10
—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 7,1971
Last Salute to
The Chicago Union Stockyards have
closed.
In the dynamic national farm economy,
the Chicago yards has been one of the
closest things there is to a permanent in
stitution. The market has been active for
105 years, making it well established long
before the beginning of most of the farm
machines and techniques which have
revolutionized farming in the last 100 years.
But the demise of the stockyards did not
occur overnight. Actually, the yards peak of
activity in terms of numbers of livestock
handled was reached in 1924, nearly 50
years ago.
That means the Chicago yards were
going downhill for many, many years be
fore they were actually forced to close.
We’re not sure what lessons the closing
offers. It ought to make farmers and agri
businessmen pause a moment to reflect on
how things do change, ever more rapidly,
and to evaluate their own position in the
changing farm economy.
What actually caused the closing?
We’re sure this will be the subject of dis
r' i among cattlemen and farmers for
, answer probably lies in a combina
tion ot factors, which includes high and ris
ing urban land costs and taxes; emergence
of huge feeding lots and location of packing
plants near them; ever rising transporta-
'&&* <
Poor Way to Save Environment
An article entitled “DDT Ban Effects
Felt by All” in the recent edition of New
Holland News concludes as follows:
“The entomologists remind there are
no less than 10,000 species of harmful in
sects which, if left to their own devices,
could prevent the world from growing
enough food for even its present population.
Eventually, they believe farmers will have
available broad-gauge programs which will
control major crop pests with only limited
use of chemicals. But there still will be no
practical answers for several hundred
minor pests other than chemicals, they
predict.
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P. O. Box 266 - Lititz, Pa. 17543
Office: 22 E. Main St., Lititz, Pa. 17543
Phone; Lancaster 394-3047 or Lititz 626-2191
Robert G. Campbell, Advertising Director
Zane Wilson, Managing Editor
Subscription price: $2 per year in Lancaster
County; $3 elsewhere
Established November 4,1955
Published every Saturday by 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
Chicago Yards
tion costs; decline of the railroads as a
reliable transportation medium; rising
labor costs necessary to operate such a
large facility, and many others. Altogether,
it spells major changes in the entire nation
al economy, not just the farm economy,
which finally made it impossible for the
stockyards to be profitable.
What does the closing mean to the in
dividual local cattleman and to the local
livestock markets?
We think this question is difficult, per
haps impossible, to answer at this time. The
answer depends in large part on the res
ponse of the industry itself to the closing.
We note that some cattlemen close to
the local markets are hopeful that it will
result in increased reliance by Eastern
packers on local markets for at least part
of their supply for the Eastern markets.
This could be a logical outcome, but it may
depend in part on what local marketers
and perhaps local livestock producers
do to make it come true.
It would appear that strengthening of
local markets would be favorable for local
livestock producers, if this results in more
packers interested in obtaining larger num-.
bers of livestock from the local markets.
Right now, the only thing certain is that
one of the nation’s best known farm institu
tions has passed away. We need to pause
a moment to pay our last respects.
:fr
J
“What happens when well-intentioned
groups fail to face up to these stern realities
was vividly illustrated in testimony before
the New York State Department of Environ
mental Conservation by Cornell University
pesticide coordinator, James E. Dewey.
Last year in Suffolk County, New York, he
reports, the gypsy moth program would
have used two pounds per acre of Sevin as
a substitute for DDT to try to control the
outbreak. But anti-pesticide groups would
not permit its use, he says.
“When the gypsy moth outbreak be
came a reality and caterpillars were every
where, an irate public caused the county to
undertake a spray program. By then, how
ever, Dr. Dewey testified, it was necessary
to use from 10 to 20 pounds of Sevin per
acre, much of the gypsy moth damage al
ready had been done, and control of the
insect was unsatisfactory.
“Dewey notes the impact on the en
vironment of 10 to 20 pounds of the chemical
per acre, as compared to two pounds, was
more than just the 5 to 10 times greater you
might expect.
“It seems a poor way to reduce the ef
fect of pesticides on the environment, he
concludes.”
Dewey could have added that it’s a poor
way to preserve our environment like clos
ing the barn door after the horse is out.
NOW IS
THE TIME..
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
To Inspect Corn Crop
Corn growers should be keep
ing a close watch on their
plants to observe the spread of
the southern leaf blight.
Weather conditions have been
favorable for the spread of this
disease and spraying or ensiling
may have to be done on short
notice in order to get the most
from the crop. On “T” varieties
or “Blend” varieties the lesions
may become severe on leaves
above the ear and cause reduc
tion in yield or kill the plant.
Fungicides may be used at
weekly intervals to try and keep
alive the top leaves which are
needed to develop the corn
crop. Special attention is need
ed at this time in order to plan
what should be done in case of
more severe spread of the
disease.
To Train Springing Heifers
First-calf heifers should be
handled with the milking herd
several weeks before freshen
ing; this will get them accus
tomed to the milking routine
and enable them to fit into the
herd with less excitement. The
heifers may be given limited
amounts of grain which will
make them more willing to ac
cept the new routine.
MY BROTHER’S
FACE
Lesson for August 8, 1971
Background Scripture Genesis 27 1
through 28 5, 33, Matthew 21 28-
31a
Devetional Reading Colossians 3 12 17.
Frederick the Great of Prussia,
shortly before his death, was
counseled to forgive his enemies.
After some contemplation of this
advice, he said to the queen:
“Dorothy, write to your brother
that I forgive him all the evil he
has done me ....
but wait until I
am dead first'”
It is often said
that family feuds
are the bitterest
of all Some peo
ple find it is hard
er to be recon
ciled with some
one with whom
Rev. Althouse they were closely
related because this “closeness”
often makes the hurt harder to
bear. People who are closer to us
have the greater opportunities to
cause us pain and anguish
A troubled house
When we read the first portion
of the story of Jacob and Esau it
seems that these two brothers are
never likely to be reconciled. The
wounds and the hurts have been
made too deep, it seems There
was favoritism in the family; Esau
was Isaac’s favorite while Jacob
was a “mother’s boy.” There was
also dishonesty and deception:
twice Jacob had tricked Esau out
READ LANCASTER FARMING
FOR FULL MARKET REPORTS
To Renovate Old Pastures
Late August and early Sep
tember is the best time to re
seed an old pasture or esta
blish a new one. The fall rains
and cooler weather make more
favorable conditions for the
young grass to get started. Old
sods should be plowed or des
troyed and a complete soil test
made to learn the lime and
fertilizer needs. In many cases,
the old stand of permanent
bluegrass can be destroyed and
more productive grasses such as
orchard grass or bromegrass
can be seeded; these latter two
grasses will give more growth
during the hot summer months.
To Be Careful With
Legume Pastures
The grazing of straight
stands of clover or alfalfa needs
special management in order to
prevent serious bloating. Some
farmers will pasture their later
cuttings rather than cut for hay.
When animals consume large
amounts of wet legumes with
out any dry matter, they may
go down with acute bloat and
die in a short time. Producers
wanting to graze these areas
should always provide some dry
matter along with the legume
forage and be sure the grazing
is done when the plants are dry.
Wet legumes are dangerous.
,of something that belonged to
him We can well understand why
his mother advised Jacob to go
away for a while until things
“cooled down ”
So Jacob left home and made a
long journey to visit his uncle La
ban On the way to Haran, La
ban’s home, Jacob has a mystical
experience of a ladder reaching
to heaven in a dream When Ja
cob arrives at his uncle’s place,
he seems a changed man He be
comes hard-working, honest, pro
ductive. even though his uncle
manages to cheat him with his
daughters
At last there comes a time
when Jacob decides to return
home. Many years have passed
and he has not seen his family.
He remembers his brother’s ha
tred - will he still be seeking ven
geance’ Nevertheless, Jacob de
cides to face the consequences.
He must take this risk if he is to
be re-united with his family.
But Esau ran .
Can you imagine what Jacob
must have felt and thought as he
approached his brother’s land?
Esau might very well kill him as
he had once vowed. Yet, the writ
er of Genesis tells us: “But Esau
ran to meet him, and embraced
him, and fell on his neck and
kissed him, and they wept’’ (33:
4). Is there anywhere a more
poignant reconcilliation scene
than that 1
No one can deny that Jacob had
been a scoundrel and that he had
rightly earned Esau’s hatred. Yet,
sweeter than would have been
Esau’s vengeance was the recon
cilliation, the forgiveness between
these two men. Overjoyed, Jacob
says: “ . . . truly to see your face
is like seeing the face of God”
(33:10).
The key to reconciliation is to
see God in my brother’s face.
(Based on outlines copyrighted by the
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Released by Community Press Service.)