tK t u% l > t tjt nftlp" t J > »»» in> M » i ]j\ f »" 1 f i Farming. Saturday, September 8, 1973 21 Horse Owners Urged To Vaccinate Animals For Sleeping Sickness Because of a seasonal rise in reported cases of horse sleeping sickness (equine encephalitis) in many states, the U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture (USDA) have urged owners who have not already done so to get their horses, ponies, mules or donkeys vaccinated. Officials of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service •(APHIS) say numerous cases of eastern and western types of equine encephalitis have been confirmed in 19 states, with suspected cases reported in four additional states. So far this year, outbreaks of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) have been confirmed in 11 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Outbreaks of western equine encephalitis (WEE) have been confirmed in nine states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming Suspected cases of horse sleeping sickness have been reported in; Connecticut, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Laboratory analysis of blood or tissue specimens is needed to confirm a diagnosis. Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) has not occurred in this country since 1971. But APHIS officials do not rule out the possibility-especially in south western states. Early signs of disease which horse owners should watch for are depression, lack of appetite, and drowsiness-hence the name sleeping sickness. Owners should report animals showing such USDA Produces SI Talk on Food Prlc “What’s Happening to Food Prices” is the title of a new slide presentation that explains in layman’s terms causes of the rise in food prices over the past two years The slide set, also avadable as a filmstrip, includes information about today’s food prices and explains factors m the economic system that caused the current rise Food prices in this country are compared with prices over the past 20 years, with increases in costs of other goods and services over the same period, and with prices in other countries The presentation also tells what the Government is doing to increase supplies and how long it will take The 153-frame color slide set is available for $35 from Photography Division, Office of Communication, U S Depart ment of Agriculture, Washington, D C 20250 Order the filmstrip for $l5 from Photo Lab, Inc , 3825 Georgia Ave , N W Washington, D C 20011 Price includes narrative guide, cassette with sound track for automatic or manual slide changing, and copies of a companion publication giving more detail Other slide presentations em phasizing different aspects of our agriculture system and the food pipeline can be purchased from the same sources They are- “The Peaceful Revolutionists,” 195 frames, showing the role farmers and others in the agricultural com plex have played in freeing the American public from the need to signs to their veterinarians or to animal health officials im mediately. In its most severe form, horse sleeping sickness causes in flamation of the brain. Often horses that develop brain in flamation die. Those that survive may have permanent brain damage. The viruses that cause EEE and WEE are commonly carried by birds. The viruses are spread when mosquitoes bite virus carrying birds or small mam mals and then bite susceptible (non-vaccinated) horses, or humans. In the case of VEE, horses are an important factor in the spread of the disease. But APHIS of ficials note horses are not in volved in the spread of EEE or WEE. The western virus (WEE) affects horses generally west of the Appalachians. The eastern (EEE) attacks horses generally along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Gulf states. There are areas of the country, however, where the two diseases overlap. Vaccines that protect horses against both diseases are available through veterinarians. A vaccine for VEE is also available. August and September are the months when horse sleeping sickness is most commonly ob served in the United States. So, ideally, vaccination should take place in the spring-before mosquitoes emerge in large numbers. If vaccination of horses has not .been carried out, say APHIS officials, it is still worthwhile to do so now-even in the face of an outbreak. grow its own food. Slide set $5O. Filmstrip $2O Prices include cassete. “Revelations of a Register Tape,” 71 frames, which tells what influences a family grocery bill Slide set $15.50i. Filmstrip $7 50 Cassette $3. “The 130 Billion Dollar Food Assembly Line,” 47 frames, gives a quick tour of the people and businesses that get your food to you, rain or shine, in any season. Slide set $l3 Filmstrip $5 50 Cassette $3. Narrative guides supplied with all sets Try A Classified Ad! • PLASTIC SILAGE COVERS • SILAGE SAVOR • FLAMELESS GAS BROODERS • DAIRY & BEEF CATTLE WORMER • CUSTOM CANVASS WORK Special Prices on - - - • Penstrep and Comblotlc Injectables • Furox Suspension AARON S. GROFF & SON Farm & Dain Store It!) ! Kphrata. Pa 17542 (Ilinkletown) Phone 354-0744 Stoi e Hours 7 A .M. to 'I P M. ( losed Tues. & Sat. at 5.30 P.M. »> • »t % >■ ,i i ,' <, \p> /* C i * \ » * • •* * i • f % $ SOYBEAN STORY . . . Fanned by strong worldwide demand for protein meal, dwindling supplies, devaluation of the dollar, and general in flation, soybean prices this season shot to unprecedented highs. Early June saw soybeans costing $12.37 J a bushel (No. 1 Yellow, Chicago), more than triple the seasonal low of $3.13 last fall. For the entire 1972-73 marketing year, farm prices are expected to average $4.25 a bushel, well above the $3.03 of last season and the previous record of $3.33 set in 1947-48. CARRYOVER on September 1 will be down to minimum levels .. . about 40 million bushels ... as use in 1972-73 exceeded production for the fourth consecutive year. TIGHT, TIGHT, TIGHT ... Supplies of peanut, linseed, fish, meat scrap, poultry byproduct, and feather meal supplies have all been tight in 1972-73, with the result that prices for all have been relatively strong. The only really ample protein feeds . during the marketing year have been cot tonseed meal (because of the big 1972 crop) and distillers' and brewers’ grains, gluten, and dairy products. RED MEAT REVIEW ... More and more it looks like total red meat supplies—beef, veal, pork, lamb, and mutton— for 1973’s last 6 months won’t be much bigger than a year earlier. Previously an increase was expected from an indicated upswing in pork, which isn’t panning out. Also, in early June broiler type chicks in incubators were down from a year earlier. ide es PIG PINCH ... No increase is in sight for the Nation’s pork supply in second half 1973, although earlier a moderate increase was anticipated. The December-May pig crop, earlier expected to be up moderately, was down 2 percent as a result of rising feed grain prices, a con sumer meat boycott, and meat price ceilings. HOG PRICES look as if they’re going to hold fairly steady during the next several months in view of the lighter than expected marketings Prices for the entire June-December stretch will not waver substantially from recent levels MILK PRODUCTION, now lagging because of high feed XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX , f V *' r * t r v * * ♦ > J* •' * * prices, may be down more than 1 percent from 1972’s 120.3 billion pounds. Milk feed-price ratios have deteriorated to the lowest levels since 1955. Although feed costs may decline when the harvest comes, they may not fall to levels that would encourage increases in milk production. XXX FARM MILK PRICES at midyear were up about 11 per cent from a year ago ... and farm prices are likely to continue well above year-levels during the rest of 1973, although stable wholesale dairy product prices may limit rises during the ceding period. Cash receipts from dairying were up 7 percent from a year earlier during the first half, despite lower milk marketings. xxx DAIRY PRODUCT SALES, now on the rise, should continue above year-earlier levels for the rest of 1973, but the rate of gain for this year may be somewhat less than 1972’s 3y 2 percent. xxx THE FUEL FIX ... Getting enough fuel for harvesting and drying crops this fall may pose problems. It’ll take about 336 million gallons of fuel, mostly gasoline, to harvest the corn and soybean crops and haul them to storage. And if the corn crop doesn’t get soaked again this year, drying will require 645 miHiori gallons nfainly*LP'^as XXX CORN DRYING may prove the big test because it hits when homeowners are turning on LP gas to heat homes. Fuel can be saved by storing high-moisture corn in airtight silos, by delaying harvest until the moisture content drops, and by drying with unheated air. XXX NOT SO FAST... The sharp gains in land values —up 13 percent in the past year and 50 percent from 1967—aren’t likely to continue much longer. The Federal Reserve Board has cranked interest rates to their highest level in several years and reports of tight money in the housing market may foreshadow a general tightening of credit. XXX BUT UP, NEVERTHELESS ... Even with a slower real estate market, the general trend of prices will still be up as far mers vie with each other for growing room and with non farmers who want rural homes or recreation land. The advance in prices over the next several years should at least match the 1963-73 long-term trend of a nearly 7 percent annual com pound gain. f,
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