AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 22,1990
OPINION
Word To The Wise
President George Bush has proclaimed the week of Septem
ber 16-22 as National Farm Safety Week. Every farm should
have its own safety program where realistic training and acci
dent prevention are a part of the management goal.
The National Safety Council recommends that all farm work
ers be trained in CPR and basic first-aid. Children should be
assigned jobs suited to their age and capabilities and should not
be allowed to operate heavy equipment or even drive the horses
in dangerous situations.
Equipment should be kept in good working order and family
members and employees should be taught how to handle the
equipment properly. These powerful machines deserve respect
and the operator should take frequent breaks to prevent mental
and physical fatigue.
Pesticides should be handled with care and the instructions on
the label should be read and followed.
Locally, many farmers are filling their silos at this time. To
accomplish the task, machines often run long into the night. And
the farm operators don’t rest until the job is done. But we want to
urge you to be sure to take a break now and then so your reflexes
don’t become slow and cause you to take chances with moving
chains, belts and cutter bars.
We know time is money when you need to get a crop
harvested. But we also know many farm friends who would give
all the money they have to get back the arm, leg or loved one
they lost in a farm accident. A word to the wise is sufficient.
Farm Calendar
Penn-Jersey Crop Management
Field Day, Delaware Valley
College, Doylestown, 9:00
a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Pa. All-American Pa. Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, Marriott Inn, Har
risburg, 6:30 p.m.
NJ. Dorset Association annual
Field Day, Perry Farm, Edgew
ood Rd., Whitehouse Station,
1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Bloomsburg Fair, thru Sept. 29.
Oley Valley Community Fair.
Reading Fair, thru Sept. 23.
Westover Harmony Fair,
Westover.
Gratz Fair.
Beaver Community Fair, Beaver
Home Economists annual
meeting, Palmer House, Chica
go, thru Sept. 27.
Pa. All-American Careers and
Opportunities Night, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
12:00 noon-8:00 p.m.
Bloomsburg Fair, thin Sept. 29.
Rgadin^Fair^^^^^^^^^^^
Pa. All-American Dairy Show,
Farm Show Building, Harris
burg, thru Sept. 27.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E Mam St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Fainting, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright I*o by Lancaster Farming
Is Sufficient
4-H/FFA Pa. Junior Dairy Show,
Farm Show Complex,
Pa. All-American Dairy Show,
Farm Show Building, Harris
burg, thru Sept. 27.
Common Ground: Conference On
Food Growing Methods, Shera
ton Harrisburg East, 8:30
a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Morris Cove Community Fair,
Martinsburg, thru Sept. 28.
Ephrata Fair, thru Sept. 29.
York Co. state of the art milking
and feeding, Fam*>Show Com-
Eastern National Holstein Sale,
Harrisburg, 7:00 p.m.
Adams Co. Farmers 39th annual
meeting, Buchanan Valley Fire
Company Hall, 6:30 p.m.
West Lampeter Community Fair,
(Turn to Pag* A 29)
Editor:
On behalf of the American
Lung Association of Lancaster
and Berks Counties, I wish to
thank you for your important, life
saving editorial entitled “Don’t
Take Chances With Silo Gases,”
Farm Forum
SAV OTIB, JD BETTER
WARN VOO. BE CARE
WHEN VOO’RE MILK
"THAT COW IN <-?7A'
NUMBER FOUR. SI
NCV
4
i
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Be Aware of
Frosted Crops
Colder weather means frost. In
fact this is good news to many of
us who have had enough of hot,
humid weather this summer.
Livestock producers who have
fields of sudan-sorghum hybrids,
should keep in mind that when
frost hits these crops they could be
toxic to livestock for seven to ten
days following the freeze. After
this period, and the plants are
dead, they may be used safely.
However, any growth coming
from the plant after a killing frost
might also be toxic.
Another frost hazard will be to
permit livestock to graze alfalfa or
clover stands while the frost is still
on the plants. This can cause
severe bloating. Allow the frost to
melt and the plants to dry before
grazing. Good management is
needed on various forage crops
after a killing frost.
To Prepare For
Wheat Planting
Wheat is an important crop in
many of our farming programs
and the selection of good seed will
result in a better crop next year.
Growers should be very careful
when using homegrown seed by
planting clean seed. Certified seed
would be free of any problems. If
you are planning to use home
grown seed, then do an extra good
job of cleaning and treating. Vita
vax 200 is a recommended fungi
cide for seed treatment. The fly
free date is either after the first
killing frost, which some areas
experienced on September 18, or
in southeastern Pennsylvania,
October 10.
Just a few reminders on plant
ing wheat - it should not be
planted in the same field more
often than once every five years;
this time period will reduce the
fungus carryover in the soil. Plow
which appeared on September 8.
Your message is certainly timely
and is a fitting way to mark
National Farm Safety Week, Sep
tember 16-22, 1990.
It has been my observation that
(Turn to Pag* A4B)
the field as early as you can, then
disc and harrow to kill as many
weeds as possible. It’s also a good -
idea to harrow the field thorough
ly the day of seeding.
It is very important for dairy
farmers to know how much forage
dry matter their cows are consum
ing, because it affects the amount
of grain that cows needs and how
that grain should be formulated,
according to Glenn Shirk, Exten
sion Dairy Agent.
Inaccurate estimates of forage
dry matter intake can adversely
affect rumen function. Acidosis
could result, and this can cause a
whole host of costly problems
such as; poor appetite, reduced
production, depressed fat tests,
sore feet, poor digestion and
others.
Forage dry matter intake is
affected by the moisture content
of the forage, the amount fed and
the amount refused or wasted.
Therefore to estimate intakes
BY tAVVRENU W AIIHOUSt
'sassyi
THE
“DIRTY WORK”
September 23,1990
Background Scripture: 1 Kings
21.
Devotional Reading: Psalms 36.
I used to know a husband and
wife who were as different as day
and night. The man was mild
mannered, undemanding, and
generally accommodating to peo
ple. His wife, on the other hand,
was very strong-minded and
demanding. Those of us who
knew them used to marvel at how
different they were. The husband
was Usually regarded as “Mr. Nice
Guy” and his wife gained a reputa
tion quite to the contrary. _.
At times, we were curious when
the husband would turn over to his
wife a response that he could just
as well have made himself. Even
tually, some of us began to con
clude that the husband sometimes
used his wife to achieve what he
wanted without having to bear
himself the stigma for her words
and actions. This man had learned
to a perfection letting someone
else do the dirty work.
Sulking for Profit
The story of Ahab, Jezebel and
Naboth is thousands of years old,
but is very contemporary in terms
of human emotions and motiva
tions. Ahab wanted Naboth’s
vineyard for himself, but he would
not use his power as king to secure
it. So, having failed to convince
Naboth, Ahab used his tried-and
true tactic of sulking. “And he lay
down on his bed, and turned away
his face, and would eat no food”
(21:4). You can'believe that Ahab
would not sulk if he hadn’t already
found in the past that it got him his
4)
To Test And
Weigh Forages
Sffc
more accurately and to balance
rationSsproperly, it is important to
weigh feeds and to check contents
periodically.
To Fertilize Alfalfa
Stands
After the last cutting of alfalfa
is removed, it is a good practice to
topdress the field with a
phosphorus-potash fertilizer.
Many growers have been doing
this for years with good results.
The fall application permits time
for the soil elements to reach the
root zone of the plants and become
available for next spring’s growth.
Well fertilized alfalfa fields will
produce more top quality forage
and will be able to withstand
adversities much better. Also,
after the removal of the first crop
next spring, another application of
plant food should be made.
Research continues to show that a
nitrogen application on estab
lished stands of alfalfa is not a
good investment. Apply only the
amount recommended by your
soil test results.
way. If you have ever tried sulking
as I have you’ve found that
there’s no point to it if someone
doesn’t respond to it!
He knew his wife Jezebel.
“Why is your spirit so vexed that
you eat no food?” she wanted to
know. Ah, the very question he
hoped she would ask! He sounds
like a spoiled brat as he tells
Jezebel that Naboth won’t give
him his vineyard. And Jezebel
responds exactly as he had hoped:
“Arise, and eat bread, and let your
heart be cheerful; I will give you
the vineyard of Naboth the Jez
reelite” (21:7).
Whose Story?
So, Jezebel, who did not fear
God as Ahab did, solved the prob- .
lem quickly and directly: she had
Naboth unjustly charged and
stoned to death. Returning trium
phantly to her husband, she says:
“Arise, take possession of the
eyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
which he refused to give you for
money (see, it was his fault for not
accepting your offer); for Naboth
is not alive, but dead” (21:15).
This was the crucial point for
Ahab. He could have said, “No,
no, I didn’t mean for you to go that
far!” But, because the evil deed
was done by his wife and not him
self, Ahab feels no remorse and
“as soon as Ahab heard that
Naboth was dead... arose to go
down to the vineyard of Naboth,
the Jezreelite, to take possession
of it” (21:15).
Of course, by now you should
be aware that this story is not real
ly about Ahab and Jezebel as
much as it is about you and me.
Are there not times when we, too,
allow someone else to do our dirty
work? Other people who we can
manipulate? Our company? Our
city government? Our nation?
Ahab thought he had kept his
hands clean, but he was wrong.
Take a look at yours.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines pro
duced by the Committee on the Uniform
Series and used by permission. Released
by Community & Suburban Press.)