New fanners
(Continued from Page B 4)
Shipp informed the group
about the benefits of testing
>' $e soil on the farm for
nutrient levels, and he in
troduced the group to the soil
survey report which iden
tifies the types of soils in the
state.
The importance of
knowing the soil type was
pointed out by John Baylor,
also of Penn State’s
agronomy department. He
encouraged the new farmers
to adapt the crops to be
grown to the type of crops
the soils will support.
Limiting factors, such as
depth and drainage, will
have an impact on the crop
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and variety selection, he
stated.
Baylor also recommended
the use of certified seed of
unproved vanities, noting
the cost of the seed is 4
percent of the planting costs
per acre.
He pointed out that the
larger kemeled seeds can be
mismanaged more because
they have a larger food
storage and will probably
survive if planted too deep.
However, this is not the case
with the smaller seeds. As a
rule of thumb, Baylor said
“never place seed any
deeper than five times its
diameter.”
Baylor advised the new
to government
PARK RIDGE -
“Although fanners and
ranchers are interested in
the prospect of expanded
foreign trade, we have some
very real concerns about the
U.S.-Chinese grain
agreement and object to
expanded government in
volvement in our in
ternational markets,”
Robert B. Delano sn.d today.
Delano, president of the
American Farm Bureau
Federation, referred to the
fanners to lime and fertilize
their crop fields for yields
and persistance. “In Penn
sylvania, 75 percent of the
crop growth problems are
related to soil acidity. ’ *
Samuel Dum, Penn State’s
professor of farm
management extension
pointed out another major
problem in making a living
in farming budgeting
problems.
He said five areas where
new fanners make mistakes
in budgeting are:
—having inadequate
resources to make a living
(notenough land);
—using the available
resources incorrectly
(trying to grow the wrong
crop);
of
resources (cows not milking
up to potential);
—lack of technical
knowledge;
Farm Bureau objects
recently announced bilateral
four-year gram agreement
between the U.S. and
mainland China.
The agreement
negotiated between the U.S.
government and the
People’s Republic of China -
calls for the U.S. to export
six to nine million metric
tons of grain to China each
year of the agreement.
“Even without the
agreement, China is said to
have already purchased 10
-mu, noi navmg a
satisfactory business and
home environment.
With a general taste of
what fanning is all about,
and what it takes to get into
the various enterprises
being covered in two 45
minute sessions, the new
farmers walked away from
the first course of its kind to
be offered in the state with
mixed emotions.
They learned from the
Veterinary School’s John
Fetrow about the benefits of
employing the expertise of
local veterinarians and what
it could cost them if they
didn’t spend money on
professional animal -health
care.
The new farmers will
probably long remember the
advice given by Penn State’s
Clair Engle. “You can
always take advantage of
the appreciated land prices
.and sell out.”
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 1,1980—85
involvement
million metric tons of gram
in 1979 and more than nine
million on in 1978,” Delano
said.
He added that government
involvement in international
trade agreements injects
government management
into what should be private
trade business, and could
mean that the U.S. would
never reach the full potential
for sale of agricultural
commodities in the Chinese
market.
“Farm Bureau members
are greatly disturbed about
the apparent trend toward
government domination of
international trade in farm
commodities, including the
HARRISBURG -
Placements of broiler chicks
in the Commonwealth during
the week ending October 18
were 2,229,000, according to
the Pennsylvania Crop
Reporting Service.
The placements were 17
percent above the
corresponding week a year
earlier, and three percent
above the previous week.
Average placements during
the past nine weeks were 11
percent above a year ago.
Placements in the 21 key
poultry producing states
were 76,602,000, seven
percent above the previous
in trade
recent U.S.-Mexico
agreement whereby sales
are to be made through the
Commodity Credit Cor
poration,” Delano said.
‘lt has been argued that
China is unique. This can be
said to be true of every
country,” he added, saying,
goverament-to-goverament
trade is wrong in principle.
For U.S. farmers it
represents a step away from
the free market.
“A proliferation of
bilateral sales agreements
could lead to greater and’
greater government in
volvement in the marketing
of grain,” Delano concluded.
Broiler placements
increase 17%
week and five percent above
the same week a year
earlier. Average placements
in the 21 states during the
past nine weeks were one
percent above a year ago.
Broiler-fryers slaughtered
in Pennsylvania federal
inspection during the week
ending October 8 totaled
1,532,000, with an average
liv°weight of 3.94 pounds.