—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 2, 1961 4 FROM WHERE WE STAND - As Normal As It Is Going To Get A few years ago a presidential can didate ran successfully with the slo gan, “A return to normalcy”. There are many people still waiting for the agricultural situation in this country to return to normalcy. “We had better face it.” a good friend said the other day, “The situa tion is as normal as it is ever going to get.” He meant by that, there is not go ing to be a return to the low level of costs and yields of a few years ago. He -meant that the farmer had just as well make up his mind to get modern or get out. The day of subsistance farming is past and we had better face up to it— and the sooner, the better- The days of the barnyard flock of chickens which could be counted on to help buy a few groceries with little or no. cash outlay is a thing of the past. The day of the 10 or 12 cow herd is all but a memory of bygone days. The far mer who raises one .or two .hogs to butcher in the farmyard-for his own use is becoming a rare specimen? Farming is becoming, is indeed now, a specialized business in which the person with little inclination to specialize is finding an increasingly difficult raw to hoe. There are those who will say that farming is only going through a period of transition, and that soon things will level off and return to the semblance of order which we knew in other days. Let’s face it. In the economy in which we find ourselves today, things are not going to return to the haphaz ax'd ways of farming of yesterday. We' do not deny that some of the romance has gone out of farming as specialization and mechanization has come in, but specialization and mech anization is here to stay. We had bet ter start looking for romance in the new ways of agriculture. Farmers will not return to the old ways for many reasons. Competition for the markets of the world will force farmers to produce to the utmost of their ability not only for total yield, but for quality as well. Social demands will force farmers to continue to mechanize to keep a breast of the labor conditions in indus try. This mechanization, with its in creased capital requirements willmake possible more production, but that in creased production can not be produc ed at a loss to the farmer. There are poultrymen who are hop ing for the price of broilers to go again to the 20 cents per pound of a few years ago. We believe this is a vain hope. Increased efficiency of la bor and rate of gain of broiler chicks have proved that some broilers pro ducers can make a pound of broiler and realize a profit at less than 20 cents. As soon as the quantity of broil er meat falls below the demand and the price rises to a favorable level, there will be plenty of producers just waiting to get into the business- Com petition is not going to let the price go very much beyond the break-even point. This is the cold fact, and we might as well accept it. There are those dairymen who xhink all their troubles would be end ed if they were awarded a 50 cents per 4-H Play Tryouts Are Scheduled By: Elvin Hess Tryouts for the annual 4- H play will be held Decem ber sth at 7 p m in the Production Credit Associa tion building on Roseville Road The play, scheduled for presentation in early Feb ruary will be directed this year by Mr. Robert Hart man, dramatics director and instructor of English at the Solanco High School. The play is sponsored by the county 4-H Council. The play committee is ask ing for any interested 4-H boy over 14 and and 4-H girl over 12 years of age The three act comedy, “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis’’ will have 25 acting roles hundredweight increase in the price of milk. While we are in favor of a fair return to all farmers, and while we -realize full well that food is one of the biggest bargains in the entire economy, -we do not believe a wholesale rise in the price to milk producers would solve the problem for very long. There are dairymen who are mak ing a fair profit at today's prices. There are many more who are barely breaking even, or losing money, through inefficient" management. A rise in milk prices would give tempor ary relief to producers, but unless the farmers concerned voluntarily control led the volume of milk, surplusses -would soon put the dairy business in the same boat broiler men have been in for the past few months. A representative of a national feed company said to us recently, “Many of the most modern practices in farming today will be obsolete in a few years. Farming is going to have to be manag ed like- any other business with the in efficient producers moving out to make room for the efficient. If the farmer is not willing to manage his business on such, a businesslike, basis, then .some one else (large contract companies) will move in and do the management.” As much as we hate to do it, we have to agree that he is probably right. Farming is NOT going to return to the easy-going way of life it once was. The farming situation is just about as nor mal as it is going to get, and we might just as well accept that fact and go on from there. - At- least that’s how it looks from where we stand”. "If present progress toward eradicat ing brucellosis contihues, this disease can be eradicated from the United States by 1975, according to Dr. C. K. Mingle of the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Ag riculture. Dr. Mingle, who heads up the State- Federal brucellosis program, points out that the disease now costs the stock industry about $25 million per year compared with $lOO million in 1954 when the intensified'drive against the disease started. By 1965, Dr. Mingle says, the entire country should qualify as a modified, certified brucellosis area, and by 1972 should be completely free of bovine brucellosis. Then, allowing an addi tional three years to eliminate reser voirs of infection in species other than cattle, eradication should be complete by 1975- Once the disease is eradicated, all that will be necessary is surveillance through such devices as milk ring test and market cattle testing, and strict import regulation to prevent reintro duction. Dr. Mingle further points out that with the elimination of bovine brucellosis, the human form undul ant fever will also disappear. This news should be welcomed by farmers and consumers, as well. At least that’s how it looks from where we stand. Many other 4-H’ers will be needed to help with the production, but there are no roles in the play itself for 4-H members under the ages specified. If you’ve never been in a play, you don’t know what you’re missing, and if you have been in one, you know what you don’t want to miss We’ll see you there. FIFTH PLACE We Americans eat lots of EXpress^-sm* 1 " meat, but Tom King, exten- jack Owen, Editor Sion livestock specialist at Robert G. Campbell, Advertising Penn state, says people in 4 Director & Business Manager other countries eat more. Citizens of Uruguay ate an Lancaster Farming, Lancaster, Pa. TO PERMIT EXERCISE FOR DAIRY HERD Dairy herd average of 259 pounds per 2 unde'r^lct^V *Man stanchions should be given outside exercise daily to mail’d person last year, compared », 1879 additional entry at Mount tain good herd health and breeding 'Conditions. This practio I the l6 Ti P S Un New r "subscription Rates: *2 per year should be installed in the ,Jhe year and performer! averaged 229 paCmds S C ° Py PriC ° nntil Many herds a breeding problem wil j tralians 226 pounds and peo- Members Pa. Newspaper Publish- benefit from this daily exercise; the cows should not be pcij pie of Argentina 175 pounds AssocfaUom 10 "' Nat,on * l EdltoriaJ mitted outside long enough toHry and lie down on tW| which places us in fifth place. ~ , cold ground-or concrete.?. A. , y Bangs On The Run - Privately owned commer cial forest lands in the Unit ed States total almost 360 million acres. Lancaster Farming Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly P. O Box 1524 Lancaster, Penna. Offices: 53 li ton •“•Division of Christian Education geusm in Hie enurcn- too National Council Sf the Churches i exclusively for talk. Everybody •“ * h * u - I- A - B«ie»a*d t knows one picture is worth a thou- n y res * erTlce-) Now Is The Time . TO MULCH STRAWBERRY BEDS - straw or early-cut hay, chopped cornstalks, or leaves ma'| he used. Cover the plants to conceal all plant leaves. Th purpose,of the mulch is to prevent alternate freezing arrt thawing of the soil around the plants and thus prevent heaving and’more winter injury. TQ PREVENT CHILLING OF UDDERS—In the dairy her' careful management should be exercised to prevent the uc der from being chilled either by way of drafts, lying o v , bare concrete, or lying on the cold ground. Any qr all c these may bring on udder trouble. Herd owners who dt pend upon the manual control of doors and windows fo proper ventilation should seriously consider an exhaust fa system for improving their ventilation system. Details aw assistance are available. TO EXERCISE BREEDING HERD OR FLOCK During the winter months it is very important that breeding herd of sows and flocks of sheep get outside daily exercise. 1 many cases the animals may have to be forced to mot about by way of scattered hay racks, watering places, o salt licks. The animals will continue more healthy o stronger feet and legs, and in most cases will produc stronger offspring. - * - PY MAX SMITH TO' APPLY LIME —Fall and early wintt ! -•vyiien the ground is not frozen is a goo* time to apply lime to lawns* pastures, an ' grassland that is on the sour side. Th" will give ample time for the rain anj snow to work the lime into the soil wherJ it will do more good next summer. ♦ •