10
—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 13,1971
There’s always an issue among farmers
on whether the big, high producing cows
are really more profitable than the smaller,
moderate producing cows.
The contention by farmers who believe in
the smaller animals is that, while they don’t
produce as much, they don't eat as much
either.
But every study we have seen indicates
that the high producing cows are both
more efficient and more profitable. A
California study, for instance, showed that
cows averaging over 24,000 pounds of milk
per lactation produced 1.88 pounds of milk
for each pound of feed consumed. Another
group of cows averaging over 15,000
pounds of milk produced 1.49 pounds of
milk for each pound of feed eaten and
another group of cows producing just over
10,000 pounds per lactation produced only
116 pounds of milk per pound of feed
While the high producing cows do eat
more total pounds of feed, by a small
margin, they produce many more pounds of
milk. Their efficiency is much greater.
A recent report in the Holstem-Fnesian
World noted, “What does this mean to
dairymen 7 It means they are on the right
track when selecting and feeding cows for
maximum production It also lends
credence to the concept of feeding all cows
for high production and culling those who
do not perform well Under this system,
cows are all fed the same and are culled
The United Egg Producers (UEP) board
of directors recently directed management
to investigate egg pricing practices in
several parts of the country, particularly
Southern California
This action followed numerous com
plaints from producers claiming that egg
prices nationally have deteriorated due to
unfair trade practices.
In commenting on the situation, Dr. Gene
Masters of UEP noted that egg pnpes in
Southern California for the past several
months averaged well under the national
average and competition for shelf space on
cartoned eggs was “extremely fierce ”
Gene Faulkner executive vice president of
the National Federation of Egg Marketing
Cooperatives, said it is his impression it is
“unlawful to sell, or even offer to sell, at
below cost of production prices, if the
intent is to eliminate competition.”
To Buy a Cemetery Lot?
The family cemetery lot, a place pur
chased for family members for the
inevitable time of need, may not be realistic
for the family today, point out Pennsylvania
State University Extension home
management specialists
There are advantages in having made
the decision before a time of sorrow, of
course
But if the prepaid lot is a half a continent
away from where the family now lives, the
advantages are erased by the need to
transport family members to attend the
burial, the cost of transferring the body
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County's Own Farm Weekli
P. 0. 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 Directoi
Zane Wilson, Managing Editor
Subscription price. $2 per year in Lancastei
County: S 3 elsewhere
Established November 4,1955
Published every Saturday by Lancastei
Farming, Lititz, Pa.
9j? d Class Pos tage paid at Lititz, Pa
17543.
Member of Newspaper Farm Editors Assn,
ra. Newspaper Publishers Association, and
National Newspaper Association
On High Producing Cows
Dumping and
according to production rather than fed
according to production. As average
production levels continue to climb, this
method of feeding is likely to become more
popular and should result in faster genetic
progress in the total dairy cow population.”
A key figure for broiler producers has
long been the “feed conversion". This is
the number of pounds of feed it takes to
produce a pound of meat.
Similarly, the dairyman should be very
aware of his feed conversion or the number
of pounds of feed it takes to produce one
hundred pounds of milk. Increasing this
efficiency can be one of the key ways of
increasing profits in the face of growing
costs.
One advantage of high producing cows
which should not be overlooked is the
overhead cost factor. One cow producing
20,000 pounds of milk requires much less
space and overhead costs than two cows
producing 10,000 pounds each.
Therefore, the high producing cow offers
the potential not only for more efficient use
of feed, but also for lower overhead costs m
achieving a given level of production
We’re aware that this isn’t the final word.
Dairymen will continue to debate the pros
and cons of a particular large cow versus
the smaller cow.
But it would appear that unless the small
cow can keep up in volume of production,
the larger cow with the capacity to produce
a lot of milk is more efficient and profitable.
Egg Prices
Pennsylvania egg producers have
periodically com plained of some retail
outlets selling eggs below the cost of
production. It is reported that this practice
is also illegal m Pennsylvania.
One problem which the egg industry has
recognized is that the weakest seller tends
to set the price in the egg industry. During
periods of oversupply, when there are too
many eggs to meet market demands, there
has tended to be “dumping" of eggs on the
market at any price the buyer will offer.
This is usually done by producers who have
not secured reliable markets and this is
often the producer who expanded too
rapidly and caused the market glut.
But because the dumped eggs tend to
set the market tone, everybody in the
industry suffers from this practice.
A key question facing the industry is
what to do about dumping.
from the place of death, and services of a
funeral director ak each locality. The
deceased also may have prepaid for
funeral services that aren’t available at
either site
The home management specialists say
that salesmen of cemetery lots cite rising
costs as a reason to buy in advance of need.
But interest rates have risen at least as
fast the cost of lots. So a sum in a savings
account in bonds will accomplish the same
result
Any buyer of a burial lot should in
vestigate exactly what care and main
tenance are covered by the purchase price
and how perpetual care endowments are
handled, remind the specialists.
Personal preferences concerning a
cemetery can be written down for family
reference without actual-purchase of a lot,
Extension sepciahsts point out.
In a former era when large families, often
involving three generations, usually stayed
together, either m the same house or at
least in the same general area, such advise
would have been out of hand.
But our changing society, including our
increasing mobility, is changing many
things for most of us-includmg the factors
we need to consider in preparing for the
hereafter.
NOW IS
THE TIME..
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
To Control Chickweed
The favorable growing con
ditions this faU and the late tune
of the first killing frost has given
duckweed a good start in many
new seedings of alfalfa. Growers
are urged to inspect their fields
carefully and spray in the next
month, if chickweed is present.
The materials to use will depend
upon the air temperatures and
whether or not there are any
grasses seeded with the alfalfa.
Now that the plants have been
stopped growing be several
freezes it would be time to make
spray applications. On alfalfa
stands with grasses included the
DiNitros and Simazine sprays
may be used. On straight alfalfa
stands Karmex, Simazine, or
Chloro IPC may be used. Details
will be furnished upon request.
The important thing is to get the
chickweed under control before
the first of the year.
To Utilize Corn Fodder
The shortage of bedding in
recent years points to the
possibility of corn growers using
the com fodder through the bam
as a substitute for straw. Now
that we have had several freezes,
the com plants should dry out
better and may be used as bed
ding. Shredded com stalks make
very good bedding for all types of
livestock and could save con
siderable money by cutting out
purchase of straw. Be sure the
fodder is dry enough so that it will
not mold or heat whea baled or
brought into the bam.
LAW OF HARVEST
Lawn for November 14,1971
«■*>■»—«l ScriWrK Exmlus 20.1-20;
Ramans 2:12-10:3.21-24, Galatians
fc7-10.
Paaatiaaal RsasKno- Psalms 75
Heinrich Heine, the German
poet, let it be known that he did
not worry very much about “the
world to come” beyond death.
Asked why he was so confident,
be replied, “Cest ion metier”
(“It is his trade!”). Why worry
about judgement
when God Is so
gracious and for
giving by his very
nature?
Reaping what we sow
Perhaps many of us are like
that man. we want to reap some
thing else than we have sowed.
The fact is, however, God has or
dained the universe according to
the law of “identical harvest”
what we sow determines what we
reap God’s grace can restore our
relationship with himself, it can
bring us his forgiveness, but it
does not change the consequences
of our acts.
Jesus also indicated a law of
“identical harvest” in his teach
ings. He spoke of life beyond
death as an existance filled with
what you have “laid up” for your
self by your choices here on
earth in this life. He reminded
'his listeners that one does not
get “grapes from thorns, or figs
from thistles.” The judgement of
God that awaits us is not so much
the retribution of a vengeful God,
as it is the harvest of the seeds
we have chosen to plant and nur
ture. The place of our abode in
the life beyond is the dwelling we
have fashioned for ourselves.
(I««a on outlines copyrighted bv tha
Division of Christian Education, National
Cliurehoi of Christ In tha U.S.A.
solaasoa ay Community Pros* SoirvleaJ
Th* gam* of
“grace’
For some peo-
pie grace is a
Kit. game ' Th*y as '
sume that grace is
automatic, that, in a sense, God
has to give it to us when we want
it because it is his nature to give
it to us and he cannot transgress
against his own nature. Following
this line of logic, I live as I
please and do not worry about
the consequences because the for
giveness of God is always there
for the taking.
.This, however, is a distortion of
the reality of grace. As Paul says
to the Galatians. “Do not be de
ceived; God is not mocked . . .”
(6:7).
What some people fail to un
derstand is that just as God has
ordained laws that govern the
processes of nature, so also there
Cold weather has arrived and
more is sure to come. It is a good
practice to inspect all flues and
chimneys to be certain they are
tight and to prevent sparks from
getting out into the bam or
tobacco shed. Tobacco growers
who will be using stoves to heat
the stripping room may need to
do some pointing between the
bricks in the chimney, because it
will fall out after several years.
Fire prevention is very timely
now before the arrival of the
coldest part of the winter. In case
the fire extinguishers have not
been checked this year, it might
be a good time to try them out; all
members of the family should
know exactly where they, are
located and how to operate them.
To Be Ready For Emergency
Power failures do happen and
all farm operations that depend
upon electricity to do many of
their major farm chores should
be prepared with a stand-by
generator. Winter snow and ice
storms may~disrupt power lines
for too long a time when feeders,
electric fans, pumps, and other
important pieces of equipment
must be operated. Farmers are
urged to give emergency power
units some thought and be
prepared for the- emergency; it
may never happen, but the
protection of being prepared is
good farm planning. Tractors or
gasoline engines may_be installed
to operate the, generator units
until normal power is restored.
are certain moral laws that are
inherent in the universe. One of
these we might call the law of
“identical harvest,” and Paul
states this law simply . . for
whatever a man sows, that he
will also reap” (Galatians 6:7b).
A man was standing in his yard
shaking his head sadly at the
flowerbed of marigolds. He had
wanted a bed of roses. “Oh,” said
a sympathetic neighbor, “did you
plant roses?” “No,” replied the
man, “I planted mangold seeds,
but I so hoped they’d come up
roses!”
To Inspect Heating Systems