AifrUncwter Firming, Saturday, May 15, 1993
OPINION
A Little Common Sense
The Clinton Adminstration should seek more information
about the true qualities of soybean oil before deciding on a con
troversial new regulation that would classify this biodegradable
material as hazardous.
In a letter to Federico Pena, Clinton’s transportation secretary,
Richard Lugar, senior Republican on the Senate Agriculture
Committee from Indiana, says an economic analysis should be
done before the adminstration makes its final decision on a reg
ulation that would classify soybean oil in the same catagory as
petroleum oil.
We understand Lugar’s concern about the economics of the
situation since 40,000 Hoosier farms produce soybeans, and
11,000 people in the state are employed in industries closely
related to soybean oil and products in which it is used.
But economics is not the real issue here. There is no justifica
tion for the rule. Soybean oil and petroleum oil are not related.
Certainly, the soybean industry has the responsibility to prevent
and clean up spills that may occur in transportation. But soybean
oil is edible. If you drink petroleum oil, it will kill you.
Is it too much to ask for a little more common sense from our
government?
Farm Forum
Editor:
On behalf of the 4-H Center
Committee, Inc. of Chester Coun
ty I would like to thank you for the
excellent coverage your paper
gives to 4-H. We are working tow
ard the goat of developing a 4-H
center for Chester County and are
well on our way. We hope to make
settlement soon on property we
purchased next to property gener
ously donated by the Romano
estate. The site is in West Brandy
wine Township on Route 322, per
haps you have seen our sign. We
are very excited about this project
and are pleased with the support
-
Farm Calendar
"S,
Mid-Atlantic Arabian Horse
Show, Horse Park of NJ., thru
M(iiula\. M.n 17
Ims(l.i\, M.n IS
Managing Succession and Conti
nuation In the Family Business,
Alderfer Auction Center, Hat
field, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
National Dairy Promotion and
Research Board annual meet
ing, Park Hyatt, Washington,
D.C., thru May 20.
Lebanon County FFA Awards
Banquet, ELCO High School,
Home Horticulture Seminar, Bon
sai for Beginners, Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster, 7
p.m.-9;30 p.m.
Pasture Management Workshop,
Penn State Capitol Campus,
Harrisburg, 9:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
County FFA Leadership Confer
ence, Lancaster Mennonite
p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Phila. Fair at Philadelphia Park,
we receive from Lancaster Farm
ing and other publications. Thank
you very much.
Recent reports at a fund raising
progress dinner and weekly
reports on the status of the drive
have assured us that the communi
ty is behind us. We hope to invite
you to our ground-breaking cere
monies soon.
Again, thank you for your
coverage of 4-H and its programs;
and thank you for helping to
inform the public of our activities.
Ruth Holmes
Secretary, 4~H Center
Committee, Inc.
Cumberland Co. Benefit Auction
of Livestock Youth Programs,
Learning Lamb Carcass Evalua
tion, Godfrey Bros. Meats,
Lycoming County barn meeting,
Ephrata Area Young Farmers
meeting, landscape gardening,
Arthur Graybill Farm, Stevens,
Symposium on Improving Repro
ductive Performance of Beef
Cattle, National Association of
Animal Breeders, Grove Park
Inn, Asheville, N.C.
Healthy People 2000 Conference,
Immaculata College, Immacu
Devon Horse Show and County
FAir, 8 a.m.-ll p.m. daily
NOW IS
THE TIME
By John Schwartz
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Plant
Perimeter Trees
Our farms are facing increasing
pressure from rapid urbanization.
With residential development
moving closer, it is more important
than ever for farmers to maintain
good relations with their
neighbors.
An effective way to reduce a
farm’s impact on surrounding
properties is to plant trees around
the perimeter of the farm or certain
buildings and manure storage
areas.
The sight of confinement animal
houses and farm activities may
create a negative image in the
minds of neighbors. As a stand of
trees develops, the property takes
on a landscaped appearance. Farm
activities, dust, and feathers are
virtually “out of sight, out of
mind.”
In addition to providing a visual
barrier, a row of trees placed per
pendicular to the prevailing wind?
may also act as a windbreak to
reduce winter eneigy needs.
There are several species of
trees to choose from. The decidu
ous trees that grow rapidly and
provide a moderately dense barrier
include Lombardy popular, hybrid
poplar, and Japanese larch. They
should be spaced four feet apart in
single rows or six feet apart in a
double row, staggered
arrangement.
Since these trees are not likely to
last longer than 20 years, you may
want to plant a slower growing,
permanent stand of evergreens
behind them. Suggested everg
reens include Colorado Blue
Spruce, Douglas Fir, Hemlock,
Capitol Region Christinas Tree
Workshop and Tour, Elizabeth
Farms. Brickerville. 9:30 a.m.
-
I ridav, .luru' 4
Philadelphia County Fair, Fair
inoun^ark^hn^un^3^
Lancaster County Beekeepers’
meeting. Bob and Annette
Pageant, Penn Township Mun
icipal Park, Duncannon, 7:30
p.m.
(Turn to Page A3l)
and White Pine. These should be
planted six feet apart in single
rows.
While planting trees is not an
alternative to good management, it
may leave a positive image of your
farm in the minds of your
neighbors.
To Do The
Important Jobs
During the rush of spring work,
it may be easy to forget which jobs
are most crucial.
Good cows are the heart of a
profitable dairy business. There
fore, do not neglect them to get
other work done. Keep a person in
the bam to care for the herd and
hire additional help if necessary.
- Another thing that affects herd
profits greatly is forage quality.
Remember, the quality of forages
you harvest is the quality you live
with for a full year.
Once alfalfa has reached the bud
stage of maturity, lake full advan
tage of the first break in weather to
harvest the first cutting, even if the
alfalfa may be younger than you
|ny
"ALL I EVER DID!"
May 16,1993
Background Scripture:
John 4:1-42.
Devotional Reading:
John 4:43-54.
When the conversation gets 100
close to being personal, switch to
doctrine! As long as we can keep
religion from cutting too close to
the bone, we are safe. It is one
thing to talk about
long as we don’t have to practice it
in our own lives. We can wax elo
quently about “saving the lost,” so
long as we are not the “lost” who
need saving. And we can give
Jesus the most eloquent of titles
without becoming personally
involved in them relevant in our
own relationship with him.
A case in point: Jesus and the
woman of Samaria at the well of
Jacob. He shocks the woman by
addressing her: “Give me a drink.”
Respectable men did not address
unknown women at a public well.
Furthermore, a Jewish man would
be even less likely to address a
Samaritan woman, “For Jews
have no dealings with Samari
tans.” The ancient feud was bitter
and overode the simple, personal
request for a drink of water.
IF YOU KNEW...
But Jesus steers the conversa
tion from the age-old bitterness to
the present situation: “If you knew
the gift of God, and who it is that
is saying to you, ‘Give me a
drink,’ you would have asked him
and, he would have given you liv
ing water.” She didn’t know that
the Son of God himself was the
one who asked her for a drink of
water. I wonder whether there are
not times in our lives when we
encounter Christ and yet fail to
recognize him because our eyes
are blinded by our unreceptivity.
If, on a hot afternoon, the woman
encountered Jesus Christ by a
well, where have you encountered
him unrecognized in your, life?
The plot thickens when Jesus
tells the woman, “Go. call your
husband, and come here” and she
replies,'*'! have no husband.” Sud
denly, it has become all too per
sonal for her and Jesus says, “You
are right in saying. ‘1 have no hus
band’; for you have had five hus
desire. This will influence your
future cutting times. So take the
first cutting on time even if you
have to stop in the middle of com
planting.
To Use Sock
In Horse First Aid
Use a tall, ribbed top athletic
sock as a lower leg bandage for
horses when a pressure wrap is not
needed.
The sock will keep leg wounds
clean, protect sunburned legs, and
prevent contamination of any sur
face medication. This inexpensive
sock provides an easy, foolproof
way for you to change bandages
daily.
The socks conform well to the
limb and cannot be put on too
tightly. They also worit well as a
first aid measure by keeping
wounds clean and free of dirt and
flies until the veterinarian can exa
mine the horse.
Feather Prof s Footnote: “Real
leaders are ordinary people with
extraordinary determination."
bands and he whom you now have
is not your husband; this you said
truly.” Skillfully, she tries to get
the spodight off of hen “Sir. I per
ceive that you are a prophet” and
proceeds to raise with Jesus the
age-old dispute about which is the
“right” place to worship, on
Mount Gerazim, the Samaritan
holy place, or Mt. Zion, the site of
the Jewish temple. You’re getting
too close for comfort, Jesus, let’s
go back to doctri
The day is coming, says Jesus,
when people will no longer ask
“where?” to worship, but “how?”
And the answer is to “worship the
Father in spirit and truth.” Once
more she makes a desperate
attempt to theologize the conver
sation: “I know that Messiah is
coming...when he comes, he will
show us all things.” In other
words, let’s push our attention to
the future, the present is getting
uncomfortable. But Jesus will not
let her off the hook: “I who speak
to you am he”—smack, dab back
into the present!
COME, SEE A MAN
At last, the woman’s subter
fuges and pretenses crumble and
she returns to her village and tells
everyone, “Come, see a man who
told me all that I ever did. Can this
be the Christ?” Jesus’ feat of
knowihg about her five husbands
and current lover persuaded her
that he was the Christ. But Jesus
knew more about her than just her
marital and moral record. He
began by saying, “If you
knew..who it is that is saying to
y0u...,” but now he is demonstrat
ing that, although she had not
understood him, he understood
her as no one ever had before: not
only about her, he knew her.
And us, too. Jesus knows all
that we have ever done, but his
knowledge of us goes far beyond
those facts. As he knew and
understood that sinful Samaritan
woman by the well of Sychar, so
he understands us wherever we
are and no matter how much we
try to hide behind our intellectual
reservations.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMiman Emiprw
Robert C. Campbell General Manager
Evens R. Newnwnger Managing Editor
Copyright IMS by Loncaoter Farming