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—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dec. 21, 1974
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Farm Commentary
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Small Grain Production in Pa. normal supplies for current
Higher Than a Year Ago operations were included The extent
Farmers in Pennsylvania produced
more of each major small gram m
1974 than they did in 1973. High
yields and more acres harvested both
contributed to the increases, ac
cording to the Pennsylvania Crop
Reporting Service.
Winter wheat production totaled
126 million bushels in 1974, a 70
percent increase from last year. Yield
averaged 36 bushels per acre,
compared with 28 the preceding year.
Acreage harvested was 350,000 up
from 264,000 last year Estimates of
acreage planted to wheat this fall for
harvest in 1975 will be released by
the Crop Reporting Board December
23
Barley production totaled
8.690.000 bushels, up 27 percent
from last year The crop was obtained
from 158,000 acres yielding 55
bushels average Last year 155,000
acres were harvested and yield
averaged 44 bushels per acre.
Oats production totaled
20.145.000 bushels this year, up 14
percent from last year The harvest
was obtained from 395,000 acres
Yield averaged 51 bushels per acre
Last year 375,000 acres were har
vested and yield averaged 47
bushels
The rye crop totaled 512,000
bushels this year, up 26 percent from
a year ago. Acreage harvested for
gram was 16,000 and yield averaged
32 bushels per acre Last year 15,000
acres were harvested and yield
averaged 27 bushels
Winter wheat and barley survived
the milk, open winter of 1973-74 in
good condition and by the end of April
were greening nicely and growing
well Favorable weather allowed
farmers to topdress their wheat fields
on schedule Soil moisture remained
adequate during most of the growing
season and the crops remained in
good to very good condition By the
end of May one-half of winter wheat
and three-fourths of barley were
headed Early June temperatures and
rainfall were subnormal in most parts
of the state, but cool, cloudy and wet
weather late in the month restored
soil moisture By late June most
farmers were starting to harvest
barley, and by early July most were
harvesting wheat Most farmers
reported good yields Farmers in
some areas reported spotty stands of
oats and slow growth because of dry
weather, but in other areas soil and
weather conditions were favorable
for oats Damage from cereal leaf
beetle was reported in some areas
Harvest progressed well during
August and average yield for the
state was 4 bushels higher than last
year
Total potato production for Penn
sylvania in 1974 was 7,360,000 cwt
17 percent above the 6,300,000
cwt produced in 1973 Average yield
of the 1974 crop was 230 cwt per
acre, up 20 cwt from last year Acres
harvested totaled 32,000 in 1974
compared with 30,000 acres a year
ago
Pennsylvania potatoes in storage
as of December 1 totaled 4,250,000
cwt 29 percent above a year ago
These stocks consisted of potatoes
held for all uses by growers, local
dealers and processors. Potatoes
held by processors in excess of
of frost damage is not available but
shrinkage could be heavy as potatoes
in storage that were hit by frost or
cold weather are deteriorating
drastically.
Cattle on Feed in U.S.
Down 30 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for
slaughter market totaled 6,626,000
head in 7 States preparing monthly
estimates, down 30 pet from a year
earlier and 32 pet below December 1.
1972, according to the Crop
Reporting Board. November
placements on feed in the 7 .States
totaled 1,168,000, down 29 pet from
November last year and off 36 pet
from November 1972
Fed cattle marketings from these
States during November totaled
1,338,000. down 19 pet from
November last year and 23 pet below
November 1972 Marketings of fed
cattle were below a year ago in all
States except California
Milk Production Shows
Slight Gain Over 1974
U.S milk production during
November amounted to 8 644 billion
lbs., up slightly from a year earlier but
3 pet below November 1972
Production for the first 11 months of
1974 was 105 9 billion Ids 0 7 oct
below the same 1973 oenod
Milk production oe r cow was 788
lbs. during November s_p 16 Ids from
last year and 12 lbs above November
1972 There were 11 107 000 milk
cows on farms during November,
down 11,000 from last month and 2
pet below last year
The November milk-feed price ratio
was 3 pet above last year at 1.22,
however, the ratio lagged a year
earlier by 25 pet. Average price of all
milk sold to plants was above Oct in
all regions and the estimated value of
rations fed milk cows declined in all
areas except the west
Farm Labor
The Nation’s farm labor force
during the week of Nov 17-23 totaled
3,953,200 workers, 2 pet smaller
than last year Farm operators and
unpaid family workers numbered
2,977,300, cown 3 pet from 1973
Hired workers totaled 975,900, or 3
pet greater than a year earlier and 10
pet more than 1972
Potato Stocks at New High
Stocks of Irish potatoes for all uses
held in storage by growers, local
dealers and processors in the fall
production areas totaled a record
187 4 million cwt on December 1,
1974, according to the USDA Crop
Reporting Board This was 29 6
million cwt (19 pet) more than the
157 8 million cwt on hand a year
earlier and above the previous record
of 176 3 million in 1971 (Potato
Stocks)
World Prices Rising
World prices are generally rising
for agricultural commodities, with
beef, cotton, and coffee notable ex
ceptions October sugar prices were
at least 3 5 times higher than last
year's prices and are likely to con
tinue at record levels as long as
reported stocks are low
World grain (including rice)
production is now estimated at 1,126
million metric tons, or roughly 4.5 pet.
below last year’s level.
THE DIMENSIONS
OF CHRISTMAS
Lenon for December 22, 1974
Background Scripture:
Matthew 1:1 through 2:6;
Luke 3:23-38; Galatians 3:23-
26.
Devotional Reading: Isaiah
9:27.
Past.
Present.
And future.
These are the timeless
dimensions of Christmas.
“WHILE SHEPHERDS
WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS
BY NIGHT . . ”
There is the dimension of
the past. Christmas is linked
to history: Christ has come!
Even the first Christmas
was linked to past history.
When Christ was born in
Bethlehem there was
fulfilled the prophecy of the
past: “Behold, a virgin shall
conceive and bear a 50n...”
(Matthew 1:23). The people
of Israel had waited for the
messianic prophecies of the
past to be fulfilled. Thus, to
the writers of the Gospels,
the birth of Jesus was not an
unrelated incident of the
present, but an event linked
with the heritage of Israel.
The writer of Matthew
emphasized this historic
dimension m setting forth a
lineage of Jesus that linked
him with David and
Abraham. In doing so he
holds up God’s plan for all to
see: the birth of Jesus is the
culmination of Israel’s hope
through the ages.
No less for us there is a
past dimension of Christ
mas, a looking-back to the
messianic heritage of Israel
and to the Christ event itself.
This holy season also evokes
memories of past Christ
mases that we have ex
perienced. As with Efaenezer
Scrooge, there is a “Ghost of
Christmas Past” for all of
us.
“Be born in ns today”
There is also the present
dimension of Christmas.
Christmas is nothing if it is
not linked to the present:
“Be bom in us today.”
The very name of the
Nazarene emphasizes the
present tense: “Jesus,”
meaning “God saves.” And
the name ascribed to him
through the prophecy of
Isaiah, “Emmanuel,”
means “God with us.”
Christmas always speaks of
what God is doing today. The
past event of Christmas
must be a present reality in
our lives if it is to be more
than a mere com
memoration.
So, there is also for us a
“Ghost of Christmas
Present,” a dimension of the
“now” into which Christ
comes today. And if
Christmas is present-tense
as well as past, we must
acknowledge the im
plications of this for our
lives. As Paul says. “... now
that faith has come, we are
no longer under a custodian;
for in Christ Jesus you are all
sons of God, through faith”
(Galatians 3:25,26).
“0 Come, 0 Come,
Immanuel”
There is also the dimen
sion of the future. Christmas
stretches from the past,
through the present into the
future. Christ has come, he is
here, but he is also yet to
come! There is a fulfillment
S! _
To Prepare
For Emergencies
The loss of electric power
for several days has caused
hardships to many Penn
sylvanians in the past
month. This could happen in
this part of the state as well,
and all farmers should make
plans for this problem. With
modem methods a stand-by
generator to make elec
tricity is needed in order to
keep the farm operation
going. I hope that all
producers with considerable
automation have emergency
plans in case power lines are
broken. Food supplies and
other necessities for several
days should be kept on hand
at this time of the year.
Previous planning for these
emergencies will reduce
suffering and losses.
To Inspect Barn
Ventilation
Most barns are full of
livestock and especially
tightly constructed dairy
barns. If there is con
densation on the walls,
ceiling, or windows, it is a
sign of improper ventilation.
The installation of exhaust
fans to remove the foul,
moisture-laden air will help.
Additional insulation in the
ceiling or side-walls is also
suggested. An Extension
Circular on Dairy Barn
ventilation is available from
Extension Offices. Animal
comfort is needed for ef
ficient gains and maximum
orofits.
Farm
Calendar
Upcoming Events
January 1975
January 1,1975
Bth Annual . Pork and
Sauerkraut Dinner at the
Leola Fire Company.
12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
IMEMmiS#
IBS son Dll twin's
From Ethel Hart Edsall, Ben
zonia, Michigan: This difficulty of
children learning to read and fig
ure puzzles this old timer With
all the “modem” teaching meth
ods and all the mileage voted for
“better” education, what is the
problem’
Sixty and seventy years ago,
even lower IQ pupils learned the
rudiments of the three R’s with
out too much strain
Living on an isolated farm, we
were often housebound for days
after a heavy storm Mother be
came teachei She cut letters from
Rolled Oats boxes and I learned
the alphabet by putting together
words Soon I was reading simple
children’s books, next, magazines
for which we must wait just
as the people of Israel waited
for that first advent.
Past. Present. Future. All
these intersect in
Bethlehem’s manger.
(Based on outlines
copyrighted by the Division
of Christian Education,
National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A. Released by Com
munity Press Service.}
NOW IS
THE TIME...
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Recognize
Manure Value
We repeat the thought that
many livestock and dairy
producers can get along with
less fertilizer, providing they
store and apply the manure
properly. Most livestock and
poultry waste is high m
nitrogen, which is scarce and
expensive at this time.
Average cattle manure will
contain about 5 pounds of
nitrogen per ton while
crumbly moist poultry
manure contains from 40 to
60 pounds of nitrogen per ton.
Storage should prevent
leaching of these elements
along with snow and ram.
Application by soil injection
or on sod crops such as
clover and alfalfa add from
40 to 75 pounds of nitrogen
per acre. Producers should
recognize other sources of
plant nutrients rather than
from the fertilizer bag.
To Control
Parasites
In spite of various simple
treatments for both stomach
worms and body Uce, many
livestock and dairy
producers are still feeding
the parasites this winter. We
urge prompt attention to
treating the animals and
getting rid of the lice and
stomach worms. Production
costs are high enough
without having them in
creased because for their
owners if they are wormy or
lousy. Don’t put it off any
longer.
January 6-10th
Pa. Farm
Harrisburg
January 14th
Ephrata Adult Farmer
Dairy Calf Meeting at the
Ephrata High School 7:45
p.m.
and newspapers Basic arithmetic
was learned by the same pro
cedure
How exciting and rewarding
were the results How proud both
Mother and I were of our achieve
ments When it came time to en
ter school I had a big head start
It can be done today I know
because my niece is following the
same path with her four year old
boy
(Send cenfribuhent fe flife cetemn fe The
OH Timer, Bex 439,-Frenkfert, Ky. 40*01)
peopi
their virtue and vigilance, no
administration, by any ex
treme of wickedness or folly,
can very seriously injure the
government in the short space
of four years
—Abraham Lincoln
First Inaugural, 1861
S;
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