—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 5, 1972
10
Looking through our mail recently, we
noticed that some things have been
changing over the past year.
For instance, a year ago, farmers were in
the midst of a rising cost situation which
included very high feed costs. At the same
time, livestock prices were down. The
combination was putting a severe
squeeze on many farmers.
Now, farmers are facing the pleasant
prospect of lower feed costs and relatively
high livestock prices. It’s the kind of
situation which is easy to live with.
But farmers know from experience not to
get carried away with delight when things
look good We note, for instance, the
continual increase in the price of feeder
cattle. We think some farmers should
begin to ask themselves what might
happen if they pay high prices for feeder
stock and the market drops.
Our reports indicate that a buildup of
livestock numbers has been taking place.
Sooner or later this should result in
pressure on prices. We suspect that these
pressures will be delayed because of the
pickup in the general economy which will
spur demand. This pickup in demand could
keep livestock prices high for many months
longer than some forecasts are indicating.
But we also notice some reports on the
consumer side complaining about record
high retail meat prices. Farmers should
remain alert to pressures in this direction.
It seems that some of our so-called
friends who complain the loudest when the
farmer is getting squeezed economically
also complain the loudest when things are
going a little better and the farmer is
making some money.
The one dark spot in the farm picture
continues to be the egg industry. Spurred
on by the very high egg prices in late 1969
and early 1970, the industry went on an
expansionary binge which was certain to
result in disaster The-disaster has been on
a scale which was to be expected. Some
forecasts are now indicating that things
may begin to pick up in the second half of
1972, but this is far from certain. The
industry as a whole still has not made the
determination to make the small per
centage of cutback in production which is
necessary to bring prices up
Reports from local mdustrymen suggest
that reduced mortality from control of
Merek’s has probably played a much bigger
role m the length of the price depression
than was previously suspected. It seems
that Merek’s not only took a big toll in
terms of bird losses, but also in terms of
reduced rate of lay and high rate of losses
through cracks and egg shell damage.
Solving the Merek’s problem m the midst
of the price depression meant that a much
sharper cutback in numbers of birds had to
be made than would ordinarily be
necessary to stop a market glut The
cutback wasn't quite big enough and
solving the Merek's problem may have
been the biggest reason
Unlike egg producers, pork producers
responded very rapidly in 1971 to a market
glut The result was that below cost of
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
$ P O Box 266 - Lititz, Pa 17543
v Office 22 E Main St, Lititz, Pa. 17543
S 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 Lan
g caster Farming, Lititz, Pa.
* Second Class Postage paid at Lititz, Pa
$ 17543
Members of
g Assn., Pa
$ Association,
$ Association
Newspapers Farm Editors
Newspaper Publishers
and National Newspaper
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v.v,v.va«XswX*x«x*x*x*x*x*!*:.x*x*v.x«:
Some Trends
in Farming
production prices for pork lasted only a
short time. With pork producers generally
indicating continued restraint, the im
mediate outlook for hog producers is very
good.
Milk prices? Well, that's a tough one. Our
reports indicate that there's some over
production, which in the short run should
indicate a larger percentage of milk
diverted into class II uses and a lower
blend price for producers. If this over
production continues too long, there will be
pressures on prices, too.
But the national war chest for milk
promotion is growmg'by leaps and bounds
and should continue to grow. If promotion
is as successful as its proponents expect,
promotion should soon begin to make
progress toward at least reducing the rate
of decline in per capita milk consumption—
and hopefully bring increases.
Statewide, out bet, despite assurances to
the contrary from Harrisburg, is that
elimination of retail milk price setting will
benefit consumers at the expense of the
farmer. The farmer may not suffer im
mediately if Milk Control is eliminated, but
out guess is that retailers won’t take
significantly reduced profit margins long
without squeezing the farmer.
We also notice indications that the farm
community will come under increasing
pressures on quality control and chemical
use. This includes stiffer regulations on use
of fertilizers, pesticides and various
chemicals, including antibiotics. This type
of thing will almost certainly lead to higher
operating costs Farmers should be aware
of these trends and be prepared to read
just their thinking both in terms of the type
of materials used and how they're applied.
At the same time, it's important to keep an
eye on the cost problem.
It's our observation that these types of
pressures will force even greater
specialization in farming for several
reasons. For one, new rules and greater
know-how in use of chemicals will require
greater care and more knowhow, maybe
special training.
It will be increasingly impossible for
farmers to keep up with these new rules
and requirements in several fields. It may
be necessary to devote more attention to a
smaller number of projects in order to get
the job done right.
One alternative will be to turn over the
worry and know-how involved with this
type of thing to agri-business firms which
can provide the service or to custom ap
plicators which can be expected to grow in
number and importance.
As always m farming, things are changing
fast and an awareness of the direction of
the changes is important.
Where There’s Smoke
Smoking and matches rank as the
number one cause of building fires, reports
the National Fire Protection Association.
Make sure you have plenty of large
ashtrays in your house. And don’t smoke in
bed, warns the Penn State University
Cooperative Extension Service Farm and
Home Safety Committee.
BLOOMSBURG, PA, PRESS “A leading
journal for pharmacists, ‘American
Druggist’ reports that ‘make it do, use it
up, do without’ has become an outmoded
philosophy. It has been replaced with the
new view ‘use it once and throw it away’.
According to the publication, disposable
products are often cheaper and healthier.
It lists a number of such items and con
cludes, ‘A disposable hairbrush is also
under consideration.' This comes as a
surprise. Looking at the shocking number
of juvenile delinquency cases we had
concluded that Momand Pop had disposed
of the hairbrush about ten years ago.”
now is
THE TIME . .
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
To Be Careful With Snowmobiles
Weather conditions have
permitted the use of snowmobiles
during the past week and we are
aware of the disregard for
priviate property in their use. I’d
like to remind the owners of
these pleasure vehicles that the
permission of the land owner
should be secured before the
mobile is operated on that piece
of land. Just how much damage a
snowmobile does to a small grain
field or to a permanent sod is not
clearly known; however, other
people do not have the right to
drive over your land without
permission. As these machines
get more numerous and if
snowfall permits their more
extensive use, owners of these
machines should be interested in
running on land with the owner’s
permission; don’t trespass and
be liable for damages and in
juries.
To Service Farm Machinery
The spring months are ap
proaching and when the weather
permits many pieces of farm
machinery will swing into ac
tion. It is good management to
have every piece in good working
condition in order to prevent
costly delays. Now is the time to
get the machinery serviced and
ready. Many machinery dealers
welcome the work during the
winter months and may give
some discounts. Farmers doing
their own repairs will be able to
spend more time and do a more
through job if they can plan to
do it when the pressure of outside
work is not as great. Machinery
is expensive and deserves being
kept in good condition.
CHRIST AND
THE CITY
Lesson for February 6,1972
Background Scripture Luke 13 31-35,
19 20-48
Devotional Reading Psalms 122
There is a painting by the
French artist, Paul Hippolyte
Flandrin, entitled “Christ Mourns
over the City ” It is, of course,
an interpretation of Luke 13 31-
35 and 19 28-28, two occasions
when Christ expressed deep con
cern over the city
of Jerusalem and
its unreceptivity
to God’s messen
gers The figure
of Jesus domi
nates the whole
right side of the
painting He
stands looking
Rev. Althouse over the city and,
although we cannot see his face
clearly, it is obvious that his
head is bowed in sadness
Jesus weeps for the city
It is the left side of the paint
ing that surprises, for we find
that the sprawling expanse be
neath Jesus is not Jerusalem, but
one of our contemporary cities It
could be New York, Chicago, At
lanta, Los Angeles—-it could be
your town. There is, to be sure,
a large cathedral or church in
the center foreground, but it is
dark; no light comes from it. The
city itself is crowded, dingy, and
wreathed in smoke. It is definite
ly a modern city.
To Be Careful With Antibiotics
Again we remind aU livestock
producers that medicines and
drugs used properly and
carefully can render a great
service; however, the trend may
be toward the too extensive use of
some of these materials and then
a resistance is developed by the
organism. Also, with the use of
most drugs' and medicines there
is a regulation concerning the
withholding period of milk flow,
or certain length of tiome before
being sold for slaughter. We urge
that all producers recognize the
importance of these regulations
and follow them carefully. There
are record blanks to be used for
keeping accurate records of the
administering <3f all types of
drugs and medicines. We urge
good record keeping in order to
have some protection against a
claim of mis-use.
To Pay By Check
When checks are used to pay
expenses instead of paying cash,
there is some record of the
transaction. We are aware of the
habit of some farmers paying
cash for purchases rather than
using their checking account. I
think this is a doubtful practice
and one that is not included in
good farm record keeping and
good farm management.
Discounts may still be obtained
by paying promptly be check as
well as with cash. Permanent
records of payments and con
tributions become more im
portant with many new taxes and
regulations. The check book and
the resulting cancelled check
gives the needed record of both
small and large transactions.
The intent of the artist is plain.
Christ still mourns over the city,
he is saying, but not just Jeru
salem Christ mourns over all
cities where ignorance, greed,
and hatred have dimmed or ex
tinguished the light of God. The
two occasions in the gospel of
Luke, then, are very relevant for
today. x '
Today, as then, Jesus meets
with the same response; “Teach
er, rebuke your disciples'” (19:
39) People in the cities are just
as hostile and resistant to the
claims of the Gospel today as
they were when Jesus mourned
over Jerusalem. They don’t want
to hear prophets; they don’t want
to hear God’s voice, they don’t
want to know what he wants of
them They are still violent in
their- response to God’s spokes
men.
Jesus acts for the city
Once again, Jesus says to the
cities, open your eyes, and weeps
because there is so little response
to his voice The problem of the
cities is the problem of man; his
spiritual blindness It is not that
he cannot see, but that he will
not
Once again, the result is likely
to be the same if you will not
wake up and see, you will be des
troyed . “because you did not
know the time of your visitation”
(9.44). So Jesus was not content
to weep for the city; to make the
people wake up and see he did
the most significant thing he
could do he gave his own life so
that the city might know.
Once again this is what is re
quired if our own cities are to
escape their destruction. It will
not be enough for us to weep and
wring our hands over them. We
must be willing, like him, to
offer nothing less than ourselves.
(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.)