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Untangling USDA’s Cow,
Production Figures
A month ago, USDA’s Crop
Reporting Board estimated U.S. milk
production for 1974 at 114.9 billion
lbs., down seven-tenths of 1 pet. from
the 115.6 billion lb. total for 1973. It
also estimated the nation's total of
milk cows on farms averaged
11,161,000 and that production per
cow had averaged 10,291 lbs. for the
year.
But, with the issuance of the Jan. 1
cattle inventory earlier this month,
the Statistical Reporting Service
found itself having to readjust all of
those figures. It found that milk cow
numbers averaged 11,221,000; that
milk production for 1974 totaled
115.4 billion lbs., slightly above an
also readjusted 1973 total of 115.385
billion lb. total. Production per cow
Meat Imports Off Sharply
U.S. meat imports off sharply last all pork and lamb and mutton)
year. At 1.079 billion (1 billion, 79 totaled 2.142 billion (2 billion, 142
million) lbs., those covered by the million) lbs~ down 17 pet. from a year
Meat Import Law (mainly fresh and earlier and the lowest since 1968.
frozen beef and veal) were down 20 Figures in the February issue of
pet. from 1973 and the lowest since USDA’s Livestock & Meat Situation
1968. Over-all meat imports (those were quoted on a carcass weight
covered by the Meat Import Law, plus basis,
canned and preserved beef and veal,
Beef Consumption Hits
All-Time High
Despite all that talk about beef lbs. in 1973 and third highest on
prices, U.S. consumers ate a record record. Which means it’s still below
amount of it last year. USDA reported the 191.8 lbs. record total in 1971
last week that per capita beef con- and the 1890 lbs. total for 1972.
sumption m 1974 jumped to 116.3 Veal consumption moved up from
lbs. That’s up from 109.6 lbs., in 1973 18 lbs. per person in 1973 to 2.3 lbs
and two-tenths of a pound above the last year, the highest since 1971;
previous record (of 116.1 lbs.) set in pork, from 61.6 lbs. in 1973 to 66.0
1972. lbs. last year; lamb and mutton
Over-all red meat consumption hit dropped from 2.7 lbs. in 1973 to 2.4
187.0 lbs. per capita, up from 175.7 lbs. last year.
Stocks of potatoes for all uses held dredweight. That’s up 23 pet. from a
by growers, dealers and processors in year earlier, 5 pet. above the previous
fall production areas on Feb. 1 totaled record high Feb. 1 holdings of 1971.
a record 130.7 million hun-
’74 Farm Exports At *22 Billion
There’s a typo on USDA's Cattle of The 6,050,000 figure for Feb 1 is
Feed report issued last week. Ignore down 37 pet from a year earlier. A
that 6,369,000t0tal quoted on page 1 further check shows January
m the report. Check page 2. which placements in those 7 States (Anz,
gives the Feb 1 cattle on feed total Calif., Colo., lowa, Kans, Nebr and
for 7 States at 6,050,000 head (the Texas) totaled only 1,139,000 head,
6,369,000 total was from Jan 1) down 42 pet from a year earlier
Feb. 1 Cattle on Feed
Down 37 pct.
U S farm exports for calendar 1974 exports Though volume was off 6
hit $22 billion. That’s up 25 pet from P ct - value P er unit increased one
the previous high {of $17.7 billion) th,rd from a V ear earlier Thus - whlle
set a year earlier gram ex PQ rts were off in volume, the
Reasons for the gain Higher prices value of those exports increased one
that more than offset lower export lrd t 0 $5 7 d| l |,orl
volume; sharply higher gram, oilseed
Potato Stocks Soar
Feb. 22. 1975
was readjusted to 10,286 lbs.
Now, in the process, it readjusted
each of the monthly milk production
totals for 1974 upward, readjusted
those for 1973 downward. The same
for monthly cow numbers and
production per cow.
Confusing? Okay, here’s the
January 1975 totals released last
week. They show milk production at
9.3 billion lbs. for the month. That’s
slightly above the 9.29 billion Ibs.-
(readjusted) from a year ago. Cow
numbers are estimated at 11,204,0CX)
for January. That’s down slightly from
the 11,212,000 total now estimated
for December for December, but
above the 11,105,000 estimate for
December in last month's report.
SAVED BY HOPE
Lesson for February 23,1175
Background Scripture:
Romans 5:1-5; 8:18-30; 1
Thessalonians 1:1-3; 1 John
3:1-3; Revelation 21:1-7.
Devotional Reading:
Romans 8:31-39.
Psychiatrist Viktor Frank!
observed in a Nazi con
centration camp that often
the key to survival was to be
found in the prisoner’s hope
or lack of hope. If hope was
destroyed in the prisoner,
death was soon likely to
follow.
Another illustration was
given to me by a prominent
cancer expert. A patient with
a cancer that was diagnosed
as terminal was put on a new
drug that was unproven in its
results. The patient,
however, believed in the
drug and began to improve
rapidly. Soon, he was able to
leave the hospital and-he
seemed amazingly on the
road to recovery.
In This Hope
After he had enjoyed
several months of appearent
good health, a report ap
peared in the newspapers
casting doubt on the validity
of the drug. Within a few
weeks, some of his old
symptoms reappeared and it
wasn’t long before he was
back in the hospital and his
case looked hopeless once
again. Back in the hospital,
however, the physicians
persuaded him to disregard
the reports and try the drug
again. This he did and soon
he was out of the hospital
again, apparently
recovered.
When he had resumed his
normal life again and en
joyed several months of good
health, the U.S. government
released and published a
report that indicated that the
drug had been proven
worthless in the cure of
cancer. Soon after reading management meeting,
this report, the man returned Lancaster Farm and
to the hospital and died. Home Center.
So long as he clung to it, he w 7:30 P- m - ■ Cedar Crest YF
was saved by his hope. Q>nn r n I s ' FFA volle y ball >
Whether or not the drug was 9 -°®‘ ? dar Crest Middle
actually effective in dealing livestock management School.
with cancer his hope da . y ’ n_. Penn State 7:30 p.m. - Garden Tractor
mobilized the cancer- Schuylkdl campus. Pulling Club
fighting resources of his own Monday, Feb. 24 organizational meeting,
body and, for a time, 7:3 ® P-m. - Twin Valley Rough & Tumble
prevailed. Only when he lost Young Adult Farmers grounds, Kinzers.
his hope did his situation arc welding class no. 1, Wednesday, Feb. 26
become truly hopeless. vo-ag shop, Twin Valley 9:00 a.m.-S.E. Pa. Soybean
Someone has said that H.S. meeting, Bucks Co.,
there are no hopeless Manheim Young Farmers - Holiday Inn, KulpsviUe.
situations, only people who first da y °f machinery Take Lansdale in
have grown hopeless about reconditioning workshop. terchange of Pa. Tpk.
them. What this means is . HLOO a - m - - 3:00 p.m. - 4-H
that hope is not to be tune are not worth com- Club Leaders training
dependent upon external paring with the glory that is meeting, Lancaster
conditions, but inner to be revealed to us” Farm and Home Center,
realities. What is really (Romans 8:18). 7:30 p.m. - Garden Spot
important is, not what Th® source of our hope, Adult Farmer meeting on
happens to us, but how we thus, is never to be found in farm credit, Hinkletown
respond to what happens to what we find about us, but in Alternate School,
us. The source of our hope is “sharing the glory of God” Thursday, Feb. 27
always something inside us, (Romans 5:2). Greater than 7:30 p.m. - E-Town Young
not outside us. an y hardship we may know Farmer poultry
No Comparison - in the present is the great management meeting,
For example, the situation §ift that God has promised vo-ag room, ET-Town H.S.
in which we find ourselves us beyond the present cir- 7:45 p.m. - Chester Co. Corn
may seem hopeless. No cumstances. Therefore, we Meeting, vo-ag room,
matter where we look there cantake hope in the midst of Owen J. Roberts H.S. at
is nothing but discour- our bad times because we Rts. 100 & 23.
agement. This is not are confident of the garce DHIA workshop, Lancaster
something imagined, but that God has in store for us. Farm and Home Center,
real. The situation in which ®y looking ahead to what Continues through
we find ourselves is really a God has prepared for us, we Friday,
bad one! Yet, no matter how can > 10 a sense, have a Monday, March 3
bad the situation may be, foretaste of the fulfillment of 7:30 p.m. - Manheim Young
there is always a reality that our b °P e in the future, and Farmers monthly
can overshadow the find the strength to prevail meeting,
gloomiest prospects. As Paul amidst the trails of the Tuesday, March 4
puts it: “I consider that the present. It is thus that we are 9:30 - 3:30 - 1975 Livestock
sufferings of the present by our , Dgy» .ggpp .State
1 NOW IS
I fraf’ THE time. .. j
I:|: ) " Max Smith
•Si B&V ■ County Agr. Agent ;i|l
SL u Telephone 394-6851 ft
To Plan For
Tree Planting
The early spring months of
March and April are ex
cellent times to plant trees of
nearly all varieties.
Everyone seems to be in
terested in the environment
and the effort to have pure
air to breathe and pure
water to drink. An abun
dance of trees in the country
and in each community will
help accomplish both of the
objectives. If mature or
diseased trees have to be cut
down, then young trees
should be planted to replace
them. Waste land can well be
planted to many kinds of
evergreen trees and con
tribute to a better en
vironment. Shade trees
about the home or farm
homestead are very
beneficial, and should be a
vital part of any rural or
surburban landscape.
To Practice Sanitation
At a recent livestock
meeting Dr. Sam Guss from
Penn State was reviewing
some of the important
practices in the raising of
livestock. He emphasized the
importance of having new
born animals arrive into a
clean, sanitary area. This
may be inside buildings or
out on the ground, such as
good pasture. Little animals
should be handled similar to
'new-born babies the less
exposure there is to filth and
disease, the better it is for
them. Special care and
preparing for the arrival of
new animals will help in
crease the percentage
raised. Don’t expect Mother
Nature to do everything.
Farm
Calendar
To Broadcast Legumes
Some alfalfa and red
clover producers are making
plants to broadcast the seed
on top of their winter wheat
fields. This may be done
from late February until
mid-March. The objective
should be to broadcast the
seed on the open ground
while there is alternate
freezing and thawing of the
topsoil; this will work the
small seeds into the ground.
In recent years, many
growers will wait until the
topsoil becomes dry enough
to use a drill and then band
seed the legumes; this is a
better practice than
broadcasting. However,
some growers may not have
the needed equipment. If
broadcasting is to be done in
winter grain, it should be
done within the next month.
To Make Plans To
Topdress Wheat
The application of a
nitrogen fertilizer on winter
wheat fields during early to
mid-March is a good prac
tice for most farms. This
extra nitrogen stimulates
growth and increases yields.
However, if the fertility level
is very high and lodging has
been a problem, then
smaller amounts should be
used. Also, wheat fields that
are to be seeded down to
alfalfa or clover, should jet.
smaller amounts. The rate of
nitrogen application per acre
will range from 25 to 60
pounds depending upon these
situations. Sand, gravel, or
shale soils should get the
heavier amounts. The time
to make the topdressing is in
March when vegetative
growth is starting.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
p.m. - Swine
7:30