10— Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 24. 1974
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Farm Commentary
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Fortunes have been made and lost,
bank accounts - and hearts - have
been broken on the strength of the
information contained in the USDA's
annual August crop report Here are
some highlights from that report,
received this week
Corn--The first forecast of 1974
corn production by the Crop
Reporting Board at 4,966 million
bushels is 12 percent below last year,
but the fourth largest of record The
yield at 77 8 bushels is down sharply
from last year's 914 bushels
Sorghum Gram--Production is
forecast at 619.0 million bushels, 34
percent less than last year’s record
crop, and 24 percent less than 1972
Yields are expected to average 45.6
bushels
Feed Gram-Production of corn,
sorghum, oats, and barley combined
is forecast at 175 million tons, 15
percent less than last year
All Wheat-Forecast production of
1,840 million bushels is up 8 percent
(128 million bushels) from 1973 but
Less gram fed to livestock,
somewhat lower gram exports, yet
food use of gram will hold firm,
perhaps even go up a bit during
1974-75
But, gram carryover will still be
down sharply next year Those were
among the prospects outlined m the
latest USDA Supply and Demand
Estimate Reports issued last week,
one day after the crop report
While domestic use of wheat during
1974-75 had once been seen as high
as 810 million bu and exports as high
as 1050 bullion bu, domestic use is
now seen at from 758 to 808 million
bu and exports at 900-million-l 0
billion bu Food use is seen at an
"inelastic” 532 million bu, seed use
around 76 million bu, and feed use
now down to 150 million bu
Carryover, once seen at 432 million
bu is now expected to be in the 332 -
382 million bu range
Corn supplies, once seen at 69
billion bu, domestic use at 4.8 billion
bu and exports at 1 2 billion bu Now,
Cattle imports were up slightly
during June, but imports of live hogs
continued to run well above their
1973 pace At 79,950 head, cattle
imports were up 5 pet from a year
earlier But, hog imports totaled
25,748 head, 2Vz times that of June
U S meat imports down sharply m
June At 786 million lbs, those
covered by the Meat Import Law
(mainly fresh and frozen beef and
veal) were off 14 pet from a year
larlier All red meat imports (those
covered by the Import Law, plus
cannned and preserved beef and
veal, and all pork and lamb, mutton
» **• u * ' . , - vr r i
Crop Report Highlights
is 4 percent less than the July 1
forecast Winter, durum, and other
spring wheats all showed declines
from last month.
Food Grams-Production of wheat,
rye, and rice collectively are expected
to total 61 million tons, 8 percent
more than 1973
Oilseeds-Production of soybeans,
cottonseed, peanuts, and flaxseed
combined is forecast at 47 million
tons, 14 percent (8 million tons) less
than last year.
Soybeans--The first estimate this
season for soybean production is
1,314 million bushels, 16 percent
(252 million bushels) below last
year’s record output because of
reduced acreage and lower
prospective yields
All Tobacco-Forecast of all
tobacco, at 1,968 million pounds is up
13 percent from 1973 Flue-cured at
1,274 million pounds is up 10 percent
and burley at 563 million pounds is
up 25 percent.
Here’s What It Will Mean
corn supplies are seen at 5.4 billion
bu , domestic use at 4.1 - 4.3 billion
bu and exports in the 750-900
million bu. range.
Food and seed use/once seen at
435 million bu, is now seen as high as
455 million bu. But, feed use, once
seen at 4.4 billion bu., is now seen at
3 7-38 billion bu And, carryover,
once seen at 854 million bu, is now
seen at 340-360 million bu.
Feed gram supplies, once seen at
250 million tons, are now seen at 196
million tons: domestic use, once seen
at 174 miltion tons, are now seen at
152-157 million tons; and exports,
once seen at 416 million tons, are
now seen at 24-30 million tons
Food use, once seen at 17.6 million
tons, now seen at 17 8-18 2 million
tons But, animal feed use, once seen
at 156 million tons, is now seen at
134 5-139 million tons. And, feed
gram carryover, seen only a couple of
months ago at 343 million tons, is
now seen at 13 6 -15 million tons, the
lowest since 1948
Hog Imports Continue Up
1973
The Jan -June totals. Cattle,
473,259 head, down 21 pet. from a
year earlier; Hogs, (all from Canada)
98,028 head, 2Vi times the Jan
June 1973 total
Meat Imports Off In June
and goat) totaled 122 8 million lbs.
for the month, down 13 pet from a
year earlier
The 6-month totals Meats covered
by the Import Law, 555 9 million lbs,
down 7 pet, all red meats 857 3
million lbs, down 4 pet. from a year
earlier.
WHATEVER
YOU DO
Lesson for August 25,1974
Background Scripture:
Colossians 3:1 through 4:6
Devotional Reading:
Colossians 3:1-11.
What are Christian
relationships?
Sometimes we idealize
what it means to be a
Christian to the point that the
gospel seems to become
irrelevant to us. We think of
a Christian person as one
who is nearly perfect in
terms of righteousness, of a
Christian home as one in
which there are no
problems, of a Christian
church as an ideal fellowship
free of imperfections, and of
a Christian community as
one which is quite untainted
by evil of any kind.
Forgiving each other
If our experience is
something less than these
idealized images-as it
almost always is-we are
likely to be disillusioned and
may even lose hope in the
gospel because its aims
seem so unattainable.
Almost no one can ever
match our expectations of
what a Christian is supposed
to be, including and
especially ourselves. Our
homes will always seem to
have been judged and found
greatly lacking. Our com
munities will seem hopeless
and quite beyond redemp
tion.
The Bible, however, is a
good antidote to our
overidealized images of
Christian relationships. The
Book of Acts and the epistles
of Paul give us many views
of both individual Christians
and congregations that are
anything but perfect or even
near perfection. For
example, Paul counsels the
Colossians: “forgiving each
other” (3:12). What need
would there be for Paul to
give them that advice if the
congregation at Colossae
were relatively free from
conflict? In fact, if the people
there were ideal, there would
be no reason for Paul to
advise “compassion, kind
ness, lowliness, meekness,
and patience” (3:12). Nor
would he have to speak of
“forebearing one another”
and what to do “if one has a
complaint against another”
(3:13).
In other words, the gospel,
although it challenges us to
the highest possible type of
living, anticipates human
failure and provides for it
through the forgiveness of
Jesus Christ.
Admonish one another
A second indication that
things at Colossae were less
than ideal is to be found in
Paul’s admonition for the
Colossians to continue to
grow in spirit. If the church
at Colossae were even near
perfect, there would be little
need or room for growth.
Actually, Paul is indicating
that the church is not so
much a place for those who
have “arrived,” as for those
who are still making the
journey.
Paul's counsel is still
relevant for the churches
and congregations of today,
for many Christians ob
viously believe they have
“arrived” and that growth is
| NOW IS
I THE TIME...
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Control Weeds In
New Alfalfa Seeding
Alfalfa stands seeded late
in July or early August will
soon be needing some at
tention for weed control. The
best time to kill seeds is
when they are small (1 to 2
inches) and at this stage they
may not be easily visable
and therefore, nothing is
done to control them. Later
in the fall the weeds come
along faster than the alfalfa
and then it is too late to get
good control. When alfalfa is
seeded without a nurse crop,
a weed control spray is
needed either before seeding
or several weeks after.
Spray to prevent a weed
problem, and do not wait
until weeds are crowding out
the young plants; that is
usually too late.
To Make The Most
Of The Cora Crop
This is always good advice
but some years it is difficult
to know the best way to
harvest and market the com
crop. This year we hear of
some who are planning to
sell their crop because of the
current high prices. I wonder
if these prices will hold until
later m the fall when the com
must be harvested and
stored. Cattle and hogs have
usually been a good outlet for
all feed grains, but at this
time there is some question
if these feeding operations
can be profitable. The
making of the corn crop into
silage is the best way to
harvest the maximum
pounds of feed nutrients.
Com cut in the full dent stage
for silage and put into a good
silo or well manged trance
will always be a good feed
and in most years very much
in demand. If the great
majority of cattle and hog
feeders decide to sell their
com rather than market it
through their animals, we
Farm
Calendar
Sunday, August 25
East Point Open Horse Show
10:00 a.m. on Route 15
near Liberty, Pa.
Monday, August 26
Reading Fair through Sept. 2
Wednesday, August 28
1974 State Plowing Contest at
Ag Progress Days,
Bloomsburg, Pa. 7:00
a.m. registration: 9:30
a.m. instructions on
contest: 10:15 a.m.
contest begins. 2:30 p.m.
awards program.
for others. “Let the word ot
Christ dwell in you richly, as
you teach and admonish one
another ...” (3:16). No one,
Paul is saying, ever is that
near perfect that he has
outgrown his need for the
word of Christ and the ad
monishment of his brothers.
No, the goal is ever before
us: “And whatever you do, in
word or deed, do everything
m the name of the Lord JeSus
1}
could have a depressed corn
market, cheaper feeder
animals, and much higher
priced beef and pork next
summer.
To Make Pasture
And Lawn Seedings
Late August and early
September are the very best
times to make new seedings
of pasture and lawns. The
cooler weather of the fall
months with average
moisture will give the plants
an excellent start. The place
to start planning for this new
seeding is a complete soil
test. I’m amazed at the
number of folks who make
these sew seedings without
learning the lime and fer
tilizer needs of the soil.
These materials should be
worked into the soil before
the seeding is made so they
will do more good and
correct the needs much
quicker. If the seeding
operation is done properly
the first time, it should not
have to be done over in a few
years. Also, the seeding of
waterways should be done
late summer or early fall in
order to establish a tough sod
for the future.
To Control Rodents
The rat population is far
too high on some county
farms and in the rural areas.
These rodents can do con
siderable damage and when
colder weather arrives they
will be coming to the farm
buildings. Prevention is
much easier than
eradication. We urge a good
clean-up program and the
use of concrete to fill up
broken walks, floors, and to
repair foundations or stone
walls that make good nesting
places for them. Costs of
production are too high to
permit rats and mice to
reduce farm income. Good
management requires that
rats and mice must go.
KSvV.w.v.v?
Ag Progress Days featuring
exhibits, educational
programs and craft
demonstrations.
Bloomsburg Fairgrounds
Intersection of routes 42
and 15, Bloomsburg, Pa.,
Columbia County.
Thursday, August 29
Ag Progress Day at the
Bloomsburg Fair
grounds, also rain
date for the state plowing
contest.
South Central Pa. Cham
pionship Dairy Show,
Farm Show Building,
Harrisburg, 9:30 a.m.
Editor’s Quote Book
Men are apt to prefer a
prosperous error to an afflic
ted truth.
Jeremy Taylor