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—Lancaster Farming, Saturday. August 17. 1974
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Farm Commentary
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WHEAT SUPPLIES
Record wheat prices during 1973-
74, favorable weather, and the lifting
of planting restrictions are making for
a prospective 1974 wheat crop of
about 2 1 billion bushels, which would
be a new record high However,
supplies during the current
marketing year are up only 9 percent
from 1973-74 because carryover
stocks on July 1 were the smallest
since 1948
THE USE PICTURE
Domestic wheat use this season
may be well above last year as high
feed gram prices relative to wheat
early in the year could boost wheat
feeding to around 200 million
bushels However, exports and total
disappearance m 1974-75 may be off
somewhat from last season's 19
billion bushels Currently exports are
projected at over a billion bushels
USDA economists envision some
drop in shipments to most regions as
new crop supplies are expected to fill
more of their requirements However,
world food gram stocks are very low
and unfavorable world crop
developments could bring on another
spurt in our overseas wheat sales
A LOOK AHEAD
AT CARRYOVER
Current appraisals of supplies and
use in 1974-75 suggest wheat stocks
on July 1, 1975 could be more than
double the 217-million-bushel
carryover at the start of the present
season In this case, prices during
1974-75 are likely to run well under
the extreme highs of 1973-74
THE WORLD
WHEAT SITUATION
Uncertainty hangs over the world
wheat scene There was a record
1973- crop, but tight world sup
plies and growing world demand kept
imports surprisingly large Con
sequently, wheat stocks in major
exporting countries continued to
shrink initial projections put the
1974- world wheat crop at 375
million tons, 2 percent larger than
last year However, continued strong
demand in Asia, Africa, and Latin
America will offset smaller Soviet
purchases and the recent high
levels of world trade should continue
RECORD FEED GRAIN
SUPPLIES IN OFFING
Because of the small carryover
(22 1 /? million tons) of old crop feed
grains forecast for October 1, the
1974 crop will become the virtual
supply for the 1974-75 marketing
season USDA economists’ projected
level of production plus carryover
gives a 1974-75 supply of 258 million
tons, 9 percent above the current
season and 4 percent above the
record in 1972-73
FEED GRAIN USE
AT HOME IN 1974-75
Forecast at around 177 million
tons, 2 percent larger than th»s year
The use boost is based on the outlook
for 3 percent more gram consuming
animal units (for a total of 117‘A
million), plus a feeding rate near this
year’s 1 37 tons per animal
Livestock-feed price ratios also will
likely improve from 1973 74's un
favorable levels Feed gram exports
m the upcoming season are projected
at 42 million short tons, virtually the
same as this year That would put
total 1974-75 disappearance close to
219 million tons, up 1-2 percent from
both this season and last. Carryover
at the end of 1974-75 is projected at
nearly 39 million tons, well above the
small amount foreseen for this Oc
tober 1 but still below levels of most
recent years Much of the carryover
would be m corn at about a billion
bushels, more than twice the volume
expected at the end of this season
PRICES COULD DROP
U S feed gram prices in 1974-75
will hinge on the outcome of
production and demand in other
countries as well as the size of the
U S crop If 1974 crops around the
world are fairly normal, and the U S
crop turns out close to USDA
projections, prices could drop
dramatically Corn prices at the farm
at harvest time this fall could sink
below $2 a bushel say economists
Prices at this level would be fine for
the domestic livestock industry
which has been caught in a cost-price
squeeze but not so good for cash
corn producers who will have record
high production costs Costs of most
inputs used in producing grains are
up for corn, variable costs of
production per acre are expected to
gam by as much as a fourth m 1974
Increase in Farm
Value Slows, but could
still Top 15 percent
for the Year
Farm real estate values may rise 15
percent during the year ending
March 1, 1975 While this would be
sharply above average gams of recent
years, it would trail 1974’s record
increase because of less optimism
over prospects for farm income and
agricultural exports
The index of farm real estate values
rose a record 25 percent for the year
ended March-1, 1974 The index
reached 187 (1967 equals 100),
which converts to a 935 percent
annual rate of increase over the last 7
years
Major factors behind the most
recent increase include unusually
high commodity prices and net farm
income in 1973, and considerable
buyer optimism over the long-term
outlook for farm income Also, a rapid
rate of inflation in the general
economy contributed to some shifting
of investment funds into farm real
estate as an inflation hedge Rising
interest rates appeared to have little
limiting effect on land markets during
the year as the use of borrowed funds
to purchase land increased sharply
The total value of farm real estate
reached $324 2 billion and the
average value per acre $3lO, a $63
rise from a year ago Value per acre
ranged from nearly $2,100 in New
Jersey to $65 in New Mexico Most
Corn Belt State averages were in the
$6OO-$BOO range
As a result of the jump m average
value per acre and, to a lesser extent,
continued increase in farm size, the
value of farm real estate m an
average operating unit now exceeds
$125,000
About 5 of 6 farm properties
purchased are expected to remain in
farm use at least 5 years Most of
those expected to move to a nonfarm
use within 5 years will be used as
rural residences and subdivisions
LIVE FREE!
Lesson for August 18,1974
Background Scripture:
Colossians 2:8-23.
Devotional Reading:
Galatians 5:13-26.
A number of years ago Joy
Adamson wrote a trilogy of
books about her experience
with the African lion; Born
Free, Living Free, and
Forever Free. Her thesis
was that as the lion is born
free, he ought to be enabled
to continue to live free.
What Joy Adamson did for
lions and the animal
kingdom, someone ought
also to do for people. Ac
tually, that’s what chapter
two of Colossians is about.
Paul is saying to the people
of this church that by the
power of Christ they have
been reborn into freedom
and they ought to continue to
live in freedom “If with
Christ you died to the
elemental spirits of the
universe, why do you live as
if you still belonged to the
world?” (2:20).
Only a shadow
Paul’s question was a
reference to the style of
religion practiced by many
of the Collossian Christians.
It was a legalistic style of
religion. The heart of that
religious style was a heavy
dependence upon rules and
regulations. Ironically, this
is what Jesus had criticized
so greatly in the scribes and
Pharisees. Their rules and
regulations became more
important than God’s Spirit.
In fact, the legalism became
even more important than
God himself. Now, freed
from that legalism by Christ,
Paul noted that the
Collossians were slipping
back mto that very same
style of religious life.
Paul is not saying that
rules and regulations are
worthless What he is saying,
however, is that these can
never be the central focus of
our religious life. Man has a
habit of devising rules and
regulations to regulate his
religious experience and
ends up stifflmg the
operation of God’s spirit in
his life The legalism
becomes a substitute for the
actual presence of God.
The substance
Paul points out that the
multitude of rules and
regulations on food, dress,
festivals, etc. are not the
essence of true religion, but
only a “shadow” of that
essence. “These,” he says,
“are only a shadow of what
is to come; but the substance
belongs to Christ” (2 17). It
is the “substance" of
religion upon which we
should focus and that
“substance” is Christ.
Unfortunately, many
Christians today still
practice Christianity m a
legalistic manner Their
religion is primarily one of
rules and regulations Fine
as those rules may be, they
often become more im
portant that Christ himself
They take the place of a
living Savior The lives of
these people become so filled
with “thou shalts” and “thou
shalt nots” that there is no
room or need for Christ
himself
Not only does legalism
tend to keep Christ out of our
lives, it also separates us
,y.v.-.v.v.v.v.v.v....
| NOW IS
I THE TIME. ..
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone :191-(!851
To Flush Ewe Flock
Through proper feeding
and management it is
possible to increase the
number of twin lambs bom
to the breeding ewe flock.
This has been done many
times by experienced
shepherds. The idea is to get
the ewes into a gaming
condition at breeding time;
this can be done by feeding
extra gram or by turning out
to a lush grass pasture; do
not graze them on alfalfa or
clover pastures. This
flushing of the ewes should
be done 2 to 3 weeks prior to
the breeding period. Also,
the ewes should be treated
for stomach worms prior to
the breeding season. Both of
these practices should result
in more lambs raised per
ewe next spring.
To apply For
Gas Tax Refund
Farmers are reminded
that applications for the
Pennsylvania Liqmd Fuel
Tax must be filed by Sep
tember 30. This 8 cent per
gallon refund is available for
gas used for agricultural
purposes in non-hcensed
tractors and non-hcensed
power machinery. The time
period is fuel used from July
1,1973 through June 30,1974.
Application blanks may be
secured from the Board of
Finance and Revenue, Room
Finance Bldg.
Farm
Calendar
Saturday, August 17
Pomona Grange picnic,
Holtwood Athletic Field,
Coleram Grange Hosts.
7 00 p.m.
Sunday, August 18
18-20 Annual Convention of
the National Hay
Association at Holiday
Inn, Lake Worth, Florida.
Monday, August 19
Red Rose DHIA Quarterly
Meeting, Farm and
Home center 8:00 p.m 19-
24 Kutztown Fair
- Wednesday, August 21
Lancaster County Pork
Chester Youths Attend
Co-op Conference
Wesley McAllister, Ox
ford; Holly Scheib,
Phoenixville; and Sarah
Weinstock, Phoenixville
attended a national meeting
of agricultural and
cooperative leaders at
Kansas State University,
Manhattan, Kans., August 6-
9 They are joining 700 other
Youth Scholars at this
National Institute on
Cooperative Education,
jointly sponsored by the
University; American In-
from our fellows Paul says,
“let no one pass judgment on
you in matters of food and
drink. ” (2-16). Instead of
bringing us closer to God and
our fellow men, legalism
tends to drive us further
away from both
Harrisburg, Pa. 17120. Don’t
be refused for being late.
To Be Careful
With Pesticides
Read and follow all labels
and directions carefully.
Keep supplies away from
children and all livestock.
Keep record of all spray
applications or drugs given
to livestock. Dispose of
empty containers properly;
don’t leave them lying
around. Wear protective
clothing and equipment
when suggested. Have a
good supply of soap and
water handy to wash off
spilled materials. Know the
phone number of the local
Poison Control Center. For
-Lancaster it is 2994546.
To Ensile At
Proper Stage
Of Maturity
Silo filling time is ap
proaching and all producers
should become acquainted
with the best time to cut their
particular crop. Various
forage crops are used for
silage and the peak of feed
value differs between them.
For com it is at the dent
stage when most feed
nutrients are present. For
the sorghum-sudan hybrids
the best time is when headed
out and the kernels in the
soft dough stage. Proper
stage of maturity means
more real feed value and less
damage to the silo surfaces.
Producers Field Trip to a
York County Con
finement Operation
Thursday, August 22
Corn field meeting 1:00 p.m
Levi Stoltzfus farm
White School Road,
Honeybrook.
Livestock Outlook meeting
8:00 p.m. Farm and
Home Center.
Friday, August 23
Duroc Show and Sale at the
Lancaster Stockyards.
Show 4:30 p.m. and Sale
7:30 p.m.
stitute of Cooperation,
Washington, D.C.; and
cooperative organization in
the area.
These young people from
all across the nation are
exploring career op
portunities and learning
more about the American
business enterprise system
Mostly sponsored by local
and regional cooperatives in
their home areas, they will
also participate with 200
Young Farmer Couple and
about 1,000 adult
agricultural and cooperative
leaders in a number of
general sessions. They heard
nationally known speakers
discuss current °P"
portumties and challenges
confronting agriculture and
farmer-owned cooperatives.