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Show Farm tax reform needed Growing corn? Heres how!! the farm has frequently sanctity of The family been placed in the category of motherhood and apple pie. And from the standpoint of the contributions it has made to Americas it deserves to be. For this reason, the family farmer certainly cant be faulted if he expresses the wish these days that his defenders would put their influence where their mouths are. It's good that more and more vocal expressions attest to the family farms importance to this country. But its sad that these expressions are not always backed up with action to insure the family farms continued existence. One especially serious threat to this existence is the present structure of federal estate and gift taxes. The death tax exemption which the law allows on the first S60.000 of a farmers estate may have been fair enough when it was set in 1942, but not even the most legislator of that day could envision what inflation would do to this figure by 1976. According to USDA, the average owners equity in his farm last year was 19 times what it was in 1942. Does that mean the farmer is 19 times more prosperous now than he was then? Not by a long shot. It just illustrates how much the inflation of recent years has boosted prices of farm land and costs of machinery and facilities, and how much more land and equipment it now takes to make a living on the well-bein- far-sighte- d farm. Net income per farm is now only a little over six times what it was in 1942, and the average farmers financial assets including bank deposits and the are now less than half as large in relation to like total assets. The upshot of all this is that family members who inherit even a relatively small farm may be forced to mortgage it or sell a substantial part of it to pay estate taxes. If they want to keep on farming, they frequently end up as tenants instead of landowners. For example, a farmer who nets only SI 0,000 to $12,000 a year may well leave an estate valued at 5300,000. His widow would have to pay S20.200 in not to mention state taxes. federal estate tax When she died, her children would face S83.190 in federal estate taxes and might well have to sell the farm to pay them. This kind of system is certainly not conducive to preserving the family farm, and reform of these tax laws is urgently needed. If we are to encourage farming operations to from one generation to. another in a family, its essential that farm property in an estate be ' valued according to its use in agriculture rather than its speculative value to a real estate developer investor. or some other non-farSome 149 estate tax bills of one kind or another have been offered in the House, so theres no lack of interest in the subject just lack of action geared to the urgency of needed reform. con--tinu- e by Pad R. Daaleia, Eitaasioa Are Agroaoalot, Utah State Uahaialty Do you plan to grow corn this year, either sweet corn for the table or for canning, or feed corn for grain or silage? Your first consideration in growing corn is to select a variety suitable to your own area. Varieties vary in growing degree days required to reach proper stage for harvest. You can get information on varieties and on growing degree days from your local county extension agent, from a seed dealer, and by noting the growing days on the label. Before preparing your soil, obtain a soil test to make sure there is no deficiency in phosphorus and potassium. Corn requires a high fertility level, especially of nitrogen. However, there is no practical soil test for nitrogen in corn. The large number of samples required makes the cost too high. You may as well plan to add nitrogen depending on what crop you had last year. If it was alfalfa, you won't need to add any. If it was corn or a similar nitrogen-usincrop, you will. Put the equivalent of 200 lbs. of N per acre on either a garden plot or a field. Hybrid com today has been bred up to the point where you will get tremendous yields if you have adequate fertility. During the growing season, if you notice the bottom leaves start to dry a bit, that's an indication of nitrogen deficiency. Then you ought to apply nitrogen either broadcast or in the water. Plan to obtain an optimum population. For silage corn, consider the plant population; don't plant more than 32,000 per acre. Most home gardeners will plant com in hills of three seeds each, spaced 14 inches apart in rows about 26 to 30 inches wide, because it is easier to weed than when single seeds are planted about seven inches apart. In the field, you would g plant one seed every five to six rows. h inches apart on In planting corn, keep in mind soil temperatures are at about 55 degrees. When the soil temperature is at that level, plant the corn. Some gardeners follow the practice of planting all the same variety of corn and making several plantings about a week apart. The same thing can be accomplished more suitably by planting varieties that differ in earliness of maturity and plant all at the same time. Weed control is also important. If you plan to plant com in the same spot for two years, you can use Atrazene or Atrex at the rate of S lbs. per acre. To control the weeds, apply 3 lbs. at the time you plow the land in the fall or in the spring, and then 2 lbs. just at the time you plant. It will control the existing weeds and those that are coming up. ' After your com is planted, make sure it is watered about the time the leaves start to show any stress without water. Com needs moisture so it doesn't suffer and wilt. It may wilt in the afternoon when it's hot, but if it doesn't bounce right back, you'd better get water applied to it. Insect control is vital. The biggest problem affecting com in the state is the corn root worm,. You'll notice the adult beetle at the time the corn starts to silk out or tassel. If you see a large number in your corn, treat it. If youve had the roof worm before, plan to treat by applying an insecticide to the soil right with the planting in one operation, A number of insecticides work well to control root worm. Another insect problem to wstch for in com is the spider mite. It causes a drouth-lik- e browning of the leaves. Harvesting at proper maturity is particularly important with silage. To get most nutrients from the com, wait until it is in the late dough or early dent stage. That's after milk no longer comes out when you break the kernels. You may wish to check with your local county extension agent for more specific information on varieties and practices for com growing in your area. The Times-NewA A nr A Nephi, Utah April 29, 1976 HOWS YOURj) 7,1 3 AftM I ( H E AUTOIEU By. 1793, Ml ? 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THE SEMUISSKOOF THAT KEVOUmOKIZES KOMI HOME APPEARANCE O VALUE O SAFETY SAFE-KOT- (All low. AT 462-233- 2 E DOESN'T COST IT PAYS s I MALES CCSIS ACMRSCU Cl tit. PUASAHT, OTAI C3 SAFE-KOT- E, Cit. H CSAPER, 0TAH S7 |