84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 10, 1994 On being > * afarm -And I Joyce Bapp ' w I “Jax is nimble! Jax is quick! “Jax jumps up and down - and kicks!” (...with apologies to Moth er Goose). The verdict is mostly in on our summer crop of new heifers. These are our two-year-old bovines that have had their first calves, joining the dairy herd as they begin producing milk in response to their maturity into motherhood. Like any crop, the heifers are producing a mixed yield. There are a couple that you love for their growthy size and good udders, milk production ability, adaptabil ity in joining the herd and for their quiet, loveable temperaments. There are also a couple at the other extreme that are clueless about finding their own stalls, respecting gates or understanding that the proper place to lie down and rest is on the grass or dry ground of the exercise lot, not the goopiest “mud” puddle around. And then, like all crops, this one has a weed or two. Like Jax. Jax is a medium-sized Holstein heifer, good appetite, even is learning to find her own stall. Well, once in awhile. After most of the rest have found theirs and hers is the only left in that vicinity of the barn. Walking down through the double rows of black-and-whites, she stands out from the rest of the “girls” in no significant way whatsoever. Just another herd member. Until you make a move to do anything with her. Then she turns flakey. Jumps around. Dances back and forth. Tries to grab your hair when you have your head in near her to wash and prep her for milk ing. Now, we always have an affectionate pet or two in the herd that will try to lick at your arm or grab your hair when your head is down close to her flank —as "“The Old Country iVews“" A Unique Collection of Artwork, History and Interesting Articles, all put together Carefully in a Fine, Quality Magazine that your Whole Family can Enjoy and Will Treasure for Years to Come. Every Month you 7Z find: W A Beautiful Painting on the Cover of Every Issue W Pennsylvania Dutch Writing by Well Known Bill Clouser, Spring Glen, PA Wlnteresting Wildlife Articles V Old and New Articles on Farming W A Delightful Section for the Ladies W A Children’s Section with Games and Stories W A Power Section that tells of the early uses of Water, Steam, Electricity and more V A Continued Story of 19th Century Dutch Immigrants coming to Michigan from Holland. Read how the mysterious man In bearskin finally made himself known To receive our very first issue in January 1995, subscribe today by sending your check in the amount of s2o* to: __ The Old Country News Department L R.R. 2 Box 59 V Millersburg, PA 17061 •$2O for Res. of the USA. $22 for Res. of Canada Sc $29 for Res. of other Countries close to nuzzling you as a cow generally gets. But, Jax’s intentions are not affectionate. We’ve never had a heifer that tried to bite you horses often do but given the opportunity, I suspect Jax would yank a hunk of hair right out of your scalp. With a piece of scalp attached probably. And she has one of the most lethal tails I’ve ever seen on a cow. I regularly trim the cows switches to a fairly-short length, to mini mize the amount of dirt and manure they pick up with them to slather all over themselves, other cows and the people who milk them. Jax has an extraordinarily long tail, all bone and little switch on the end and knows precisely where to club you on the head wisk it. First, she makes sure it is properly wet and dirty. Weird thing about Jax is that, once the milker is on her udder and the milk flowing, she generally just stands there and makes little more fuss. I’m trying to be patient with her. Really I am. Really. Margaret, on the other hand, is a first-calf heifer of a gentler kind. Tall, big-bodied and maybe just a bit gangly, like a fast-growing teenager that hasn’t quite learned to handle her body with grace, she has the personality of a little pussycat. When Margaret nuzzles you, it’s with affection. She even has a sense of humor. Last evening, she slipped away as I went to milk her and led me on a likely game of tag up, down and around the barn. It. took about three innings of this bam tag (and I was “it” on all of them) to finally get Margaret back in where she belonged. In this post-harvest time of year, most farmers take stock of the year’s crops and make plans for the next. For next year’s heifer crop, I’d UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) The saying, “A fool and his money are soon parted,” can be especially true during the holi day season. With the hectic pace and frazzled nerves that many people experience at this time of year, it’s easy to get careless when making spending decisions. But there are a few tips to keep in mind that can help you avoid unpleasant shopping experiences, according to a family resource specialist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “With a lithe bit of common sense, you can make holiday gift buying relatively painless,” said Dr. Marilyn Furry, associate pro fessor of extension education. “First of all, shop only in rep utable stores,” said Furry. “Avoid unlicensed street peddlers or ven dors who canvass office build ings, offering special deals on high-priced items. If you do con sider merchandise from such a vendor, only buy an item with no moving parts and be sure it can be thoroughly inspected.” Furry said you should ask about a store’s refund and exchange policy when buying gifts, and keep all receipts. “Also, study any warranty before you buy,” she said. “If you don’t understand it, have it explained to you.” Set spending limits for gifts, decorations and holiday entertain ment, and try to use credit cards in moderation, Furry said. “Don’t let the ease of charging tempt you into extending yourself,” she said. “Payment due dates and high like to place an order for several more Margarets. And no more fax’s. Please. CLOSED SUNDAYS, KEW YEAR, EASTER MONDAY, ASCENSION DAY, n WHIT MONDAY, OCT 11,1 HANKS6IYIMO, fUllllllE CHRISTMAS A DECEMBER 26TH. FISHER’S FURNITURE, INC. NEW AND USED FURNITURE USED COAL A WOOD HEATERS COUNTRY FURNITURE & ANTIQUES BUS. HRS: BOX 57 MON.-THURS. 8-5 1129 GEORGETOWN RD. FRI. 8-8, SAT. 0-12 BART, PA 17503 GOOD FOOD OUTLET STORES See Our Original Line Of Golden Barrel Products Plus All Kinds Of Beans, Candies, Dried Fruit, Snack Mixes, Etc. At Reduced Prices * BAKING MOLASSES * MAPLE SYRUP v. * BARBADOS MOLASSES * PANCAKE A WAFFLE * BLACKSTRAP SYRUPS MOLASSES * SORGHUM SYRUP WT * CORN SYRUPS * LIQUID A DRY SUGARS * HIGH FRUCTOSE * PANCAKE A WAFFLE SYRUPS SYRUPS , * CANOLA OIL / I * COCONUT OIL ']/ * CORN OIL M :/ \ * COTTONSEED OIL * OLIVE OIL * PEANUT OIL * VEGETABLE OIL * SHOO-FLY PIE MIX M Processors Of Syrups, Molasses, Cooking Oils, Funnel Cake Mix. Pancake ft Waffle Mix ft Shoofly Pie Mix GOOD FOOD OUTLET Located At Good Food, Inc. W. Main St., Box 160, Honey Brook, PA 19344 218-273-3776 1-800-327-4406 Located At L & S Sweeteners 388 E. Main St., Leola, PA 17540 717-656-3486 1-800-633-2676 - WE UPS DAILY - The Buyer Beware Let Holiday Season Th is finance charges have a way of sneaking up on you.” If you do charge items. Furry recommends checking the receipts and credit card slips against the statement you receive in the mail to make sure the bill is correct. “Your statement must reach you at least two weeks before pay ment is due,” she said. “Don’t let a store assess finance charges on unpaid balances if your late pay ment is due to their failure to .mail your statement on time.” If a dispute arises over a billing error, do not write a note on the bill. Instead, said Furry, write a separate letter to the store, prefer ably by certified mail, explaining The problem. The store or credit card company cannot make an unfavorable report to a credit rat ing firm while the dispute is in progress. Some people prefer the conve nience of shopping at home through mail-order catalogs. But Furry said that can be risky unless you order from reputable compa nies. CHICAGO The checkoff funded Lunch Power! Healthy School Lunches program, a guide to reducing fat and sodium in school lunch meals, was recently awarded the respected Presidents’ Circle Nutrition Education Award from The American Dietetic Asso ciation and its Foundation. The award was presented to the Beef Industry Council (BIC) dur ing ADA’s 77th Annual Meeting, October 17-20 in Orlando, Fla. Beef Industry Wins Award DOE’S PRIDE' NATURAL GOAT MILK UJV] SOAP • It's especially GENTLE on your skin •It's NATURAL and PURE • There's NO allergy-producing fragrance, dye, color or preservative added SEND FOR FREE MFORMRTIOR or CAU TOLL FREE HOMIER 1-800-542-7180 HOME SOAP WORKS RO. Box 317, Millington, NJ 07946 (908)604-2170 If your loctl nore doei not hive it, SEND FOR FREE BROCHURE GOLDEN BARREL CANOLA OIL 1 Gallon Reg. $4.89 wow $4.39 ** Great ollt Packages for the Holidays!) •• ** Gourmet Coffees •• “Mail-order merchandise can arrive late or defective, or may not come at all,” she said. “If the com pany can’t deliver the items with in 30 days, they must notify you in writing, giving you the option to cancel the order for a full refund or accept a later delivery date.” For information on reputable mail-order companies, check the October 1994 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. Furry said if you receive unordered gifts or packages in the mail, they are yours to keep. “By law, you are not responsible for merchandise you have not ordered,” she said. “You do not have to return the merchandise or pay for it.” But use caution when receiving C.O.D. packages for you or your neighbor. “Accept C.O.D. pack ages only when they’re expected,” said Furry. “Don’t pay the post of flee for a surprise package the surprise may be more than you bargained for, such as gift wrapped stones.” The Presidents’ Circle Award was established in 1983 to honor an organization or government agency for excellence in develop ing scientifically sound nutrition information that is “unique in con cept, creative in presentation, and free from specific commercial message or endorsement.” The BIC is a division of the National Live Stock and Meat Board, which also won the Presidents’ Circle Award in 1986 for the Meat Nutri- Facts program. * FUNNEL CAKE MIX * PANCAKE A WAFFLE MIX * ASSORTMENT OF CANDIES ★ DRIED FRUIT ★ SNACK MIXES A BEANS ★ HONEY ★ PEANUT BUTTER ★ BAtIMAN APPLE BUTTERS * KAUFFMAN PRESERVES * SPRING GLEN RELISHES SPECIALS FOR DECEMBER MAPLE SYRUP 16 Ounce Reg. $4.09 WOW $4.49 GOLDEN BARREL PANCAKE ft WAFFLE MIX 2 Lba. Reg. $1.60 wow $1.49
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers