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Show Page 32-T- HERALD, HE Provo, Utah, Thursday, March 24, 1977 Cut Moisture Loss In Summer Garden of the best soil for the garden site, building windbreaks, and planting garden crops closer together as methods of conserving water are all important in summer gardening plans. Other activities which will reduce the impact of a potential water deficit are planting early all crops which can withstand cold temperatures, using mulches on top of the soil to reduce evaporative losses and reducing the proposed area of cultivation. Early snow cover generally infiltrates into the soil under conditions of dry soil with very little runoff. As warm temperatures develop in the spring the soil moisture near the surface is lost by evaporation. Starting plants as early as temperatures will allow will enable the plants to use much of this moisture before it is lost to the atmosphere. Tender and very tender plant varieties can be planted early if methods of protecting these plants from late frosts are considered. If we should have a late snow cover, sprinkling the snow with ashes or a little dry soil will cause it to melt and infiltrate into the soil before surface losses become too high. The rate of evaporation is related to four factors. The temperature of the evaporating surface, the moisture content of the surface, the vapor pressure of the air and the amount of wind moving across the surface. Regular cultivation following each irrigation will reduce the moisture losses from the soil surface by breaking up the soil structure and prevents sub soil moisture from Selection reaching the surface. Covering the soil with mulches will also reduce the evaporative losses. Mulches however also influence the temperature of the soil. Clear plastic will reduce glmRgigil Farmers Must Increase Efficiency, Cut Cost: evaporation and allow the temperature of the soil to rise earlier in the season but it does ot prevent development of An agricultural economist, Dr. Lynn weeds. Dark plastic mulches are just as effective in reducing evaporative H. Davis of Utah State University, losses but are a little less effective in says farmers are responding to creating warm temperatures early in economic conditions in an attempt to the season required for early improve their profit position. In making changes farmers have germination, and do reduce development of weeds. However, during the faced a paradox. To increase their growing season the black plastic mulch efficiency and lower their costs of will reflect more energy to the production per unit of product, they vegetative surfaces of the plants and generally have increased the size of will increase their rate of their farms and applied more development. technology. As they have done this in Fibre, straw, or old hay mulches will order to compete, total supplies have reduce the rate of evaporation but will increased and prices for agricultural also reduce the soil temperature. In products have tended to decline. marginal climates the plastic mlches Technology in the form of machinery, are usually better for early planting. fertilizer and improved seeds have inMost gardeners will use both types of creased yields per acre and enmulching during different times of the couraged production on a larger scale. Yet cost of these items has increased year. Methods of applying water to the rapidly. The result has been that plants must be changed when plastic farmers attempting to avoid the vicemuiches are used. Either a good drip like jaws of a cost price squeeze have system which is placed under the attempted to increase their net farm the or before mulch plastic furrowing income in ways which usually increase plastic is placed on the soil will output which often must be sold at facilitate irrigation and reduce lower prices. moisture losses. When soil The agricultural economist noted temperatures begin to climb too high that the number of farms has tended to under the plastic, a covering of straw, decline. At the same time there has hay or bark will correct this problem. been an increase in part-tim- e farmers. Moisture requirements can be reduced Some are operators who find it necesabout 50 percent by proper use of sary to obtain employment to mulches and early planting. maintain their ownership .iterest in their farms. Some' have leased their farms as they have found employment off the farm or they have retired. Also, there has been a shift in type of crops grown on Utah farms. A considerable amount of fruitland has been devoted to subdivisions. Labor intenrenewable resources. Covering all 1.6 sive crops such as sugar beets, fruits billion acres of the Nation's forest and and vegetables have declined as they rangelands, it will provide a basis for have faced stiff competition from renewable 1) appraising production where yields are resource programs, 2) evaluating o- higher and production seasons are pportunities for the economic longer. Some of this cropland is now development of forests and ranges, and used to produce livestock feed crops. 3) guiding the formulation and direction of renewable resource policies and programs. The other document, "Proposed Alternative Forest Service Program Directions and National Goals," READY-MI- X describes five different directions for Forest Service activities that might be followed after 1980 to help solve supply and demand problems and take advantage of opportunities identified in These activities the Assessment. include the Forest Service's research and state and private cooperative 1 programs, as well as management of National Forest System land. Copies of these documents are CONCRETE available from Forest Service offices throughout the Intermountain Region, said Regional Forester Vern Hamre. Instructions on how the public may respond are contained in each document. SAVE MONEY off-far- Forest Service Invites Public Comment on Plan Documents Forest Service, U.S. The Department of Agriculture, today requested public comment by May 30 on two documents which can directly affect management of the national forest system and influence management of all the Nation's forest and rangeland. Forest Service Chief John R. McGuire said the public is being offered an opportunity to help determine the future of the Nation's recreation, wilderness, fish and wildlife, timber, water and forage resources for the next half century. Comment is sought on the adequacy of e the two planning documents issued today as the first step in preparing 1 ) a national assessment of renewable natural resources and 2) a management program for the Forest Service stretching 50 years into the future. One document, "Draft Assessment Element Outline," previews the proposed contents of the 1980 Assessment which will be used in shaping the recommended Program. This outline analyzes the present supply and demand situation and the outlook for long-rang- Beef Prices te Depend On Weather Stubborn - WASHINGTON (UPI) Weather conditions through the rest of the year will help determine whether cattle prices rise gradually through the next few years or head into a dramatic boom followed later by a bust, an Agriculture Department specialist says. Economist James Nix said in a special Livestock and Meat Situation summary report widespread drought in some parts of the country, combined with an unusually cold winter, has produced "serious concern" about the pace at which cattlemen are reducing their herds. Disease Universal Over the years the money received from sale of farm produce has increased but so have the costs of production. More recently beef cattle producers have been experiencing extreme price problems. Since harvest, grain producers have seen a drastic drop in the price for their products. Their increasing costs and prospects for beluw normal moisture further threaten their profit position in the near future. Farm Receipts Reach Record For Utahns Preliminary estimates of cash receipts by Utah farmers during 1976 from the sale of crops, livestock, and livestock products totaled Will $355.4 million, a record high. This was 8 percent more than 1975 and 3 percent more than the 1973 peak. All of the increase in 1976 was in livestock and livestock products which totaled $261.2 million compared with $232.9 million in 1975 and $219.7 million in 1974 but it was still below the record $265.5 million in 1973. In contrast, the $94.2 million cash receipts from crops was below the $95.9 million 1975 and the record $100.5 million for crop sales in 1974. Livestock and livestock products accounted for 73 percent of the total cash farm receipts in the State during 1976. Their share of the total trended upward druing the 60's and early 70's until it reached 82 percent of the total in 1972. RIVERSIDE, Calif. -Multimillion dollar losses to the ctirus industry in the West from stubborn disease may be only a small part of the problem caused by a small organism known as Spiroplasma citri, Department At the moment, Nix explained, cattlemen are in the "liquidation phase" of a cattle production cycle. On the heels of heavy and continuing economic losses for several years, the U.S. inventory of cattle and calves has been cut from 132 million head in January, 1975, to 123 million head at the beginning of this year. a U.S. of Agriculture (USDA) entomologist speculates. George H. Kaloostian of USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) here says it may be possible that stubborn-lik- e Further liquidation is expected firing 1977 and it could continue longer. But just how iar and how fast factors which could have mathe liquidation goes the on cattle economy and consumer beef jor impact prices will depend primarily on weather and other uncertain conditions, the report said. diseases may be in commercial crops like cabbages, radishes, turnips, and clovers without being recognized as such. While it took decades to find the cause of stubborn disease in citrus, and more years to find the vectors three species of leafhoppers it was only lately that host plants outside of citrus were discovered carrying the organism. With the finding of the pest in periwinkle and then rocket by Dr. Lon-do- Kaloostian in - In the past, agriculture economists have frequently made forecasts on the basis of possible "average" weather in the future. But Agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland, insisting the weather almost never is average, has said he wants forecasts now to show the possible alternatives. Nix's report did that. He presented two alternate "scenarios" for cattle and beef prices over the next few years: In "Alternative A Favorable Weather," Nix said the rate of herd liquidation would moderate and would "bottom out" during 1978. Cattle and beef prices would rise gradually and moderately through 1930 in reaction to a 10 to 14 per cent decline through that year in per capita beef supply. Later, as cattlemen began to rebuild their herds, the price advance presumably would halt, but changes would be comparatively gentle. In "Alternative B Drought Persists," Nix said changes would be more dramatic. With grazing poor, grain crops low and food prices high, cattlemen would step up liquidation of their herds. This would hold down the pace of price increases through 1977 and part of 1978, but after that the sharp drop in the available beef supply would touch off sharp and dramatic price increases for both cattle - n 1974, several other plants have been found that harbor or are capabel of harboring S. citri. In the past few months S. citri has been found in black mustard, shortpod mustard, wild radish, Chinese cabbage, garden pea, clover, broad bean, chrysanthemum, pak choi, and a succulent in addition to the- above. - and beef. - CONCRETE PROJECTS MADE EASY WITH L7T3 ft J CONVENIENT put fff f hot Ci1Cft cany long!"'? l"Jlhy SEEDS FERTILIZERS Seed Potatoes and Garden Seeds All 16-16- -8 18-0- -0 Types of Fertilizer 375 Good We sell a$ little as V yard at a time for 50 lb. bag " $1 JOB TOO SMALL? g JOB TOO BIG? for 40 lb. bag Take only the amount you can handle at one time for lawns, gardens and field corn . HARD TO GET AT? Barley, Wheat and Oat Seed OMPARi AMD SAV1! READY-TO-POU- SUPER SPECIAL! tJ JK Cenex Dog Food J $080 O of tim- e- JUST DRIVE IN AND HAUL - COMPETITIVE PRICE DUMPING 500 North 1 600 West, Orem Phone Orem TRAILER WILL NOT nn "mrr 3 COHCRE iJi u WITH CAPACITY. TEM. GROBEST FEED AMD FARM CENTER . . . Sand, Gravel, Slag, Stepping Stones, Bumper Blocks & Bag Cement 50 lbs. TAKING ORDERS FOR BABY CHICKS AND TURKEYS 225-014- 0 Two hours allows plenty YOU CAN ALSO PICK UP STILL MORE QUALITY No Messing per 100 wt. in ton lots, FOB Cash 33dEL No Mixing TOO FAR OUT OF TOWfti? $C25 Rolled Barley R? Our special trailer can get into that inaccessible spot WE PROVIDE SPECIAL SELF AUTOMATIC BRAKES AND LIGHTING SYS- - IT AWAY. SPECIAL SET UP OR SEGREGATE A (A AbbUKfcS CONCRETE FOR TWO HOURS OR MORE. ADD-MI- 1 J W i h a x i vt W OPEN SAT. 1184 So. State, PROVO 373-858- 6 |