.cV VOL. 29 No. 50 Industry divided on egg order BY JACK RUBLEY LANCASTER responses from one-third of the nation’s egg producers, the proposed egg industry marketing order will include four provisions, according to marketing order committee chairman Gerald Weber, who addressed a Pa. Egg- Marketing Association meeting last Friday night at Lancaster’s Conestoga Resort. About 250 egg industry representatives attended the session to hear committee chairman Weber, Penn State ag economist Tony Stemberger and Canadian producer-processor Stan Steen discuss the advantages and pitfalls of egg supply management Although two-thirds of the marketing order survey respon dents indicated a need for some form of quantity controls, nationwide opinion' remains divided on exactly how to get the job done Though industry feedback in dicated a preference for con trolling the number of hens. Weber indicated that egg allottments would be preferable from a regulatory standpoint In com puting initial egg allottments the committee opted for a three-year historical base period from Sept. 30, 1981, to the same date in 1984 Quotas would be issued to producers one year in advance, Weber said. Weber pointed out that countries already on egg quota systems tend to experience continual cutbacks , m layer numbers, since the system (Turn to Page A3O) Dairy roundup - local promotion, rabies & heifers in wings 31 groups apply for milk funds HARRISBURG - With a Monday, Oct. 15, deadline, 31 local promotion groups submitted funding requests to the Penn sylvania Dairy Promotion Program Advisory Board, ac cording to state Agriculture Secretary and Advisory Board Chairman Penrose Hallowell. Requests were received from 31 groups for a total of 61 local dairy promotion projects. “We are pleased with the diversity and interest demon strated by these promotion requests,” said Hallowell. “It is refreshing to know that so many (Turn to Page A 36) Four Sections Based on -..ThWf 172-pound pumpkin sold at Good’s Wholesale Vegetate Auction this week at Leola could be considered the auction’s first season it’s been a whopping success and there are a lot of happy faces around. This gigantic ’’gourd” was grown by Dale Johnson, of Catawissa RD, Columbia County. Shown with the pumpkin is Sterling Gottshall, of Catawissa, who trucked it to Good's. BY DICK ANGLESTEIN LEOLA In its first season of operation, Good’s wholesale vegetable auction at Leola expects to do about a half-million dollars in business. “We’ve already done about $450,000 in business,” David H. Good said, “and we should reach a half-million dollars before we close for the season. Dairy Exclusive Second cow falls victim NEW BOLTON CENTER-A five-year-old Holstein dairy cow from Fauquier County, Va., was admitted as a rabies suspect to the large animal hospital at New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, on Wed nesday, Oct. 3. The results of tests confirmed the diagnosis of rabies on Tuesday, Oct. 9. When the cow was admitted to New Bolton Center, she was placed in isolation and was humanely destroyed two days later after diagnostic tests revealed no evidence of a disease that could be treated easily. Subsequent pathological studies performed at the State Public Health Laboratory in Lionville confirmed the rabies Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 20,1984 Vegetable auction reports successful first season “It has surpassed anything we expected.” But Good was quick to credit both the excellent weather, which provided an abundant and con tinuing supply of produce, and the cooperation of both growers and buyers for the initial success of the wholesale auction, which has been open for the past four and one-half months. diagnosis. This is the first rabid cow seen at the Center since November, 1982. The first cow, from a Lancaster County dairy herd, was apparently bitten by a rabid bat. Rabies, a virus that attacks the neurological system of warm blooded animals, usually is spread by direct bites. In this case, the cow was not known to be bitten by a wild animal, although the owner reported that numerous skunks have been seen in the cow pasture. The virus also is shed in large quantities in the saliva of an in fected animal and can be tran smitted when it comes in contact with open wounds or mucous membranes. (Turn to Page A 36) Johnson grew 14 of the monsters this year, including a 289-pound patch-mate that was displayed at the Bloomsburg Fair. The 14 stalks had plenty of water, including creek irrigation, and two 80-pound bags of fertilizer, "The mam problem," according to Gottshall, “is that they’d grow so much some evenings, they’d grow themselves right off the vine.” Participating farmers increased from about 150 in the beginning to some 750. They came from Maryland, New York and as far west as Breezewood and Tyrone in Pennsylvania. It’s estimated that about 80 percent of the business was generated by Lancaster County growers. Buyers also steadily increased 20 million spigots about to turn on BY DICK ANGLESTEIN DAIRYLAND, USA She ob served her first birthday a few months ago. Lately, it’s been a carefree life of warm Indian Summer days and nights. There are no real cares for the coming winter with a warm barn and overflowing silos that promise full stomachs. She looks forward to impending Initial motherhood in spring. And then finally beginning a lifetime career to which she has been born, bred and groomed - turning out milk; adding four more milk spigots to the national dairy herd. This scenario hasn’t changed much over the years on dairy $7.50 per year during the season and came from a five-state area, including Penn sylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. With the auction scheduled to stay open until about Thanksgiving, depending on the weather and produce supply, Good is already looking toward some changes for next year. (Turn to Page Al 2) farms as heifers continually move into the milking herd to replace members of the older generation “retired” to McDonald’s or whatever. But this coming year there wiH be a real difference. That heifer may be joined by a record number of “sisters” - perhaps five million, adding some 20 million milk spigots that - when opened - may provide a spring flush such as this nation has never seen. And these spigots will open at the conclusion of a painful adjustment period designed to bring supply and demand back into closer balance. How many replacement heifers are really out there? Who knows. (Turn to Page A 36)