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ARM AND Q anch F I ULLETIN Vol. 22, No. 11 November 1967 T O O LS O F THE TRADE Modern methods and implements have greatly increased farm productivity, but they often have required a large capital outlay, says Paul E. Strickler of the Economic Re search Service. For example, domestic ship ments of farm machinery and equipment are valued at around $2 billion annually. The American farmer often spends the major part of his budget on the machines that help in planting, working, and harvesting his crops. Better technology, larger size farms, and uptrending gross farm income contribute to the increasing utilization of farm machinery. One indicator of this increased use of farm machines is expenditures for gasoline and other petroleum fuel and oil, which are used mainly for field work. Between 1959 and 1964, expen ditures for farm fuel rose 15 percent to reach a total of nearly $1.8 billion. A larger number of tractors and trucks, together with an expan sion in such activities as crop drying, irri gation, and pest control, helped account for the increase. Another gauge of the growing use of farm machinery is the money that farmers spend to hire machines and crews. For example, the 1964 Census of Agriculture showed 17 per cent fewer farms reporting 8 percent more money spent on machine hire, custom work, and contract labor than in the census which was taken 5 years earlier. Despite the 15-percent decrease in U.S. farm numbers between 1959 and 1964, growth was reported for many types of farm machinery. Comparisons show that — F E D E R A L R E S E R V E DALLAS, • Truck numbers increased 7 percent to a total of over 3 million. • Wheel and crawler tractor numbers rose to a total of nearly 5 million, including a 2.5-percent gain for wheel types. Pur chases of used tractors apparently in creased substantially, while technological improvements — such as high flotation tires, dual tires, four-wheel drive, and tandem hitching — made wheel tractors more competitive with the crawler type. • An increase of almost a quarter-million units, due partly to the inclusion of motortillers, brought the combined number of garden tractors and motor-tillers on farms to about 700,000. • The number of pick-up balers increased 71.000 during the 1959-64 period. • Hay conditioners (which were reported for the first time in 1964) totaled almost 200,000, while the number of farms re porting crop driers rose 50 percent during the period to 76,000. • Bulk milk tanks on farms increased from an estimated 140,000 in 1959 to the 200.000 level in 1964. Replacement of worn and obsolete equip ment accounts for a large proportion of ma chinery purchases and provides an opportunity for many farmers to step up to the use of bigger machines. Purchases of corn harvesters offer a good example. A surge in field shelling of corn has accelerated the retirement rate for B A N K TEXAS OF D A L L A S corn pickers and has boosted the number of picker-shellers that farmers buy. Pull-type grain or bean combines frequently are replaced by self-propelled units having a bigger harvest capacity. As a result, 80 percent of the combines shipped in recent years have been the self-propelled type. Some farmers have even found that although they own pulltype models, it pays to hire custom-operated combines. The treated pasture was stocked at the rate of one animal unit to 6.5 acres, and the un treated pasture was stocked with one animal unit to 8.0 acres. A shortage of grazing in the untreated pasture necessitated the feeding of hay to the cows, at a cost of $1.71 per acre. Texas A&M University says that the demon stration indicates that chemical weed and brush control used with a deferment program will be a paying proposition for most ranchers. Partly as a result of replacement by newer Chicken Feed models, there are more machines on farms Barley, oats, or wheat can than are presently in use or usable. This fact be substituted for corn as was highlighted in 1964, when instead of ask ing farmers to report all equipment owned, the only grain in rations census takers requested that the respondents for chicken layers when report only that which had been used in the the rations contain at least two preceding years. The decline in the re 12.5 percent protein, re ported number of grain and bean combines, ports Dr. Robert J. Lillie, from 1.04 million in 1959 to 0.91 million in Poultry Nutritionist with 1964, is attributable partly to the more realistic the Agricultural Research Service. In order to method of reporting. compare the four grains, supplies were pur chased on the open market without regard to source. A Paying Proposition A rancher in De Witt County, Texas, is realizing an extra $3.51 per acre by using chemical weed and brush control measures in a range management demonstration, reports Texas A&M University. The demonstration is on the Will Rob Miller ranch near Westhoff. One pasture on the range was treated with an aerial application of 2,4,5-T, diesel oil, and water, while a similar pasture received no treat ment. The cost for the chemicals and applica tion amounted to about $3 per acre, but this cost was more than offset by the extra beef raised. The treated pasture produced an aver age of over 65 pounds of weaning calf per acre, and the untreated pasture yielded only about 49 pounds an acre. The protein and energy content of the grain rations were equalized with protein at the rates of 10.0, 12.5, and 15.0 percent. Energy levels of the rations were 630, 735, and 840 calories per pound, respectively. Energy and protein were adjusted by adding or subtracting soy bean meal, fat, and fiber. Mineral and vitamin levels were above minimum requirements. During two 48-week tests, White Leghorn pullets (placed on trial when they were 20 weeks of age) laid just as well on feed contain ing barley, oats, or wheat as they did on that including corn when the rations contained from 12.5 to 15.0 percent protein. Feed con sumption per dozen eggs produced was about the same for all the grains. Clipping tests revealed that grass on the Corn has been the traditional grain in layer treated pasture produced 6,300 pounds of air- rations. However, with the spread of egg pro dry forage per acre, while the untreated pas duction to regions where corn is not grown ture yielded only 2,965 pounds an acre. Be extensively and with the gradual trend toward cause of less competition for moisture from a narrower price gap between corn and other weeds and brush, soil moisture in the treated grains, some producers may at times want to pasture averaged more than 2 percent higher substitute other grains for corn, according to than that in the untreated pasture. the ARS. Smaller Honey Crop in Prospect Cattle Feeding in Texas and Oklahoma The 1967 honey crop in the 48 contiguous states is indicated at 219 million pounds, or 11 percent below the 1966 production, accord ing to the Statistical Reporting Service. Yield per colony of bees is expected to average 45 pounds of honey, compared with 52 pounds last year. The estimated production is based on 4.8 million colonies of bees on hand as of July 1, 1967, reflecting a 1-percent increase over the year-earlier level. The Economic Research Service says that Texas and Oklahoma have an abundance of the basic needs of the cattle feeding industry: (1) feed grains and roughage, (2) feeder cattle and calves, and (3) water. The North Central Region traditionally has been the center of cattle feeding, but its share of the total number of cattle on feed decreased from 77 percent in 1950 to 62 percent in 1966. At the same time, sharp gains occurred in the shares of the West and Southwest. The number, size, and capacity of feedlots have changed significantly in Texas and Okla homa since 1955. The number of Texas feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head of cattle increased from 61 in 1955 to 245 in 1966. The capacity of these lots rose from a total of 160,000 to 884,000 head. The ERS states that cattle feeding is expected to con tinue its expansion in Texas and Oklahoma as a result of the ready supply of resources, rapidly growing population, rising incomes, and shifting tastes and preferences for beef in the Southern Plains. Numbers of cattle on feed increased 124 percent from 1950 to 1966. This growth has brought a new look to livestock marketing, with the predominant change occurring in the terminal markets. The proportion of slaughter cattle bought by packers in terminal markets decreased from 75 percent in 1950 to 37 per cent in 1966. By 1964, there was a significant shift to direct buying by packers and country dealers. Auction markets also furnished sub stantial volumes of slaughter animals by 1964. The increase in direct marketing has had a definite impact upon the other aspects of the livestock and meat economy. Large numbers of finished cattle are being sold direct from the feedlot to the packer. In 15 selected states, feedlots with capacities of 1,000 or more head were reported by the National Commission on Food Marketing to have sold 71 percent of their finished cattle directly to packers on a live-weight basis in 1964. The ERS says that direct methods of selling likely will increase as larger proportions of slaughter cattle originate from the feedlots. Honey production in the states of the Eleventh Federal Reserve District (Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) for 1967 is indicated to be 21 million pounds, which is 15 percent less than the 1966 outturn. The number of bee colonies is placed at 470,000, or 14,000 fewer than a year ago. Honey yield per colony of bees is expected to average 45 pounds in 1967, com pared with 51 pounds last year. Serious Screwworm Situation Animal health officials and Texas livestock producers are gravely concerned over the rap idly rising number of screwworm cases being confirmed in the State. Dolph Briscoe, Jr., of Uvalde, President of the Southwest Animal Health Research Foundation, says that recent floods in south Texas and rainfall throughout central and west Texas pose the greatest threat to the screwworm program since eradication was achieved in 1964. Numerous cases have been reported throughout the hill country and southward in the overwintering area. The Southwest Screwworm Eradication Plant at Moore Field, near Mission, survived Hurricane Beulah and resulting floods without serious damage; however, strong winds from the hurricane may have blown many fertile native screwworm flies into south Texas from below the barrier zone in Mexico. The danger is that the buildup of native flies could occur in any part of Texas and, if unreported, could cause the screwworm situation to get out of control rapidly. Livestock producers are urged to be particularly vigilant in checking their animals and in sending worm samples to the Mission laboratory immediately for diagnosis. N A M E FARM-CITY WEEK, NOV. 17-23 FARM A N D CITY PARTNERS IN PROGRESS TOMORROW’S FOOD AND FIBRE — EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS A Chip O ff the Old Block Sales of wood chips by the Texas lumber industry exceed $6.5 million annually, accord ing to a study by Texas A&M University. The chips are small particles of wood which are used in making pulp. They usually are one-half of an inch square and one-eighth of an inch thick and are made by chipping sawmill slabs, veneer cores, poles, and cull crossties. Texas A&M University researchers say that this aspect of the lumber industry began in 1954 as a cooperative effort between pulp and paper mills and a group of sawmill operators to explore the feasibility of producing chips from wood residues for making pulp. Sales of wood chips have provided a needed stimulus to many Texas lumber producers. In addition, the chips have been an important factor in assisting pulp and paper mills in meeting the increasing demand for paper and allied prod ucts. There are about 49 firms engaged in this activity, and continued growth in produc tion of wood chips is expected. Cause of Low Digestibility of Grass Discovered Low digestibility — a characteristic of cer tain grasses, such as reed canary, coastal Ber muda, and tall fescue — is caused by their relatively high silica content, reports Dr. Peter J. Van Soest, Nutritionist with the Agricultural Research Service. Silica is a flinty compound that forms the basic structure of sand. Dr. Van Soest says that grasses actually metabolize silica and incorporate it into cell walls; in contrast, legumes do not take up silica. Statistical studies by Dr. Van Soest showed that the indigestibility of grasses unexplained by known factors (such as lignin content) is closely related to silica content. Studies with artificial rumens revealed that when silica is chemically removed, the digestibility of grasses improves. Silica interferes with the digestibility of other grass components. For every additional unit of silica contained in a grass, digestibility decreases three times. The ARS says that Dr. Van Soest’s findings can be helpful to farmers by making more accurate evaluation of the nutritive content of grasses. Moreover, new breeds of grasses may be developed that will not accumulate silica. Half of the Nation’s farmers do not hire any workers at all; consequently, the hired labor force is found on the larger farms — those that sell $10,000 or more of farm products an nually. In 1964, 89 percent of all expenditures for hired farm labor were on the 27 percent of farms with gross sales of $10,000 and over, ac cording to the Economic Research Service.
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