4
—Lancaster Farming/ Saturday, May 27, 1961
FROM WHERE WE STAND -
What’s In The Fertilizer Bag:
What’s in the fertx izer bag 7
We never cease to be amazed at the
confusion that can Jpe stirred up about
what is in the fertilizer bag.
Just this past week we came across
a question about a certain “organic”
fertilizer which was labeled 0-3-0. r L he
The farmer had been talked into using
the fertilizer in the belief that he was
getting a bonus for his crops.
There are faddists m most lipes of
human endeavor, but it seems to us
that there are more hoaxes perpertrat
in the health, food and organic plant
food businesses than most others.
We have no quarrel with honest
businessmen who do not misrepresent
organic plant foods. We agree there
may be some advantages to using or
ganic materials for fertilizers, but we
do not believe that any one compound,
organic, chemical or other, can be a
cure all for a crop fertilization prob
lem.
It is amazing to us that a smooth
tongued operator could sell a material
with a label 0-3-0 and convince the far
mer he was getting a complete plant
food.
Fertilizers do change. According to
a report from the American Potash In
stitute, twenty years ago the leading
grade of fertilizer in the Northeast was
3-8-5 with the p.ant nutrients of all
grades sold at that time averaging 19.8
per cent. At present the leading grade
of fertilizer is 5-10-5 with the average
of all grades being 30 percent plant
nutrients.
This is a far cry from the 0-3-0 fer
tilizer the farmer asked about this
week
Ho had been confused by the ratio
of 1-1-1 which the salesman explained
was in the bag of 10-10-10 he normally
used for corn. He was considering pay
ing almost as much for the three
pounds of plant food in the organic
fertilizer as he did for the 30 pounds of
plant food in the chemical fertilizer.
As long as there are people who
will go m for fads, there will be other
people who will try to take advantage
of their weaknesses.
At least that’s how it looks from
where we stand.
Farm Public Relations
Agriculture’s great need for good
public relations is at long last being
recognized. And better still, the recog
nition is being supplemented by posi
tive action.
A really sound analysis of the farm
problem, along with some constructive
suggestions, comes from Robert C. Lie
b'enow, a man in industry. Here is his
letter:
“I do not need to point out to you
that a critical farm problem exists in
chis country. All editors. are \v e 1 a
ware of the fact, and have written
copiously about it.
May I suggest that the first key to-
fpia THIS WEEK
—ln Washicgtoa
X With Clinton Davidson
mm#* la& An Exception
Oovldion
From time to time this £be biggest—-biggest in the
column has been critical of nun }ber employed, the an
the urban press for inaccu- nua£ ' dollar volume, in in
rate and often unfair report- vestments, in the consumpt
ing of the farm situation 10n o£ industrial products.
There always arc exceptions “Look at some of the sta
te the rule, and the Spring- tistical facts: US. agricul
field (Mo ) Leader and ture employs 7.4 million
Press, is one. workers—more than m steel,
Our hat is appreciatively automobiles, transportation,
doffed to the author of a a nd public utilities combm
recont editorial in the Lead- investment
cr and Press, titled “Look totals ? 203 billion, equal to
Befme Damning” the edi- about 75% of assets o£ all
tonal follows corporations in the land.
“AsKed to name the nat- Industry's Biggest Cust mer
ion’s biggest industry what “U S farming consumes
would be your guess’ Rail- SS 5 billion in oil, lubricants
reading’ Car manufactuung? and mach.nery maintenance
Steel’ Od’ each year It buys $2 5 to $3
“Wrong on all counts bill.on worth of new machi-
Fanmng is far and away nery, and 9% of all rub-
ward a solution of tins important prob
lem has scarcely been mentioned in
the news columns—particularly the
news columns ol urban papers.
This key, I submit, is aducation.
I believe an urgent need exists for
a nation-wide campaign to improve ag
riculture s public relations—to awaken
Americans to the critical importance of
agriculture, and the need to keep it
healthy.
More than anything else, American
agriculture needs a good press agent—
to tell the public that the farmer is
not the villain in this picture, but that'
he is playing a vital rolenn our econ
omy. Condider the following, if you
will:
1. Farming is one of our biggest in
dustries, emp oying some 7.5 million
people (more than are employed in tne
steel, automotive, transportation and
public utilities industries combined.)
2. Farmers buy, annually, between
$2.5 and $3 billion worth of farm ma
chinery, some $3.5 billion worth of gas
oline and other fuels, lubricants, main
tenance products, etc. (Farmers use
more petroleum than any other sing e
industry.)
3. They buy millions of tires a year,
and consume approximately 24 billion
kwh of electricity.
Yes, the truth is that agriculture is
still big and important business, and I
think the fact should be trumpeted
throughout the country.”
ROBERT C. LIEBENOW
President, Chicago Board of Trade
The initiative for better public re
lations has just been taken by the
Ford Motor Company in setting up the
Ford Farm Forum The Forum’s func
tion will be to issue quarterly reports
to the public in order to create a bet
ter understanding and appreciation of
agriculture—its problems, its achieve
ments and its potential.
This is the kind of support needed
by agriculture in its attempt to clear
away the fog for public misunder
standing.
fc * *
Another encouraging spot on the
same horizon is the initiative taken by
Cornell in sponsoring a conference on
agricultural public relations. This
meeting, he’d late last month at the
College, was attended by representa
tives of most farm organizations.
Agreement was unanimous that
there was great need for a positive
public relations program for agricul
ture, and that there Wag a farm story
to be told
It is hoped that, out of this meeting,
and further meetings like it, a coordin
ated program will be developed and
put into action—in New York and else
where. Here is an area where there
cannot possibly be any disagreement.
The purposes are worthy of full sup
port by all agricultural interests, and
also by every branch of industry
which serves agriculture.
Penn.-Jersey Farming
ber sold. It is one of the
biggest users of electricity.
“Farming investment av
erages $21,300 per worker.
Compare that with U. S.
industry’s average of $15,-
900 per worker. Four out of
every 10 jobs in private
employment are related to
agriculture—in transportat
ion, Processing, manufactur
fTum to page 51
Lancaster Farming
canrsßter County’s Own Farm
Weekly
’brrlle
EN press 4-3047
laek Owen Editor
Roll, ri (? Campbell, Advertising
Thnetot A Business Manager
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Lancaster
Seif-Hlsdpfine
Lesson for May 28, 1031
- ■ from within
ftTPARE the rp 1 and spoil the And yet, v.hile some p CO) ,
child,” an old proverb says, think that the “loose woman *
We can all “sound oft” about the the one real danger to youth, u,
younger generation, how it’s go- book of Pun orbs would make B
mg to pot. and about the juvenile awcue that there are otb« dj,-
delinquents and what ought to be ycis There is anger, foi o'd.npi't
done about them We have big How many muiders are cornna
"ideas about edu- cod out of anger, only God kno;--
catlng to Jut you may be pretty suie
ml feel i esponsible ho fit of anger which biought lorj
.fe for the kind of me muider was not the in s t lf
- a boys and girls //Inch the killer had given v,,-n
M their children are. oome cuminals wJI even put
This is all good, is excuse the fact that the, UC](
, so far as it goes, emot.omlly disturbed Such ant,
s,/? ||| But do you -’use should deceive no one A n
ult know the most h angei may be irresistible
Ww «sa> common reason /ou are in the middle of it, butn
Dr. Foreman w hy paients don’t ■& possible to work on yomsolf,,
discipline their children’ They chat you know the signs of anger
don’t discipline themselves. One i-onnng up, and you can nip ..
rod that must not be spaxed is the the oud bcfoic it staits Diplomat,
rod icserved by myself, for my and politicians can do this, ant
self. If I make a bad job of self- n’y don't claim supernatural
discipline, I shan't be likely to be mlu. how much mo.e should i
good at disciplining olheis. Cm uan, by the help of the Hd
If You Waiif IH be ablc to dl sciphn e him
T ; ? ' - self away from acting like a ban
It can be said in simple words oar an or a spoiled child' Ana
what discipline is It means tram- vV£ 3 . Jt laws and good advJt /
mg a Person to take or do, what c llups pievcnt murder , but e ,
he doesn t like, or to keep from an £ piCTCnt aD the s
doing or taking what he does like of mjLdcl Anly self . dlsCiphnec
Self-discipline means learning this j 0 that 11
for youi self, and practicing it with
out anyone standing over you to 'k4-C/ed Woe
make you do it. othci tiouble which is com
There is one single icquircment
that must be met fiist of all. You
must w ant, very stiongly, what
self-discipline will do for you The
wntex of Prov 2 puts it into a nut
shell. insight and understanding
Do you want these qualities in your
character? They don't glide into
your room on a moonbeam. No
one ever was born with perfect
insight end undei standing No
body (except Jesus) ever achieved
perfect insight and undei standing.
Nobody ever achieved enough of
it to be worth while, without work
ing at it, without wanting it. It
comes hard enough at best, it
never comes at all to fools who
don’t caie
Now Is The Time ♦ ♦ ,
MAX SMITH
TO TOPDRESS ALFALFA FIELDS Many good alfalfa
growers will apply extra fertilizer immediately after
mg the first cutting, this application of a 0-20 20 or a 0'
30 at the rate of 200 to 300 pounds per acre will help
latter cuttings -and help maintain a good stand.
TO TREAT DAIRY COWS KIND AND GENTLE An'
thing which scares or hurts the milking dairy cow will'
crease production, therefore, when the cow is exposed
loud or strange noises or misuse, she will not let down I' l
mJk properly Noisy ch idren, barking dogs, yelling o f lllJ
mans, or any other loud disturbance should be avoided a ’
milking time Regularity of feeding and milking chores
also ver; important to top, production
TO WILT GRASS SILAGE—Many grass-legume
tures are maturing m spite of the cool weather, the g‘ av ' c
are at the peak of their feeding value at heading tull ‘
Special effort should be extended to make silage
these mixtures that will be of the highest feeding vaU
The wilting of the crop after mowing and before putW
to the silo is one way of reducing the excess moisUne
seepage and in getting better quality feed From two to
hours is usually needed to reduce the moisture to the
sired 60 to 70 percent range. Proper wilting eLm nat cS
need of any preservative and improves the silage quai* 1 -'
TO PRACTICE PLY CONTROL—Warm weather
a heavy m’estation of house and barn flies unless P 1 .
management is pract ced. In the first place good fl> e ° n
starts with clean surroundings and good sanitation in o34
Destroy filth, manure piles, water and mud puddle
the problem is greatly reduced In dary bams fhc ,
residual sprays such, as Diazmon, Dibrom, or Ronnc 1
be used with success; the alternate use of these 11101
during the summer vAll prevent the build-up of r
ance. A leaflet on “Fly Control” is available.
The Bible is a very frank j,
outspoken book. There are p a ,
of the Provcibs that plainly s .
the object of wisdom is to
sei vo you fiom the loose woman
This might moan a profo S ", I011
piostituto, 01 it might not The
as now’, the "young man witlJ
iense" CPiov 7 7) is easily i a^p
in by the wiong kind oi v, o ni;i
No amount of warning, no anioip
of law-making, no good exaj
ole,—nothing will keep a l0l|1;
man fiom being fatally
hero unless lie is sclf-disciph
non in mankind is hquoi Th
v rncr of the 23rd chaptei of rti
ihoveibs ga\e as good a dosem
vion of a hangover as you can icad
anywicxe Us nothing less 'hat
ed eved woe Now all the tioj
ales of the drinker, whcthei Ik
-,ets to the stage of being an si
.ohohe 01 not —all his tiowh
aie actually aitihcial tio'ibh
iney arc ical, to be sure but tr y
are not natural and the ac
quiSitive instinct and angei a>c.U
natuial. however we may coaM
them. but the taste of hquoi snot
oom in any one The vni not f a
w.e the araiker’s pioblenia,!!
simply not to dunk
BY MAX SMITH 4 -
TO SPRAY CORN FOR WEED CONTRt
—Growers who did not spiay then plant
ed corn field with the pre-tocrgem
chemicals may want to use the Amine
form of 2,4-D on the corn in the “cpike’
stage. This will control most ox the bi oad
leaf weeds and many of the grasses p.ovid
ing they have not already grown abo«
the ground surface. Extia caution shoe
be used aga nst d-ift to suscept.ble cup
Only the amine form of 2,4-D should
used from now until late fall. The ester
forms are dangerous.