- 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<r (28:7*. Thin
Yet, there was left for them command was actually the fore.
“Sf»sassage. runner of a more extensive call
The first word was one of en- to w itness that later would come
couragement: “Do not be afraid.” f rom j eS us himself (28:19,20).
How much they needed this. We But before they would be called
can well appreciate the fear that to share this message with “all
the disciples ex- nations” they must first seek out
penencedon their friends and share the new*
Maundy Thurs- w iththem,
day evening
when Jesus was “There you will sae Him"
arrested in the Whatever we experience of the
Garden. Their Resurrection, faith is not meant
fear caused them to remain a secret. It is something
to desert their that must be shared with others
beloved Master, and it is always shared best in
Lesson for March 29,1970
B , something they terms of what we personally have
■“ev. Altn °use had vowed never experienced in our own lives. The
to do. average Christian is not called
The Easter morning- risk upon t 0 expound a systematic
lne taster morning riSK theology of the Resurrection, but
We can imagine also the fear h e j s called to share what he
that g n PPed the tiny band of dis- knows of the resurrected Christ.
ciples that night as, leaderless, The messenger concludes with
they waited for word of the fate a fourth word, a word of promise:
+f/f S ” S ' ca “ “He is going before you to Galilee;
the fear with which they followed there you will see him” (28:7).
the procession to Golgotha and This is the most important evi
witnessed that fateful event there. dence of all . to experience the
As they left Golgotha their fear resurrected Christ for ourselves,
was mingled with a profound sor- jt j s one thing to examine the
row and dispair. All was lost! _ empty tomb, to hear the procla
\et, perhaps a devotion which ma tion of the Resurrection, but
was stronger than fear led them ih e final evidence is our own en
to the garden tomb that Easter counter with the living Lord,
morning. They were taking a risk « So they departed quickly from
in coming to the grave of this man the tomb with fear and great joy,
whom all Jerusalem had con- and ran to tell his disciples”
dernned as a criminal. (28.8). That’s the spirit of Easter:
Thus, they are told: “Do not be get going and share the good
afraid ... he is not here; for he news' In our hearts there is
has risen as he said” (28:5,6). mingled the combination of awe.
Imagine the thoughts and feelings wonder, and joy. The message Of
that came to them when they Easter must be shared:
heard that message! With such a Christ lives!
startling message as that, is it any j have encountered the risen
wonder that their accounts of this Lord!
incident are so fragmentary and y ou can experience him too!
hard to fit together?
(ioswl en eu (lines ceeynjhleW by «ie DiVitwn
Come, see the place” of Chrishen Iducehen, Netienel Council of (he
rp. . J J . Churches ef Christ in the U. S, A. feinted bv
The second word was one Of Cemmunily Press Service.) '
invitation invitation to see and
believe. “Come see the place
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County A rent
early as possible. With early
plantings the crops will take
advantage of the cooler spring
weather and give greater re
turns.
To Utilize Livestock Manure
In recent jears I have heard
some discussion about barnyard
manure not being worth the
trouble of hauling and spread
ing. In a vast majority of the
cases this souice of fertilizer
and oi game matter is an asset
and should be spiead on the
giound befoie plowing. Weather
conditions this past winter
made it difficult for some pro
ducer to spiead the manure ac
coiding to plans, regardless of
whei e it was stored, it has value
on the soil and should go there
rather than in a pile
where he lay.” (28.6). The mes
senger was not asking them to
take his word alone. He offered
them the opportunity to view the
empty tomb and see for them
selves.
Our own encounter with the
Resurrection is also an invitation
to “see” and believe. We may not
he able to see the empty tomb
ourselves, but we are asked to ex
amine for ourselves the testimony
of those who did. We are asked to
consider whether the New Testa
ment is founded upon a fictional
“happy ending” or a reality that