AlOLanamr Fanning, Saturday, April 11, 1988
OPINION
The Future of Agriculture
It was reported by the Associated Press last week that an exper
iment with genetically engineered animal heart cells indicates
that science one day may learn how to replace damaged cardiac
muscle with new tissue after a heart attack.
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sci
ences demonstrates for the first time that mammal heart cells can
be genetically engineered to grow and reproduce endlessly in a
test tube. Dr. William C. Claycomb of Louisiana State University
Medical Center says that his lab also was able to show that geneti
cally altered mouse heart cells could survive and beat like normal
heart muscle cells when placed into the damaged heart of a pig.
To predict what role agriculture will play in the genetic engi
neering sciences of the future is beyond our ability. Who would
have thought 10 years ago that dairy fanners would be willing to
pay over $7,000 for a pick of transplanted embryos six month in
advance of birth at the state Holstein sale. Yet, ET cattle and the
process of collecting embryos from the best cows is now quite
common and even financially within the reach of most dairy
farmers.
Then we have genetically engineered com and other grains.
And we have cloned sheep and dairy cattle. Even now you can
imagine that someday, maybe soon, you will call your genetic
engineer and order replacement parts for your best bovine speci
men the same as you would order a part for a disabled tractor or
piece of farm machinery.
We can wish the agriculture of the future to be the same as we
know it today. But wishing will not make it so. More likely, with
in the lifetime of our grandchildren, they will look back on our
generation and remember antiquated things as we do when our
grandpa replaced one of his teams of mules with a Farmall A
tractor.
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3d Annual John Deere Antique
Ron
Mdiithn. \pril 13
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Management Intensive Grazing
4-H Day Course, Holiday Inn,
Clarion, 8:30 ajn.- 9 pjn., thru
April IS.
Pa. Poultry Sales Conference,
Holiday Inn, Gtanttville, thru
April IS.
York County Holstein Barn Meet
ing, Heindel Dairy Farm,
Brogue, 7 p.m.
Delmarva Poultry Boosters Ban
quet. Salisbury, Md,
Passing On The Farm Workshop.
Schoonover’s Restaurant, Mid
dlebury Center, 9 a.m.-3 pjn.
Ephrata Young Farmer meeting,
Katina Showman from 4-H,
nsylvania’* Opportunities For
the Millennium, Eden Resort
and Conference Center,
Lancaster.
Farm To Table Series, Chester
County extension office, West
Chester, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Farm and Natural Lands Trust of
York County Bth Annual Meet
ing, Aldersgate United
Methodist Church, York, 7:30
Marketing Your Farm Market,
Kutztown Produce Auction, 7
❖ Farm Calendars
p.m.
One-Day Youth Institute, Farm
and Home Center, Lancaster, 9
ajn.-2 p.m.
Propagating Perennials. Carroll
County Ag Center, Westmin
ster, M<L, 9 ajn.-ll a.m.
Xeriscaping: Hardy Succulents
and Drought-Tolerant Peren
nials, Carroll County Ag Cen
ter, Westminster, Mi, 7 pjn-9
pin.
Establishing Trees In Urban Areas
Seminar. National Institute For
Environmental Renewal,
Mayfield.
Berks County Conservation Dis
trict Banquet, Berks 4-H Com
munity Center, Leespoct, 7 p jn.
Video Conference On Nutritional
Supplements, originating from
lowa State University and
downlinked to Bradford Coun-
ty extension office, 10:30
ajn.-S p.m.
Manor FFA Awards Banquet,
Penn Manor High School, 6:30
(Turn to Pag* All)
Editor,
My husband and I own and
operate a 45-cow dairy farm in
Susquehanna County. We also
are raising approximately 40
replacement heifers.
The average age of our major
To Harvest Ryelage
With this spring's unusual
warm weather, rye is maturing
very fast, according to Glenn
Shirk, Lancaster County Exten
sion Dairy Agent. If you are plan
ning to harvest rye as ryelage, it
should be harvested very soon.
Once rye starts shooting heads,
dry matter yields increase consid
erably, but feed quality drops rap
idly. So, check your rye fields
now to determine if they are ready
to harvest as ryelage.
To Be Aware Of Rabies
There seems to be an increase
in the number of rabies cases this
year, especially in northern York
County. Raccoons are by far the
most common carrier. Other carri
ers include fox, skunks, bats,
groundhogs and possums.
Pennsylvania law requires all
pets, including dogs and cats, to
be vaccinated for rabies. An in
fected animal may act dazed or
disoriented or may appear ill. A
wild animal that approaches peo
ple, especially in daytime, is a
suspect for rabies. Parents need to
remind children they should not
go near animals they do not
know, especially wild animals -
no matter how cute they look.
If you see a strangely acting
animal, stay clear and do not try
to capture it. Call 911 or your lo
cal police department. If a human
is attacked by a wild animal, call
your local health department.
Remember, rabies is a deadly
disease that needs prompt atten
tion.
S £* * A*-
To Evaluate Winter
Wheat Stands
While most wheat fields look
good at this time, some fields
should be evaluated to determine if
their potential production is worth
keeping, according to Robert An
derson, Lancaster County Exten
sion Agronomy Agent. If stands
are thin, total production will be
reduced.
To check the potential produc
tion of a wheat stand, determine
the length of row needed to equal
one square foot. To do this, divide
144 by the row width in inches.
For 7 inch rows it is 20.6 inches
and for 8 inch rows it is 18
inches.
After determining the length
equipment is over 25 years old.
Our equipment is in constant
need of repair because it is worn
out. There is no money for
investing in new equipment let
alone enough money to update
(Turn to Pago All)
of row needed to equal one square
foot, count the number of plants
in that distance at several loca
tions in the field. Then determine
the average number of plants (not
tillers) you had. If you have an
average of over 24 plants per
square foot, the yield is near 100
per cent. If the number of plants
per square foot is 18 to 21, the
yield potential is 90 to 95 per
cent. Once the number drops to
12, the yield potential is around
ri ( Wfy-- ■
■c.;- ~
BY LAWRENCE W ALIHOUSE
‘sasiLi
sn
Is ‘Seeing* ‘Believing’?
April 12,1998
Background Scripture:
John 20:19-29
Devotional Reading:
Mark 9:14-24
I've always thought that the
Apostle Thomas has gotten a
“bum rap’ from many people who
have judged him from the com
fort and safety of 20/20 hind
sight. Without justification, I
believe, he has been saddled
with that unfortunate so-bri
quet, ‘Doubting Thomas’ and
held as a negative example of
how not to respond to the Good
News.
Yes, I know that even before
this post-resurrection encounter
with the Christ Thomas had
already gained a reputation for
being a doubter. But did he
deserve this reputation?
In John 11:16, when Jesus
resolves to go to Jerusalem even
though this decision fraught
with danger, Thomas’ response
is one of both pessimism and
intense loyalty and courage. In
John 14:5, when Jesus assumes
that the disciples know the ‘way
to the Father’s house,’ Thomas
alone is humble and honest
enough to confess that he does
n’t know what Jesus is talking
about. Are we to assume he was
the only one who didn’t “know’?
We need also to consider
Jesus’ reactions to Thomas on
these two occasions. It is not
recorded that he was angry,
impatient or disappointed with
Thomas. In fact, his expressed
doubts gave Jesus the opportu
nity to clarify what he was try
ing to say. When, at last,
Thomas does understand, he is
one of the most loyal disciples.
So, up to John 20, I don’t think
he has deserved to be called
“Doubting Thomas.”
THE OTHER ELEVEN
Let us take a look at the
other eleven apostles on the
night when Jesus first appeared
to them. Were they a group of
fervent believers waiting for
Jesus to appear? No, John tells
us they were meeting behind
locked doors “for fear of the
Jews.” What'fears put us behind
closed doors?
They were in hiding when
“Jesus came and stood among
them and said, “Peace be with
you.” Having heard those words,
did they jump up and greet him
joyfully? John doesn’t say that.
Instead he tells us that Jesus
then showed them “his hands
and his side." Then the disciples
were glad when they saw the
Lord” (20:20). Then and only
then.
Notice, too, the message
which Jesus brings them; “Peace
be with you.” Twice he says this
to them because he knows that
they have been without peace in
their hearts (20:19,21).
Shattered by sorrow and
despair, they are deeply in need
if the peace which the risen Lord
65 per cent. If the number is 7 or
less, then the yield potential is 50
per cent or less.
Fields with a low yield poten
tial will result in more income if
planted to another crop. An early
harvest of wheat as silage, hSy or
pasture forage crop should be done
early enough to allow planting of
the next crop in a timely manner.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote:
"People may doubt what you say,
but they will believe what you
do."
bestows upon them. Is that not
what we often need to hear hin
say to us, too: “Peace be with
you’? Most of the negativity that
haunts my life comes from fear.
And fear often manifest itself as
hostility, faithlessness, and
despair. With Christ’s peace in
my heart the fear doesn’t stand
a chance.
When Thomas enters the
room where the rest are in hid
ing, they tell him, “We have seen
the Lord!” It is then that
Thomas speaks those words that
have marked him through the
centuries: “Unless I see in his
hands the print of the nails, and
place my finger in the mark of
the nails, and place my hand in
his side, I will not believe”
(20:25)
Once again Thomas is open
enough to admit his doubts; and
is his attitude really all that
unreasonable? What the other
apostles were asking him to
believe was the very thing that
up until his appearance before
them they had not believed
either! The consequences of this
belief are of the most profound
nature. Jesus was crucified and
buried, but he has risen from
that grave and was here with us!
“UNLESS I SEE...”
Their experience can open
the door an 4 point the way fij
us, but each of us must be able
to say with Thomas “Unless I
see..l will not believe.” The res
urrection of Jesus can mean
nothing to any of us unless wte
too can say that in some way we
also have ‘seen’ the Lord. The
resurrection is too vital, of too
great consequence, for us to
accept it as a second-hand belief.
Note, then, what happened
with Thomas. Jesus appears to
the apostles again, but this time
Thomas is with them. Instead of
rebuking Thomas for his reac
tion to the report of his fellow
apostles, Jesus invites him to
actually touch his wounds.
Unlike his fellow apostles on
their first encounter with the
risen Christ, he exclaims, “My
Lord and my God!”
Still not rebuking Thomas,
Jesus says: “Have you believed
because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet believe” (20:29).
Blessed are those who will be
able to encounter the risen Lord
without having to experience his
physical wounds and presence.
We do not have to ‘see’ Jesus
physically, but we do have to
encounter him spiritually and,
when we have, we join Thomas
in proclaiming, “My Lord and
my God!”
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrat* Review Building
IE. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by-
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise i
Robert & Campbell General Manager |
Everett R. Hewawanger Managing Editor!
Copyright 1990 by Luowur Fuming