—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