incaster Farming, Saturday, March 3,1984
R
BUSINES
John Yocum answers some farmers' questions following a
Lancaster County tobacco grower's meeting at the Leola
Family Restaurant this week.
Organic Plant Foods President Bill Brubaker, center, talks
with tobacco buyers E. J. Parker, left and James Johnson.
Tobacco buyers
warn growers
about market glut
By Suzanne Keene
Tobacco buyers at a meeting of
Lancaster County growers this
week said demand for tobacco is
down this year and warned them
that it is possible to get too much of
a good thing.
While several farmers indicated
that they haven’t sold all their
tobacco, the buyers said they have
bought enough to meet their
present demand.
Buyer James Johnson of James
R. Miller Co., Wilson, N.C., said he
has filled his orders and another
buyer, E.J. Parker, from Tenn.,
said the same.
Organic Plant Foods Co.
President Bill Brubaker said he
believes Lancaster County far
mers have reached the market
saturation point because some
farmers still have unsold tobacco
hanging in their barns.
“I think we’ve gone overboard,”
he said.
Johnson stressed that graded
tobacco is more marketable than
tobacco that is not graded.
“I do not have a market for
tobacco that isn’t graded,” he said.
Parker cautioned farmers
against too much moisture and
recommended that growers wait to
strip until the tobacco is very dry.
Representatives from several
chemical companies also had some
advice for the growers.
They said that applying
chemicals in the proper quantity,
at the right time and in the right
way is essential to growing quality
tobacco.
Jack Beideman from Ciba Geigy
introduced Prime +, a chemical
that effectively controls suckers
and allows natural ripening
without leaving any MH residue.
Beideman stressed the im
portance of applying Prime +
properly for best results. He said
growers should use a three-nozzle
system which will direct the flow
down the center of each plant.
If applied properly, the chemical
will provide 95 to 100 percent
protection through harvest time
and “those little suckers will just
turn yellow,” he said.
Steve Fisher of FMC told the
growers that Furadan will give
early control of aphids. However,
he said, “it’s got to be applied right
if it’s going to work right.”
Fisher recommended using
Furadan with other insecticides
early in the season, then following
with an application of Thiodan
later.
Dow Chemical representative
Todd Grice said Lorsban 15G is the
broadest spectrum insecticide
available for tobacco and is the
only one labeled for cutworm
Grice said when Lorsban is used
at a two or three quart rate, it
gives ‘extremely effective
results.”
(Turn to Page D 7)
Participants in McCracken's second annual Professional Dairyman's Seminar and
Dinner include, left to right, Lancaster County Dairy Extensionh Agent Glenn Shirk,
McCracken’s Ruminant Nutritional Consultant Nevin Gish, Beacon’s Director of Dairy
and Livestock Nutritional Services Dave Traub, Lancaster Bible College President
Gilbert A. Peterson, Donald M. Shellenberger, DVM, of Smoketown Veterinary Hospital,
Beacon’s York General Manager James A. Price, and Pete McCracken, President of
McCracken’s Feed Mill, Inc.
McCracken holds dairy seminar
BY JACK HUBLEY
MANHEIM Dairymen took a
break from their busy schedules on
Feb. 21, to gather at Enck’s Baron
Stiegel Restaurant in Manheim for
the second annual Professional
Dairyman’s Seminar and Dinner
sponsored by McCracken’s Feed
Mill, Inc., Manheim.
The morning’s first speaker was
David A, Traub, Director of Dairy
and Livestock Nutritional Ser
vices, for Beacon Milling Com
pany’s York plant, who spoke on
“Managing the Dairy Herd’s
Nutritional Needs for Increased
Profit”.
Traub stressed the importance
of close attention to an energy
system to insure dairy herd
nutrition. The speaker reviewed
various numerical systems in
cluding the TDN method, the Net
Energy Lactation (NE) system
developed in 1971, and the most
current version of the NE
developed in 1978. He concluded
that the newer NE values are far
more realistic than those of its 1971
predecessor, and more sensitive at
both quality extremes than the
TDN system
Guidebnes for finished feeds
under the new NE system were
given, with numbers of 73 and
higher being high energy feeds, 67
to 72 corresponding to medium
energy, and values below 67
representing low energy feeds.
Traub cautioned farmers not to
be impressed by numbers in the
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - While higher
grain prices caused by the PIK
program and last year’s drought
might be good news for some
farmers, hog producers without
adequate grain supplies are facing
a cost/price squeeze which could
make it even tougher to produce a
pound of pork profitably
That's the opinion of Dr. Bud
Harmon, director of swine
research for Ralston Purina
Company, who says hog producers
can overcome this threat by im
proving feed efficiency.
“Especially when grain prices are
high, any improvement in feed
efficiency can prove extremely
valuable,” Harmon contends.
Recognizing this need, he says,
producers can now turn to Purina's
new line of high energy complete
feeds specifically designed to
improve feed efficiency and
provide best value in the face of
high prices and scarce gram “We
Pt* "F
90’s, as such values do not
correspond to the NE system and
should not be used for com
parisons.
Following Traub’s presentation,
Dr Gilbert A. Peterson, President
of Lancaster Bible College,
discussed communications as a
means of increasing profits.
Punctuating his lecture with
audience participation and
humorous anecdotes, the speaker
illustrated how communicatm can
be elevated from simply talking to
creating understanding.
Highlighting the importance of
listening, the speaker pointed out
that everyone we come in contact
with has something to teach us.
Next on the agenda was Glenn A.
Shirk, Lancaster County Dairy
Extension Agent, speaking on herd
health and the prevention of
mastitis. Shirk stated that
although semantic cell counts of
500,000 were acceptable in the past,
dairymen should be striving for
much lower levels.
Based on the fact that reducing
somatic cell counts by one-half
results in a 1.5 Ib.-per-cow increase
in milk production per day, the
speaker demonstrated why big
increases in production result from
reducing cell counts at the lower
levels. As an example, Shirk stated
that reducing counts from 1,600,000
to 800,000 increased milk
production by 1.5 lbs., the same
increase as from 800,000 to 400,000,
or 400,000 to 200,000, and so on.
Hog ration helps efficiency
developed Super High Ocume
Grower and Finisher rations
specially to help hogmen produce
pork at a lower cost,” Harmon
declares.
“Super High Octane rations are
formulated with higher levels of
energy and nutrients that can
improve feed efficiency by 9
percent and average daily gain by
4 percent over High Octane Hog
Chows, our next most efficient
rations,” he explains. “Because
Super H»gh Octane contains this
higher concentration of energy and
nutrients, hogs get even more
growth from a smaller amount of
feed,” he adds.
The new line, Hannon continues,
is designed to deliver more than
just top performance. “Its best
value formulation will deliver
optimum performance at best
relative value to pioducers.
Depending on gram prices the
performance of hogs fed Super
The speaker urged farmers not
to be discouraged by slow gams
during the early stages of treat
ment. Since badly damaged milk
producing cells may not
recuperate until a dry period, an
increase in production may not be
noted until the second lactation. He
also discussed the role of a clean,
dry environment in keeping in
fection to a minimum
Following dinner, two speakers
concluded the day’s events
Veterinarian Donald M.
Shellenberger from the
Smoketown Veterinary Hospital,
also took up the topic of mastitis,
discussing vaccination and
recommended treatment
schedules.
McCracken’s Ruminant
Nutritional Consultant, J. Nevm
Gish, discussed Beacon’s
preservative program for hay and
silage as a means of increasing
both the quantity and quality of
feed available to the herd. Gish
cited prevention of leaf shatter and
the ability to bale at a 25%
moisture level as benefits realized
through the use of hay preser
vatives. He also encouraged the
use of preservatives in silage to
reduce heat, thereby decreasing
spoilage and energy loss.
Gish also covered the im
portance of the dry cow program,
stressing that what the farmer
does during the dry period
determines production during
lactation.
High Octane could vary within a
specific high range,” he explains.
“This way, our dealers can
respond to changing ingredient
costs and still provide producers
with a best value ration.”
In addition, Hannon points out,
the new complete feed formulation
eliminates the need to supplement
with higher priced grain, and
saves time, labor and equipment
costs. “Also, Purina research
shows that the ration reduces dust,
promotes digestion and reduces
feed waste,” he adds, “providing
an additional 8 percent feed ef
ficiency improvement over meal
rations.”
“Producers now have a choice in
today’s tight and high-priced grain
picture,” Harmon suggests. “They
can use cheaper, less efficient
feeds which will cost them more in
lost performance On the other
hand, they can feed best value, and
save money on each pound of pork
produced,” he concludes