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□ arm AND ANCH F I ULLETIN March 15, 1960 Vol. 15, No. 3 A G R IC U L T U R A L E X P O R T IN G IS B IG BUSINESS The United States is the world’s largest ex of cargo, which is enough to fill 800,000 freight porter of farm products. During fiscal 1959, the cars or 3,200 cargo ships. An average of nine Nation supplied 17 percent of the world’s ex ships a day weighed anchor in moving the port volume of the commodities which are pro commodities. duced in this country, according to the Foreign The following are summaries of United States Agricultural Service. The output from 41 mil exports of some commodities which are impor lion acres— 1 out of every 8 acres of cropland— tant in the Southwest. Data are for fiscal 1959 moved abroad. except where noted otherwise. United States agricultural exports in fiscal WHEAT— Shipments of wheat grain and 1959 were the third largest in quantity and the flour equivalent, at 443 million bushels, were sixth highest in value. The total value of $3.7 the fourth highest of record. Sixty-nine percent billion compared with $4 billion in 1958 and of the quantity moved under specified Govern the $4.7 billion record in 1957. Both the quan ment programs. The export volume accounted tity and the value of agricultural exports during for 30 percent of the 1958 United States wheat the past 4 years averaged higher than in any crop and 36 percent of the world wheat trade. other comparable period. COTTON— Exports of cotton during 1959 Of the $3.7 billion of exports in fiscal 1959, were the fourth lowest in the post-World War II more than one-third moved under such Govern period. Of the 3.1 million-bale total, 59 percent ment-financed programs as Public Law 480 and moved under specified Government programs. Mutual Security programs. Under Public Law The shipments were 27 percent of the 1958 480, agricultural commodities can be sold for United States cotton crop and comprised 22 per foreign currencies, bartered, donated, and cent of world cotton trade during the August used for emergency relief. Commercial sales 1958-July 1959 season. Exports of cottonseed amounted to $2.4 billion, of which $1.6 billion oil were also of major importance. was exported at prevailing domestic market prices; the remainder represented estimated RICE—Rice exports totaled 14.2 million sales at less than domestic market prices. These bags, valued at $104 million. Almost one-half latter sales—which were primarily of cotton, of the quantity moved under Government pro wheat, and feed grains— received some govern grams. The exports were 43 percent of this country’s 1958 rice production and made up mental assistance. one-tenth of the world rice trade (calendar year Agricultural exporting is a big business, says 1958). the FAS. Shipments of farm products in 1959 FEED GRAINS—Exports of the four feed required financing, inland transportation, stor grains— corn, barley, oats, and grain sorghums age, and ocean shipping for 32 million long tons F E D E R A L R E S E R V E DALLAS, B A N K T E XAS OF D A L L A S —reached a record 12 million tons in 1959 and were valued at $558 million; 22 percent moved under specified Government programs. Ship ments abroad accounted for 19 percent of the feed grain sales by the Nation’s farmers in 1958 and were 53 percent of the world feed grain trade. DAIRY PRODUCTS — United States ship ments of 1.3 billion pounds of dairy products (whole milk equivalent) during 1959 were val ued at $144 million. Of the total value, 66 per cent moved under specified Government pro grams. The total exports were 2 percent of domestic milk production and 8 percent of world trade (calendar year 1958). Nonfat dry milk, cheese, and evaporated milk made up nearly two-thirds of the total exports. POULTRY— Shipments of poultry and poul try products from this country during 1959 amounted to $49 million (8 percent moved under specified Government program s). In cluded in the exports were 81 million pounds of poultry meat, 28 million dozen eggs, 15 million day-old chicks, and 2.8 million pounds of egg solids. FRUIT—Fruit exports, valued at $229 mil lion, were the third highest of record. Less than 1 percent of the total value moved under speci fied Government programs. During the 1958 calendar year, the United States supplied 14 percent of the world’s fresh citrus trade, 9 per cent of the fresh deciduous fruit trade, 38 per cent of the canned deciduous fruit trade, and 17 percent of the dried fruit trade. Prevent C o tto n Seedling Disease A net profit of $ 15 to $20 an acre can be ex pected when in-the-furrow fungicides are used at cotton planting time to control seedling dis ease, states Harlan E. Smith, Extension Plant Pathologist with the Texas Agricultural Exten sion Service. The disease— commonly known as sore shin or damping-off—takes its toll of cotton seed lings, thus reducing stands and lint yields. It is caused by fungi which live in the soil and attack young seedlings from the time of germination until leaves appear on the young plants. The purpose of using in-the-furrow fungi cides at cotton planting time is to provide dis ease protection for the young sprouts. A combi nation of captan, zineb, and PCNB is suggested for general use. This combination can be ap plied as a spray or dust. Nabam is applied as a spray and can be used where soils have a pH of 7.3 or below. Mr. Smith says that the following practices are also helpful in reducing cotton seedling disease. 1. Plant high-quality seed which has been treated properly. 2. Plant in a good seedbed at the proper depth and rate for the area. 3. Use recommended fertilizer placement. 4. Plant when soil temperature and moisture are favorable. Im p act o f Industry in Rural A reas VEGETABLES— The value of vegetables shipped abroad in 1959 was the highest in 11 years. Included in the $135 million total were $47 million worth of fresh vegetables, $37 mil lion of dried peas and beans, and $25 million of canned vegetables. What happens when industry moves to the country is the central question in a series of co operative studies in five representative areas of the United States, according to Nathan M . Koffsky, Deputy Administrator of the Agricul tural Marketing Service. During fiscal 1959, four-fifths of United States agricultural exports went to 20 markets. Two-thirds of the shipments went to the follow ing 11 countries, each of which took over $100 million worth: the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, West Germany, India, the Netherlands, Cuba, Spain, Yugoslavia, Italy, and Belgium. Several significant findings have been noted in studies in selected rural areas where new in dustrial plants have been located recently. Rural people who obtain jobs in the new factories are much younger than average residents of em ployable age. For example, the average factory worker in the areas under study is about 30 Recom m ended C orn H ybrids fo r Texas Considering both yield and important vegetative characteristics of corn hybrids over a period of years, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station recommends the following hybrids, in the order of preference, for the corn-producing areas of the State. AREA YELLOW CORN HYBRID Coast Prairie............................... Texas 34, 30 East Texas Timberlands............ Texas 30, 28, 34, 36 Blacklands and Grand Prairies Northern.................................Texas 28, 30, 36, Asgrow 104 Southern................................... Texas 28, 30, Asgrow 104, Texas 36 Rio Grande Plain Dry-land................................. Texas 28, 36, 30 Irrigated..................................Texas 30, 34, 36, 28 West Cross Timbers....................Texas 28, 36 Rolling Plains.............................. Texas 28, 36 High Plains Irrigated................Texas 28, 30, 36 Alluvial soils.............................. Texas 30, 28, 34 years old, compared with an average of 50 years of age for heads of farm families in the same areas. The incomes and living standards of rural people finding jobs in the new plants have gone up at faster rates than have those of other rural residents. Incomes of plant workers equal— and, in many cases, exceed—incomes of av erage families in the same community. Plant workers were found to be among the leaders in rural community organizations and groups. Rural residents who find jobs in local industry continue to take an active part in community and religious activities. About one out of every four plant workers in the areas studied operates a farm, although such farms generally are much smaller than the av erage in the community. Farmers usually reduce their operations after taking jobs in industry. Farmers working in the plants studied had re duced the number of days they farmed by as much as 50 percent. Almost all the rural people working in the new plants and most other resi dents agreed that industry had benefited their community. The primary reason most often given was simple: more money and jobs in the community. W HITE CORN HYBRID Asgrow 101W, Texas 17W Texas 17W, Asgrow 101W Texas 17W, Asgrow 101W Texas 17W, Asgrow 101W Texas 17W, Asgrow 101W Asgrow 101W, Texas 17W Texas 17W Texas 17W Asgrow 101W, Texas 17W Asgrow 101W, Texas 17W Lightw eight C alves N ee d Vitam in A Lightweight calves — those weighing 250 to 400 pounds — being full-fed in feed lots need vitamin A (carotene) in their ration, accord ing to U. D. Thompson, Animal Husbandman with the Texas Extension Service. The first and most recognizable symptom of the deficiency is night blindness. Reserve sources of vitamin A are stored in the liver and fat of beef cattle. However, lightweight calves do not have as much storage capacity as older animals, and a deficiency could develop within 45 to 60 days. Although yellow corn is the only feed grain containing vitamin A, available commercial sources of the vitamin may be mixed with the ration. Alfalfa hay of good green color can be fed at the rate of 1 pound daily, or the require ments can be met by adding 5 percent alfalfa meal or pellets to the ration. Feed mixtures which contain only ground ear corn and cot tonseed meal or ground sorghum grain and cottonseed meal are most likely to result in deficiencies if fed to lightweight calves. Baled hay, bundles, and other cured roughages that do not have a pea-green color are not good sources for the vitamin. C o tto n Insect C ontrol G uide A vailable Copies of the 1960 Texas guide for control ling cotton insects, L-218, are available from local county agricultural agents or the Agri cultural Information Office, College Station, Texas. At least six major changes have been made in the recommendations covering the control of cotton insects for 1960, says C. F. Garner, As sociate Extension Entomologist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. As in past years, the control program includes both earlyand late-season control measures and sugges tions for early stalk destruction and farm cleanup. of two or more antibiotics. Furizolidone (NF180) also may be used. Mr. Atkinson points out that the use of col ored whey during the first few days will help in eliminating “starve-outs.” The poults will pick at the brightly colored pieces of dried whey and, in this way, will start eating much faster. Whey mixed in the feed is more costly and does not seem to be as effective as a small amount of colored whey sprinkled on top of the feed two or three times a day. Developm ent of Young Breeding Ewes The size or weight of yearling ewes when they enter the breeding flock has a major influence on their subsequent breeding performance, ac cording to a study made on Rambouillet ewes at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Substation Starting Turkey Poults at Sonora. Turkey poults, like the young of most ani The report, written by Animal Husbandman mals, require much care during the first few Maurice Shelton, states that ewes weighing 100 weeks of life. R. L. Atkinson, Assistant Profes to 115 pounds performed better than those sor in the Poultry Science Department of Texas weighing above or below this range. For each A. & M. College, says that the primary re pound of increase—up to 100 pounds—in year quirements of a successful brooding operation ling breeding weights, there were gains of ap include— proximately 5 pounds in total lamb production 1. A sanitary environment which is free of and 0.6 of a pound in total wool production throughout the ewe’s lifetime. disease organisms. 2. Sufficient heat (enough to keep the birds comfortable). 3. A well-balanced all-mash ration. 4. Ample fresh, clean water. 5. Plenty of fresh air. The weaning weight of ewe lambs was much less important in relation to breeding perform ance than the size at later dates. These results indicate that, if adequate development is per mitted before the ewes enter the breeding flock, the size at weaning is not a critical factor in se During the first 10 days, the poults should be lecting replacement ewe lambs, although larger given a balanced, highly nutritious, and well- lambs are still preferred. The optimum breeding weight for mature fortified all-mash prestarter ration. This ration Rambouillet ewes under Edwards Plateau range should contain 32 percent protein; have a conditions probably is around 120 pounds. calorie-protein ratio of about 30 to 1; be well fortified with vitamins, minerals, and antibi Lamb production did not increase above this otics; and contain a good coccidiostat. The use weight; and, assuming feed consumption is re of Furizolidone (NF-180) also is recommended lated to size, it appears there would be little ad vantage for intentionally producing and main to prevent infections. taining ewes above this weight. The prestarter ration should be followed with a 28 percent protein starter. This ration should ■>------------------------------------------------------ 1 be fed through the eighth week and should be T h e F A R M A N D R A N C H B U L L E T IN is p re p a re d in th e R esearch D e p a rtm e n t u n d e r th e d ire c tio n o f J . Z . Row e, a well-balanced and highly fortified diet con A g r ic u ltu ra l Eco nom ist. taining a good coccidiostat and a combination
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