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.