds of
others, particularly their bad deeds.
David is certainly not alone in that,
is. he? Most of us enjoy, secretly or
admittedly, executing judgements
upon other people. Often, it makes
us feel better about ourselves if we
can condemn the actions of others.
The story he told David was
obvious in its implications. The
“rich man” had obviously sinned in
taking from the “poor man” his one
little ewe lamb. “Then David’s
anger was greatly kindled against
the man,” we are told. “As the Lord
lives, the man who has done this
deserves to die; and he shall restore
the lamb four-fold, because he did
this thing, and because he had no
pity” (12:5,6). Who among us can
not join with David in righteous
indignation over the "rich man’s”
evil deed?
YOU ARE THE MAN
What a dramatic moment when,
with these words still vibrating on
David’s lips, Nathan replies: “You
are the man!” (12:7). This rascal
who “deserves to die,” this “rich
man” who must give restitution, is
really the king himself. It is to
David’s credit that he no longer
fights the verdict. Instead of pro
testing his innocence or “extenuat
ing circumstances,” David ack
nowledges that Nathan is correct
when he charges: “You are the
man!” Sometimes when we’re
caught in our own standards of
judgement, we insist than “this is
different” But David replied: “I
have sinned against the Lord”
(12:13).
What about you? Are you rather
quick in your moral judgements
upon other people? By what stan
dards do you judge others? And
when you are confronted with your
Sin, do you have the courage and
integrity to acknowledge what you
have done? Can you face the
music.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines
produced by the Committee on the
Uniform Series and used by per
mission. Released by Community
& Suburban Press.)
CateU'
sflHeffe!