Full text of Agricultural News Letter : Vol. 12, No. 10
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AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER Vol. 12, No. 10 DALLAS, TEXAS The Texas Agricultural Experiment Sta tion initiated an intensive study on the agri cultural resources and opportunities for fur ther development in east Texas. As a part of this work, Bardin H. Nelson made a study of attitudes of high school seniors toward opportunities and social services in an east Texas county. All of the white senior girls and boys in the county, 127 boys and 107 girls, were interviewed during the first half of 1956. Of the 234 students, 78 were classi fied as rural farm youth, 72 as rural nonfarm youth, and 84 as urbanites. Two methods were used in obtaining an insight into the attitudes of the high school seniors: (a) an attitude scale and (b) a per sonal interview of the depth type, which included various counseling methods. The survey revealed that the students had very favorable attitudes toward rural life and most institutional services provided by <___ the local area. The three general areas which the students felt were inadequate in their home county were job opportunities, oppor tunities to obtain special training or skills, and recreational opportunities and programs. On the basis of the students’ responses, Professor Nelson made some suggestions for action programs, which concentrate on sev eral aspects of the problems facing the youngsters. 1. A counseling service, with particular reference to employment opportunities. October 15, 1957 2. Training programs to develop special skills, particularly for youth not going to college. 3. A public relations program to inform students of local efforts to attract industry and acquaint them with plans for growth and development of the local area. 4. Increased emphasis on part-time farm ing as an acceptable means of combining the advantages of off-farm employment with those of farm life. Summarized responses from the study on such questions as farm ownership versus town jobs, supplemental farm enterprises, employment in home county, and the school program are as follows. Farm Ownership versus Town Job Male students were asked the question, “If you were ready to begin your life’s work and had a choice of the following two situations, which would you choose: (1) an average job in a town or city or (2) to own and operate your own farm?” Girls were asked which of these two situations they would prefer their future husbands to select. Of the 47 boys who lived on farms, 32 in dicated their preference for the average job in town, while 10 out of the 15 who selected the other alternative gave qualified answers. Seven of the 10 who made qualified answers indicated that they would farm only if they could begin with the right setup. Only 2 of 2 AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER the 31 girls who lived on farms preferred to have their husbands farm. Among the 71 rural nonfarm boys and girls, only 4 indicated a preference for farm ing, and even these 4 added significant quali fications. Also, only 4 of the 84 urban stu dents selected ownership and operation of a farm. Some reasons given for not choosing farming as an occupation included low in come, risks involved, large capital required, hard work, and long hours. Supplemental Farm Enterprises Twenty-one of the 47 farm boys indicated that broiler production has been helpful to farmers in the county; 9 of the boys had neg ative attitudes about broiler production, while the remaining 17 were either neutral or uncertain. Generally all except 6 of the students felt that broiler production offered little permanent hope to farm people, and none of the students thought that the broiler business offered an occupational opportunity for him personally. Attitudes of 28 of the 47 farm boys were favorable toward dairy farming, while 5 were negative and 14 were either neutral or did not know. The big investment required and the long hours involved were the basis of the negative attitudes. All of the farm boys indicated a very strong reaction against the idea of borrowing money to go into either dairying or broiler production, because the returns are too small and uncertain for the risks involved. Analysis of the attitudes of the students indicated that they were determined not to become burdened with debts or other long-term obli gations, except for a car, home, and furniture. The Texas A. & M. study analyzed the attitudes of students with respect to other supplementary or full-time employment op portunities in the community. Of the 47 rural farm boys, 33 had strong inclinations against pulpwood cutting and sawmill work. Two of the boys stated that it did pay well, but it was hard work. The remaining 12 youngsters indicated that they were not familiar enough with the work to know how they would like it. Nearly every student interviewed indi cated that industrial development in the com munity will determine the county’s progress. This attitude illustrated the lack of faith they have in the future of agriculture in the area. Many reasons were advanced as to why in dustry had not developed more rapidly. The broad classifications of half of the respond ents’ reasons fell into three categories. Fortyfour believed that the city council and other people had blocked industrial development; 35 students thought that the lack of adequate water was a limiting factor; and 15 of the seniors believed that the necessary changes and developments were hindered because too many people were set in their ways and were unwilling to change. These varied re sponses, according to the study, revealed that a significant proportion of the students had little appreciation for the adult business and industrial leaders of the area. Employment in Home County versus Elsewhere Thirty of the 47 farm boys preferred em ployment in their home county, 16 preferred work elsewhere, while 1 was undecided. The general attitude of the rural farm girls did not differ materially from that of the boys as 21 of the 31 girls preferred to work in the home county, 7 preferred employment else where, and 3 were undecided. The urban boys and girls were more critical of the em ployment situation in the home county than were the rural farm or rural nonfarm young sters. Slightly more than half of the urban group stated that they would prefer to work elsewhere. Although a significant proportion of all students desired work in their home community, many had grave doubts about the availability of job opportunities and many felt that the better-paying jobs were not available locally. School Program The programs and facilities of the high schools in the area were rated adequate by 132 seniors and very adequate by 18; an inadequate rating was given by 62 students, AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER and very inadequate, by 7. The lack of course offerings was the primary weakness cited by more than three-fourths of the stu dents. The interviewer sensed that the stu dents’ strong appreciation of higher educa tion as a means for obtaining acceptable em ployment played a large part in determining their attitudes toward their schools. Generally, the students had very favorable reactions toward 4-H Club and vocational agriculture programs, but they expressed strong opinions that vocational agriculture should include more shop or industrial train ing, or that separate industrial educational courses should be established. Additives in Cattle Rations In extended feeding trials, combinations of stilbestrol and antibiotics in yearling steer rations resulted in higher, more economical gains and heavier carcasses than either stil bestrol or antibiotics alone, report animal husbandmen at the Texas A gricultural Experiment Station. In a 96-day feeding trial, only slightly higher gains were noted when cattle were fed dual combinations of stilbestrol and terramycin, aureomycin, or ilotycin; but in a 140day test, specialists detected a decided ad vantage of the antibiotic additives. During the 140 days, steers receiving rations con taining both stilbestrol and an antibiotic gained an average of 29 pounds more than those fed stilbestrol alone and 94 pounds more than a control group receiving neither form of supplement. Carcass weights of steers fed combinations of stilbestrol and antibio tics generally were more satisfactory than those of animals fed single additives. Additional feeding tests reaffirm earlier research results that feed additives promote faster gains. In a 96-day experiment, yearling steers fed only stilbestrol at the rate of 10 milligrams per head daily weighed an aver age of 44 pounds more when marketed than a control group receiving none. The average carcass weight was 31 pounds heavier. In similar tests extended to 140 days, stilbes- 3 trol-fed steers weighed an average of 65 pounds more when marketed than the control group and dressed out 31 pounds heavier. Cattle fed only the antibiotics terramycin, aureomycin, or ilotycin at a daily rate of 75 milligrams per head made higher gains than the control animals but lower gains than stilbestrol-fed cattle in either the 96-day or the 140-day tests. Texas Goat Outlook Good According to a recent re port from the Texas Agri cultural Experiment Sta tion, the future looks rela tively good for the State’s goat producers. Many farmers and ranchers are combining cattle, sheep, and goats on the same ranges and are obtaining better weight gains and higher monetary returns. Selection of heavier-fleeced bucks for breeding herds has increased the average mohair clip three-fourths of a pound during the past 12 years, says Dr. John McNeely, agricultural economist with the Texas Exper iment Station. The Texas goat supply is seasonal, and most producers sell culls and undesirable ani mals, regardless of price at the time of mar keting. There seems to be no short-term production or marketing response to high or low prices. Farmers buy or sell goats because of range conditions and mohair prices. Pack ers vary purchases with the spread between prices for goats and those for canner and cutter cows. Although about 47 percent of Texas pro ducers sell some goats to neighbors or indi vidual buyers, over half the total annual vol ume of goat marketings is handled through stockyards and auctions. The marketing sea son begins in March and April and is rela tively steady through July. A larger volume is marketed in August, September, and October. Spanish-type goats are produced for meat, brush control, or slaughter and stocker sales. 4 AGRICULTURAL NEWS LETTER Angora goats are raised primarily for the cracked eggs, body checks, leakers, and production of mohair but are also useful for number of clean eggs. brush control and eventually are sold for Little difference was observed in the albu slaughter. men quality and shell thickness of eggs from the two groups; however, eggs from hens Sorghum Head Smut held in cages were more porous and weighed slightly more than those from layers on the During the past summer, serious infesta floor. tions of grain sorghum head smut in the More light-dirty eggs were observed from Coastal Bend area and Medina County, Texas, were reported by Harlan Smith, plant caged hens, while the number of mediumpathologist with the State Agricultural Ex and heavy-dirty eggs was about the same for tension Service. Farmers in areas where the both groups. Hens in cages produced about three times as many cracked eggs and more outbreaks occurred should make plans now leakers than did layers on the floor. to prevent further spread of the disease. Seed treatment — effective only where Penicillin Crackdown soils are free of the fungus — helps prevent introduction of head smut into areas free of Unless dairymen do a better job of keeping the disease. Such fungicides as Arasan, Phyout of milk sold, officials of the gon, Spergon, Dow 9B, and Delsan are rec antibiotics Food and Drug Administration have an ommended for seed treatment. nounced that they will favor a complete ban Once fields are badly infected, sorghums against penicillin udder infusions, according should not be planted for as long a period to E. E. Anderson, Extension dairyman at as possible, and smut-resistant varieties New Mexico A. & M. College. should be used. According to Mr. Smith, Martin milo is not as susceptible to head Claims are made that more than 95 per smut as is Combine 7078, and indications cent of all mastitis ointments contain penicil are that Hegari is resistant. RS 610 and the lin. In 1956, a total of 75 tons of penicillin other Texas hybrids recently introduced are was produced for mastitis preparations, or about one-sixth of the annual output of this susceptible to the disease. The plant pathologist urges farmers to use antibiotic for all purposes. measures to prevent head smut. Seed from Under a regulation effective July 29,1957, infected fields should not be used for plant ointment makers must put a warning on the ing, and farmers in areas free of the disease package label for proper use of the prepara should treat all planting seed to prevent in tions. The warning advises farmers to with troduction of sorghum head smut into their hold from the human market all milk from treated cows for 3 days after treatment. With fields. twice-a-day milking, this length of time is required for the antibiotic to be washed out Eggs Under Two Management of the cow’s udder. Systems Another regulation concerns the strength The Department of Poultry Science of the of ointments. The regulation provides that Texas Agricultural Experiment Station re no single shot of mastitis ointment can con cently made a study of the market quality of tain more than 100,000 units of penicillin. eggs laid by hens held in cages and the qual ity of those from hens on the floor. Four dif ferent strains of layers were used, and com The Agricultural News Letter is prepared in the Research Department under the direction parisons were made of the variations in al of J. Z. R , Agricultural Economist. bumen quality, shell thickness, shell porosity, owe