VOL 18 No. 19 Erroneous Ballots Sent to Dairymen A printer’s error on milk referendum ballots has a lot of dairymen confused, but so far, none of the misprinted forms have been reported in the LANCASTER FARMING readership area. According to Don Kunyon, chief of marketing services for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, only about 200 of the erroneous ballots have been sent out, and they seem to have been sent mainly to dairy farmers in the western part of the state. All the other ballots which were mailed out or January 16 are apparently all right Secretary of Agriculture Jim McHale took to the airwaves on Thursday to alert dairymen across the state that they may be getting a ballot with instructions printed on both sides and no place to vote. The correct ballots have Cattle Market Higher Cattle prices at Thursday’s New Holland auction continued the strengthened price trend which has been bringing more dollars to for the past several 'w«ks: Slaughter steers were $l-1.50 higher than the week before, up about $4-5 from a month ago, and a good $6-7 higher than cattle prices at this time last year. Veteran observers of the cattle markets who a few months ago would have scoffed at the possibility of steers bringing 45 cents a pound, now say it could happen any day. One load of 27 choice Angus steers sold for the average price of $43.05 per hundred pounds, Wednesday at the Lancaster Stock Yards, thought to be the all time high price paid for a live beef animal in this area. The animals were sold by J. M. Hoober Inc., for the New Holland Division of Sperry Rand Corp. Most farmers feel they are now getting a price for their cattle A barn fire on the farm of J. R. Forman, Lititz Rl, caused damages in excess of $50,000 iate Thursday afternoon. An estimated 125 firemen from three fire companies battled the blaze, but the barn was a total loss. instructions on one side and a place to vote on the other. McHale said anyone who receives one of the misprints can get a new ballot by contacting the marketing services division of the department of agriculture in Harrisburg. The phone number there is 717-787-4210. Don Kunyon pointed out that a very few dairy farmers may not have gotten any ball UlO at all. “We mailed ballots to all the names on the official ring test list,” he said. “This was the most complete list we had, but if someone has started dairying in the last few months, and his herd hasn’t been tested yet for brucellosis, then he might not have gotten a ballot.” Kunyon said anyone who hasn’t gotten a ballot at all can get one by calling the phone number above. that is commensurate with the investment they must make to buy and feed these animals. While some fanners at Lan caster Stock Yards Wednesday were selling 1,300 pound steers at $4O-43 per hundred pounds, others were buying steers weighing 950- 1,100 pounds which they will feed for a few weeks before selling on the market again. If the cattle market holds or goes higher, they stand to make a profit on these shortterm cattle. But like most farm products, the cost of a pound of beef on-the hoof is constantly changing and next week could see the cattle market tumble for some unknown reason. Hog prices too, have been setting their own records, going as high as $35 per hundred pounds at the Lancaster yards, Wed nesday. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 20, 1973 Red Rose DHIA members were honored for their high 1972 milk production records Tuesday at the annual DHIA banquet. Among those receiving awards were, left to right, front row: Aaron Beiler, Paradise Rl; John Lapp, Leola Rl; John Yost, Kinzers Rl; Henry Kettering, Lititz R 3, Red Rose DHIA Awards Go to County Producers John Yost, Kinzers Rl, was honored Tuesday afternoon by the Red Rose DHIA for achieving the highest butterfat production of any Lancaster County DHIA member in 1972. Yost’s 35-cow herd of registed Holsteins produced an average 16,087 pounds of milk last year and. 673 pounds of butterfat. He received a plaque at the association’s annual banquet at the Farm and Home Center. Yost also was recognized as the highest producer in the Holstein breed category. Other breed champions were; Ayrshire, Masonic Homes, Elizabethtown; Brown Swiss, J. Rohrer Witmer, Willow Street; Guernsey, Raymond Witmer, Willow Street; Jersey, Robert W. Ulrich & Son, Quarryville; mixed herd, Harold and Donald Risser, Bainbridge. There were 16 dairymen honored for producing an average of 600 or more pounds of butterfat during the year. All herds in this category were composed of Holsteins. The fanners, in addition to Yost, are: J.Z. Nolt, Leola Rl, 654 pounds of butterfat, 17,358 milk; Rufus G. Martin, Ephrata R 3, 646 fat, 17,576 milk; Paul B. Zim Farm Calendar Saturday, January 20 7 pjn. - Pomona Grange 71 dinner meeting, Rhoads Spanish Restaurant, Quarryville. Monday, January 22 Fulton Grange meeting, Oakryn. Tuesday, January 23 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Agway Dairy, Livestock, Crops, Production < Continued On Page 17) merman, Ephrata Rl, 643 fat, 16,187 milk. Lloyd Wolf, Quarryville R 2, 639 fat, 15,761 milk; John P. Lapp Leola Rl, 628 fat, 16,599 milk; Dale Hiestand, 627 fat, 16,414 milk; Samuel I. Esh, Gordonville Rl, 621 fat, 17,275 milk; Harry G. Kreider, Quarryville Rl, 619 fat, 15,280 milk; Ben S. Stoltzfus, Honey Brook R 2, 615 fat, 15,853 milk. Burkhart Receives Conservation Prize Donald U. Burkhart, Strasburg, has been named Pennsylvania’s top conservation contractor by the Pennsylvania Land Improvement Contractors Association and the Penn sylvania Association of Con servation District Directors. Burkhart received the award at the annual state contractors meeting held recently at New Cumberland. Robert M. Ross, association president, presented the award. Burkhart had been recom mended for the award by the board of directors of the Lan caster County Conservation District. He was competing in the contest against contractors from all over the state. His name will now be entered in national competition. Aaron Stauffer, Ephrata, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, presented the second place award to Kitmer Brothers from Somerset County. In 1972, Burkhart completed 25 percent of the cropland terraces built in Lancaster County, 40 Lancaster Farming- Photo Back row. Dale Heistand, Bainbridge Rl; Harry Kreider, Quarryville Rl; Harold Risser, Bainbridge Rl. Yost received the award for having a higher butterfat production than any other DHIA member in the county. David L. Landis, Colebrook Rd., Lancaster, 611 fat, 16,736 milk; Aaron E. Beiler, Paradise Rl, 606 fat, 15,227mi1k; Henry E. Kettering, Lititz R 3, 605 fat, 15,534 milk; Ben K. Stoltzfus, Gordonville Rl, 604 fat, 16,841 milk; John Farrington, Lititz R 2, 603 fat, 15,818 milk; J. Mowery Frey Jr., Beaver Valley Pike. Lancaster, 601 fat, 15,063 milk; (Continued on Page 17) percent of the sod waterways, 30 percent of the diversion terraces and 50 percent of the farm ponds. Judges for the contractor award base their selection on both quantity and quality of land improvement work. Donald U. Burkhart, Strasburg, is shown here with the plaqueT naming him Pennsylvania’s outstanding land improvement contractor for 1972. •Vrday, f January 2Dj 1973—3' $2.00 Per Year