10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday. August 31, 197'
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Farm Commentary
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Meat Outlook Pessimistic
After experiencing nearly 18
months of disrupted market con
ditions, the cattle industry this
summer faced widespread drought
conditions in the West, Southwest,
and parts of the Corn Belt Stockmen
are especially vulnerable to drought
this year because the cattle inventory
has been increasing rapidly in recent
years and had topped 138 million
head by mid-1974 according to the
USDA’s August Livestock Situation
Report Over 90 percent of these
cattle were on ranges and grassland
on July 1 Movement of cattle from
the range due to drought, if the
recent rams haven't broken it, will
likely result in larger than normal
increases in slaughter of cows, steers,
and heifers directly from grass for the
rest of 1974.
Drought conditions affecting the
cattle industry will not be limited to
pasture and range conditions.
Reduced corn and soybean crops
with sharply higher feed prices will
have a substantial impact on the
livestock and poultry industry and
could set off a chain of events that
may reverberate through the
livestock industry for several years
Summer cattle slaughter is ex
pected to be substantially larger than
last summer’s low level, with most of
the increase due to slaughter of cattle
direct from the range rather than
through the feedlot Choice steer
prices may average in the mid-s4o’s,
$4 -$7 higher than in the spring But
prices of cows and grassfed steers
and heifers are not expected to fully
share in this price strength
This fall, fed cattle will be in short
supply but larger slaughter of cows,
steers, and heifers directly from grass
could boost total slaughter slightly
higher than a year earlier, and
weaken the fed cattle market Choice
steer prices in October-December
may average in the low s4o’s,
greater price weakness is likely for
cows and calves
But if moisture conditions improve
soon, forced movement of cattle to
slaughter could be slowed and cattle
prices this fall would be influenced
much more by the expected low level
of feedlot marketings In this event,
Choice steer prices could move
higher, approaching $5O Further
range deterioration, however,
resulting in much larger cattle
slaughter could put considerable
downward pressure on cattle prices
The European Common Market will
lend a hand to American consumers
in the coming year by taking less U S
gram for its own production of meat,
milk and poultry, one of the bloc’s top
officials said Wednesday
Moreover, there was an indication
of larger European responsibility for
food aid to needy countries and of
what Agriculture Secretary Earl L
Butz called a multinational approach
to satisfying world hunger
Petrus Lardmois, the Common
Market commissioner of agriculture,
estimated the nine-member com
munity would require about 10 per
cent less corn and other feed from
the United States in 1974-75
“We think that when you have to
cut back in your own consumption,
especially of corn, that it is normal
that we try to do in our agricultural
policy about the same,” Lardmois told
reason for being, we will find
_ a way.
"" w «W rS//s/f/ •
4 **v* r -
a news conference.
Lardmois said he did not think the
cutback would have much effect on
European consumers. Retail food
prices in the United States are ex
pected to rise at least 15 percent this
year and Butz has predicted they may
slow to less than 10 percent in 1975.
“Generally speaking, I don’t expect
that the consumer prices in Europe
will go up more than in the United
States,” Lardmois said.
Lardmois said he would urge the
Common Market to take steps aimed
at reducing pork and poultry
production in the coming year. A
cutback in cattle output already is
occurring, he said.
“What we can influence in our
policy is the consumption of different
items,” Lardmois said. "How much
we could afford to import also
depends on price "
As a result, the community’s U. S.
corn purchases might drop about 1
million metric tons or more from 10 4
million bought in the fiscal year
ended last June 30
However Lardmois and Butz
pledged that farm trade would
continue and that the cutback - in
duced by the drought-shortened U. S
corn crop this year - was by no means
a signal of a general decline
Lardmois said improved European
crops this year could make more
gram available for world food relief
and that market officials would be -
watching exports closely
“The European Community is
giving food aid of about 300 million
this year and we have a policy to
double that m about two years,"
Lardmois said
AUBURN, NEBR, PRESS
TRIBUNE - “Passing laws as a
remedy for just any problem has
become something of a habit, it would
seem. But the futility of legislation,
either m changing human nature or
focusing attention on potentially
better ways to achieve, keep slapping
supporters down In looking back, we
may note that the strength of the
nation is mainly dependent on the
ability of ordinary citizens to respond
to problems, individually and
collectively With so much confusion
in the air, hopefully most residents
will want to help reach a solution,
rather than add to the problem ”
LENNOX, SD, INDEPENDENT.
“The pollsters seem to keep busy
these days asking people if they
approve or disapprove of the
President’s performance of his of
ficial duties This may serve a good
purpose, but we wonder if they
couldn’t ask a new question for a
change, like do you or do you not
approve of your congressman or
senator’s performance in office 7 If
we supposedly have three equal
branches f government, why not
give equal ttention to the actions or
inactions ot the legislative or judicial,
along with ne executive 7”
XXX
DUKE, OKA, TIMES "I thought
when young that when I got to be
grown I would make decisions for
myself It was a low blow when I grew
up to discover that most decisions
are influenced by many cir
cumstances, over which we have little
or no control ”
XXX
XXX
MAN’S “WHY?”
Lesion for September 1,1914
Baekcround Scripture Genesis 1
through 3
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl
says that if a man has a
“why?” for living, he will
find a “how?”
That’s another way of
saying that “Where there’s a
will, there’s a way.” If life
has a purpose, we can meet
its challenges. If a man has
some idea of why he is here,
he can find a way to survive
and prevail.
Recent medical studies
indicate that there is a
significant jump in the
mortality rate of men within
the first eighteen months
after retirement. It is
believed that the loss of
purpose has a direct
relationship and effect upon
their will to live.
In his own image
A psychiatrist decided to
test this idea and hired a
man to participate in an
experiment: he was to work
for several hours, swinging
an axe against a tree in the
yard, but with the blade of
the axe turned away from
the tree! The hired man
thought it would be a simple
job, but after a while he quit,
saying: “I’ve got to be able
to see the chips fly!”
So it is with most of life,
we have to “see the chips
fly!” We have to have some
purpose, some goal to
achieve, some plan to fulfill.
Working or playing
aimlessly soon takes a heavy
toll of us. Life has to have a
goal and a direction.
The Bible begins with the
purpose that man is given by
his Creator. In Genesis we
find that man is, first of all,
created “in the image of
God” (Genesis 1:27), No
other creature was so en
dowed. No other aspect of
creation receives this divine
heritage.
But Genesis tells us, not
only of man’s divine
heritage, but also of his
purpose. The divine image of
God is given to man, not just
to enjoy, but to employ in a
God-given task; “Be fruitful
and multiply, and replenish
the earth, and subdue it; and
have dominion ...” (1:28).
Have dominion
Man has a purpose: to be
God’s steward of the
universe. God places man m
his garden and asks him to
tend that garden so that it
will be fruitful. The writer of
Psalm 8 expresses this same
thought:
For thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with
glory and honour. Thou
madest him to have
dominion over the works of
thy hands; thou hast put all
things under his feet . .
(Psalm 8 5,6)
Man has always been at
his best when he has been
aware of and responsive to
that divine heritage and
purpose; At his worst, he has
forgotten his purpose and
squandered his inheritance.
He has abused the earth and
its resources. He has abused
God’s creation and rendered
to him a poor stewardship.
Society always suffers when
man forgets his God-given
purpose.
As Frank! puts it, when we
find our purpose in life, our
I NOW IS
I THE TIME.
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Stop Cutting Alfalfa
Agronomy experts
generally agree that the first
two weeks of September is
the time that alfalfa plants
are developing rhizomes and
root strength for next year’s
crop; to remove the top
growth during this period is
expected to weaken the
plants for the future.
Therefore, we would suggest
that local producers refrain
from cutting alfalfa from the
first to the fifteenth of
September in Lancaster
County. After that time the
crop may be cut with little
damage to future crops. A
healthy alfalfa stand should
be the goal of every grower.
One or more fertilizer ap
plications per season and
good insect control are
essential for good alfalfa
management.
To Make Corn Silage
VTien corn reaches the full
dent stage it is ready to be
made into silage. Most of the
early plantings of com in this
area will soon be in the dent
stage of maturity. To make
the corn crop into silage is
the very best way to harvest
the maximum amount of
total feed nutrients per acre.
Corn silage is one of the most
economical feeds for both
dairy and beef cattle. When
corn is cut at the full dent
stage it should not need any
preservative to make it
ferment. Additives to in
crease the protein content or
the mineral content are
suggested in order to make
com silage a more complete
feed.
To Beware Of Silo Gas
Silo filling time brings the
Farm
Calendar
Mondav. Sentember 2
2-7 S. Mountain Fair at
Arendtsville, Pa.
Tuesday, September 3
Lancaster County Poultry
Association Meeting at
the Farm and Home
Center 8:00 n.m.
7:00 p.m. - Alfalfa variety
demonstration meeting,
Mark Wolfskin Farm,
Robesonia Rl.
Wednesday, September 4
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Rae
Hix dairy bull beef open
house, Mohrsville.
8:00 p.m. - Lancaster Co.
Conservation District
board of directors
meeting.
Pa. Simmental Association
Field Day at Beechdale
Farms at Bird-m-Hand.
Friday, September 6
7:00 p.m. - Buck Tractor
Pullers, Buck.
Saturday, September 7
7 00 p.m. - Buck Tractor
Pullers, Buck
Sire Power NEBA Open
House at 10:30 a.m.
Tunkhannock, Pa.
Strasburg Heritage Society
Third Annual Flea
Market 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
VASV»iV»Vi« ViViVriVi'i'iV* V«Vi'i'» ViS', I ,*,*
• •
aditional hazard of
dangerous silo gases in and
around the silo. The
development of these gases
varies from year to year but
is always a threat from 1 to
10 days after the silo is filled.
The gas may be yellow or
colorless, but in all cases it is
heavier than air and will
settle to the bottom of the silo
or silo chute. The general
aroma is of laundry bleach
and is irritating to the eyes
and the respiratory system.
All silo filling operators and
the entire farm family
should be warned about this
danger. Too many folks have
suffered lung damage from
one or more of these silo
gases.
To Plan For Winter
Cover Crop
More output per acre is
being expected each year
from our land; many acres
are m a cultivated crop for
several years consecutively.
Most of our Lancaster
County soils are low in
organic matter and these
practices continue to break
down additional organic
matter more rapidly. On
farms with ample amounts
of livestock manure the
organic matter content is
improved with each ap
plication; however without
manure applications it is
suggested that a winter
cover crop be planted in the
late summer or fall and
plowed down or used to keep
more organic matter in the
topsoil. This may be one of
the wmter grains, ryegrass,
or field bromegrass. The
winter cover crop will also
help control both wind and
water soil erosion.
Lancaster Forming
Photos for Sale
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Lancaster Farming
photographs, we’ll be happy to
make them for you To order,
just complete the form below -
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Department, Lancaster
Farming, 22 E Mam St,
Lititz, Pa 17543
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