The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 10

nnvv I 'if i 7 1 kjiitAyi lively rn if a i rfli i ours ire laiKS And i i 3- i 'ilwmimiiiiW. 3 Ferguson, Anaconda, rancher; the Kentucky sheep situation, James Koeppcr, Louisville, U. S. Department of Agriculture statistician, and Joe Fuqua, U. of K.

College of Agriculture economics department; parasite control, Dr. J. II. Drudge, U. of K.

parasitologist; new grades for on-foot and carcass lambs by J. I), Kemp and P. G. Wool folk, U. of K.

experiment Station; "Lamb Shows That Reflect Utility Values," by Harper; color slides on Russian sheep production, by Terrill; "Interest of the State Department of Agriculture In Sheep Raisers' Problems," by Emerson Beau-champ, State commissioner of agriculture; and "What's The Solution to The State's Critical Foot-Rot Problem?" a panel discussion by farmers, livestock men, producers, and veterinarians. Other activities of Sheep Week are a Monday, May 9, meeting at the U. of K. Experiment Substations at Quickstand, at 10 a.m., flock visit tour on Wednesday and Thursday, May 1 1 and 12, starting at 8 a.m. at Lexington, and the annual Western Kentucky Sheep Day meeting at the U.

of K. experiment substation at Princeton, starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 13. Lamb barbecues are scheduled at the Lexington, Quicksand, and Princeton meetings. Lexington, Ky.

The 23d annual Kentucky Sheep Day May 10 at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture livestock pavilion here will have a multiphase program. The Kentucky sheep situation, parasite-control measures, national sheep production, lamb grading, new on-foot and carcass lamb grades, the foot-rot problem in Kentucky, and other topics will be on the agenda, says R. C. Milles, U. of K.

Co-operative Extension Service sheep specialist. Three top speakers are C. E. Terrill, chief of the U. S.

Department of Agriculture Sheep Research Division, Beltsville, on "National Sheep Claude Harper, Purdue University animal-husbantfry-dcpartment head, on "How Mountainous New Zealand Produces More Livestock Units Per Acre Than Any Other Country," and Clarence Miller, Shelby-ville farmer and currently assistant secretary of agriculture, on "U.S.D.A. Sheep Problems, Lamb Grades, and Others." Terrill speaks at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 10; Harper at 11:30 a.m. with color slides, and Miller at 1 p.m. Other parts of the program are discussion of availability of Western ewes by Lewis Wardlaw, Sonora, rancher, and H.

E. I low 1 i 1 lit Kohippu heranic. in a Iioim- itv s-iiii. ii. aiui Said tin1 little Koliippus, and I quote: "I'm kouS to be a horse; and on my middle fingernails I'll run my earthly course." And sure 'nuf ho did after only 3,000,000 years of evolution.

In the American Museum of Natural History there is a skeleton of the prehistoric "dawn horse," about as big as a fox terrier, with three toes touching the ground and a splint on either side of the cannon bone. The little Eohippus did develop into a horse 15 to 16 hands high. 1 lis crowing frame absorbed the splints of the first and fifth digits, whereupon the second and fourth digits of the Foccne became the splints of the Atomic Age. Out there at Churchill Downs you'll see his Thoroughbred descendants running on the middle fingernail which the veterinarians call a hoof. Thoroughbred Defined 1 leave it to the sports writers to toll you that the modern Thoroughbred's hoof should be wide and high at the heel, concave below; fitted onto long, springy pasterns sloping at 45 degrees near as you can tell; flat, clean cannons; most length of any animal from that sharp hock to point of hip and bulging there in gaskin and thigh with hard muscle that furnishes galloping power; strong coupling; sharp withers over a sloping shoulder; neck long with damsel-like slenderness running into a clean throatlatch, and a head that is a broad dream of intelligence, refinement, and beauty.

Progenitor Of Many OR just ask any old farmer who comes to town next Saturday to show you how to judge a Thoroughbred. He'll tell you that you bet he likes to see them run. But if you draw him i i i r. i- f. i i I it Hog And Cattle Prices Dip Egg prices drop 3 cents a dozen.

Heavy supplies of cattle force prices down 50 cents to a $1 a hundred pounds. Broiler markets arc sluggish, but top-quality heavy hens arc in demand. Prices paid for top-grade early spring lambs arc hold out a little he will explain that his innate respect for the Blood Horse is that he's the one that not only sired these gallant gallopers, but he is also the progenitor of the American Saddle Horse, the standard-bred trotters and pacers, the Morgan, the quarter horse, and even the hackney pony that lifts her knees so high, V.v fc I Topped Only Ily Texas IF you ask him for his system, he will tell you to bet on a cattle breeder's horse. How come? Well, Hoop Assault, Middlcground, Swaps, Needles, that's how SHEEP SUCH AS THESE at the University of Kentucky Experiment Station will be discussed at the annual sheep clay, May 10. This year, sessions also will be held at the university's substation at Quicksand and at substation at Princeton.

Some Counties Top Quotas Of Items Donated For Korea Special to Tht Count r-Journil Frankfort, Ky. A program by Kentucky's Future Farmers 4 if 0 ft 6.4 rWV v. paint they can get, 100 paint brushes, 50 wheelbarrows, 20 bicycles, 10 feed grinders, 2 electric incubators, 20 feeders, 10 chicken brooders, 50 milk cans, 4 milk coolers, 4 milk filters, all the grass seed they can get orchard grass, timothy, meadow fescue, alfalfa, and red clover. They also arc looking for 10 meat grinders, 3 lard presses, 30 sets of pruning equipment, 10 sets of blacksmith tools, 500 carpenter-tool sots, 50 machine-shop tool sets, 200 lanterns, 1,000 hoes, 1.000 rakes, 200 shovels, 200 picks, 500 sickles, 200 axes, 141 bench vices, 150 drill sets, 141 thread cutters, 150 chisels, 141 punches, 141 hacksaws and blades, 200 files, 141 levels, 141, squares, 160 planes, 141 miter boxes and saws, 141 anvils, 500 hand saws, 1.000 hammers, 1,000 hatchets, 200 braces and bits, 141 woodworkers vices, 10 wood cutting lathes, 141 tongs, 200 tin snips, and 200 leather punches. Any of these materials can be turned over to Future Farmer or Future Homemaker chapters in the counties.

They will be shipped to a central point May 15 and gotten ready to be put aboard the boat which sails June 15. and ruture Jlomemakcrs to send a smploa-u ol larm supplies to Korea has already gone over the top in some counties. come, and even Tomy Lee was bred in Hereford County, England. Also, he will remind you that we still have 170,000 light-legged horses in Kentucky. Only that big old Texas state has more.

Turkish Tobacco Takes Work LAST year cigarette manufacturers imported 100,000,000 pounds of aromatic tobacco. The Turkish types are not under marketing quotas and growing aromatic leaf would have no effect on your burley or flue-cured acreage allotments. Tobacco specialist Ira Massie assures me that Kentucky growers could produce a crop of useful aromatic leaf, but it takes an awful lot of more work. You see, it is necessary to produce just small leaves, which are marketed in 25-pound bales. You get the little leaves by spacing the Smyrna, Cavalla, or Samsun plants close together 70,000 to the acre in rows 20 inches apart.

Does best on heavier, crumbly soils, rather than on a light, sandy patch. Since the tall plants are so thickly spaced it is better to get a spot protected from the prevailing winds. Aromatic tobaccos are never topped. The little leaves are harvested by priming. Harvesting begins by picking off three to six mature leaves only a month after transplanting, then about every four days as they ripen.

The leaves are strung on a 10-gauge wire, wilted, cured, and baled between burlap covers which must be turned every day until the bottom is as dry as the top. Oh, maybe it is too much trouble! But as long as the television commercials stress flavor, there'll be a good market for aromatic tobacco. Freight Hales On Meat Cut FREIGHT rates on fresh meats shipped from Louisville to the great Eastern consuming centers are due for a cut of about 12 cents per hundredweight. Packers say they will gladly pass this saving on to producers of hogs, lambs, and steers in the green-pastures country, if you farmers will send them more meat-type hogs and choice lambs and beeves. The Interstate Commerce Commission's examiner has recommended 95 per cent of the Chicago to New York rate.

An exception backed by facts and figures has been filed asking for the same rate Indianapolis has, 93 per cent of Chicago's. That would be $25 to $30 a carload saved, with appropriate reductions on refrigerated truck hauls. Lexington To Share Cut If the reduction is granted, Lexington will share the benefit with Louisville and other mid-country packing points. That is especially applicable to the lamb trade, because the farming capital of the Bluegrass is the only point slaughtering luscious Kentucky lambs for shipment. Industry and agriculture alike owe a vote of thanks to James P.

Haynes of the transportation division of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce, for so ably presenting their case for equitable transportation of quality foods bearing the proud label of Kentuckiana-grown. Stewardship Services TODAY, May 2, at 10:30 a.m. (D.S.T.). all you farm-minded soil-loving folks in this town are invited to attend church services in the chapel of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary to celebrate. Dr.

Kenneth G. Pfifer, professor of homiletics, will tell us how to set up services for Rural Life Sunday, May 22. The Rev. John S. Chambers of the Kentucky Council of Churches and Department of Conservation officials will tell how church and State can work together in reforestation, terracing, contouring, leaving the soil better than when you found it.

They have a plaque given by J. Fred Pace, Marrowbone farmer, for the best sermon on soil stewardship. Sure, you-all come. poult hatchings so far this year by 13 per cent, The increase in heavy-type birds of 29 per cent far more than offsets the 51 per cent decrease in the light Bellsvillcs, HOGS Better days are ahead for hog producers, seems to be the word from experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hog slaughter will decline seasonally in the months ahead and by mid-1960 will be considerably below year-earlier levels as the reduction in late-fall and early-spring pigs becomes cvi-dent at the market. In March farmers in 10 of the Corn Belt states reported they had cut Deccmbcr Febru- iA DC a a a xx oc oc ee at 8 -a- a. a. a. a.

ary sow farrowings by 19 per cent. As these pigs account for most of the pork produced in the July-September period, hog prices this summer will ho sharply higher than last summer. Prices this fall will de-cline seasonally but will continue significantly above last fall's levels. On the local market last week No. 1, 2, and 3 grade barrows and gilts weighing 190 to 250 pounds sold within the category.

Some reached as high as $17.50 at midweek. Sows were steady to 25 cents a hundred higher with No. 2 and 3 grades, 400 to 600 pounds selling for $12.75 to $13.50 a hundred pounds. LAMBS Lamb marketing last week was light and prices, for the most part, were steady. Good and choice wooled slaughter lambs 70 to 100 pounds sold for $20 to $23 a hundred pounds while some good and choice slaughter spring lambs sold for $22.50 to $24.50 a hundred.

Choice and prime grades brought $25 to $26 a hundred. The lamb market is tending toward the weak side as the market season on fed Western lambs approaches the end and quality declines. The spring lamb market has hardly been tested because receipts have been so few, JOHN M. SCHMITT, INC. McCormick Power Farm Equipment Sain and Service We Use l-H Precision Bearing! Get Our Price On Farm Wogoni 42S S.

Floyd St. louiiville, Ky. Phone JU 5-3374 BALER TWINE too ma iat plain K5 GRADE A BALER TWINE AT YOUR FAVORITE FARM STORE WANT I i I r- 18.50 -18 16.50-- 16 15.50 15 Al HOGS 13J0" (190-250 i jjJ 0M The young farmers and home- makers, under the direction of Dr. Walter O. Parr, executive director of the Kentucky Friendship office at Morgan-town, hope to send a ship to Korea June 15 loaded with beef and dairy ca-ttle, hogs, sheep, rabbits, and just about everything else from tin snips to manure spreaders.

The program is dedicated to the late Vice-President Alben W. Barkley. Nine Future Farmers of America, to be selected later, will accompany the vessel. Each county has been assigned a quota of livestock and equipment to secure through donations and each is asked to raise a minimum of $500. The materials and the money will be used to get the ship to Korea and to distribute it to the 147 orphan homes, farm institutions, agriculture schools, missions, and hospitals.

Directing the work of the young farmers and homemak-ors are the organizations' presidents; Seldon Little, Nicholas-ville, F.F.A. president, and Pat Murphy, Stamping Ground, F.H.A. president. In addition to the $500 from each county the young farm people have set the following slate goals: 80 dairv heifers, 40 bulls, 350 gilts, 250 boars, 10 beef heifers, two beef bulls, 22 ewes, 3 rams, 140 female rabbits, and 40 male rabbits. The youngsters also want to include in the shipment 6 soil testers, 20 water pumps, 20 small onc-horsc plows, 2 wagons, 5 manure spreaders, all the fensc posts, wire, lumber, glass, roofing materials, and in the summer and fall of 1960.

The reason, they say, is that up to April 1, the hatch of laying-type chicks was down 37 per cent from last year- and April 1 eggs in incubators, an indication of the April hatch, were off 27 per cent. CATTLE Cattle prices here last week worked 50 cents to $1 a hundred pounds lower. This recent weakness in cattle prices does not come as a surprise, however, since the record backlog of cattle on farms is bound to hold pressure on market prices. M. Paul Mitchell of Purdue University last week said that under the influence of warmer weather demand for beef has weakened somewhat and prices have declined.

Although ne serious trouble is expected in the immediate future, some further weakness is likely during the next couple of months, Mitchell says. Slaughter steers and heifers at the close of the market here last week were 50 cents to $1 a hundred pounds lower than a week ago. Good slaughter steers weighing 800 to 1,100 pounds sold for $23.50 to $25.50 a hundred pounds while some high-good to low-choice steers brought $25.50 to $26 a hundred. Good -grade heifers sold for $22 to $24 a hundred, but some choice grades reached $25 a hundred. Veal calves were steady to $1 a hundred lower during the week.

Good and choice grades brought $26 to $31 a hundred at week's end, while utility and commercial grades of cows sold for $16 to $19 a hundred. The same grades of bulls brought owners $20 to $21.25 a hundred and some medium and good grade feeder steers weighing 600 to 800 pounds sold for $21 to $24 a hundred pounds. Cattle slaughter in the January-March period was up 12 per cent from the numbers killed the same months a year earlier. Much of this gain was in top-quality fed cattle. Average price to farmers in March was $21.60 a hundred pounds, which was down $1.70 from that paid the same month a year ago and calf prices were off $2.80 a hundred during the same period of time.

POULTRY There was little price activity in the broiler market here last week, but market reports indicate no shortage of broilers. Although broiler-chick placements in the major broiler-raising areas have been running considerably under a year-ago levels, prices still fail to respond. Experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture say that a shorter supply of broilers this summer plus the fact that demand picks up sharply as hot weather comes on, will cause broiler prices to average "close to or above the 18.1 cent a pound average of mid-March." The sharp drop in the number of chicks started for laying flocks would indicate that demand for heavy hens will be up sharply in the months ahead. Heavy hens currently are in demand and are worth 19 to 20 cents a pound, according to the Federal-State Market News Service.

Sales of turkeys from farms are at a seasonally low level. The mid-March average price was 26.5 cents a pound, 2.9 cents above the same period a year ago. Turkey growers may be in for some price trouble later on because they have expanded WE ing steady, A weak egg market, not unexpected at this time of year, sent prices 3 cents a dozen lower here last week as supplies became too heavy to be absorbed into trade channels. Grade-A large eggs arc worth 29 cents a dozen at country buying stations. The same grade of eggs are worth 31 to 3ti cents a dozen in Southern Indiana, according to Purdue University.

If farmers continue to cut the size of the laying flocks they now are starting as chicks, there may actually be a shortage of eggs later this year and early next year. The United States Department of Agriculture last week predicted there will be a very pronounced rise in egg prices FARM PAGE Tests Show Cheap Seed No Bargain Lexington, Ky Proponents of certified seed for Kentucky crop work often say the "certified seed doesn't cost it pays." Laboratory reports this week on an unlabeled lot of seed bought at a farm auction recently proved it. The buyer paid 8.7 cents a pound for 200 pounds of what purported to be Korean lespedcza, and which had no purity or germination tests. The going price in the regular seed trade for certified lespedcza seed was about 10 cents a pound. Here's how University of Kentucky seed-laboratory technicians rated the seed: purity, 76.85 per cent: germination.

26 per cent; inert matter, 9.46 per cent; weed seed, 10.90 per cent; crop seed (Kobe lespedcza and red clover), 2.73 per cent. Weed seed included such field pests as buckhorn, dodder, common plantain, bracted plantain, purple-top, and crab grass. W. Fortenbery, Kentucky Seed Improvement Association manager, calculates the lot contained actually about 40 pounds (out of 200) of good seed, which made the price per pound run 43 cents a Dound. DIRECTING the F.F.A.

and F.H.A. programs to fill a ship with farm goods for Korea are, left, Seldon Little, president of the Kentucky Association of Future Farmers of America, Nicholasville, and Pat Murphy, Stamping Ground, president of the Kentucky Association of Future Homemakers. Farm-Traclor Numbers Quadruple In 15 Years Kentucky farmers have more than quadrupled the number of tractors on farms in the state in the past 15 years. This was revealed in a study released by James M. Koeppcr, United States Department of Agriculture statistician here.

In 1945 there were 23,600 tractors on farms; there are about 98,000 today. In 1945 there was one tractor for each 225 acres of principal crops in the state; in 1959 there was one for every 45 acres. Mechanization of Kentucky farms did not start as early as in the Corn Belt states because of the influence of tobacco here, which still requires a great amount of hand labor. Small acreages of tobacco and '--rrr-w. 1 5 i 1 iiiiili 'A niiiii.

i 1 fU jSI 1-n mrnun the necessity of work by hand did not provide the incentive for buying machinery, he said. But Kentucky's progress in mechanization has been similar to that in surrounding slates, the study shows. The study also shows there was a marked expansion in the number of corn pickers, balers, and forage harvesters on farms from 1950 to 1954, but these have been bought at a much slower rate since that time. Greater use is now being made of small power equipment, such as power elevators, chain saws, and power land-mowers, the report shows. Nationally, there are tractors in use and about 98 per cent of these are wheel-type.

production per cow was 1 per cent greater than a year ago but this was not sufficient to offset the decline in milk-cow numbers. Milk sold in 1959 brought farmers in the state $79,548,000, and an additional $19,537,000 worth of milk was used right on the farms, the report shows. Of 2,515,000,000 pounds of milk produced in 1959, 81 per cent was sold and 92 per cent of this went as whole milk. Milk skimmed for sale of cream made up 5 per cent while milk retailed by farmers made up the remaining 3 per cent. MilkProduclioiiIIolth Cattle Numbers Drop Fewer dairy cows arc being kept by Kentucky farmers, but milk production is running about the same.

The reason: more milk per cow. This information is contained in a report released by the agricultural fice here. statistician's of- Dairy cattle in Kentucky produced 180,000,000 pounds of milk in March, the report shows. This was 1 per cent less than the same month a year earlier but 2 per cent more than the 1949-58 average for the month. Averaea milk MI DeleirnUvs In Wnsliiiiru BLACK WALNUT Veneer and Lumber togs also Standing Timber Timber is a cropharvest yours now! GET OUR PRICES COMPARE WHY SELL FOR LESS Wood-Mosaic Corporation 5000 Crittenden Drive Louiiville 9, Ky.

Acron from Standiford Airport Phone EMenon 3-3531 KENTUCKY'S DELEGATION to the National 4-H Club Conference in Washington last week included, from left, Helen Wesley, 4-H field agent; Duncan Sanford, Simpson County; Sandra Markham, Logan County; Mary Hardin Davis, Shelby County; Donnie Lee Maddox, Boone County, and George Corder, leader of 4-H Club programs in Kentucky..