Farm Price Index Drops 4 Points In Period from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 HARRISBURG Seasonal increases in milk production brought about an average drop of 10 cents a hundred pounds in the price received by Pennsylvania farmers during the month end ed Feb. 15 and became a major factor in a decline of four pointS in the overall farm price index. According to Federal-State surveys announced Tuesday by the State Department of Agriculture, substantial price gains were recorded in meat animals between Jan. 15 and Feb. 15. But these advances were more than offset by the decline in milk and the lower prices received for major grain crops. The Feb. 15 price index of all Pennsylvania farm products was reported at 241 per cent of the 1910-14 base, down two per cent from the Jan. 15 index of 245, but seven points higher than Feb. 15 of last year. The Pennsylvania parity ratio stands at 82, down two points from a month earlier and two points below a year earlier Pennsylvania dairy farmers on Feb. 15 averaged a return of $5 per hundred pounds for milk at wholesale. In spite of the 10-cent reduction they were receiving 60 cents a hundred pounds more than in the same period last year. For the first time in three months the Pennsylvania crop price index failed te show an in crease over the previous jnonth, falling nine points .from mid- January. With time ap proaching most major small grains showed a drop in price, with only wheat and oats showing no change from Jan, 15. The in dex is 15 points above Feb, 15, 1956. Beef cattle, all calves and sheep I ATTENTION | ALL FARMERS! onri/sr ss Join the farm families who get LANCASTER FARMING by mail EVERY WEEK. PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY ... Order Your Subscription Now! LANCASTER FARMING QUAKRYVIIXE, PA. I year $2.00 \ 52 Issues Please put my name on your . list of new subscribers for a one year subscription. Enclosed find check, cash, or money order for $2.00. Bill me later. Name (Please Print) Vddress showed an increite in price over mid-January, with the price of hogs and lambs declining some what from the month earlier. The average price received for live chickens advanced nearly one half cent from Jan. 15, and at 18.4 cents per pound, was the highest since Sept. 15, 1956. Eggs at 39 cents a dozen to producers were unchanged for the same period last month. Emergency Grazing Okayed in 12 States On Feb. 2t the programs per mitting emergency grazing of Soil Bank winter wheat Acreage'Re serve land was extended from Feb. 28 through April 15 in cer tain drought-designated counties of these 12 States: Colorado, lowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dh kota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Utah. 52 Weeks of thousands of Two Officers Tell Rep. Dague Legislative Views Two officials of the Lancaster County Farmers’ Assn, were in Washington this week to explain the legislative position of the or ganization to U. S. Congressman Paul B. Dague. ■ Representing the association were William B. Jacobs, presi dent, of Rl, Narvon, and J. Roy Greider, chairman of the county legislative committee, of R 2, Mount Joy. In meeting with Con gressman Dague, the two farm spokesmen presented major legis lative reviews as adopted by vot ing delegates of the association last fall. Among other subjects discuss ed with the Congressman was the Taft-Hartley Act. “Our associa tion is for the Taft-Hartley Act,” said Greider; but we feel it needs ■to be strengthened. Especially we hope to see an act to support the principal that no person should be deprived of his right to work because of membership, or lack Of membership, in a union or arty other organization. “A man should have the privi lege of deciding for himself whether he wishes to belong to a union or not, and we would de fend that privilege,” said Greider. Labor unions are reported to be trying to extend the coverage of the minimum wage law to in clude agricultural, and all other businesses and professions. In addition, they would like to raise the minimum wage from $l.OO an hour to $1.25. “Of course we are against that sort of proposal and will do everything we can through our organization to prevent it happen ing,” said Greider. Federal aid to education was another subject discussed at the Washington meeting. The Fanners’ Association is committed to the position that the individual state can do a more ef ficient job of school construction and of school operation than can the Federal Government. “Why do so many people think,” asked the county presi dent, “that by going to the federal government for our money we can escape paying for our schools?” “The only thing we accomplish by going to Washington for help is that in the long run we pay more for our schools than if we kept the authority closer to home. “Furthermore,” he said, “all of us learned long ago that when we go to Washington for money, we get government regimenta tion as well as money.” On the Soil Bank and farm program issues, the local farmers told the Congressman that the federal government is too much involved in the regimentation of agriculture. “We’d like to see less govern ment instead of more.” said Greider. “We’ve, had high price supports long enough to prove they won’t work. If the Soil Bank is to be of any value, it must be made effective in controlling di verted acres. “What good does it do for the Government to support the price of eggs, for example, and then turn right around and loan money to farmers to build more chicken houses? “If corn and wheat farmers are going to have their prices sup ported, they .must reduce their acreage; and that acreage should not be permitted to be planted to some' other crop that competes with us here in Pennsylvania,” said Greider. Along with the two farmers from Lancaster County were 80 other farmers, representing the Farmers’ Association from all sections of the state. Farm Women No. 16 To Meet March 13 Farm Women 16 will meet with Lucy Mendenhall, Christ iana, on Wednesday, March 13. Edith Mendenhall will serve as co-hostess. A representative of PP&L will be present to speak and show a movie. The roll call word will be “A guest you would like to entertain.” Lancaster Farming, Friday, March 8, 1957—13 More Plants Mean More Profit, Says Penn State Corn Breeder “Farmers can make an extra $BOO profit from 20 acres of com if they grow 13,000 to 16,000 plants per acre instead of the usual 10,000.” This statement was made at a Jersey Shore meeting of the Pennsylvania Seed Corn Producers* Association by L. L. Huber, corn breeder for the Ag ricultural Experiment Station, the Pennsylvania State Univer sity. Huber declared corn yields in crease as the number of plants per acre increase. He said each farmer must decide What is best for his farm. “You must decide whether you wiant early or late maturing com,” Huber pointed out. “You must consider the depth of your soil, your level of fertility, whether you plant early or late, and whether you want com for grain or silage.” The meeting was attended by 40 contract growers and conjjner cial producers of certified Pen nsylvania S*d com from 18 localities. It was announced that 3,000 acres of Pennsylvania hy brid seed com were inspected-for certification in 1956, an increase of almost 1,000 acres since 1954. Huber reminded growers that Pennsylvania hybrids have pro duced high yields despite drought, diseases, insects and wind damage (lodging) Hybrid 807 won the 1956 Five Acre Com Contest for Happel Brothers of Chambersburg with 160 bushels per acre Three Pennsylvania hybrids won first place in the One Acre Corn Contest: Pa 602 A grew 122 bushels per acre for William Lus§ of Centre County. Pa 807 grew 155 bushels per acre for Walter Ramsey of Chester Co unty. Pa 444 grew 170 bushels per acre for Carl Gadsby of Ven ango County.^ Among the short and medium season hybrids, four hybrids de veloped by the Agricultural Ex periment Station at Penn State were described as outstanding for resistance to stalk rot, lodg ing (wind damage), and blight. These are Pa. 507, Pa 820, and Pa 333. Two of these were new in 1956. ! Another high-yielding hybrid is Pa 602 A. In the Five Acre Corn Contest, 9 of the 18 first place country winners grew Pa 602 A. Seven of the 16 blue rib bon winners in the One Acre MARCH 13 & 14 This Is Your Invitation To Our Introduction Of The NEW 1957 FARMALLS ★ Also Other New and Used Farm Machinery on Display ★ Norge and Victor Freezers ★ Norge Refrigerators—Washers—Dryers Free Pancakes, Sausage & Coffee I H INTCMAtIONAI MMVtVtI Corn Contest grew Pa 602 A. Six teen of the 22 county champions in the (latter contest had Periflsyl vania hybrids. France to Increase Livestock Production Under the so-called Third Mod ernization Plan for Agriculture in France, that country aims to pro duce 25 per cent more calves, 12 per cent more hogs, and 35 per cent more sheep in the next four years. By so doing, France hopes to meet a growing domestic demand and - help satisfy the import needs of neighboring countries, accord ing to the Foreign Agricultural Service. Fig g sizi?l You an stop worrying about •nprlcM when your houses or* full of mount Hope pullets. The combination of Bit Eggs and many of them means top income for you. MOUNT HOP! LANCASTER COUNTY’S — ONLY FRANCHISED MOUNT HOPE HATCHERY Johnson’s Hatchery EPHRATA, PA. t PHONE RE 3-2980 PANCAKE DAYS Wednesday and Thursday 10 A. M. Until 9 P. M. Everybody Welcome! D.L. DIEM & SONS Lititz, Pa. LEGHORNS -
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers