AlO-Lanctstw Farming, Saturday, April 29, 1995
OPINION
Penn State
Funding Request Reasonable
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is one of the
nation’s top agricultural science colleges, according to a study
conducted by the newsletter Science Watch. The ranking is
based on the number of citations in scientific journals indexed
by the Philadelphia-based Institute for Scientific Information.
Obviously, the scientific community draws heavily upon
work conducted by researchers at Penn State. But the retd “pay
offs” from our research and extention programs come in more
practical terms. Newspaper bedding has increased to the point
that 25 percent of all dairy cattle in the state are bedded on waste
newspapers today.
In addition, pasture management has increased dairy profits
by $l3O per cow each year. A typical 60-cow herd can boost
profits by nearly $B,OOO per year by adopting sound pasture
management techniques.
Integrated pest management practices (IPM) in alfalfa, horti
culture, and fruit trees has decreased the amount of wasted pesti
cides in our applications and has helped both the farmer’s pock
etbook and the environment.
Eggs are produced at less cost. Poultry diseases are better
managed. Food and water are safer. Nutrient management is
better. Child care is improved. Youth have been helped.
All these improvements in areas of importance to agriculture,
as well as the urban community are the result of Penn State’s
College of Agricultural Sciences’ research and extension prog
rams. That’s why we believe the practical results from scientific
work done at Penn State ranks among the top in the nation too.
And that’s why we need to continue to support Penn Sale’s
research efforts with increased funding, both from the public
and the private sectors of our state. To not do so will cause a
great void in both the scientific and the practical data available
when we need it in the future.
The history of the land-grant mission and the importance of
agricultural and related constituencies make it crucial that fund
ing for research and extension be adequately funded. The col
lege is asking for a six percent increase in state funds. This
seems like a reasonable request.
Livestock Day, Montgomery
County 4-H Center, Creamery,
9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Endless Mountains Maple Festi
val. Alparon Park, Troy.
Northwest Pa. Polled Hereford
Association Spring Show and
Sale, Mercer 4-H Park, Mercer,
show 2 p.m., sale 7 p.m.
Lycoming County Beekeepers’
Association Swap Meet, Metz
ger Memorial Park, Logan Sta
tion. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Delaware Valley College A-Day,
College Grounds, 9 a.m.-S p.m.
New York Simmental Four Star
Production Sale, Porters Sim
mental Lake Ranch, Waverly,
Clean and Green informational
Martindale F Hall,
\ i ul.n M.i\ |
Grain marketing meeting, toward
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♦ Farm Calendar*
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Johnson’s, Millington, Md.,
6:30 a.m.
Salm da\, Ma\ 6
Capitol Area Beekeeper’s Associ
ation Eighth Annual Short
Course, Dauphin County Ag
and Natural Resources Center.
Dauphin.
Goat Field Day. Rosemary K.
Sprenkles’ Troubled Acres
Dairy Farm, York County, 10
a.m.-4 p.m.
Apple Blossom Festival, South
Mountain Fairgrounds, Arendt
sville, thru May 7.
Pa. Draft Horse and Mule Clinic,
Butler County Fairgrounds.
8:30 a.m.
Maryland Sheep and Wool Grow
ers Field Day. Howard County
Fairgrounds, West Friendship.
Md., thru May 7.
ill A Bit
son Convention and Meat Pro
duct Competition, Scantkon
Convention Center, Penn State,
thru May 9.
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festi
val First Annual Shepherd’s
Auction, 1 p.m.
Delaware Valley Milk Goat Asso-
With the high cost of nitrogen,
concerns about water quality and
small profit margins, it is impor
tant to develop a good fertilizer
program.
All good fertility programs
begin with a soil test to see what
the level of soil nutrients are. By
applying the nutrients that are
needed, a good crop yield will be
achieved while not running out of
nutrients. In addition, a soil test
will prevent the application of
nutrients which are not needed,
saving money.
If animal manure was applied to
the field, a nutrient analysis of the
manure would be helpful in plan
ning how much fertilizer should be
added. If the soil test shows adequ
ate levels of phosphorous and
potassium, delay adding any nitro
gen until sidedress time and then
use the Penn Slate Nitrogen Quick
Test. If the test shows 21 part per
million (ppm) of nitrate nitrogen at
that stage of growth, there is suffi
cient nitrogen to grow the crop to
maturity without negative impact
on yields.
According to Robert Anderson,
extension agronomy agent, profi
tability of com production may be
improved by following several
recommendations.
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First is to apply insecticides
only when the number of insects in
the field will cause significant
yield reduction. To accomplish
this, the Held must be visited on a
regular basis to look for insects.
Scouting of the field should
begin shortly after emergence and
continue throughout the season,
looking for insects which are caus
ing damage. You may also scout
for weed problems and select a
ciation meeting. Stump Hollow
Seminar, Kreider’s Restaurant,
noon, and Days Inn, Shamoldn
meeting. Eugene Martin Farm,
New Holland, 12:30 p.m.-9
p.m.
Farm Pond Management Seminar
and Field Trip. Dauphin Coun
ty Ag and Natural Resources
Center, 7 p.m., field day May
12:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Clean and Green informational
meeting, Hoffman Building,
Solanco Fairgrounds, Quarry
ville, 7:30 p.m.
(Turn to Pago All)
To Develop
Fertilizer Plan
To Improve
Corn .Profitability
postemeigent herbicide to control
problem weeds when they become
of economic importance.
Another step to improve profita
bility is to plant on time. Most
yean, the best yielding com is
planted early or at least on time.
That means to be ready to begin
planting anytime past the middle
of April when soil conditions are
good and the weather forecast for
the' next five days is for mild
conditions.
The final step is selecting top
yielding hybrids. Pay attention to
yield performance data and your
own production records. Use sev
eral new varieties each year that
performed well on university and
company variety trails.
To Control
Sheep Parasites
Chester Hughes, extension
livestock agent, reminds us pasture
season is here and with it should
come a concern about internal
parasite control.
All sheep have internal parasites
to one degree or another. There arc
different types of internal para
sites. Roundworms, tapeworms.
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WHEN IT RAINS ON OUR
PARADE
April 30, 1995
WHEN IT RAINS ON OUR
PARADE
April 30, 1995
Background Scripture
II Corinthians 1:1-14
Devotional Reading
Galatians 6:1-10
The Arabs have a saying, “All
sunshine makes a desert” Of
course we know that and we ap
preciate that there must be rain,
but we rather wish that storms
would come on someone else’s
time.
It is human to want all sunshine
and to avoid all storms. At the
same time, we know that even in
the midst of affliction there are
victories to be won and growing to
be done. We would prefer to win
and grow without affliction, but
when we cannot avoid it, we need
to learn to seize the opportunities
it affords us. Ralph Erskine, bed
ridden and racked with pain,
wrote, “I have known more of
God since I came to this bed, than
through all my life.”
When troubles come, we need
to remember that with the afflic
tions comes also God’s comfort,
“Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our afflic
tions ..(1:3). God’s promise to
us is not that He will help us avoid
all troubles, but that in the midst
of them He will be with us. aiding
us, comforting us, “For as we
share abundantly in Christ’s Suf
ferings, so through Christ we
share abundantly in comfort”
(1:5).
ALWAYS PRESENT
Some people will say that, al
though they have had their share
of troubles, they have not found
God’s comfort in the midst of
them. If we can’t find God at this
time, it is not because He is ab
sent, but because we aren’t aware
enough of His presence. Avoid
troubles as well as you can, but if
they come anyway then look for
and coccida are common ones in
this area. Internal parasites cause
slower weight gains, unthriftincss,
and higher feed bills.
While we will never eradicate
internal parasites, there are anti
parasitic drugs that may be utilized
in your control program. Most she
pherds should consider using
worming medication at least at the
following intervals: one month
before lambing, one month after
the start of grazing, two months
after the start of grazing, at pre
breeding, and at the end of the pas
ture season.
If your sheep are on one pasture
continuously, you may have to
deworm them every month, espe
cially if your stocking rate is high.
Lambs on pasture with their
mothers will also need to be
treated.
There are several antiparasite
medications available. Some are
approved for sheep while some are
only approved for cattle and
require your veterinarian’s
approval for use.
Feather Prof's Footnote:
"Happiness is not a state to arrive
at. but a manner of traveling."
God’s comfort. There isn’t a trial
or tribulation we experience that
God is not present, offering us His
help and assurance.
Actually, every affliction is an
opportunity to leant from God.
Paul tells the Corinthians of his
own experience: “Why we felt we
had received the sentence of
death; but that was to make us rely
not on ourselves but on God who
raises the dead” (1:9). That is
probably the biggest lesson we all
have to leant: to rely, not on our
selves, but upon God. Often, it
seems it is only when weijaye no
place else to turn that we learn
what true faith is: tursting in God
alone.
SHARE THE COMFORT
But there is another dimension,
too. Not only can we find God in
the midst of our afflictions, but,
having received His comfort, we
need to share it with others who
are likewise afflicted. Whatever
we have learned through hardship,
defeat, or suffering can be passed
on to others. The comfort God
gives us in this situation is meant
to be shared in a never-ending cy
cle of human relationships. If. in
my suffering 1 And God, I must
help others do the same. Thus,
Paul says that God comforts us in
all our afflictions, so that we may
be able to comfort those who are
in any affliction with the comfort
with which we ourselves are com
forted by God (8:4). There* are
times when all of us can identify
with Paul’s confession: “... we
were so utterly, unbearably crush
ed that we despaired of life itself”
(1:8).
St Theresa of Avila knew many
afflictions in her life, but in the
midst of them she always found
God. And across the centuries she
shares what she found:
Let nothing disturb thee. Let no
thing afright thee. All things are
passing. God never changes. Pa
tience gains all things. Who has
God wants nothing. God alone
suffices.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
IE. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by
Lancaster Fanning. Inc.
A Steinmmn Entorprite
Robert O. Campbell General Manager
Evtratt R. Ntwswsngir Mintylng EdMor
Copyright 1908 by Ltpcttfr Farming