Hostetters To Retire (Continued from Pag* , Breeders Shows. They talk about the large national shows and the little fairs with the shows that kept them busy for a week at a time. Most of these shows are history now. They like to talk about one of Groff put together to go to Califor- their drivers who, in his lifetime, worked an eight-mule team and drove a 40 foot tractor trailer. Not many people do that in one lifetime. They like to talk about the load of Ivanhoe daughters that Earl nia. These Ivanhoes were pictured on the cover of The Holstein World. And the Hostetlers hauled them with such care they got a $lOO tip from the California buyer. Clean trucks and expert care of the cattle on long trips became the trademark of these truckers. On long hauls they would stop and milk the cows along the way. And the animals were delivered in Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 1, 1987-A35 excellent condition. “We drove and handled all the animals the same,” Melvin said. “It made no difference to us if the cow cost $lOO,OOO or some lesser amount. We haven’t made a lot of money. It was not a get-rich scheme. But we have met a lot of nice people, good people,” Melvin said. “Almost anywhere in the U.S. we get invited to eat a meal or stay over night About two weeks ago we took a load of cattle to Tennes see and were treated to overnight accomodations and a breakfast of fresh biscuits, ham and eggs the next morning. We really didn’t know the people that well. But they knew us.” “No you can’t get us lost any where in the United States,” Nel son agreed. “Of course a lot of things have changed in our lifetime. Dad bought gas at the Millersville Ser vice Station for six gallon for a dol lar. And our first new tractor and trailer cost us $6,500 in 1956. Today the same comparable rig would cost $llO,OOO. Insurance has tripled. And diesel fuel has gone up from 15 cents a gallon.” “But most of all, the production of the dairy cow has gone up tre mendously. Artificial breeding helped it along. When we first started, a 10,000 pound cow was tremendous. And you didn’t hear of a 3.5 percent testing cow.” “You must hand it to Austin Backus. He promoted the cows that were high in test. We remem ber the first four percent cow that was sold in the Garden Spot Sale. She was an Ivanhoe, but she only gave about 8,000 pounds of milk. Now these cows give 30,000 pounds of milk and lest five percent.” Will the Hostetlers miss truck ing when they retire in October? “No,” says Nelson. But Melvin corrects him. “Sure we’ll miss it. You can’t do something this long and just walk away without some feeling. But we are getting too old. But I suppose like everyone else who drove for us and retired, we’ll likely be back just to go along for the ride when Daniel Charles and Paul Booth continue to operate under the Hostetler name. “Well, we may be back,” Nelson concedes. “But I have a lot of catching up to do at home first.” 1 sssss? builds performance leaders Measures up to your needs The Weighmaster platform scale from Butler offers precision for a variety of management needs Whether it's for permanent or portable applications, you can count on field-proven reliability and accuracy at a fraction of the cost of a conventional scale • Weighs up to 40 000 lbs on a 7-ft by 10 ft surface • 12 volt DC electronics allow portable operation • V 2% accuracy electronic system • Optional 3-pomt hitch attachment and detachable ramps See us for the performance leaders in systems and service. WEIGHMASTER platform scale fa/g Systems In Stock WHI Pemonsfrate Llvemtock Symtmmm LAPP’S BARN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE R D «1, Box 126, Gap, PA 17527 717-442-8134