an3 magazines of mlercsl to Eancaster Tarming readers ANDY ANDREWS Editor TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FARMING TECHNIQUES, by Frank D. Gardner. The Lyons Press, 2002, 1088 pp., $29.95. ISBN 1-58574-412-3 I’ll admit, TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FARMING TECH NIQUES is a big book. A lot of the older material came by way of the first edition of this book, published in 1916 by L.T. Myers as SUCCESSFUL FARMING. The first Lyons printing is 2001, but this has a “Foreword to the 2002 Edition,” so I’m assuming that’s where the editor leaves us. And what a place to go! No, I didn’t read this cover to cover. I haven’t read the Bible cover to cover either. But what’s nice, you can go to any page in this farming book, almost randomly, and read about farm ing practices from what the au thor Gardner refers to as the “golden age of American agricul ture,” which began sometime after the start of World War I and lasted until shortly after World War 11, when “industrial agriculture arrived,” according to the Foreword written by James R. Babb, from Searsport, Maine. The book “makes a popular appeal to all men engaged in farming,” Gardner writes in his Preface. Gardner credits the “Pennsylvania State College” for helpful suggestions. The contents range from soil classification and crop adapta tion to lime and soil amend ments. The book covers soil water, its functions and control, and general soil management methods. Farm crops are cov ered, including various grains (buckwheat, rice, flax, emmer, kaffir corn, and sunflower). AMERICAN FARMING TECHNIQUES [ !■ cank D I ‘ 1 is i< I*v i>« b> lirnw K IWi- I Meadow and pasture grasses, in cluding the benefits of clovers, are detailed. Also, annual leg umes, even peanuts are here. TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FARMING TECHNIQUES cov ers everything grown under the sun, including cane sugar, cotton, tobacco, many vegetables and fruits, including pome and stone fruits, the farm woodlot, and oth ers. Animal husbandry live stock and dairy farming is also included here. There are lots of items on dairy farming. This book looks at engines, motors, and tractors on the farm, farm sanitation, drainage and ir rigation, cropping and feeding systems, and even marketing and cooperation! How about that, farm marketing in 1916! (And we thought direct marketing was a new concept.) Home economics and ag education are part and parcel to the book, too. This book could be labeled “esoterica” or “nostalgic” by a few. I loved the “soil fertility bar rel” and the information about how to prevent erosion. Page 101 has an interesting contraption that is a predecessor to the ma nure scrapers of today. National Farmers Union Members Adopt Policy Resolutions At Convention ANAHEIM, Calif. Resolu tions outlining the direction of the National Farmers Union (NFU) were passed by member delegates at organization’s 101st Anniversary Convention, Feb. 28-March 3, at the Coast Ana heim Hotel. The delegates passed a special order of business urging the ad ministration to undertake a plan of action to address the “social and economic crisis” in rural America. The resolution outlined numerous areas in which the ad ministration failed to construc tively address poor rural econom ic conditions, including the 2002 Farm Bill, natural disaster aid, agricultural trade negotiations, and the president’s economic stimulus package. “The National Farmers Union urges the president of the United States and the secretary of agri culture to make family farmers and ranchers and rural commu nities a priority in the develop ment and implementation of fed eral policies,” the resolution said. A second resolution reinforced the organization’s support of the country-of-origin food labeling law and insisted the USDA implement the new law in a “timely and farmer-friendly manner that is fully consistent with the intent of Congress.” The resolution said USDA has been Back in 1915, it was interesting to note that Pennsylvania grew 1.5 million acres of com (page 179). There were 914,118 acres of red clover grown in Pennsylvania in 1910 (page 250). Page 647 noted that for a good dairy herd, “exercise is beneficial to the health of the cows.” And back then, the “bull is half the herd.” Old implement lovers will adore the illustrations and photos of old farm tools. And I especially enjoyed page 913, with markets, marketing, and cooperation, when the “Farm Bulletin Board” brought business. Putting out “good qual ity” in “an attractive form” rings as true today as in 1916. This book belongs on a good farm historian’s shelf. I “slow” in implementing the proper regulations for voluntary and mandatory country-of-origin labeling. The Farmers Union members passed another resolution sup porting actions to restrict the im portation of milk protein concen trate (MFC). According to NFU President Dave Frederickson, im ported MPC has created a signifi cant loophole in U.S. dairy trade policy and has distorted the U.S. milk market. NFU wants to pre vent MPC from being used in standardized cheeses and seeks to make imported MPC and other dairy blends subject to tariff rate quotas. Another resolution supported the establishment of a renewable fuels standard introduced by Sen ators Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Richard Lugar, R-lnd. The mem bers also supported the “Biofuels Energy Independence Act” re cently introduced by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. The reso lution also supported reimburse ment of the transportation trust fund for reductions from renewa ble fuels incentive programs. The family farmers and ranch ers also passed a special order of business to address international trade negotiations and the affects they have on state and local gov ernments, farmers, and local businesses. The general opinion of trade panelists at the convention was that trade negotiators place a low priority on agriculture. When ne gotiators do address agriculture, they concluded that they are more likely to represent the inter ests of the industry rather than individual producers. U.S. trade negotiators need to represent farmers and ranchers, according to the panelists. They vowed to continue pressuring the Bush Administration and Con gress to remind trade negotiators of whose interests they actually represent. A group of political experts and agricultural leaders were asked to address the question: “What’s next for farm policy?” Congressional control, trade talks, and subsidy support were three issues that emerged as de termining the future of farm poli cy, according to the panelists. j Custom Fabrication of Galvanized Barn Fquipment Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 8, 2003-A37 The Farm policy panel in cluded included Jim Wiesemey er, vice president for farm and trade policy with Sparks Compa nies; Jerry Hagstrom, agriculture writer for National Journal’s Congress Daily, DTN, and Ag- Week; Jonathon Lehman, agri cultural adviser for Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; and Paul Car ver, legislative aide to U.S. Rep resentative David Obey, D-Wis. The panel was moderated by NFU Vice President of Govern ment Relations Tom Buis. One farmer asked the panel what farmers should do to im prove their economic status and get better farm policies. In re sponse, Wiesemeyer said, “Look to energy such as biodiesel in do mestic programs.” Hagstrom said, “Keep going to Washington and work with oth ers.” Carver said, “Fight milk pro tein concentrates, trade threats from Australians and others, sup port supply management” and grazing initiatives. Lehman said that it was im portant to “broaden the coali tion” to include rural health, edu cation, and other interests to work together for a better rural America. Keynote speaker at the con vention was Bill Gates Sr., who gave his formula for success: “Get up early, work hard all day, and have a stupendously success ful son.” Gates’ formula for estate taxes was reform, not repeal. He ex plained: “Repealing the estate tax on the largest estates would en danger family farms in the Unit ed States. Without an estate tax, giant corporate farms will simply get larger and larger at the ex pense of family farms. Rather than repealing the estate tax, we should reform and simplify the estate tax to enable family farm ers to better survive the growing pressures from big agribusiness.” Three long-time supporters of Farmers Union were honored at the convention with Meritorius Service awards; Sen. Paul Well stone, Minnesota, posthumously; former Sen. George McGovern, South Dakota; and former NFU president, Leland Swenson.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers