’ ,f v, . ■ -I, y l ’■ id 1
10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 7, 1973 '
Forces of Food Production
"Commerce," a publication of The
Chicago Association of Commerce & In
dustry, has a few things to say about the
meat industry that place a very large
question mark on the wisdom of using such
coercive measures as price control or
boycotts to arbitrarily dictate the price of
meat. Supporting these activities on the
happy assumption that compulsion can
bring about both “reasonable" prices and
an abundant supply of meat is simply to
ignore the stern realities of human nature
and the marketplace.
Food production combines a chain of
events and millions of individual decisions
that determine the tide of supply as
inexorably as the rising the setting of the
sun. For instance, while consumers were
busy boycotting their neighborhood meat
markets, few of them realized what was
happening way back at the beginning of the
beef production line As “Commerce"
That Metric System Again
The foot-long hot dog may become a
casualty of progress. If plans to convert the
U.S. to the metric system in 10 years are
successful, carnival goers will find
themselves munching on 30.48 cen
timeters' worth of frankfurter instead!
The chances are good that metric con
version legislation will be passed by
Congress this year. The Wall Street Journal
reports that the Senate passed a 10-year
conversion bill in 1972, and now “. . .the
House Science subcommittee.. .has begun
public hearings as the first step in
assembling a bill.” Debate has already
begun to crystallize over the wisdom of
federal government subsidies to help
private industry convert, and some
question the need for compulsory,
In the long run, the best interests of
consumers and retailers alike lie in striving
for customer service and satisfaction and
building volume sales at low markup. A
remarkable merchandising success story
from the state of Florida illustrates that
these long-proven practices, even in these
days of inflationary and competitive
confusion, are still well and very much
alive.
Two years ago, a business executive from
Chicago moved to Florida. With no
previous retailing experience he decided to
open a music store selling only two things,
pianos and electronic organs As he put it,
“I had absolutely no experience as a
merchant and was relying completely on
my instincts as a consumer Needless tc
say, I was concerned that the consumer
approach to selling might not be enough to
pull me through, but now I'm convinced
there’s no better way." The results speak
for themselves. The first 12-month sales
goal of his organization was reached in 60
Cornerstone
US agriculture does far more than
assure an abundant food and fiber supply
for over 200 million Americans It has
become the nutrition hope of the world. So
far as setting high productivity standards,
it is also a foundation stone of U.S.
economic stability It is becoming in
creasingly apparent that the status of our
agricultural economy is closely related to
the total world economy For example,
while our trade deficit in 1972 was the
worst m the history of the country, it would
have been much worse were it not for U.S
farm exports hitting a peak of some $9.4
billion last year
Success Story
of the Good Life
describes the situation, “One factor
contributing to the current low supply of
beef coming to market is the increase in
cattle production costs caused by higher
feed grain prices. . .These dramatic in
creases were caused by the Soviet Union’s
massive purchases in grain markets in
1972. Many farmers who used to raise beef
have turned instead to corn and soybean
production to meet this new demand. In
addition, gram farmers who used to raise
cattle as a sideline.. .sell the corn on the
open market, rather than feed it to cattle.”
Prices can be controlled, boycotts can
make life uncomfortable for helpless meat
retailers, but no one can force a farmer to
defy the laws of economics in the task of
producing food. If prices are set by fiat or
consumer pressure at levels below market
requirements, the end result will be
"theoretically” fair prices-but no meat. Is
this what consumers want 7
nationwide adoption. After a 3-year study,
the National Bureau of Standards said in
1971 that, . .a coordinated national
switch is needed to avoid excessive costs
and confusion for small companies." If
individual industries were allowed to
change over at their own discretion, chaos
would surely follow.
Right now the world of meters, liters and
kilograms seems as foreign to most
Americans as Mars. .Still, these “new”
measurements may soon become an in
tegral part of our lives. In the end,
propnesizes former consumpr adviser
tsther Heterson, me metric system “will
make the life of the consumer a little more
pleasant.”
days. One store has expanded to seven,
and sales are expected to exceed $1.5
million in the second year. In addition to
selling at competitive prices, dealing m top
merchandise and assuring customer
satisfaction, one of the first things the new
merchant did was to start giving his
customers a little something extra-trading
stamps. The stamps, he pointed out, added
it
even more value to the dollars our
customers spend with us. And they help me
keep my volume up.”
Boiled down to its essentials, the private
enterprise, free market economy adds up
to a nation of people making their living by
working to meet the needs of other people.
'Vdvertismgand promotion are an essential
part of the process. No battery of laws or
team of consumer protectors could ever
create the flexibility and capacity for
consumer satisfaction built into the free
market distribution system that we already
have.
It is a mistaken idea that, because one
farmer now feeds something like 50 people
besides himself, agriculture is less im
portant than it was when the U.S. was a
nation of farmers and frontiersmen. In
reality, it has only been through the
growing efficiency of agriculture that
people have been released for the
production of all of the other amenities of
life now taken for granted Even though
there are fewer farmers among us, it
should never be forgotten that agnculture
-free market agriculture-remains a cor
nerstone of the good life.
n'K-M H** w* • * * «*,?**• »•*#» t *.♦< »««,»># hum
| NOW IS
I THE TIME . . .
Mak Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Control Stomach Worms
The blood-sucking parasites of
sheep, horses, and cattle thrive
and multiply rapidly during hot,
humid weather. Each female
worm produces up to 10,000 eggs
daily during such weather. These
eggs hatch quickly and nearly all
of the larvae survive when the
weather is wet and when there is
enough grass or other animal or
vegetative waste to protect them
from the sun. After the eggs
hatch, the larvae attach them
selves to the grass or forage
blades and are consumed by the
animals. Young animals should
be given several worm treat
ments during the summer in
order to eliminate the parasite
problem. Local veterinarians can
be helpful in recommending
materials to use. After treat
ment, it is a good practice to
move the animals to a new
pasture for several weeks.
To Prevent Bloating
The grazing of legume hay
fields after the first or second
cutting is made is a common
practice; however, there is
considerable danger from
bloating when the animals do not
have other sources of forage.
Good management requires that
the plants be dry when grazed;
wet alfalfa or clover plants are
more likely to cause severe
bloating. Also, a feeding of hay,
SUBTLE KILLERS
Lesson for July 8,1973
Background Scripture Exodus 20 73
Matthew 5 21-26. 12 9-13, James
4 l-2b, 1 John 3-11-11.
Devotional Reading- 1 John 4 7-12
Two friends of Pogo, the comic
strip swamp ’possum, gleefully
announced one day; “We’re filled
with loathing!” “How come you
look so happy then?” Pogo want
ed to know. “We’re always happy
when we’re filled with loathing!”,
they chirped.
Most of us know
a few people who
seem happiest
when they are fill
ed with loathing,
resentment, or
just plain ill hu
mor. This, it
seems, is the way
Rev. Althouse they like it. Un
pleasantness has
become for them a way of life.
Catalogue of complaints
Some time ago while making
hospital calls, I saw a woman
emerge from the “Intensive Care”
umt and overheard her announce
to a group of waiting relatives:
“Dad’s feeling better he’s
started to complain!” Could that
he said of you? Are you a walking
catalogue of complaints; grudges,
and discontentments’ Are you
sure’
The sixth of the ten command
ments declares - “You shall not
kill ” This commandment often
has a comforting effect because
most of us know full well that
we have not broken it, nor are
we likely to. Jesus, however, did
not intend to let us off that easily.
According to his understanding of
silage or other forage before the
animals are turned to the straight
legume pasture is strongly
recommended. Grasses mixed
with the legumes reduces the
danger of bloating. When animals
are changed from an old pasture
to a fresh, lush growth of forage,
it is best that they get other feed
or forage before going to the new
area. Careful attention and
management should eliminate
the problem of bloat.
To Control Leafhoppers
Many local fanners have a
beautiful crop of second cut
alfalfa; we hope that weather
conditions will permit the crop to
be harvested with little damage;
there have been some cases of
leaf hopper infestation but more
are expected for the third cutting.
Last year the leafhoppers did
severe damage to many third
cuttings when the crop was
needed very badly. The best time
to apply the methoxychlor spray
is when the new growth is three to
six inches high; it will do little
good to wait until the plants are
larger and evidence of yellowing
and stunting. The later cuttings
of alfalfa are very high in protein
and very valuable; we urge
alfalfa producers to make every
effort to harvest a maximum
amount of the high protein later
cuttings of alfalfa.
God’s purpose, it is not only the
murderous act that kills, but also
the hateful thought or the vindic
tive attitude. “But I say to you
that every one who is angry with
his brother shall be liable to
judgement” (Matthew 5:22).
One doesn’t have to cut his
neighbor’s throat to violate God’s
purpose for interpersonal rela
tionships. There are many ways
of injuring our neighbors, ways
that fall short of murder but still
bring us under God’s judgment.
They work slowly but surely to
destroy us from within. They are
the subtle killers.
When a person indulges him
self in hating his neighbor, he
hurts himself as well as the per
son he hates. His resentment be
comes a formidable barrier be
tween himself and God. Thus, a
man attempting to worship may
find that he cannot truly do so
until he has first been recon
ciled with his brother.
Poisonous grudges
Many medical doctors today be
lieve that bitterness and anger
affect the body like destructive
poisons. Many sicknesses are
closely related to unresolved an
ger and resentment. Often before
we can be made well physically,
we must first be made whole spir
itually.
"You shall not kill,” says the
sixth commandment. “Do not
hate,” says Jesus, further develop
ing the meaning of this command
ment. Yet there is more to it than
just what a person is not sup
posed to do. There is also some
thing that a person is supposed
to do: “Love your enemies, and
pray for those who persecute
you.” There must be something
positive to fill the void left by the
subtle killers.
And how far does he expect us
to go with this forgiving love for
enemies? No less far than he
went - to a cross, if necessary'
{Based on outlines copyrighted by the
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
Released by Community Press Service )
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