16—Lancaster Farming, Friday, April 26, 1957 . Family Farm Continues to Hold Own In Changing Agricultural System Family farms continue to be the dominant type of farm in the United States, after sveral decad es of rapidly changing technology in farming, the U S Department og Agriculture reports However, the revolution m farm know-how is resulting in larger and fewer farms The trend to largei farms has caused many persons to see the family faim giving way to large scale units- “factories in the field” --with marked sepaiafion of management labor. The in creasing investment needed and the larger size of farms associated with modern farming have raised questions as to the ability of oper ators of family farms to compete with large-scale operators A growth in faxm size is to be expected during a penod when improved farming methods have nearly doubled the work capacity of farm labor The rise in opeiat ing costs makes farmers strive for high output per man, per machine per farm. The study views growth in farm size in i elation to changes in farm output per man-hour of labor and prices received by farm ers. Viewed in this way, family farms appear to be holding their own" Today, as 25 years ago, some 98 per cent of all farms are family opeiated. Heie are some of the changes in the picture during the past quarter-century Since 1930, the total number of farms deceased by 14 million from 6 2 million to 4 8 million During that time there was an NEW SUPER Greatest money-savers Step up your power, cu£ your costs —with an Oliver Super tractof. Thejs’re way out front in performance, economy, versatility, handling ease. They have the features now that other tractors may have some day. Both are up in horsepower—to the 3-4 and full 4-plow classes. In both you get a thrifty 6-cylinder gasoline engine with a 7.0 to 1 compression ratio or a 100% diesel., .six forward speeds to fit the tractor to the load and save fuel...doable-disc brakes... rubber spring seat.. • frame mounting pads for. "drive-in” implements. Top of that are these special units— ■■"•""I timesaving Independently Controlled J PTO and new, safety-type "Hydra- J lectric” control system. Don’t wait — ' start saving now. Come in—see and drive the new Supers! N. G. Hershey & Son Manheim, BD. 1 Farmersville Equipment Co. Ephrata. R.D. 2 Chas. J. McComsey & Sons Hickory HUI, Pa. E. L. Herr Peach Bottom even greater drop in the number of commercial farms - - 1.6 mil lion. In that period, almost a mil lion commercial farms in the South dropped from the census count - - largely the result of a re duction in the number of'share cropper units Farms classed as “non-commer cial” in the -1954 farm census have increased rapidly. They com prised only 15 per cent of all farms in 1930, but accounted for nearly a third in 1954. Most of the farms in this group were re sidential or part-time farms, and their operators depended for their living largely upon non farm work Subsistence farms - - those with annual sales of less than $250 and this the major source of cash in come of the farm family - - num bered more than one-half million in 1930 and 1940, but today total less than 200,000. Farm size is generally thought of in terms of acres, but the nation’s farms have grown in other dimensions as well. Volume of business, income and expense figures, net worth and investment are among other measures - - and they, too are up Family farms - those commer cial units lying between the ex tremes of farm income - still make up the vital core of Ameri can agriculture, the sudy repeat edly points out Surprisingly, a quarter-centuiy of techological progress has brought with it a slight increase in the proponon of farms that are smaller than one-man units One OLIVER 77 and 88 ou can buy! 56 Lancaster County Youths Listed In Chicken of Tomorrow Contest Fifty-six Lancaster County boys and girls have entries in the Chicken of Tomorrow con test ito be judged May 7 They ar6 Glenn Aldinger, E 3 Elizabethtown,. Robert W., Arm strong, R 1 Drumore; Fred Bern hard, R 2 Mt. Joy; Esther M. Binkley, R 4 Lititz; Kenneth E. Binkley, R 4 Lititz. Raymond L Bomberger, R 2 L lititz; Ronald Bomberger, R 3 Manheim; Grafton K BrMison Peach Bottom; Jerry Brandt, R 1 Marietta, Luke E Bruckhart, R 3 Manheim. third of the .family farms in the 1954 census would not provide full-time work for one man at the_ existing level of technology Low incomes are a chronic pro blem on many of these smallei commercial farms. Even thoush the number of commercial, units has been reduced by abojut a third in the past 10 years, there has not been much improvement in the real income of many of the small commercial farmers who remain in farming The USDA study has much to say about the current and future problems of family farms It con cludes that the family farm will continue to be an important motor in our agriculture It also suggests that failure to reach farm sizes of family proportion is a more clear and present danger to the family farm than is the development of larger than family-size units ■it. vV ’•v Ht r * $ v' 5 f HOW WILL SHE It doesn’t take expert feeding to stimulate the milk flow of cows on lush spring pasture. The trick is in getting this top production without loss of body weight...and summer slump later. You can turn the trick with the Bea eon-trolled pasture feeding program. % Beacon “14” Test Cow Ration for herds averaging 400 lbs. of butterfat, or higher, has the counter-laxative effect ideal for cows on pasture. 50,.t00, does Auburn “14,” for herds averag ing up to 400 lbs. butterfat. Both rations are balanced and high in net energy for effi cient feeding of herds on lush pasture. Make sure July finds your herd in shape to keep on milking at a high rate. Follow the B p.a con-trolled program for consistent high production. pM GRAIN COST FINDER We’Jl be glad to mail you. free of charge, a Beacon Grain Cost Finder if you live in the Beacon dis tribution area.* It's a quick reference guide to help determine your feeding costs per 100 lbs. of milk produced Send a postcard to your nearest Beacon address below, c/o Dept L-4 - 37 r BEACON FEEDS ARE UNIFORMLY BETTER BECAUSE THEY'RE BEA Before Manufacture During Manufacture Aftap Manufacture *Beacon Dealers are located from Maine to the Virginias THE BEACON MILLING COMPANY, INC. CAYUGA, N.Y. • YORK, PA. • LAUREL, DEL. • EASTPORT, N. Y. BEACON-SHOWALTER FEEDS, INC., BROADWAY. VA. Marlin L. Cassell, R 1 Manheim; David Connor, Rohrerstown, Charles Cooper, R 3 Manheim; David Halladay, Spinaway Farm, Kirkwood; Tom Hallladay Jr., Spinaway Farm, Kirkwoo^ Edwin Hamley, R 1 Rcinholds; John Hastings .Jr, Kirkwood; Louise M. Herr, 2237 Marietta Pike, Rohrerstown, Sara A Heir, 2237 Marietta Pike, Rohrerstown, Donald Hershey, R 3 Lititz. Bonnie Jackson, R 1 Christ iana, Jill G Jackson, R 1 Christ tana, Glenn Kauffman, 510 Peach St Elizabethtown; Marilyn Long enecker, R 1 Elizabethtown; Mil dred Longenecker, R 1 Elizabeth town Daniel K Miller, Rohrerstown, Charles Moore, 780 Eden Rd. Lancaster, Ffloyd H Moore, 780 Eden Rd, Lancaster; Grace I. Moore, 780 Eden Rd, Lancaster, Joseph Mooie, 780 Eden Rd., Lancaster Clay Mumma Jr, R 1 Elizabeth town; Walter E. Myers, R 1 Mt Joy Kenneth Redcay, R 2 Quar ry ville: Charles Rohrer, R 1 Para dise; Richard Rohrer, R 1 Para dise James Rutt, 167 New Haven St, Mt Joy, Carl Shelly, Ken ndgh, Manheim; Jay R. Shelly, R 4 Lititz; Vernon T Shenk, R 2 Denver, Ronald Shremer, R 3 Manheim; M Richard Skethway, R 1 Paradise, J Richard Snaveiy, R 3 Elizabethtown, J Wilbur Sol lenberger, R 2 Holt wood, Ken neth Stoltzfus, Gap, Charles Warfel 111, R 1 Conestoga Nebraska Steers Butcher Out Record Yield OMAHA, Neb., A Nebraska fed load of Hereford steers butch ered m Omaha, hung up what is believed to be an all-time national record in beef yield. The whitefaces, fattened by veteran feeder Harold Nellor of Beemer, produced an amazing yield of 68.04 per cent, according to Carl From, owner of Union Packing Company which process ed the shipment. Cattle buyer W. G (Bill) Meyers purchased the 1,537 lb Herefordsjjn the Omaha market at $25 cwt. Beef or dress mt yield is the average percent age of table beef that can be realized from any given group of cattle. Nellor got the Herefords as feeder stock in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. The steers had been feed for 17 months. The Nellor beef will be for warded to exclusive clientele in New York, according to Frohm. “Some of the steaks and roasts will probably wind up in the Wal dorf-Astoria at $lO a plate,” he said Judy Warfel, R 1 Conestoga; Guy H Weidman, R 1 Gap; Caro lyn Wilson, R 1 Bareville; Robert M. Willson, R 1 Bareville, William I Wilson, R 1 Bareville. Raymond K. Winters, R 2 Con estoga; Frank J. Yost, R 2 Nar von; Glenn D. Yost, R 2 Narvon; Ivan R Yost; R 2 Narvon, John S Yost, R 2 Narvon; and Wilmer E. Yost, R 2 Narvon. PRODUCE an.J’&t COW-TROLLED
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