1960 Beef Drop Seen
Meat Bd. Eyes
Pork Cycle Low
Average prices received by farmers and cash receipts
from sales of meat animals are higher this year than in any
year since 1954. Next year, the USDA Livestock and Meat
Outlook and Situation board predicts, prices of cattle will
continue fairly high but prices of hogs will be lower.
Cattle numbers next January 1
will be near the high mark reach
ed in 1956. In 1960 and later
years, numbers probably will set
successive new highs
Since the inventory expansion
still is in the initial stage, mark
eting in 1959 are not likely to in
ciease much. But if the build up
in numbers is rapid, expansion m
marketings later would be large
and prices could fall sharply
Pioduction of hogs started up
ward this fall and will continue
upward in 1959. Last June, hog
pioducers expected to increase
their 1958 fall farrowings 13 per
cent
A report from nine states in
September indicated they weie
fulfilling their plans and even ex
ceeding them slightly Hogs from
the fall crop will arrive at mark
ets beginning early in 1959 Pric
es of hogs this fall are expected
State to Inspect
Christmas Trees
Consigned to N.Y.
- HARRISBURG State Agri
culture Department inspectors
this week began certification of
Christmas trees consigned 'to
New York State buyers.
Hr Thomas L. Guyton, direc
tor of the Bureau of Plant Indus
try, said today that new Empire
State regulations require pest
free certification of all trees from
any source, including Canada
The regulation became effective
October 15.
Tip moths, white pine shoot
moths, pine needle scale and gall
aphids are among the pests listed
in the New York quarantine, Dr.
Guyton said.
Growers desiring inspection
must prove that the trees are
consigned to New York State ;
outlets. Nursery stock certified
by the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture will continue to
move freely between states, he
also explained.
Intensive Tillage Means
Higher County Corn Yields Possible
Failure of Lancaster County
farmers to fully utilize their
soil’s production potential in
corn operations was pinpointed
by Penn State Extension Agrono
mist James Eakm this week, as
the mayor reason county farmers
ar not obtaining “Midwest” corn
yields.
Eakin was present for a senes
of Hybrid Corn Field Trips and
Demonstrations slated for test
plots within the county. He dis
cussed corn practices and results
Tuesday with farmers attending
the first scheduled demonstra
tion on the Clarence Harmsh
L.rm, Lancaster RD7, before rain
W ednesday forced cancellation
of the second program and threat
ened to halt Thursday’s schedule.
Soil and climate of this area
are adapted to production of 100-
plus bushels of corn per acre,
Eakm declared. The controlling
factor for top production is use
of practices designed for the
specific purpose of obtaining the
desired yields.
Five techniques ere stressed
by the agronomist as being vital
Mary X. Battendorf, Librarian
Agricultural Library
the Penna. State Cblvereity
Bfelvarsity Park, P«ma.
to decline at only about the nor
mal seasonal late they may
average about the same as last
Jail.
But prices during the winter
will show little or no seasonal re
covery, and prices thereafter will
be appreciably lower than in cor
lesponding periods of 1958.
In September producers in
nine states planned a 20 pei cent
gain in Decmber - February far
rowmgs. This may overstate the
prospective increase in the
spring total, as a fiuther shift to
early farrowing dates may be oc
curring. But a substantial rise in
the total 1959 spring pig crop
seems probable
Prices of hogs in the fall of
3959 are almost certain to drop
to their lest point since the fall
of 1955 How nearly they ap
proach that low depends on how
much the total spring crop is in
creased.
If the total crop should be up
close to the 20 pei cent m view
for the rst three months, prices
next fall would be in grave dan
ger of falling to the $lO 50 they
leached the fall of ’55. If the ex
pansion should be model ate,
prices would probably remain
above that low by an appreciable
margin.
On July 1 there weie 16 per
•cent'more cattle on feed than a
year earlier Since then market
ings have been above last year
end new placements below This
is working off the back-log of
long-feds, and fed cattle prices
may advance near the end of this
year.
Recent prices of feeder cattle
have much closer to current pric
es of fed cattle than was the case
a year ago Since the total supply
of young cattle is a little greater
than last year, prices of feeder
cattle are not expected to rise
continuously this fall and winter
as they did last year On the other
hand, any seasonal weakness will
be small.
Prices of lamb have averaged
about the same as a year ago.
They may continue to do so. In
ventories of sheep and lambs are
still being built up, and demand
for replacement lambs is strong.
to production of “Midwest”
yields. They are.
Soil testing and fertilization ac
cording to test results
Planting a high-yield hybrid
which has been a consistent
standout in local tests
Planting for a MINIMUM
stand of 16,000 plants per acre at
harvest.
Weed control through chemi
cal sprayings.
Extreme care avoid root dam
age by cultivating too close to
plants or too deep
Plantings in county test plots
of 16 - 20,000 plants per acre
have produced visible signs of de
creased yield in some hybrids,
hile others have responded well,
th Tuesday audience was advised.
Among vanetys which provide
promise of high yields and good
“standability” in thick plantings
were U. S. 13, Pioneer 301 A,
Penn. 820, and Funk G9l, as well
as some lesser known varieties.
Eakm emphasized the low or
ganic matter content of county
soils as a major weakness, de
velopd through years of cropping.
Vol. 111. No. 50j
THE LATEST USDA livestock outlook re
port indicates cattle of this type will 'con
Meeting to Host
Lititz Farmers
A meeting has been scheduled
for Nov 10 by the Lancaster
County Soil Conservation Dis
trict for farmers in the Lititz
area to study the possibility of
a Watershed program in that
community.
Martin Muth, SCS work unit
conservationist, Lancaster, an
nounced the meeting has been
planned to encourage farmers to
adapt and. use soil and water
conservation measures.
Doors Close Today
For 1959 Soil Bank
Today is the deadline for con
tract application for Lancaster
County farmers to participate m
the 1959 Conservation Eeserve
portion of the Soil Bank, re
ports Miss Dorotry Neel, ASC
office manager.
Twenty-nine county farmers
have applied for conservation
Reserve contracts. However, 117
have requested information
concerning Soil Bank payments,
Miss Neel reports.
Use of annual field brome grass
as a corn cover crop would aid m
returning organic matter ot the
area, he concluded.
.Quarryville (Lancaster County) Pa.,
Annual Feeders’ Tour Set for Wed.
A New JLook has been added to
the Annual Lancaster County Cat
tle Feeders’ Tour, scheduled for
Oct. 29, according to Max Smith,
county extension agent.
Smith reports the tour will
switch from commercial bus trans
portation used in the past to a
private car caravan with police
escort.
The Wednesday tour will be
completely within Lancaster Co.
this year, with visits to eight
farms. Interested feeders are
urged to join with their neigh
bors and attend the all-day edu
cational event.
Those wishing to join m the
event, Smith said, may assemble
at 8.30 a m. at the Mike Stoltz
fus farm, Bareville RD 1, located
on Route 222, one mile north of
Oregon and south of the Sandy
Beach bridge.
At the first stop, tour mem
bers will observe 100 steers on
feed, two glass-lined silos and
automatic feeders being installed.
Second stop on the tour will
be at the New Holland Machine
Company’s farm, Lititz RD 3,
(the former Jacob Evans farm
just east of Lancaster Airport).
The exhibit there will include
steer calves, grass silage and a
trench silo.
The Richard Buckwalter farm,
Lititz RD 3, located at Kissel Hill
Friday, Oct. 24, 1958 $2 Per Year
tinue to draw “fairly high” prices, but
after 1959 “prices could fall sharply.”
will be the last morning stop. It
includes an automatic feeder op*
eration for 100 steers.
For lunch, tour members will
disperse to diners and restaurants
in the Flonn-Ehzabethtown area.
At 1 p.m. the tour will con
tinue at the farm of Richard
Nissley, Bambridge, three miles
northwest of Maytown. Nissley is
feeding steer calves and heavy
cattle on grass silage, with a new
steer barn being featured.
J. Harold Frey, Marietta RD 1*
(one mile east of Maytown) will
be the next tour host. He will
show his remodeled barn, 100
heavy cattle, 200 hogs and other
points of his operation.
A proven operation with year
ling cattle will be on display
at the David Hess farm, Mt. Joy
RD 1, one and one-half miles east
of Maytown, on the third after
noon stop.
The tour will continue to three
miles southwest of Central Manor,
where members will see an auto
matic auger feeder for both silage
and grain on the farm of Ralph
D Brenneman, Washington Boro
RD 1
Final stop on the program.
Smith reports, is the John W. San
grey farm, Conestoga RD 1, (one
mile south of Rock Hill) where a
liquid feeding program and self
feeding trench silo are utilized in
handling 100 steers.