AlO-Lancaster Paiming, Saturday, September 6, 2003 OPINION State Animal Labs Need Funding Now Last week’s story we reported from Rockspring during Ag Progress should open a lot of eyes. We noted that if Pennsylvania continues to try to operate its animal diagnostic labs at its current low level of funding, lack of adequate staffing, outdated equipment, and improper testing certification, Pennsylvania doesn’t “have a chance of fighting disease.” Those were the words of Dr. John Enck Jr., state veterinarian, exec utive director of the Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission and director of the Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Enck and Dr. James T. Rankin, state epidemiologist, state depart ment of health, spoke in Rockspring at Ag Progress Days last month. They addressed the joint committee informational meeting, House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and the House Veterans Af fairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. The threat of ag bioterrorism, or agroterrorism, is “greater than any time in our history,” said Rankin. Is Pennsylvania willing to risk what Canada just went through? One cow with BSE literally shut all Canadian ag exports down, cost ing the country $3 billion in lost income. Then is the $52 million the lab system needs to get its status to en sure quick response time against disease threats such a bad invest ment? We think not. But how to pay for it? Increase the vice taxes? That’s easy enough to say, for us who are nonsmokers, nondrinkers, and nongamblers, and those of us who don’t use recreational game lands or drive down the highways. To create a multibillion-dollar disruption, Enck noted it was “so easy, it’s pathetic,” he said to the members of the House and Senate who attended the meeting at Ag Progress. “I hate to say how easy it Clearly, there is a clear and present danger from possible threats. Rankin noted its not a question of if bioterrorism will happen, but when. We need to stay informed and prepared. Saturday, September 6 Clear Creek State Forest Woods Walk, Jefferson County, 8 a.m.-noon, (814) 335-4897. Ohio Sustainable Ag Field Day, Bowling Green, (330) 202-3534. Fall Garden Wrap-up, Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County, Donohoe Center, Greensburg, 9 a.m., (724) Editor: Starting Sept. 1, New York’s limit for the retail price of milk was increased by 47 cents. The maximum price that a retailer How To Reach Us To address a letter to the editor: • By fax: (717) 733-6058 By regular mail; Editor, Lancaster Farming P.O. Box 609,1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 • By e-mail: farming@lancasterfarming.com Please note: Include your full name, return address, and phone number on the letter. Lancaster Farming reserves the right to edit the letter to fit and is not responsible for returning unsolicited mail. 837-1402. Sunday, September 7 Adams County 4-H and Alumni Celebrations, Ag Center, Get tysburg, (717) 334-6271. World Fertilizer Conference, Boston, Mass., thru Sept. 9, (202) 962-0490. Monday, September 8 (Turn to Page A3l) can now charge for a gallon of milk is $2.94, except for New York City where the maximum price will be $3.16 a gallon. The price limit is the maximum price that a retailer is allowed to charge and is determined by a national pricing scheme that is predominantly based on the use of cheese and butter. This in crease in the milk price limit an ticipates an increase in the price that farmers will receive for pro ducing milk over the next several months. For farmers, the price they re ceive for milk is starting to recov er from record lows and reflects a steady rise over the last several months. Much of this rise in price reflects a seasonal fluctuation of an increase in demand for milk and a decrease in the supply of (Turn to Page A3l) To Scout For Downy Mildew In Pumpkins And Other Cucurbits According to Penn State Plant Pa thologist Dr. Alan Mac Nab, Downy mildew has been reported in Mid-At lantic States on cucurbit crops (pumpkins, summer squash, zucchi ni, and cantaloupes). Most likely it is already present in the warmest parts of Pennsylvania and will spread northward. Mac Nab expects that this disease will be much more prevalent than in recent years. Symptoms for Downy Mildew in clude yellow blotches on the top sur face of leaves and sometime a faint grayish-purple mold on the under side of the yellowish areas. The yel lowish areas die quickly, resulting in dead spots on leaves and a ragged appearance of the foliage. If appro priate fungicides are not used within a week of symptom appearance, a cucurbit planting could be affected so severely that it may appear to be A HOUSE DIVIDED Background Scripture: James 1:1-18. Devotional Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-11 The Letter of James is a puzzling book. It is unlikely to have been writ ten by James, the brother of Jesus, because it reflects a time in the life of the church that is later. Like the rest of the books of the New Testament, it had no title when it was written and the heading, “The Letter of James,” was appended later. For a long time it was excluded from the New Testament canon, partly because of the question of its authorship and also because it was addressed to Jewish Christians in a time when Gentile Christians pre dominated. Yet, from what we do know about James, Christ’s brother, it seems to say the kinds of things we might expect James to say. Cast in the form of a letter, it is much more like a sermon or a collec tion of aphorisms (terse sayings em bodying a general truth). Strung through the letter’s 106 verses are ap proximately 60 imperatives, some of which seem quite unrelated to each other. It appears that there is no theme uniting the book. But, actually Lancaster Farming An Award-Winning Farm Newspaper • PDA Friend of Agriculture Award, 2003 • Keystone Awards 1993,1995 • PennAg Industries 1992 • PACD Media Award 1996 • Berks Ag-Business Council 2000 • Recognized for photo excellence throughout the years by the Northeast Farm Communicators damaged by frost! Timely fringicide applications are critical. Downy mildew is not difficult to control with fungicides. Most cucur bit programs utilizing protectants (for example, Dithane, Manzate, Bravo, Echo, Equus, and copper) likely are providing some control now. With the increased likelihood of downy mildew, growers should now consider some of the materials that have some systemic activity. These include Acrobat tank mixed with a protectant, one of the Ridomil Gold mixture products (Ridomil Gold Bravo, Ridomil Gold MZ, or Ridomil Gold/Copper), and a new one named Pristine. To Control Powdery Mildew In Pumpkins Dr. Mac Nab reports powdery mil dew appears every year and it is present throughout Pennsylvania at this time. It has appeared later than usual this year because of weather conditions that are wetter and cooler than normal. The white powdery growth on top and bottom surfaces of leaves is characteristic. Most growers can identify this disease. There are many fungicides which can be used to control this disease, including Bravo, Echo, Equus, Nova, Procure, Cabrio, Flint, and Quadris. Consult the Pennsylvania Commer cial Vegetable Guide available from your extension office for details. Recently, powdery mildew resis tance to the strobilurin fungicides (for example, Cabrio, Flint, and Qua dris) has appeared in several areas of the U.S. This will be of concern to all cucurbit producers, because spores of the powdery mildew fungus are wind-bome long distances, thus fa cilitating rapid spread of strobilurin resistant populations of the fungus. Where resistance is present, fungi cides other than the strobilurin fungi cides are needed for control. there is a recurring, uniting concern: the steadfastness „of Christian disci pleship. , The writer whdm we will call “James” describes this kind of in consistent and doubting discipleship as being “like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” This person is “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (1:6-8). Double-mindedness is the result of inconsistent faith. The problem with this person, said Dwight E. Steven son, “is not that he possesses no Christian convictions; it is rather that his Christian convictions do not com pletely possess him.” Sunshine Christians To paraphrase Tom Paine, we are “sunshine Christians” but we can and must practice our faith even in the midst of trial. This is where the double-minded person reveals his lack of steadfastness. He believes in the power of Christ, but his fear is greater than his trust. In times such as these the double-minded man or woman will ascribe temptation to God, but James is explicit in holding that temptation comes from within ourselves, not from without. “(He) himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin ” (1:14,15). Al though God does not tempt us, he can use our temptations to deepen our trust. I confess that I find it difficult to emulate James’s attitude: “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces stead fastness” (1:2,3). “Trust in God,” not “joy,” is my best response to date. But, when 1 have managed to stand steadfast in the midst of a trial, then it is an occasion for joy. At this time there are no reports of any resistance for other powdery mil dew fungicides. Therefore, Nova and Procure continue to be good fungi cide choices. It is expected that the broad-spectrum protectant, Bravo, will continue to be effective. How ever, since Bravo has no systemic properties, spray coverage is critical. Another new development is that micronized sulfur appears to be quite effective against powdery mildew. One point to be aware of regarding sulfur is that it can be phytotoxic. Mac Nab suggests that pumpkin growers try some micronized sulfur on pumpkins this fall. ( Note: Do not use this on other cucurbits at this time). Mac Nab proposes a 4 pound per-acre rate when using an 80 per cent wettable product (the label indi cates a higher rate, but the 4-pound rate worked well in a Long Island, N.Y., test). In addition, Mac Nab re minds growers to carefully read and heed label precautions. There could be some varietal dif ferences in sensitivity to sulfur, and sulfur should not be applied when the temperatures are high. The label says it should not be applied above 95 degrees F. It is recommended to apply the spray at the lowest tem perature possible. One micronized sulfur product that is labeled on pumpkins at this time is Microthiol Disperse, 80 percent wettable from Cerexagri. Benefits from use of sul fur include the potential for relative ly good control, including some con trol on lower surfaces of leaves (possibly from some volatilization), the potential to strengthen our fungi cide resistance management pro gram, and a relatively low cost for a micronized sulfur application. Quote Of The Week: “There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what is morally right,” Ronald Reagan (1964) I will not seek tests of my faith, but, when it is tested, and I remain it is a victory over my doij ' ble-mindedness. So, truly, “Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God prom ised to those who love him” (1:12). A Walking Civil War In Matthev-' 12:25, Jesus says, “Eveiy kingdom divided against it self is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” Many of us are like a house divided between what we say and what we do. We attempt to serve both God and mammon mammon getting the edge. We are Christians in our affiliations, but pagans when it comes to business. We follow one who went to the cross rather than deny his mission, but we try to avoid crosses at all costs yes, even the cost of our own souls. One of the great authors described one of his characters as a “walking civil war.” The civil war, of course, was the one going on within him. He was at war with himself, pulled in different and opposing directions, be lieving one thing, but acting out an other. Might that not be a fair description of what goes on inside us? Our Chris tian. ideals are at war with our secu lar values. Our sense of what we ought to be and do may be at odds with what satisfies our lower nature. A house divided against itself can not stand. Neither can a Christian who is not steadfast in his or her faith. Lancaster Panning Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 —by— Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stemman Enterprise William J. Burgess Gensral Manager Andy Andrews, Editor Copyright 2003 by Lancaster Farming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers