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OPINION
Change In Direction
Long Overdue
Of9oo species listed as endangered since the early 1970’s when the
Endangered Species Act was first enacted, only two have moved up
the list out of danger. The endangered species issue is a very important
one, and the world around us is diminished if a species vanishes. How
ever, the way the implementation of the law has evolved has little to do
with the purpose of the law when it was written.
We want to get endangered species off the list and recover them for
the future, but we’ve got to do that in such a way that our economy can
continue to thrive.
The expense of navigating broad environmental laws, as well as the
bureaucracy and mandates of the endangered species act should not
fall exclusively on the individual’s shoulders.
What is especially revolting about this situation is how a particular
species got on the list in the Erst place. Species have been placed on the
list because some people wanted them on the list, not because there
was data to support putting them there. This is wrong. Listing should
be based on good science and data. And a definite process to remove a
species from the endangered category should be established. If a spe
cies recovers to a predetermined benchmark, then it must be removed.
In a speech to die federal and state conservation officials and a broad
audience from the nation’s farm community, Dr. Jim Tate said one of
the most glaring perversions to evolve from the current endangered
species law is known in Texas as “shoot, shovel, and shut up.” This
means that rather than risk high-handed government interference,
landowners simply destroy endangered species that otherwise might
be saved. One of the selling points for property is that there are “no
birds” on the land, referring to the absence of endangered species on
that parcel compared to endangered species on other land that make it
unmarketable.
There is some national legislation to be proposed in the near future
that would address this issue and place guidelines on when a species is
endangered and benchmarks to follow when it should be taken off the
list This criteria is to be based on scientific evidence. This makes a lot
more sense than the way we are operating now.
Of course, there will be a lot of opposition from those who want to
continue to regulate agriculture in a backhanded way. But the change
in direction is long overdue.
4th Annual Lancaster County Con
servation Expo at the Shirk
town Threshing Festival, Bob
Shirk Farm, Churchtown, 9
a.m.-3 p.m.
Pa. Performance Tested Ram Sale,
State College.
Clinton County Fair, Mackeyville,
thru Aug. 9.
Greene County Fair, Waynesburg,
thru Aug. 9.
Old Time Wheat Threshing Steam
',nd Gr En'*’ Shr • Fedf
thru Aug. 9.
Schuylkill County Fair, Summit
Station, thru Aug. 9.
Union County West End Fair,
Pittsburgh, thru Aug. 7.
Tioga County Fair, Tioga Co. Fair
grounds, Whitneyvillc/
Wellsboro Aug. 4-9.
Butler Farm Show, Butler, thru
Aug. 9.
Cochranton Community Fair,
Cochranton, thru Aug. 9.
Dawson Grange Community Fair,
Dawson, thru Aug. 9.
Sykesville Ag and Youth Fair,
Sykesville, thru Aug. 9.
Warren County Fair, Pittsfield,
thru Aug. 9.'
Ag Education meeting, Milton
Hershey School. 8:45 a.m.
Tulphehocken Adult Young Far
mer Tour, Dußrow’s Tree Farm •
shop. Small Flowering Trees.
Sweet Com Field Day, Landisville
Research Station, 5:30
p.m.-B:4S p.m.
Pasture Walk and Conservation
Tour, Aaron M. King, Ronks,
10 a.m.-noon.
EAYFA Bus Trip to York Co.,
departing Elite Coach, Ephrata,
7:45 a.m.
National Envirothan, University of
Pittsburgh, Johnstown, thru
Aug. 10.
Warren Co. Fair, Pittsfield, thru
Aug. 9.
Empire Farm Days, Stanley, NY
Aug. 5,6,7,9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.
& Wed., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs.
Editor:
On July 28 the first meeting of
the Commission on Small Farms
and Ranches was held in Mem
phis, TN.
2000 miles and a full day of
hearings in two days and two
hours. All because time is so short
to make use of this court ordered
investigation. I was questioned for
To Manage Alfalfa Fields
Robert Anderson, Lancaster -
County Extension Agronomy
Agent, reports that he has seen
many alfalfa fields looking ex
1, smely bad. The dry weather did
not allow the alfalfa to grow very
tall. However, the biggest prob
lem is the potato leafhopper
which is feeding heavily on al
falfa. When the leafhopper feeds it
injects a toxin into the alfalfa
plant that plugs the plant’svascu
lar system. This stops the flow of
water and nutrients within the
plant. Fields where the leafhopper
have been controlled are short but
green in color. Once an alfalfa
field shows signs of leafhopper
feeding it must be mowed to get
the plant functioning again. Fields
that are showing yellowing or
"leafhopper burn” need to be
mowed and then sprayed with an
insecticide. If the field has begun
to bloom, it will not add height,
it will only loose feeding value.
These fields should be harvested
immediately. If the alfalfa is too
short to bale, it should be clipped
and the stubble sprayed for leaf
hoppers
To Harvest Silage to
Optimize Quantity and
Quality
Even with recent rains, this
summer's drought may have lasted
too long to expect great things of
com and other crops, according to
Robert Anderson, Lancaster
County Extension Agronomy
Agent. The decision to harvest si
lage should reflect 1. the potential
the field has for recovery, 2. the
moisture content of the crop and
3. any yield losses which could be
expected due to the loss of lower
leaves. As we get later into the
growing season, the likelihood of
yield increases due to late season
rains diminishes rapidly.
Elk County Fair, Kersey, thru Aug.
Harcold’s Fair, Greensburg, thru
Aug. 9.
Sewickley Township Community
Fair, West Newton, thru Aug. 9.
Fulton Co. Extension Office Agri
(Turn to Page A3O)
was over. All the important topics
were aired The situation in Loui
siana, where Mid-Am used sole
supply contracts to force 400 pro
ducers to join and then charged
them about $2.00/cwt to ship milk
in due to short supplies. Half are
already gone. The loss of our
(Turn to Pag* A3O)
Corn and other plants quickly
looses its ability to maintain
leaves. Drought stress causes a
high rate of abortion of kernels
further limiting plants ability to
recover from drought. Consider
harvesting drought crops as soon
as the moisture content of the
whole plant is in the range of
good storage.
To Be Aware of Silo
Gases
A dry season, like we are hav
ing, increase the danger of silo
gas. This deadly gas from ferment
ing forage can make filling silos
particularly dangerous during diy
weather, according to Penn State
safety specialist, Dr. Dennis
Murphy. Silo gas or nitrogen di
oxide can cause severe irritation to
the nose and throat and may lead
to an inflammation of the lungs.
It can cause unconsciousness or
GROW UP!
August 3, 1997
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 5:11 through 6; 12
Devotional Reading:
Hebrews 6:13-20
Our text for this week is one
example of where we could easily
“miss the forest for the trees.”
It can be a very confusing and
frustrating passage. We're not
certain the writer means to say
what it sometimes seems he is
saying. For example, in Hebrews
6; 1,2 he seems to imply that the
“first principles” of Christianity
are “repentance from dead works
and of faith toward God, with
instruction about ablutions, the
laying on of hands, the resur
rection of the dead, and eternal
judgment.” Note that he does
not mention the Lord’s Supper,
the Holy Spirit or the atoning
sacrifice of Christ —all of which
we would include as part of the
“first principles.” So what does
he mean here?
Another troubling passage here
is his assertion that those who
commit apostasy —a rejection of
God or the Church—cannot
possibly be restored through
repentance. Is this an “impossi
bility” because God will not
accept the apostate’s repentance
or because the apostate's heart
has been hardened Co the point
that repentance is impossible?.
These are just two of the
problems that occur in this brief
selection from Hebrews and the
problem is that, if we become
bogged down in these perplexing
questions, we may very well miss
what is of primary value for us
as Christians today. Regardless
how we solve the problems
noted above or interpret what
Hebrews is saying, there seems
to be little doubt that he is telling
us here to ‘Grow up!’
And that is a very relevant and
timely message for us today!'
WHERE YOU GOT IN
The writer of Hebrews says his
readers have “become dull of
hearing” (5:11) and later warns
them against becoming “sluggish”
(6:12). He is concerned, not be
cause they have become blatantly
immoral or heretical, but because
they have simply become inat
tentive. They arc in danger of
God’s judgment because of the
complacency and indifference
that characterizes their relation
ship with God in Christ.
I’m afraid that diagnosis fits all
death especially in the first 12 to
72 hours after filling the silo.
Silo gas is heavier than air. It
tends to accumulate just above the
silage in the silo. It has a strong
bleach like odor and appears as a
low lying yellow, red or dark
brown gas. gas may flow
down thechute and collect in the
feed room or other areas near the
base of the silo. To prevent silo
gas poisoning, provide good ven
tilation in and around the silo
when silage is fermenting, Keep
the door between the bam and feed
room and silo closed. Keep chil
dren out of the area.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote:
"There is little difference in peo
ple, but that little difference
makes a big difference. That little
difference is attitude. The big dif
ference is whether it is positive or
negative."
too many of us. We’re like the
little boy who fell out of bed one
night with a loud crash. To his
anxious parents he explained: "I
guess I fell asleep too close to
where I got in.” Many of us have
fallen asleep too close to where
we entered life in Christ!
Do you remember when you
first started school? How much
more do you know now? 100%?
200%? 500%? Or think back to
when you began to leant to play
tennis or golf. How much have
you grown in your understand
ing of the sport and your skill?
Now, think of the level at
which you became a Chnstian.
Have you grown or matured in
your disciplcship? Is your faith
stronger or the same? Is your ca
pacity for love greater or is it still
pretty much at the same level?
Has there been growth since you
began following Christ? Enough?
NOT ‘HOW LONG?;
BUT ‘HOW MUCH?’
A certain teacher at a private
boys ’school was passed over for
promotion when a vacancy
occurred in his department.
“How could you ignore my 20
years of experience here” he
demanded of the headmaster.
“Actually,” the headmaster
replied, “you haven’t had 20
years of experience—just the
same year of experience twenty
times over.” That’s also true of
us. The question is not how many
years have we been following
Christ but how much have we
grown in that experience?
I hope this doesn’t come as a
shock to you but we are not simply
called to become Christians and
to join the Church! What we are
called to do is continue to grow
to Chnstian maturity. I may not
be able to spell out just exactly
where “Christian maturity” is for
you, but I do know that it is con
siderably beyond where a lot of
us find ourselves.
Is your Christian walk and talk
that of a mature follower of Jesus
or are you still a babe in Christ?
And If you answer is the latter,
then the next question you need
to ask yourself is “Why?”
(Larry & Valere Alt house will
be following thefootsteps ofPaul
and John with a lour to Turkey,
October 17 to November 2. For
information, write them at 4412
Shenandoah, Dallas, TX 75205)
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
IE. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by-
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stelnman Enterprise
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newawanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1997 by Lancaster Farming