10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Sept 28.1974
Farm Commentary
HOGS AND PIGS: Research Service last week, is not
FARROWINGS SEEN your usual government publication.
OFF SHARPLY Which may be the understatement of
Hogs and pigs on farms in the 14 the y ear
major States on Sept. 1 seen at 50.2 This report, written by former
million head. That’s down 4 pet. from USDA ag. economist James L. Gulley,
a year earlier, according to USDA’s discusses such things as technology,
Crop Reporting Board. The number its hsbit of marching faster than
kept for breeding, at 6.8 million head, beliefs and values can respond; the
down 10 pet.; market hogs, at 43.4 Protestant ethic of the virtue of
million, down 3 pet. from a year work; the influence of the frontier
ear |j er psychology: the freedom and m-
A closer look shows hogs and pigs dependence of the family farm, and
on farms in the 10 Corn Belt States rugged individualism,
totaled 44.4 million head, a figure As pointed out in the foreword, it s
that was down 3 pet. from a year ago ‘‘basically an essay intended to
and the lowest Sept. 1 total since stimulate dialogue on the subject. It
19g5 undoubtedly will do that.
A review of the June - August pig FLUID MILK
crop showed it totaled 17.2 million in HEARING SET
the 14 States, down 4 pet. from a year USDA’s public hearing on setting a
earlier. Intended farrowings for Sept. minimum "floor” price for computing
- Nov. are seen at 2.3 million. The Dec. prices paid to farmers for fluid (Class
- Feb. total is seen at 2.0 million. Both 0 milk in all federal milk marketing
the Sept. - Nov. and Dec. - Feb; in- orders will be held Oct. 8. The hearing
tentions are down 10 pet. from year Wl " B®t under way at 9 a.m. at the
earlier totals, and 11 pet. below totals Camelot Inn, Rosemont, 111. (near
of two years ago. (Hogs and Pigs). O’Hare Airport).
SOYBEAN STOCKS NOW, ,T ’ S THE
SHARPLY ABOVE BEEFSURPLUS
A YEAR AGO The European Community has
U.S. carryover of old crop soybeans
estimated by USDA’s Crop Reporting
Board at 172 million bu. That’s nearly
3 times that of a year ago and the
third largest on record.
Off farm stocks, at 106 million bu.,
more than double the Sept. 1, 1973
total; farm stocks, at 65.4 million bu.,
nearly 7-times that of a year ago.
Sept. 1973 - Aug. 1974 disap
pearances estimated at just under
1.5 billion bu., up 13 pet. from a year
earlier.
NOT YOUR USUAL
GOVT PUBLICATION
Beliefs and Values in American
Farming, issued by USDA’s Economic
Letters to the Editor
Baby Beef
Club Sale
The New Holland Baby
Beef Club would like to thank
the buyers of New Holland
and surrounding areas for
making last year’s sale a
success. A big thanks to last
year’s buyers: Grand
Champion - Norman Kolb;
reserve champion - Gordon
Fritz and buyers: In
tercourse Bank, C. B.
Hoover and Sons, Gale
Sensenicks Store, Frankie
Fillippo, Bobby Groff’s
Trucking, New Holland Sales
Stables, New Holland
Supply, Guernsey Farm
Restaurant, New Holland
Farmers Bank, Harry
Haldeman, Bob Seemmy, J.
J. Hoober Seed, Weaver-
Martin Trucking Earl
Sauder’s Feed, Amos
Stoltzfus Meat, Whiteford
Sales Co., Steller and Martin
Auctioneers Service.
We would like to invite the
buyers back again and
welcome new buyers. This
year we have 11 herefords, 10
cross and 6 angus. The show
will be held Thursday, Oct.
3rd at 1 p.m. at ABC’s
Groffs’s Lot. Sale at 4 p.m. at
the New Holland Sales
Stables.
New Holland
Baby Beef Club
banned beef and cattle imports in
face of a beef surplus that could
continue through 1976, according to
an article in the current (Sept. 23)
issue of USDA’s Foreign Ag.
magazine.
U.S. poult hatches continue
down. But, August declines were the
sharpest of the year. Broiler-type
hatch off for the sth straight month
... Poult hatch below a correspon
ding month of a year ago for the 4th
straight month... Egg-type hatch ran
below a year ago for the Bth straight
month.
Editor
As Chester County dairy farmers, we are expressing
our extreme concern over the latest decrease in the price
we are receiving for milk.
During the past year, we have experienced rising costs
for our basic supplies such as
Supplies
Fertilizer (per ton)
45 percent Nitrogen Urea
331-3 percent Nitrogen
16-8-8
10-20-20
501 b. alfalfa seed
Baler twine
In one recent three-week period, soybean meal rose
from $l6B a ton to $265.
Overall, considering electricity, taxes, supplies, and
other necessities, our costs have risen 75 percent to 85
percent. During this same time, milk prices have
decreased by 30 percent to 35 percent. This creates a very
unfavorable economic situation for us.
At the current rate, the milk prices will reach its lowest
level sometime m late August and September. Ironically,
when our milk price is at its lowest point is when our
seasonal production costs begin to increase.
In Ught of the predicted food shortage, it should be noted
that once land in Chester County leaves agricultural
production it seldom returns due to housing development
pressures in the region.
If the milk pricing situation isn’t remedied in the near
future, our future in the dairy farming business will be in
serious jeopardy.
CHICK, POULT
HATCHES DOWN
1973 1974
$lO4 $395
98 235
76 154
98 187
42 120
7.60 35
The Oxford Area Advisory Council
to the Pa. Farmer’s Assoc.
Box 68, Lincoln University, Pa.
SURVIVING
CHANGE
Lesson for September 29, 1974
Background Scripture: 1
Samuel 8; 12.
Devotional Reading: Psalms
90:1-8.
We are fond of speaking of
“the good old days.” Of
course, one man’s “good old
days” may be another’s
"bard times.” Much depends
upon your point of view.
For example, the people of
Israel had quite a few
periods of “good old days” to
look back on. They could
remember the nomadic days
of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob as “golden years.”
Others might look back to
the days and years spent in
Egypt before the Pharoah
turned against them. Still
others might look back with
great nostalgia to the forty
years in the wilderness
under Moses and some might
feel equally sentimental
about the period of the
Judges, when the twelve
tribes took over the
Promised Land from the
Canaanites and Phillistines.
A “New Fangled”
Leader
In I Samuel we find that
once again the people of
Israel are in the midst of
changing times. The “good
old days” when the twelve
tribes lived side by side in a
loosely - connected
federation with no central
government were soon to be
over. What had worked for
many years no longer
seemed to be equal to the
challenge of changing times.
The strength and
capabilities of their enemies
seemed to demand that they
would need to come up with a
new style of leadership and
cooperation. The old
voluntary, decentralized
system was not adequate.
Still, the people of Israel
were much divided over
what they should do. Many
feared establishing a
monarchy. They could see
the abuses and corruptions
in the monarchies of their
neighbors. They rightly
feared that a centralized
government would mean the
loss of individual and tribal
liberty. They correctly
anticipated the tyranny that
is possible in a centralized
government. All the things
they feared ultimately came
true!
Call Upon The Lord
Yet, even though they
were to radically change
their way of life, even though
the establishment of a
monarchy would bring some
hardships and call for some
sacrifices, it was one of the
facts of life they would have
to face in the midst of
changing times. Instead of
wishing they could go back to
Egypt or the wilderness,
they had to face the fact
that new days were
demanding new ways.
How could they survive
these changes that were
taking place? The prophet
Samuel showed them the
way. Though they could not
keep the world from
changing around them, they
could keep one thing con
stant and unchanging: their
loyalty to God and their
covenant: “Only fear the
Lord and serve him faith
fully with all your heart...”
I NOW is
I THE TIME...
Max Smith
A County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Respect Pesticide
Regulations
All types of pesticide
treatments to animals and
plants will often have certain
regulations that should be
followed. We have in mind
the chemicals and an
tibiotics given to livestock.
These treatments should be
recorded and the withdrawal
time for milking cows or the
time until slaughter for meat
animals should be followed.
The quality of the product to
the consumer is very im
portant and it should not
contain excess amounts of
these materials. All
producers are urged to
follow regulations carefully
and not take chances.
To Beware Of
Silo Gas
This will be the final
reminder of this danger in
and around recently filled
silos. There are several
types of gases that may
develop from one to 10 days
after the silo is filled. Due to
the recent cold weather, silo
filling has accelerated-and
many tons of silage will be
fermenting. These gases are
heavier than air and will
come down into the bam or
feed rooms. All farm em
ployees and youngsters
should be firmly warned
about this danger. Further
details may be obtained by
contacting our local Ex
tension Office.
To Handle Frosted
Crops Carefully '
The recent early frost
caught many crops of im
mature grain and forage
crops. However, most of
these can be utilized if
handled properly. Un-ripe
com can be made into silage
with good feeding results;
Farm
Calendar
Monday, September 30
7:30 p.m. - Lancaster County
Conservation District
board of directors
meeting, Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster.
8:00 p.m. - Dairy Feeding
Conference, Penn State’s
Dr. Richard Adams
speaking, Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster.
Tuesday, October 1
9:00 a.m. - Noon Soybean
Field Day at Southeast
Field Research Farm,
Landisville. Call John
Yocum, 653-4728 for more
information.
Wednesday, October 2
New Holland Farmer’s Fair
opens. Continues through
October 5.
Broiler Housing Seminar,
University of Delaware
( 12:24). If they would remain
faithful, God would bring
them through these trying
times.
So, we find a message for
our own changing times: we
cannot stop the world from
changing, but if we remain
faithful in the midst of that
change, God will bring us
through with his love and
grace.
the same is true with
, soybeans that are green and
may be made into either hay
or silage but should be
harvested before dead
leaves fall off. Crops of
sudan grass or the sudan
sorghum hybrids that have
been frosted should not be
used in the fresh state until
at least a week has passed to
permit drying of the plant.
However, either of these
crops may be made into
silage after a frost, and after
allowed to ferment for 30
days in the silo, are safe to
feed to all types of livestock.
Legumes such as clover or
alfalfa may be used in the
normal manner after a frost,
except the animals should
not be allowed to eat the
legume when the frost is on
the plant. Dry legumes are
much safter for all animals
to graze.
To Prepare Cribs
And Bins
We are aware of some
grain insects being found in
old crops of com; this is not
unusual and requires that
the old grain be used as soon
as possible and the crib or
bin thoroughly cleaned and
sprayed to eliminate the
insects. Malathion or
Methoxychlor are materials
to use in killing grain in
sects; spray all areas of the
crib or bin several days
before starting to store new
grains. If the storage place is
not rodent proof (rats and
mice), then the use- of
galvanized materials,
hardware cloth, and con
crete might reduce the
amount of damage. Feed
grains are too valuable to
permit rodents to destroy a
single pound.
substation, Georgetown,
Del.
Saturday, October 5
1:00 p.m. - Pennsylvania
State tractor pulling
championships,
Somerset County
Fairgrounds, Myersdale.
Viewpoints
Your every voter, as surely
as your chief magistrate, ex
ercises a public trust.
Grover Cleveland
Inaugural address, 1885