Vol. 11. No. 49 North Carolina Youth Receives FFA ‘Star Farmer of America’ Title By Ralph Bitler KANSAS CITY, MO., (Special) Clarence C. Chappell, Jr., 21, R 1 Belyidere, North Carolina, receiv ed the nation’s most coveted farm youth award in Kansas City Tues day night when the Future Farm ers of America conferred their “Star Farmer of America” title. The award, carrying with it a $l,OOO check from tlhe Future Farmers of America Foundation, Inc., was made, during colorful ceremonies at the Tuesday even ing session of the 30th annual national FFA convention in Kans- City’s Municipal Auditorium. Young Chappell shared the spotlight with three other FFA members who were named Re gional Star Farmers and receiv ed checks of $5OO each. They are Charles F. Cole, 20, R 2 New Hart ford, New York; Bryan Haf<m, 19, Mesquite, Nevada, and Billie D Parsons, 21, 'Milesville, South' Dakota. Earlier in the day the Star Farmers had been among the 363 FFA members who received the organization’s top achievement degree, that of American Farmer. Only one FFA member an a thou sand is eligible to become an American Farmer, and the Star Farmers were selected from that group. - • American Farmers are consid ered to be the “cream of _the crop.” The degree is given only by the national organization, and State Associations are permitted to submit only one candidate for each 1,000 or major fraction, bf members in the state. . . Each American Farmer Degree winner received a gold key and certificate from the FFA Among, the 11 Pennsylvania American Farmers honored were Lester J. Wiker, R 2, Quarryville, Solanco Chapter; Harry L. Gnest, R 3 Coatesville, Octorara Area Chapter; and David L. Shaub. R 2 Hershey, M. S. Hershey Chapter. Named honorary American Farmer was V. A. Martin, Camp Now Is The Time . . . By MAX SMITH County Agricultural Agent Max Smith TO PROTECT FARM MACHINERY On many laiiiis most of the crops have been harvested and the machinery is Uady for winter storage. It is good managemen and efficient to Clock and repair machinery before storing it for winter. By all means it should be under roof during the winter months. TO SPRAY FOR WINTERCRESS Early fall is the best time to spray grasslands for control of wintercress; many farmers regard it £ s mustard in the alfalfa or clover fields next spring, but it is wmter -11 es s Most effective spray to use, without damage to alfalfa or clov er is MCP at the rate of one pint in not over seven gallons of water Per acre. This weed is quite common throughout the county and should be checked. TO TOP-DRESS FORAGE CROPS For maximum yields of legumes an d grasses next summer fall applications of phosphorus and potash are strongly recommended, applications of 300 to 400 pounds of O' 20 20, or the equivalent, here in mid-October should give good results next summer. Hill, former assistant state super visor of agricultural education. Other dignatmes so honored in clude the fathers of the Star Farmers, fathers of National Offi cers, Harry S. Truman, former president of the United States, Mayor Bartle of Kansas City, Sen ator E. J. Thye of Minnesota, Gov. Cecil Underwood of West Virgin ia, and Toraichi Kunsaki, secre tary general, Fut ure Farmers of- Japan, Tokyo. Two Lancaster County FFA boys members of the national chorus. They are Gerald Greiner, R 4 Man heim, and A. Clyde Kreider J,., Rl Quarryville. Both sing first tenor. The chorus will participate in the American Royal Ball tonight and will march in the American Royal Parade tomorrow morning. The chorus members arrived m Kansas City Oct 11 to begin prac tice sessions. Judging 'for ' Star Farmer a wards was done by a group of nationally known business and professional men an a meeting held at national FFA headquart ers in Washington, D C., July 29. Names of the winners were kept secret until the presentation The judges were Raymond C. Firestone, President, Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio Kenneth ,C. . Towe, President, American Cyanamid Co., New York, N. Y.; Clark W. Davis, Gen eral Manager of the Grasselli -Chemicals Department, E. I du- Pont deNemours & Co., Wilming ton, Del.; Frank W. Jenks, Execu tive Vice President, International Harvester Co., Chicago, 111.; Ed ward Foss Wilson, Assistant Sec retary, U. S -Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington, D C., Wheeler Mc- Millen, Vice President, Farm Journal, Inc., Philadelphia, Penna Roderick Turnbull, Editor, The Weekly Star Farmer, Kansas City Mo., and Hugo Riemer, President of the Nitrogen Division, Allied Chemical and Dye Corp., New York, N. Y. TO PROTECT FARM PONDS Due to the re cent drouth many farm ponds remain below nor mal water level; muskrats are becoming more active now at these lower water levels. Holes and dens at these levels may weaken or dram the pond. A continuous control program is urged before infestation gets too high. TO RECOGNIZE VALUE OF CORN FODDER The fertilizer value of corn fodder is just as good afterTt has been of use in the barn as a roughage feed or as bedding. With the shortage of both straw and hay in this area, it is possible to use corn fodder as a partial replacement espe cially with young stock and with steers. Quarryville (Lancaster County) Pa.,'Friday, Oct. 18, 1957 A PERFECT CRISP FALL DAY brought out a crowd of hundreds to watch the an nual Lancaster' County Plowing contest held in conjunction with the Mt. Joy Com Penna. Completely Area Tested; To Be Certified Bang’s Free In March A 23-year dream has come true from Dr. Howard A. Milo, direc tor of the Bureau of Animal In dustry, State Department of Agri culture. This month Dr. Milo signed the final papers to designate Pennsyl vania as completely tested under the brucellosis eradication pro gram. His next goal—by March 1, 1958—is to receive US. De partment of Agriculture certifi cation as a brucellosis-free State October 4 was the historic day for the livestock industry in Pennsylvania when Lebanon County dairy and beef breeding farmers submitted the last herdsi in the State for area testing by a special team of Department and practicing veterinarians. Pennsylvania becomes the tenth State m the nation to complete testing. There are now 59 coun ties m the Keystone State certi fied by USD A as brucellosis-free For statewide certification, eight other counties must be retested to bring the percentage of disease below five per cent in the num ber of herds and one per cent in the total cattle in the county. According to figures released by the Bureau of Animal Indus try, initial testing was completed on an 1,362,863 cattle in 99,385 herds All are under supervision of Bureau agents and will be re tested at periodic intervals to as sure checking of the infection. Secretary of Agriculture Wil liam L Henning commended the Bureau of Animal Industry for “diligent service in completing the initial testing progiam m, Pennsylvania.” He said in the last year and a 'half 26 counties have been certified under the intensive program. Between 1940 and 1955 only 33 counties were certified. “Our program must continue munity Farm Show. Sixteen contestants entered. Winner was Martin Wxtman, R 1 Marietta.-(LF Photo) until we have the entire State cer tified . . and then some,” Sec retary Henning declared. He cited the cooperative efforts of prac ticing veterinarians, the county and State brucellosis committees, cattle breed organizations, indi vidual farmers, county agents, agricultural extension special ists and others. The completion of testing in Lebanon County was spearheaded last month with the assignment of, a team of veterinarians to the county in an all-out drive. Dr Milo said the prompt clean up campaign in Lebanon County necessitated a revision in certifi cation plans. He now anticipates that the State will be several months ahead of the July 1, 1958 goal set two years ago for state wide certification. According to Department rec ords, the first brucellosis test was conducted in 1934 in Crawford County, where a program was-be gun on a small scale. According to Dr. Milo, that program pro gressed slowly during the early years because of the lack of per sonnel and adequate funds. In 1950 a statewide calfhood vaccination program was adopted as an adjunct to the eradication efforts. Under the plan, cattle be tween four and eight months of age are vaccinated to build up an immunity to brucellosis. In 1953 the mobile ring test was introduced for dairy cattle enabling technicians in mobile laboratories to read composite milk samples for brucellosis sus pects. Dr. Milo estimated that the Bureau’s diagnostic laboratory at Summerdale, Cumberland Coun ty, last year tested a record 800,- 000 blood samples under the pro gram. Now that the State has com- $2 Per Year Even Dairy Cows Are Subject To ‘Stress’ Even cows are subject to “stress” disease problems. Dr. Samuel B Guss, extension veterinary specialist, says many high-producing dairy cows are stricken with "ketosis” within 10 to 90 days after their calves are born. Many farmers do not rec ognize the great amount of energy used by the highly-productive cow at the peak of milk output, and many do not understand the great amount of feed a cow requires if she is to produce at her maxi mum. Ketosis usually is caused when the cow does not receive balanced nutrition to maintain both her weight and full milk production. Dr. Guss continues. It could also be a secondary condition result ing from a disease which sup pressed the appetite and reduced feed consumption. Symptoms in clude loss of appetite, constipa tion, depressed appearance, a staring expression, rapid loss of body weight, and a drop in milk production. The 'sick animal also may show signs of incoordination. Some cows may become lethargic; others may be excitable. Method of treating the disease depends upon whether the veter inarian’s diagnosis shows that the ketosis condition is primary, or is secondary result of another dis ease. pleted the testing program for bo vine brucellosis, veterinarians! will concentrate on additional) livestock disease eradication work, including a voluntary swine brucelloss campagin in slaughter houses.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers