AlO-Ltncnter Farming, Saturday, July 1, 1995
OPINION
World Markets Provide
Future For Agriculture
As the developing world becomes increasingly prosperous, the
demand for bulk foodstuffs and processed foods will continue to
grow in the coming decade. This is the belief of Thomas Duester
bueg, director of Hudson Institute’s Competitiveness Center, as
expressed in a speech delivered at the Institute’s 1995 agriculture
conference in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
And U.S. agriculture is one of the few in the world that can
meet this growing demand in an environmentally friendly way.
Despite considerable obstacles in much of the developing
world —such as severe restraints and high tariffs on processed
foods, and constant uncertainty due to misuse of phytosanitary
standards for protectionist purposes, U.S. agricultural exports
achieved record sales in 1994.
To take advantage of the coming increase in world-wide food
demand, Congress must unshackle U.S. producers, and U.S.
trade negotiators must take aggressive steps to remove existing
barriers to world-wide trade in bulk and processed agricultural
products.
The International Monetary Fund projects a continuation of
robust economic growth in both industrialized and developing
worlds in 1995 and beyond. This provides an historic opportunity
for agricultural exports. But these markets will not materialize by
themselves. U.S. political and agricultural-industry leaders must
take the initiative to change policies to allow the U.S. to partici
pate fully in this growth.
If the U.S. is successful in meeting this challenge, the achieve
ment will pay rich dividends for the U.S. agricultural economy
for decades to come. Opinion leaders and policymakers must not
let their current fatigue with trade policy cloud their thinking and
sap their willingness to meet this historic challenge.
Ephrata Area Young Fanners
annual summer picnic, Ephrata
Park.
Pa. Plastic Pesticide Container
Recycling Program, Albright’s
Mill, Kempton, 9 a.m.-ll;30
a.m. and Anthony’s Feed Mill,
HHSBSSffiDHH
Pest Management Field Day, Penn
State Southeast Research and
Extension Center, Landisville,
9 a.m-2 p.m.
Pa. Rural Health Conference, Penn
State.
Weed Control Field Demonstra
tion, Delta-Peach Bottom
Elementary School, Delta, 10
a.m.-l p.m.
Pa. Plastic Pesticide Container
Recycling Program, Oley Val
ley Feed, Oley, 9 a.m.-ll:30
a.m, and Moyer and Son,
p.m.
Fawn Grove Olde T.yme Days,
Fawn Grove, thru July 9.
Ram andE Sale,Pem
Sunday. ,|ul>
Dory Township Fair, Derry, thru
Pa. Junior Holstein Judging
Schools, Butler County Hols
tein Club hosts July 10-11, and
Bradford County Holstein Club
hosts July 12-13.
Nutrient Management Planning
Software Computer Workshop.
Penn State Field Diagnostic Clin
ics, Rockspring Agronomy
Research Farm, also July 13.
Nutrient Management Seminar,
Sheraton Inn-Harrisburg East,
1:30 p.m.-4:30 pjn.
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Grazing Field
Day, Delta Springs Farm, Inc.,
(Turn to Pago A3l)
Editor:
We are moving forward on the
1995 Farm Bill, and we need your
help. It is time to stand up and be
counted. Family fanners need to
speak up and be heard, because if
we don’t, corporate fanners will
do a good job of speaking for you.
To Graze
Pastures Correctly
During the hot, dry days of sum
mer, pasture growth declines.
Before you realize it, your pastures
are overgrazed and cattle are
underfed two costly mistakes!
Grazing pastures shorter than
three to four inches greatly reduces
their productivity and they may
never fully recover the remainder
of this year. Thus, it may be benefi
cial to restrict grazing time or
graze some of the hay fields or sup
plement cow rations with hay, sil
age, or more grain.
However, be careful not to over
feed grain. Be sure cows are con
suming adequate amounts of for
age. The extra hay, silage, or grain
may be fed to cows in the pasture,
in bunk feeders or it may be fed in
well-ventilated stables where they
have access to water and a clean
place to rest
To Look
For Aphids
According to Robot Anderson,
extension agronomy agent, aphids
are always a major pest of tobacco.
Most years they begin to appear
near die end of June or the begin
ning of July.
Field observations should be
conducted regularly after trans
planting. Aphid numbers are nor
mally high enough to require
spraying about the second week of
July.
the last several years, the red
aphid seems to be more prevalent
than the green aphid in many
Helds. The red aphid is easier to see
and multiplies much faster than the
green aphid.
Aphids are sucking-type insects
which affect all plants. Maryland
type tobacco is affected more
severely because of its susceptibil
ity to etch vims, which is spread by
aphids.
Research in Pennsylvania and
Maryland shows that control of
aphids is important in both the
quality and quantity of tobacco
marketed. The cost of a regular,
treatment to control aphids starting
in early to mid July and continued
to near harvest was paid for by
At least they say they will
There is no scientific, economic
or moral justification for this
nation to allow destruction of our
family farms and rural communi
ties. There is no mandate from
anyone’s God, that this nation has
(Turn to Pago All)
additional yields.
The important point is not to let
aphids build up on the tobacco
crop at any stage of growth. Once
heavy aphid infestations occur, it
becomes very difficult to control
them under most conditions.
To Look
For Blue Mold
Blue mold has been a sporadic
problem for tobacco farmers. Nor
mally the fungus just affects the
leaf, but when the disease becomes
systemic, it affects the entire plant,
often wiping out the entire crop.
Early identification and treat
ment is essential in rescuing the
crop.
Blue mold is easily identified in
the field by the round yellow spots
that appear on the top of the leaf
surface. The underside of the leaf
will usually have a bluish, gray
9Y '';
sasiLS
ANY SKELETONS HERE?
July 2, 1995
Any Skeletons Here?
July 2. 1995
Background Scripture:
Amos l:l-3:2
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 82
As I write this, we are observ
ing the SOth anniversary of V-E
Day. For different people it has
different meanings. 'Some cele
brate the end of World War n and
the crushing of Nazi/Fascist tyran
ny. Others-some governmental
officials in Germany and Austria
have marked the occassion by
accepting national responsibility
for die tragedy of World War n.
As an American with poignant
memories of that era I am glad to
see that these people have had the
courage to speak openly of nation
al guilt This is not a matter of
continuing to live in judgement of
our former enemies, but recogni
tion that guilt unrecognized and
unconfessed is a cancer in a peo
ple’s soul and an invitation to
repeat the tragedy.
We all recognize that it is
necessary and right that other
nations should recognize and
repent of their national sins. Cur
rently, at the United Methodist
Building in Washington, DC,
there is an exhibit that recounts the
Japanese abuse of women during
World War 11. More than 200,000
Asian women were forced into
sexual slavery to “service from
five to foi-'y Japanese soldiers a
day.” The coalition of survivors is
seeking official compensation
from the Japanese government,
which to date has been reluctant to
respond. I think it is important, not
only for the sake of the survivors,
but for the Japanese people them
selves to acknowledge their culpa
bility in this horrible war crime.
The Dirty War
My wife and I recently visited
Buenos Aries. It is a very beautiful
and cultured city, but the stigma of
the “dirty war” of the 19705, when
thousands of citizens “disap
peared” at the hands of govern
ment troops still lingers. Recently,
the senior bishops of the Roman
Catholic Church in Argentina
issued a statement expressing
remorse for not having done more
to prevent violence and govern
ment human rights abuses during
the struggle between the military
and the leftists. Many of us in the
United States applaud that
cottony-like growth. Control of
blue mold should have started in
the beds followed with an applica
tion of Ridomil to the field before
transplanting. Fields treated in this
manner are usually protected 60
plus days.
Ridomil may also be applied as
a layby treatment to the soil at cul
tivation. Direct most of the product
onto the ground and not on the
tobacco plant. Ridomil absorbed
into the root system will protect the
entire plant much better then when
it is applied to the leaves.
Left uncontrolled under weather
conditions such as Lancaster
County had during the last IS days
of June, blue mold can wipe out a
tobacco crop.
Feather Prof.’s Footnote:
"Excellence can be yours if you
meet challenges with an eager atti
tude and a curious mind."
statement.
Even more recently, we visited
Vietnam on a cruise ship. We
were surprised at how warmly we
were welcomed in a country gov
erned by the very Communist
regime our nation tried to prevent
from coming to power. During a
sight-seeing excursion to the for
mer Viet Cong tunnels at Co Chi,
we were shown a film depicting
“American atrocities” during the
Vietnam war. Even though the
presentation was made up of accu
rate film clips from western news
services and despite the fact I had
consistently opposed America’s
war in Vietnam, I feld indignant
that the film showed only Ameri
can atrocities, not North
Vietnamese!
True Patriots
Later, however, it occurred to
me that, whether or not the North
Vietnamese had committed
atrocities-and they did-there had
been real atrocities on our side and
as an American, I was finding it
difficult to accept feelings of
remorse. My sense of patriotism
had superseded my sense of moral
responsibility. And moral respon
sibility is the highest patriotism of
all.
That’s why Amos took a cir
cuitous route in his prophesies,
beginning with condemnations of
Israel’s enemies and neighbors,
before at last proclaiming: ‘Thus
says the Lord, fcr three transgres
sions of Israel ard for four, I will
not revoke the punishment” Up to
this point his audience probably
hung on every word as he con
demned Damascus, Gaza, Tyre,
the Ammonites, Moab, and Judah.
What a shock, then, to find that he
had prophesies every bit as terri
ble for Israel, Cod’s own people!
They could understand their ene
mies and neighbors being called to
repent, but not God’s elect.
So, too, today we would listen
enraptured to Amos-like prophe
sies against Iran, Iraq, Libya,
Cuba, Serbia, Bosnia, China and
perhaps even Britain and Canada.
But can we possibly think that the
prophesies would end there? Can
we imagine that God has nothing
for which to call our nation to
repentance? Are there no .skele
tons in our national closet?
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
IE. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Entarprite
Robert 0. Campbell Qenwal Manager
Everett R. Newewanger Managing EdHor
Copyright 1995 by Lancaatar Farming