—Lancaster-Farming. Saturday, November 19, 1960 4 FROM WHERE WE STAND - Family Farm Is Not Doomed Everywhere we turn these days we hear someone say, “Things aint like they used to be.” We agree.. And we say, “It sure is a good thing ” We most often hear the sad refrain of “things ain’t ...” connected with an expression of fear-that the ever growing mechanization of agriculture along with other advanced farming techniques and tools, will lead to the virtual disappearance of the family farm, and its replacement with the big corporation farm. Dr. Carl Butler, one of this coun try’s leading agricultural economists vigorously disputes this view. He writes; “The family farm is not disap pearing. True, some family farms are finding it convenient to incorporate. If this is corporation farming, make the most of it, but actually a very small percentage of the farms in the-United States are either corporation farms or incorporated. The majority are-family owned and family operated. In fact, today about 96 or 97 per cent of all the farms in the United States are family-operated units. There has been no significant decrease in the Twenty years ago industry produc ed some 50 basic chemicals for use on our farms. Now the number exceeds 200. Of the 1959 volume (about 50 mil lion tons), some 90 per cent would not have been available at the beginning of World War 11. Pesticides cost farmers about $29 million annually in the 1930’5; now the cost is near $260 million. The upward trend in the use of chemicals is going ta continue for ob vioas reasons. The consumer has come to expect products with quality and sanitation standards never dreamed of by our forefathers Farmers must com pete for the consumer market and chemicals offer the only economical means of maintaining high quality, produce. Eeturns and rewards ,are great when chemicals are used properly. Im proper use of chemicals can be ex tremely dangerous. Like any other tool, chemicals must be used in the manner and for the purpose for which they were intended. - Davidson Ordman y we don’t go in buck Foundation, much for contests As a rule This is a contest in which they are conducted with a more than a million farm and great dea' of ballyhoo intend- small town people work near ed to grind some special ax ly 100 mil ion hours each of the sponsor year to make their communi- There are of course, ex- ties a better place in which ceptions One of those is the to work, live and raise their nation-wide Community Ser- famines vice Contest sponsored since This year Grange members 1948 joim'y by the National an d non-members have work- Grange and the Sears Roe- ed together in more than 5,- 000 communities m 37 states to build schools, churches, community meeting halls, hospitals and c inics, play grounds and parks, and on hundreds of other worth while projects. A Se’f-Help Program This is a contest in which rural people survey the needs of their community, then join together in meeting those needs. Judges pick the win ner in each state, then anoth er set of judges select the “top ten” from among the state winners. Five nationa’ly - known men then make a two-weeks airplane tour of the “top ten” to se'ect the first, second, third, fourth and fifth place winners. Awards range from Lancaster Farming Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly P O Rot 1524 Lancaster, Penna Offices: 51 North Duke St. Lancaster, penna. Phone - Lancaster Express 4-J047 Jacit Owen Editor Robi rt O Campbell, Advertising Ibrcotor 4. Business Manager Est i’ lished November 4, 1955 Pub'isbed every - Saturday by Lancaster Farming Lancaster, Pa. Entered as 2nd class matte- at Lane" cter, Pa under Act of Mar 8 7F70 additional entry at Mount Joy. P.i 'Subscription Rates $2 per vear; three -iirs SI, Single < opy Pi ce 5 cents Memb< rs Pa Newspaper Publish ers’ ‘"rntor National Editor ial Association Farm Chemicals THIS WEEK —ln Washington With Clinton Davidson Community Service < I proportion of family farms during the last 20 or 30 years..” Dr. Butler also says that the num ber of hired professional farm manag ers has actually declined a little in re cent years, which means that the per centage of owner-operators has shown an increase. Actually, mechanization has meant "the salvation of the family farm, whe ther or not it has gone through the. for mality of incorporation. It has made possible more production at reduced "cost. Even more important in the long pull it has given the small, as well as the large, farmer the means of improv ing and conserving irreplaceable land the six inches of topsoil that stand between us and famine. It has reduc ed or eliminated back-breaking drudg ery. It has made farming into a busi ness and a profession, even while main taining it as a way of life. To quote Dr. Butler once more, “The future of the family farm seems to be assured.” We could never return to things as they used to be if we wanted, and who would want to if we could? At least that’s how it looks from where we stand. - Friend or Foe? Chemicals pose questions of proper use, residues, proper application mach inery and others. These questions must Jiave our attention. But in giving them our attention we must adhere to reason. We cannot legislate our way out of the residue or the safety problem. We must press for the formulation of safer chemicals with the widest margin of safety to consumers and natural resources which will still be effective in their as signed task. Only a few of the hundreds of po tential new farm chemicals studied each year eventually'reach the market. Many that do a superior job of killing insects, disease organisms or weeds are rejected because they do not meet exacting safety standards. Chemicals are essential production tools. If we are to continue providing - food, in the variety and quality we want, we have no present alternative to the use of chemicals. Surely we are competent to use them to great advantage without great harm to ourselves. $lO,OOO for first place to $l,- 500 for fifth. The other five receive $l,OOO each. The contest has been call ed “the greatest force for community improvement in America,” and “the contest in which everybody wins,” because -every community that participates improves it self. In thousands of communi ties recreational and enter tainment facilities have been provided for children and young peop e. Church attend ance has been increased Safety projects have been un dertaken to reduce accidents. Winners Announced Awards to the 1960 contest winners are to be made Sat urday, Nov. 19, at the annual convention of the National Grange, oldest of the farm organizations, in Winston- Salem, N. C. The first prize of $lO,OOO will be made to the commun ity of Vale, Oregon, through (Turn to Page 5) Rural Rhythms THANKFULNESS By Carol Dean Huber Where, but in the country, Shou d there be thankful ness? As everything that grows Proclaims that God will bless. Where, but in the country. Can we, in conscience, pray And thank the Lord for all He gives us everv, day? Blbla Material: Paulina SB: 103; 13®. Devotional Beading: Psalm 66 1-14. We Give Thanks Lesson for November 20, 1960 «'T'HANKSGIVING will never be as commercialized as Christmas," some one remarked, "because no presents are given at Thanksgiving. Stores can sell Christmas gifts, but they can’t sell gratitude!” We 11... is this true? No presents at Thanksgiving ? On the contrary, when this holiday is truly cele brated, it is pre cisely because of the avalanche of gifts. Only these are not gifts that can be bought in a store, they are not gifts to which any price tag can be attached. They are God’s gifts, and Thanks giving is the day when we stop to think about him and. thank him Or do we? Who Qivo Thanks You don’t always feel very deep- For WilOt Are We Thai ly grateful for something you have We give thanks to earned by hard work. You may be great mercies, for span very glad you got whatever it was. from destruction, foi You may be highly satisfied by ness of sms (the gn getting it. But if thanks are due, blessing we can have) they may be more in the way of “hope of glory.” But m self-congratulations than anything n ess of these great else. You are most in the mood for ma y overlook the si thanks when you know very well from His hands, those that you did not and perhaps could i» C ies without which t not have produced whatever it is could not be. Easiest of for which you are thankful. We look are those bles< who give thanks to God —whether CO me disguised In a every morning or every Sunday or suffering one may n on such special occasions as our God has in mind national Thanksgiving holiday— tempted even to feel ti are his beneficiaries. There is no forgotten and does not possible way of repaying God for time—in God’s time-i his blessings. back and see our pam It is quite true that there are live. And then we may some blessings In life which we do see that not only <M not have unless we work for them, it, he sent it, for rear For example, the respect of the shall see. community where we live is a real blessing: but without genuine ef- fort on a' man’s part, other people will never respect him. Health is an incalculable asset; but health never perches over a man’s door if Now Is The Time . . . Cow comfort is best attained by be;. MAX S* that the animals do not have to ie on bare concrete floors Many milking cows that aic led in stanchions have their legs and udders their weignt touching concrete. Cold concrete erges exposed to the milking udder has caused many of mastitis. Several 1 inches of bedding should be u cow at til times. TO PUT COLOR INTO HUNTING TOGS—The bi hunting season is at hand and many hunters will be ed to the sharp eye of other huntezs. Hunting safctv important at all times and every precaution shou d en to prevent an accident. The color of the cloth’ng portant in tjhe woods in order not to be mistaken Wear either bright red or yellow to be seen easi y er hunters; yellow is actually more visable than tbc tional red. TO TOP DRESS NEW SEEDINGS—The practice dressing smal gram and new legume seeding with during late fall' or early winter is to be encourage furnish some extra nitrogen next spu more impo.tant, will help ,c,Qyer the ground this v 1 prevent freezing out and heaving. This will be cst helpful in the case of very late seedings that did not good start. manure wil tiia man persist* in do , things that ruin health earned, respect !• earned but nevertheless i n S cases, and others the « think of, one can de ma ( respect nor health TheJ livering” so much honor tablllty, in barter f ol th There is na precise SPt 0 the keeping of which 01 ways be as bouncy as year-old. Some people ke rules all their hves but a by illness. Others hv e ] yet are repudiated by neighbors. (Jesus suffi tragedy.) Whom Do Wo Tfian&l There are other more evidently com* f They were, so to speak with the world at create cession of the seasons of the skies, the man-’- self, this body so c miracles, this spirit ti out of time and space we thank God because other Creator. Yet the blessings that-come to friends, parents, hi mi ters—yes, even throi mies. Here we can thunks. First wo can who brought these hies: friends, relatives, stu also we can thank God sit down at a quiet f yourself about any part mg, let us say the tin; child whom you knr self, where did this a the long run? <Ba«ed on outline* Co, the Division of Cliiistm National Council of th<> Christ'in the 17. fe A CommiiiiHj Pres* Sen ice BY MAX SMITH TO CLIP UDDERS AND FLAN. practice of clipping the udder fla belly of the dairy cow is to be cn during the fall and winter months clipped cow is much easier to keep in the dai y routine of washing and mg. In most cases it will be necc clip several times during the months. TO PROVIDE PLENTY OF BED: ){fl mju and
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers