VOL. 4. No. 6 ~~
for our readers,
Merry Christmas
In this joyous season of Christiandom, the teach
ings of the gentle Nazerene are uppermost in hearts
and minds of His followers. From the Lancaster
Farming staff, our deepest wish for the joy and
blessings of Christmas to remain with you and yours
throughout 1959.
Peace
I
DR. CARL BITTNER, Penn State pomologist, climbs into
the top of a Lancaster County fruit tree to demonstrate
proper pruning methods to an audience of county fruit
growers during this week’s Extension field days Dr. Bitt
ner later spoke during the County Fruit Growers’ annual
meeting. LF PHOTO
Rodents and Freezing
Major Orchard Threats
Dispensing down-to-earth advice on everyday orchard
and vineyard care, along with various thoughts of future
possibilities in fruit production, Dr. Carl Bittner, Penn
State Extension fruit specialist, appeared in Lancaster
county this week at two pruning demonstrations and the
County Fruit Growers Assn, annual meeting.
Among the first pieces of
technical advice he offered
was for local orchardists to
not delay in baiting their
holdings for mice. “This ex
tended cold spell is perfect
weather for promoting ro
dent damage to trees. The
scant time required to prop
erly bait an orchard will be
amply repaid,” he assured
his audience, Tuesday
Another point Dr. Bittner
laised was delay of prun
ing for young trees, a prac
tice he recommends for
prevention of freezing and
splitting in new plantings.
Trimming of older apple.
pear, sour cherry trees and
grape vines is permissable
early in the season.
However, peach, sweet
cherry and apricot pruning,
along with work on young
trees, should be delayed un
til late in February or even
March.
If orchardists prevent
freezing splits and rodent
damage at this time of year,
they are ahead of the game
for 1959 fruit crops, he de
clared.
Digressing from discussion
of current practices for the
(Continued from page 10)
Lancaster. Pa.. Saturday. December 20, 1958
LOUIS MOORE, left, Penn State economist, diagrams the expected beef price
trend for 1959 for Stanley Musselman, president of the Lancaster County Agricultur
al Council, Center, and Max Smith, county agent Moore predicts JL959 will be much
the same as 1958 for most of the nation’s agriculture, but with definite problems for
poultry, feed and pork producers. LF PHOTO
State Broiler Placements
Continue Record Climb
Placement of broiler
clucks on Pennsylvania farms
at 953,000, increased 11 per
cent from the previous week
and were 36 per cent above
the corresponding week last
year. Outshipments during
the week were 183,000, m
shipments were 135,000.
The ind’cated number ofi
Pennsylvania broilers for*
market about 10 weeks from
now is 844,000, compared
wth 729,000, at the same
time last year Eggs set for*
broiler production totaled
1,456,000, 14 per cent above
the previous week.
22 State Report
Placement of broiler chi
cks in the 22 important pro
ductio states continued the
upward trend, for the seven
th consecutive week, total-,
mg 29,427,000 This is two
per cent above the previous
Grange To Sponsor
Labor-Law Change
Loran Brinton, master of
Pomona Grange, Lancaster
County, announced this week
the Penna. State Grange will
sponsor legislation in the com
mg session of the Pennsyl
vania Legislature to have
supervision and regulation of
farm labor transferred from
the Department of Labor and
industry to the Department
of Agriculture
The Stale Grange is claim
ing the Department of Lab
or and Industry has issued
regulations covering migrant
workers in a “high-handed
manner”, furnishing “ample
proof that this change is ne
cessary ”
“There are certain areas
of agricultural activity, such
as vegetable and fiuit pro
duction, where farmers must
have access to considerable
numbers of workers and the
supply of workers must not
be jeopardized by bureaucra
tic action,” the announceme
nt concluded
week and 16 per cent above
the same week last year
States showing largest in
creases from previous week
were Penna , 111, S. Car,
and Oregon. Indicated num
ber for market about 10
weeks from now is 27.4 mil
lion compared with 23 6 mil
lion at the same tune last
year. The 22 state settings
were 11 per cent above the
previous week and 19 per
cent above the corresponding
week last year.
Total hatchings of broiler
chicks during the period Dec.
13 - Jan 3 will be 18 per
cent above the comparable
period last year.
The Delmarva Broiler-Fe
ed ratio for the week Dec. 5
to 12, was 3 1, below the pre
vious week’s 3.2 and the 3 3
of one year ago. Broiler pri
ces per pound in the Del
marva region averaged at
15.08, compared with the
previoue week’s 14 86 and
16 06 of one year before.
Broiler mash (20%) was wor
th $97 44, compared with the
$93 26 of the previous week.
Pr ces at Lancaster Poultry
Exchange for the same per
iod were averaging 5 63.
PSU Meats Team Ranks
Penn State’s meat-judging
team placed fourth in a field
of 13 colleges competing in,
the recent Ninth Annual In
tercollegiate contests held in
coni unction with the Eastern
National at Baltimore
Winning team was the Uni
versity of Wisconsin, scoring!
2609 points to defeat Cornell'
U, by thiee po'nts Michigan
Stale ivas third, while behind
Penn State in order of plae
mgs were: University of
Florida, Rutgers, U of Mass,
North Carolina State, Univ.
of Conn, Ohio State, VPI,
Clemson and the Univ. of
Maryland
Penn State’s squad placed
tenth in a field of 25 major
$2 Per Year
More Turkeys Taken
For School Lunches
The U. S Department ox
Agriculture today announ
ced the purchase this week
of 240,000 pounds of turk
eys for use in schools partici
pating in the National School
Lunch Program and stated
that it would continue to con
sider offers for around 1,000,
000 pounds weekly until fur
ther notice. Purchases this
week bring the total bought
smce July 31, to 23,350,000
pounds
Prices paid this week ran
ged from 31 37 to 32 43 cents
per pound. In making awards
consideration was given to
transportation costs for dis
tribution. Offers were accep
ted from two of seven bid
ders who offered a total of
750,000 pounds.
Approximately $76,000 of
funds transferred by Cong
ress from Section 32 for use
under the National School
Lunch Act will be expended
for this week’s purchase,
bringing the total to $7,893,
000
USDA will continue to ac
cept turkey offers on a we
ekly basis, with next offers
due not later than 2 pm.
(EST) Monday, December 8,
for acceptance by wire filed
not later than Sam. (EST)
Friday, December 12.
agricultural college meat
judging teams at the Chica
go International on Dec 2nd.
This major contest was won
by the three-man Texas A &
M team, with Oklahoma Sta
le and lowa State close be
hind m second and third pos
itions
W’sconsm was fouith, fo 1 -
lowed by Missouri U , Mich.
State U . VPI, Ohio State, S
Dak State. Penn State, Clem
son, Illinois, Tennessee, Min
nesota, Nebraska, Mississip
pi State. Kansas State, Ken
tucky, Cornell, North Caro
lina State, Mass, Ontario
Agric College, Florida, N.
Dakota and the Umv of Con
necuticut.