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staffing, outdated equipment, and improper testing certification,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
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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
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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