—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 17, 1975
10
Farm Commentary
U.S. Milk Cow Numbers
The decline from a year ago in milk
cow numbers continues at less than 1
percent, the lowest rate since the
mid-1950'5. Low slaughter cow prices
will likely discourage herd culling
throughout 1975, and the continued
lack of off-farm employment op
portunities may keep more dairy
farmers in business. Coupled with
large numbers of herd replacements
on hand, this would likely limit the
drop in milk cow numbers in 1975.
Production later this year will
depend largely on prices for feed and
milk, as well as on the slaughter cattle
market and the general economic
situation. If large feed gram and
soybean crops materialize this year
and feed prices moderate, feeding
rates could pick up, bringing more
normal gains in output per cow.
Under these conditions, we could see
strong gams m milk production later
on this year.
On the other hand, another
disastrous crop like last year's would
mean continued high feed prices and
forestall an increase in milk
production during the second half.
For all of 1975, milk production is
likely to total around 1 billion pounds
above 1974’s 115.4 billion pounds.
Under the most favorable conditions
output, could go even higher.
Milk production was slightly above
year-earlier levels in March. Farmers
have cut back gram and concentrate
feeding, thus limiting gains in output
per cow. These small gains just barely
offset the relatively small decline in
milk cow numbers.
Grade A milk marketings in 1974
totaled 86 billion pounds, 78 percent
of all milk sold to plants by farmers.
Although increasing steadily over the
years, Grade A marketings have
gained more slowly since 1971 when
76 percent of the milk was Grade A.
On the other hand, Grade B
marketings declined as dairy farmers
continued to convert to Grade A
production or left dairying.
Effective April 1, USDA raised the
support purchase prices for
American cheese by 2 cents to 79.25
cents per pound and for butter by
1.25 cents to 70.75 cents per pound
at New York. Nonfat dry milk prices
were left at 60.6 cents per pound.
House Sustains Farm Bill Veto
By a substantial margin, the House
failed to override a presidential veto
Tuesday and killed a one-year
emergency farm bill that the ad
ministration said could raise food
prices slightly and force imposition of
production controls.
The vote, marking the first veto
battle of the 94th Congress, was
easily won by President Ford. The
House voted 245 to 182, 40 votes
short of the necessary two-thirds
needed to override
Ford said the bill would cost the
government $lB3 billion in fiscal
year 1976 and cited it as “an example
of increased, nonessential spending”
that would aggravate this attempt to
keep deficit spending for the fiscal
year to $6O billion
by Dick Wanner
Down Marginally
This was done to provide greater
assurance that the annual average
farm price of manufacturing milk will
equal the previously announced
support price of $7.24 per 100
pounds in the 1975-76 marketing
year.
Farm prices of milk have shown
near average seasonal drops since
the beginning of the year and, at
$8.05 per 100 pounds, in April were 9
percent below a year ago.
Manufacturing milk prices have held
about steady since January with
wholesale dairy prices close to CCC
support purchase prices. Farm milk
prices are likely to show only small
seasonal drops through the flush
production season but could be
above a.year ago by early summer.
Not a single case of hog cholera was
reported in the United States during
the past year, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) said today. The
last outbreak occurred May 4,1974 rn
Puerto Rico. The last case in any of
the 50 states was diagnosed Feb. 7,
1974 m Mississippi.
Dr. John Hejl, deputy ad
ministrator, Veterinary Services, of
USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS), said,
however, that surveillance for this
dreaded swine disease must con
tinue. “We want to make sure," he
said, "that all traces of hog cholera
virus have been eliminated from the
U.S. hog population before the
disease is officially declared
eradicated."
An official declaration of hog
cholera being eradicated from the
entire United States could come in
November, provided there are no
more outbreaks. An 18-month waiting
period after the last outbreak was
recommended by swine disease
experts.
“Eradication progress has already
saved American hog producers
hundreds of millions of dollars," said
Dr. Hejl, “in terms of greatly reduced
herd losses and the elimination of
vaccine costs.” Use of hog cholera
vaccine was halted in 1969. In ad-„
dition, Dr. Hejl noted that Great
Britain recently lifted a 20-year
import ban against American pork
because of U.S. eradication
achievements to date.
Democratic leaders sought to pass
the bill over Ford's opposition and
caucus chairman Philip Burton of
California ended debate by crying
out, “Nuts to Butz! Let's override.”
The reference was to Agriculture
Secretary Earl L. Butz, who stated
publicly his opposition to the bill even
before Congress hammered it into
final shape
Two earlier versions of the
measure passed the House 259-162
and 248-166
The bill would have increased the
garget prices and rates Aor
production loans, for which the v crops
are used as collateral, for the 1975
crops of wheat, corn and cotton.
WHERE THE
BUCK STOPS
Lesson for May 11, 1175
Background Scripture:
Ezekiel 18.
Devotional Reading: Ezekiel
14:12 • 20.
It is said that the late
President Harry S. Truman
had a plaque on his desk that
proclaimed: “The BUCK
STOPS HERE!" To him it
was a daily reminder that
ultimately all responsibility
for the conduct of the pffairs
of the United States
government resided with
him. There was no other
person to whom he could
rightly pass off that
responsibility.
“Sour Grapes"
This is true not only in
politics, but also in religion.
The dictum, “THE BUCK
STOPS HERE,” is
religiously expressed iir the
teaching that each person it
responsible for hit or her
own soul. It is the one
responsibility we cannot cast
off on others, although we
may try!
As Adam blamed Eve and
Eve blamed the serpent, so
God’s children are gifted in
the ancient art of “passing
the buck.” In the days of
Ezekiel the prophet, there
was a popular proverb
fondly quoted by the buck
passers in the days of
Israel’s Babylonian cap
tivity: “The fathers have
eaten sour grapes, and the
children’s teeth are set on
edge.” The Jews in exile
blamed all their misfortunes
on the evil deeds of their
-fathers in Israel.
To a certain degree, there
was justice in this
allegation: the prophets
themselves had proclaimed
that the Babylonian cap
tivity was caused by the
unrepentant rebelliousness
of Israel. But the Jews in
exile continued to blame
everything on their
forefathers who had become
convenient scapegoats.
People today still are
influenced by this “sour
grapes” attitude. Collec
tively they may blame their
misfortunes on previous
generations. Individually,
they will seek to transfer
their personal responsibility
to their parents, their en
vironment, the ethnic or
religious background, their
economic class, their
educational opportunities, or
just plain “bad breaks.”
“A new heart
and a new spirit”
As Ezekiel indicated,,
however, that is never an
adequate defense: “As I live,
says the Lord God, this
proverb shall no more be
used by you in Israel. Behold
all souls are mine; the soul of
the father as well as the soul
of the son is mine: the soul
that sins shall die” (Ezekiel
-18:3, 4),
The proverb is a cop-out:
God is the Lord of each
generation, not just a
selected few and he judges
each man for his own sins. If
a man is righteous in God’s
sight - jf he lives by God’s
commandments - God will
not punish him for the sins of
someone else. “Therefore I
will judge you, 0 house of
Israel, every one according
to his own ways...”
(18:30).
~V.V, ~S , .V.V. .. ,V.% •NNX*V/.V.y.S:.:..vXV.*X*X»X*X*WX
r' ,w •!:
tNOW IS
THE TIME... f
Max Smith
‘ County Agr. Agent
. Telephone $
To Make
Grass Silage
A lot of first cutting hay is
put in silos. Weather con
ditions often make it very
difficult to make hay out of
the first cutting so putting it
in the silo is an excellent
choice. A silage preservative
is necessary only when
silage is not wilted to 65
percent or less moisture, or
if freedom from possible
objectionable odors is
necessary." Chemical-type
preservatives can help
reduce fermentation loss.
However, they cannot
reduce the considerable
losses from seepage, which
may occur when material is
put in the upright silo at over
65-70 percent moisture. The
use of corn and cob chop, at
the rate of 100-200 pounds per
ton of forage, is a good feed
additive. This will increase
the energy level of the hay
crop silage.
To Cull
Unprofitable
Cows
One reason for the recent
increase in milk production
is the low cull cow prices.
The economics of this
strategy by dairymen is
questionable. First, cull cow
prices will probably stay low
"for at least the next year.
Second, a high producing
cow is more profitable than a
low producing cow,
especially in these times of
high feed costs. Using
present feed prices and $8
per cwt. milk, a cow milking
70 pounds of 3.5 B.F. milk per
day will return more than
$3.00 income over feed costs.
This points up the im
portance of good records to
know the production level of
each cow. Records are
necessary to make accurate
Farm
Calendar
Tuesday, May 20
7:30 p.m. - Ephrata Area
Young Farmer monthly
meeting program will
center on baler trouble
shooting. Ephrata Senior
High School Ag
classroom.
Friday, May 23
7:00 p.m. - Pa. Egg
Marketing Association
meeting at the Sheraton -
Conestoga in Lancaster.
This does not mean,
however, that we might not
suffer because of someone
else’s sins, but that we will
not have to bear someone
else’s guilt. If I am burning
rubbish and the fire gets out
of control, burning down my
neighbors house, he ob
viously will suffer for my
negligence, even though I
alone am guilty.
Instead of the “sour
grapes” attitude in life, we
must realize that it is not so
much a matter of what
happens to us, but what we
do about the things that
happen to us. “Sour grapes”
is really no defense and
instead of trying to “pass the
buck.” let us acknowledge
where it stops and do
something worthwile with it.
decisions on culling and
feeding cows.
To Control
Pesticide Drift
The term “pesticide drift”
means the movement of
pesticide from the area you
intend to use it to other
areas. There are two kinds of
pesticide drift • particle drift
and vapor drift. Spary or
dust particle drift occurs at
the time of application when
small droplets or dust
particles are carried by air
movement. Vapor drift is
caused by pesticide fumes
from the application site as
the pesticide evaporates.
These fumes are also carried
by ah* movement.
To help control pesticide
drift use low volatile for
mulations, low pressure and
large capacity nozzles when
spraying.
Also, release the spray
near the crops or soil surface
and avoid spraying when
temperatures are high. Only
spray when the wind velocity
is low and blowing away
from sensitive crops.
To Be Alert
For Alfalfa Weevil
Alfalfa is really growing
under the excellent con
ditions we are having. This
means we must keep a close
watch for the alfalfa weevil
from now until harvest. We
suggest that any insecticide
application be delayed until
approximately 60-70 percent
of the plants show slight
feeding damage at the tips.
Some fields can be harvested
early to prevent weevil
damage. When this is done,
keep .a close check on the
stubble to make sure the new
growth is not being
damaged. The stubble may
need spray protection to
permit the new shoots to
develop.
Saturday, May 24
Pa. Sheep Field Day in
Susquehanna County.
Lebanon Valley Expo Corp.
Square Dance at the
Lebanon Fairgrounds
8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 3
Deadline for advertising and
news for the annual
Lancaster Farming
Dairy Issue.
Wednesday, June 4
Lancaster County Con
servation District
Meeting at the Lancaster
Farm and Home Center
7:30 p.m.
Reason and experience both
forbid us to expect that national
morality can prevail in ex
clusion of religious ideals
George Washington