AlO-Lancaater Firming, Saturday, March 2, 1996
This has been a hand winter! Snow, high winds, heavy rain,
cold temperatures, and flooding have all taken their toll on
buildings and farmsteads. Many buildings may be damaged but
still look okay from the outside. An important spring activity
will be to inspect all buildings, including silos, forbidden dam
age. Roof tpfters may have cracked from heavy snow or wind
but may not be obvious from the outside. Foundations or poles
may have been undercut by flood waters or overflowing roof
gutters but be covered with other debris. Major parts of build
ings such as an “L” or lean-to may have been shifted from the
force of high winds.
You can tell a lot by performing your own thorough inspec
tion or retain a qualified engineer or builder. Expect to pay for
an inspection. Beware of casual people stopping by from out of
the area trying to rush you into repairs or replacements. Don’t
be afraid to get a second or third opinion. If the problem can’t
be explained to your understanding, look elsewhere for more
help.
To do a good inspection you need a high powered light (large
bright flashlight, portable vehicle search light or high intensity
work light). Be careful of fire when using high powered lights
around hay or in dusty locations; these lights get very hot! You
can also get severe bums from touching the reflector housing.
A ladder is needed to get into attic spaces and to get closer to
support beam connections. A pair of binoculars will help you
look at high areas. A long screwdriver or ice pick is handy for
poking at suspect areas, and a hammer can be used to detect
cracked beams and joists:
Look for anything that is abnormal:
• Cracked or broken rafters, beams, poles, or support walls.
• Movement of joints such as truss plates and where trusses
or rafters rest on walls and beams.
• Shifting or sliding of walls on foundations.
• Gaps around the base of poles between the ground and the
pole.
• Bends and bows in rafters or beams.
• Poles, posts, or trusses that are out of plumb.
• Loose roof sheets, singles, or sidewall panels.
Take the time and money to inspect and repair your build
ings while the ravages of this winter are fresh in your mind. It’s
cheaper to do it now than wait for the building to fall down dur
ing a summer thunderstoim or under next winter's heavy
snows. The value of a couple of cows, pieces of machinery, or
especially a human life is not worth taking a chance!
Robert E. Graves, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Extension, Penn State.
Ninth Annual Fellowship of
Christian Farmers Outreach
Luncheon, Wilhelm Ltd.,
Westminster, Md., noon-2:30
p.m.
Dauphin County Livestock Ban
quet, Ag and Natural Resources
Center, 7 p.m.
Northeast Regional Produce
Marketing Seminar, Holiday
Kansas City, Mo., thru March
Pesticide review and exam. Cla
rion County Extension Office, 7
p.m.-9 p.m., also March 5.
Cornell Conference on Dairy
Marketing and Product
Research, Syracuse, N.Y., 8
a.m.
Dairylea informational meeting,
Holiday Inn, Waterloo, N.Y.,
7:30 p.m.
1996 Crops Clinic, Penn State
Schuylkill Campus. 9 a.m.-3
OPINION
Building Check
♦ Farm Calendars
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Solanco Young Farmers meeting,
Udder Health, Solanco High
School.
Christmas tree meeting, Lebanon
Valley Ag Center.
Bedford County Holstein annual
meetings, Northern Bedford
H.S., Loysburg, 7 p.m.
Schuylkill County Crops Clinic,
Conference Center, Penn State
Schuylkill Campus, Schuylkill
Haven, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Strawberry School, Berks County
Ag Center, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dairy-MAP, financial module,
Walker Township Municipal
Building, Bellefonte, 10 a.m.-3
p.m.
Lancaster County Dairy Day, Part
11, Farm and Home Center.
Cedar Crest FFA annual banquet/
member banquet, Cedar Crest
Middle School, 7 p.m.
Tractor Safety Training Work
ships. Lehigh County Ag Cen
ter, Allentown, 7:30 p.m„ con
tinues March 12,19. and 26 and
April 2 and 9.
Robert Anderson, extension
agronomy agent, offers the follow
ing steps to improve crop yields
and profitability in 1996:
1. Soil tests. They point out how
much nutrients are present and
recommened application rates for
crop yield goals. They also help
identify where fertilizer costs may
be reduced.
2. Select hybrid and varieties
based on performance. Use lest
comparisons that are done close to
home under conditions and man
agement similar to yours.
3. Practice patience. Do not be
in a big hurry to get into the field in
the spring. Wait until soil condi
tions are favorable. Soil compac
tion will rob yields. Plant as early
as possible but only under favor
able soil conditions. If soil condi
tions are unfavorable, keep the
seed in the bag.
4. Check equipment before
heading to the field. Late winter
maintenance which replaces bro
ken and worn parts will decrease
the amount of down time during
planting.
5. Harvest at optimum time.
Timely harvesting reduces drying
costs and minimizes field losses.
Some additional planting tips
from Robert Anderson, extension
agronomy agent, to help increase
yields and profits are:
1. Slow the planter down.
Research has shown that the differ
ence between planting com at
seven miles per hour compared to
five miles per hour may be as much
as 10 to IS bushels per acre less of
U. of Del. Field Crops Meeting,
Townsend Fire Hall, Town
send, Del., 6:30 p.m,-9:30 p.m.
Managing Food Processing Resi
duals Seminar, Pa. Game Com
mission Building, 8:30 a.m.-4
p.m.
Nutrient Management Workshop,
computer workshops, Penn
S
March 7.
Dairy-MAP, Managing For Suc
cess, Venango County Exten
sion office, 9:45 a.m.-3 p.m..
also March 13.
Potato Day, Schnecks ville Grange,
Schnecksville, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Ag Outlook meeting, Gettysburg
Junior High School. 7:30 p.m.
Regional Fruit School, Orchard
Floor Management, Penn State
Fruit Research Center. Bigler-
ville, thru March 7.
Tractor Safety Training Program,
Crawford/Erie County, Ag Ser
vice Center, Waterford, 6:30
(Turn to Pag* A 39)
To Improve Yields
To Plant
Seeds Properly
harvested com.
2. Plant enough seed. The most
consistent variable in yields is
plant populations. Research at
Penn State shows that com yields
are highest when plant population
approaches 28 to 30 thousand
plants per acre.
3. Plant uniformly. Adjust the
planter so that each seed is planted
at the optimum depth. Planting
some seeds deep and others shal
low often affects when plants
emerge and latter when they
pollinate.
4. Calibrate the plant metering
systems. Over- or underapplying
an insecticide or fertilizer may
affect both yields and cost.
5. Constantly check to see that
seeds are being placed properly
and that the planter is closing the
furrow and packer wheels are firm
ing the seed bed.
To Select
Seeds For
The Garden
According to Dr. Tim Elkner,
extension horticultural agent, one
BY LAWRENCE W. ALTHOUSE
SOSILB
AN UNINTENDED
SECRET
March 3, 1996
AN UNINTENDED
SECRET
March 3. 1996
Background Scripture:
Matthew 13:1-12
Devotional Reading:
Matthew 13:10-17
Does God want us to under
stand the gospel, or is it intended
to be a message for some and a
mystery to others?
There are passages in the New
Testament that can give rise to the
latter conclusion. One of these
sources is in Matthew 13 where
Jesus is asked by his disciples why
he speaks to the crowds in para
bles, and he replies, ‘To you it has
been given to know the secrets of
the kingdom of heaven, but to him
who has will more be given, and
he will have abundance; but from
him who has not, even what he has
will be taken away.” Jesus also
goes on to quote Isaiah: “You
shall indeed hear but never under
stand, and you shall indeed hear
but never understand, and you
shall indeed see but never
perceive...”
One might conclude from the
above that it is God’s will for only
a few select to truly understand the
gospel, while the rest must be con
tent with something more superfi
cial. The gospel would thus be
essentially a “secret” to be
grasped only by a chosen few. But
if we examine this passage more
carefully, we will see that this is
not the meaning. The gospel is a
secret, but that is not God's will. It
remains a secret only because of
our own receptivity.
SOW, DON’T WORRY!
Jesus told this parable for two
audiences, the inner circle of dis
ciples and the crowds. To the dis
ciples he was saying that like the
sower, they were to spread the
seed of the good news of the king
dom and not to worry about the
results. Some people would hear
and respond, while others would
not. Be glad that some receive it
and don’t worry about those who
do not. This is God’s concern, not
ours. This is God’s concern, not
ours. That’s a good teaching for
all those who work at communi
of the most important traits to look
for in flower or vegetable seeds is
disease resistance.
This is especially true if you
have been having a problem with a
particular disease in the last few
years.
Read the individual seed variety
descriptions closely for mention of
resistance to disease or look for
capital letters such as F or V next to
variety names. These letters sig
nify resistance to particular dis
eases and are usually found with
tomatoes.
By planting resistant varieties,
you can reduce the time and
expense required for pesticide
sprays. Also, resistant varieties
allow you to grow plants where
there may be soilborne wilt dis
eases that you cannot spray for.
This protection is part of the
plant’s genetic makeup. You do
not need to do anything special to
receive this benefit.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote:
"Celebrate what makes you diffe
rent. Be yourself and respect the
uniqueness of others.”
eating the gospel. I long ago
decided that here were enough
people who would respond to my
efforts that I need not worry about
those who did not Concentrate on
those receptive and leave the rest
to God.
sn
Jesus was also speaking to the
crowds with this parable, saying
that their understanding was deter
mined by their receptivity. Some
heard the message but didn’t try to
understand it Others heard it, but
they didn’t let it attain any depth
in their lives. Others heard it glad
ly but they let other things take
precedence and choke it out of
their lives.
When God calls someone to
sow the gosepl, he doesn’t intend
to take root in just some and not
others. Still that’s what happens if
we are not receptive. Some of us.
like those of whom Jesus was
speaking, don’t understand. Some
of us don’t let the gospel attain
any depth in our lives. We may go
through the motions, but we don’t
let it go to that level of our lives
where it determines how we lie.
And there are some of use who
permit the gospel to be choked out
of our lives because, although we
are glad to hear it. we are too stuck
on other things: success, money,
power, and our own egos.
Nor are Isaiah’s words meant to
indicate that God intends us to be
ignorant of the gospel. They are
sarcastic: you have ears, but
you’re not listening; eyes, but you
aren't looking. And when Jesus
says that those who have will get
more and those who do not will
lose what they have, he is chal
lenging us to use what we have. If
you don’t want to lose it, you’ve
got to use it
So, if the gospel is a “secret” to
us, it is not intended to be. It is a
“secret” only because we choose
to let it be.
The Althouses will lead a group
to the Holy Land, Oct. 9 to Nov. 2,
1996. Space is limited. For infor
mation, write them at 4412 She
nandoah Ave., Dallax, TX 75205.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephnla Review Building
lE. Mala St
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
ASMtmanEnttrpriu
Robert aCampbaH Qooerel Manager
Everett A Newemngar Managing EdHar
Copyright 1996 by Ltneultr Farming
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