- Lancaster Farming, Saturday. March 28.1970 4 Swine i The number of .sumo in Pcnnsilumia increased 12 per cent during the past year, the State Crop Reporting Sen ice announced recently. Lancaster County led the state in swine production in 1968 with 76.000 head worth $2.6 million. Recent indications are that in terest in swine production is continuing high in the county and our guess is that Lancas ter County is continuing number one in swine. Max Smith, county agriculture agent, said last week. "Many swine producers are expanding and some new men are entering the business. The number of requests for assistance this past jear retlects the inter est in this red meat enterprise ” While Smith cautioned against assum ing that hog pi ices will continue as laud able as dining the pa-t fne jeais. he also said. "One t«\suable pan cl ti.e -wine cut look p ctuie is a mowing consume, dema’d lor the product, and other reel meats an en jlk ng similar maiket demands aid prices.” Forecasts rcceued b\ Lancaster Farm mg indicate hog prices are likely to remain facorable for at least se\eral months more good news for the swine producer. Why Not Qualitj ? In the light of the generally facorable swine news, it's unfortunate that the grow ing interest in swine production has not so far extended to include the quality, as well as quantity, of the animals. We’re referring to swine growers' com plaints, reported here in the past few weeks, that auction buyers won’t paj much more for a meaty hog than a fatty hog. Robert Martin, president of the Lancas ter County Swine Producers Association, said auction buyers will pay only about 15 cents a hundredweight premium for meaty hogs. In view' of the tremendous difference between the better meaty hogs and their poorer fatty counterparts, the slight price difference is hardly worth mentioning. That auction buyers can't or won’t recognize a good hog from a poor one seems to us to be unfortunate for everyone con cerned. It’s Unfortunate It’s unfortunate for auctions and auction buyers because it causes a grow mg number of the better meaty hog growers to turn to direct selling to butchers for the SI to SI 50 a hundredweight premium they can get. It's unfoitunate for the better hog pro ducers because it forces them to accept prices lower than they desene or else to seek out new maikets It’s unfortunate for the consuming pub lic because the poor pricing s\ stem encour ages infenor, tatty pork at grocery stores and meat markets Milk prices are the highest e\er US dairymen icceued o\er S 6 billion in milk income last jeai for the first time Lne stock prices ha\ e been particularly good While production costs ha\ e been going up too, there one particularly bright spot Tne feed-milk and feed-lu estock price ratios ha\ e been on a long-term trend fa\orable to the farmer These ratios imohc the pounds of LANCASTER FARMING Lancastei County’s Own Farm Weekly P 0 Box 266 - Litilz, Pa 17543 Office 22 E Main St Lititz, Pa 17543 Phone Lancastei 394-3047 oi Lititz 626 2191 RobeitG Campbell AdveitisingDirector Zane Wilson, Managing Eciitoi Subscnption mice S 2 n°i yeai in Lancaster County S 3 elsewhei e Established Xovembei 4, 1955 Published be Lancaster Farming, Lititz, Pa Second Class Postage paid at Lititz Pa 17543 Member of Newspaper Farm Editors Assn. Pa. Newspaper Publishers Association and National Newspaper Association Feed, a Good Buy Meat vs. Fat If ho gels little nr nothing for it. why should the pork producer spend a lot of tune and money, both extremely \aluablo in to day’s fast mining world, to produce top quality pork? Many farmers, of course, will continue to produce the best animals they possibly can. even though their extra effort isn’t adequately rewarded. It’s a matter of pride with them to have the best animals they can. But it would appear that pride isn't enough. Farmers are businessmen. Good Pricing System While pride may keep the quality of hogs high on a limited number of farms, a reasonable pricing system would stand a far better chance of impro\ mg quality industry - wide A good pricing s.\ stem is almost certain ly needed to keep hogs compctiti' e with in crca-.ingij clficient poultiw and beef pro- ducers The results of the Lancaster CounU Siime Producer’s caicass show last week gne an indication of why meatiness de scries top consideration. The wanning pig from Dutch Valle} Farms of Manheim had 41 8 per cent of its total carcass weight in the hams and loins, the prime meat areas of a pig. The tenth ranked pig had only 36.5 per cent of its weight in the hams and loins. That’s a difference of more than five per cent between the first and tenth ranked pigs out of 19 submitted. Assuming that further substantial dif ferences exist between the tenth and nine teenth ranked pigs and further assuming that swine producers who entered the car cass show submitted their better animals, it becomes evident that there is a tremen dous difference between the meatiness of the top pigs and the average pig submitted for slaughter. The five per cent difference between the first and tenth pigs alone amounts to about 10 pounds of top ham and loin in the average 200 pound pig. Look at some other figures. The winning pig had 7.6 square inches of loin eye. The other top ten pigs varied from 4.6 to 6 square inches of loin eye. The winning pig had one inch of back fat. Back fat on the other nine pigs varied from .9 to 1 3 inches, with fn e of the nine showing 1.1 inches or more. For those who have a stake in the future of the swine business, it's something to think about. Are we going to continue to give the public fat, which it increasingly doesn’t want, or good lean meat, which it increas ingly does want? needed to produce a pound of milk or meat Obviously, the more feed a pound of milk or livestock will buy. the better off the farmer is in terms of keeping his milk and beet production costs down. Improving steadily, the milk-feed ratio, for instance, was 1 08 in 1910, it was 1 24 in 1950, 145 in 1960, and 173 in 1959 This means 100 pounds of milk will buy 41 per cent more feed now than in 1950, and 20 per cent more than in 1960. Farmers have responded by feeding 124 per cent more gram per milk cow now than in 1950 and 62 per cent more than 10 years ago. The good feed-product ratio encourages feeding of crops. Farmers should remain alert, however, for the time when price trends reverse and feed costs rise relative to prices received for milk and meat. If and when that time comes, perhaps a considerable distance in the future, there will be a new squeeze on profits. Farmers will then have to look for ways to reduce costs, possibly by feeding less, or increase income, possibly by grow ing more crops. For now, feed is a good buy and worth more on the hoof than on the market. About 10 Pounds To Plow Down Nitrogen Crop yields depend upon many factors but the placement of nitrogen fertilizer below or near the loot zone of crops such as corn and tobacco is very impoitant. In the next few weeks many acres of ground will be turned and producers aie uiged to apply the bulk of the nitrogen fertilize! deep in to the topsoil To Plant Early se\eral crops that shoulcl go into the gioumi just as soon as weathei and soil conditions peimit Spnng oats is one that can stand cold weathei and jiclds will be gieat er if the ciop is sowed dining late Maich or the first week in Apnl Straight seedings of al falfa and any of the pastuie mixtures should be planted as WBMSFRBMIHEIBIIB transformed the lives of men and changed the course of history., BfccfciFWiMl ScrlphHf J*l? 14, Motlhtw 2V, I Girmfhiani The third word was a challenge D«y.w.i ittwim, Fi.l™ m to witness: “Then go quickly *nd . , , , ~ tell all his disciples that he ha* •Oiey found an empty tomb! risen from the dea