• County Swine (Continued from Page 1) will be many years before the hog business really becomes as efficient 'as the poultry busi ness has become. On the subjects of high pork markets, Younkin said that prices right now are helping the hog feeders greatly he predicted continuing good prices until about early fall, 1966 but “we pay too much attention to the hilghs and lows when it’s actually the average prices, year in and year out, that tell the true story," he said. He told the swinemen that most of the new units that are going into operation are sub stituting capital for labor. That is, they are using such devices as modified slat floors, con trolled environment .buildings in some cases —, and of ten using automatic feeders. This mechanization enables them to handle more hogs MH 30 AVAILABLE AT P. L. ROHRER & BRO ~ Smoketown, Pa. with less labor costs per hog. When asked' about the pro posed swine-evaluation center planned for location at Penn State, younkin said he under stands * the plans are in the process of going from the architect to Government 'Serv ices Administration for final approval. He could offer no proposed date for beginning construction, but his answer suggests that some progress is being made in that direction. In the audience judging contest that dominated the morning session, the group evaluated five classes of hogs two of breeding gilts, and three of market animals. One of the latter classes was a group of Hampshire-Yorkshire crossbreds: all the other classes were Yorkshires. The top scoring judge of the day was Miss Becky Boyd of Glen Rock Rl, York County. She racked up 470.3 points out of a possible 500, to win the grand prize of a weaned York MH 30 Available at all AGWAY Stores and Local Representatives in Lancaster Co. shire gilt which was donated by host Hess. The gate prize of $5 was drawn by eight-year-old Janet Martin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Martin of Ephrata. In each of the three divi sions, ladies, men, and youth, there were five merchandise prizes awarded. These were won by: (Ladies Div. —1, Miss Becky Boyd; 2, Mrs. James Martin; 3, .Miss Betty Herr; 4, Mrs, Richard Boyd; 5, Miss Irene Bollinger. Men’s Div. —1, Eugene Hosier; 2, Kenneth Hess; 3, Paul Bollinger; 4, Warren Le inmger; 5, Earl Kreider. Youth Div. —1, Michael Hosier; 2, Suzy Martin; 3, Tom Zartman; 4, Beth Boyd; 5, David Deardolf. Judge was Dwight Younkin, assisted by M. M. Smith, coun ty agricultural agent. The site of the affair, the H&H farm, is a 38-acre hog and poultry operation. The Lancaster Farming, • Holstein Field Day (Continued from Page 1) as in breeding enough of the right merchandise to satisfy an ever-growing demand for the best. “The oldest law in merchan dising is the law of supply and demand,” Backus stated. “Today, the cow with the only crops grown are some wheat and tobacco. There are presently 12,000 caged layers; 18,000 pullets; 300 market hogs; and 40 sows and gilts on this farm. Hess works on a multiple farrowing system with approximately 12 sows farrowing in each group. Al though this is now a two-man operation, a third man will probably be added when the 15,000-bird cage house now un der construction is ready for use, Hess said Ph. 397-3539 Saturday, July 31, 1965 heavy production cannot sell on production alone. Nor can the cow with good type bring the real high dollar without production. “Good merchandising, then, demands that our breed pro* duce more and more of those cattle that carry balance with special emphasis on that commodity in shortest supply, type.” Another point of Backus’ talk was that, "it is vital to maintain and broaden the dif ference between the purebred and the grade.” To do this he suggested that "considera tion should be given to rec ognizing and regulating the use of truly great sires so that they might be used to perpetuate and broaden the difference between the pure bred and the grade.” "Perhaps a special commit tee could carefully designate certain proven sires as of Superior Merit. The Superior Merit bulls should be regu lated by restricting them to Registered Holstein cattle owned by members of the na tional breed association,” he ■ suggested. 'County Agent Max Smith also told the group that al falfa is still king of the for age crops. Smith said that early August or early April is the time to plant alfalfa without a nurse crop A band seeder with press wheels, should be used Weeds should be controlled with 24D-B when they are one to two inches tall Temporary forage crops that are useful to the dairy farm er include sudan grass or one of the sudangrass-sorghum hybrids The important tiunlg to remember with these crops is not to harvest too early.— sudan grass not before 16 to 18 inches high, and the hy bud variety not before 30- nrches tall because of the danger of poisoning the cat tle If the forage is giazed, the field should be clipped at four inches high after a two to thiee week period and fertiliz ed to encouiage legrowth Farmers should also be awaie of the danger of prussic acid in these forages after a kill ing frost If farmers are going to use chemical control of suckers, Smith warned them to become acquainted with the directions on the label Time of topping and rate of application per aci e ai e of great importance. Other persons appearing buefly on the progiam were. Linda Lou Welk, Lancaster County Dairy Princess, who spoke on her trip to the State Dany Queen pageant at To wanda, and who was present ed with a $25 Savings Bond by the county Holstein asso ciation, Victor Plastow, asso ciate county agent, and Nel vin Empet, fieldman for the Pennsylvania Holstein Assn Judge for the morning con test was Jonas Gruver, East Berlin R 1 The contest winners were Mein’s Division A'lbert R Fry, Manheim R 3; Nelson Hershey, Columbia Rl; Clair M Martin, Lititz Rl; Fred Metcalf, Willow Street; Elam Petersheim, Elverson Ladies Division Mrs Kenneth Hershey, Km zer Rl, Mrs. Melvin Peifer, 1831 Hans Herr Drive, Lan caster, Mrs Miriam Kauffman, Elizabethtown Rl; Mrs Carl Martin, Ephrata; Mrs. Nelson Hershey, Columbia Rl Junior Division Shirley Hershey, Lititz R 2; Mary Ellen Kettering, Lititz R 3; Jay Smoker, Stephen Rl; Daryl Bollinger, Lititz Rl; Jim Breitigan, Lititz R 2, 5
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