Show cattle guide to crop adjustment Retirement of Land Demands plans to use grain and forage yields by R R 11 enano associate chief in deet beef battla n university ot of illinois service retirement of some acres acrea of corn and wheat land from normal production under the aak AAA programs Is likely to be successful only if live stack stock numbers are adjusted to the new levels of grain and forage production cattle constitute a lock washer which can be used to hold steady dy and give permanence to many adjustments which abich may be made in agricultural practices farmers with cattle will quickly quick ly see the advantages to be gained by raising less grain and more forage and pasture since this new supply of forage can be used effectively in beef production consequently changes made by such farmers in their cropping systems will be relatively permanent on the other hand farmers without cattle will it find of their hayand pasture crops even more difficult to dispose of at remunerative nera tive prices than were their former surpluses of corn and wheat cattle contribute further to the success of the governments adjustment programs through the aid which they furnish in maintaining the fertility of high grade land it if marginal and land Is entirely removed from cultivation it will be imperative that the land used for the growing of harvested crops be maintained in a high state of fertility for this purpose cattle manure has no equal furthermore beef cattle aid in the elimination of burdensome surpluses through their ability to convert a million bushels of corn into five million pounds of beef the million bushels of corn in its natural state would supply the total cereal needs of people for an entire year while the pounds of beef will suffice only for persons a year at the pro nt scale of beef consumption small fluctuations in the corn barley and oat crops amounting to a few million bushels either cither way have hilt but slight effect on the grain market so long as there are sufficient cattle in the country to permit the utilization of the surpluses or to permit the release of sufficient grain to make good the deficit by them the varying number of cattle given a grain feed without sufficient cattle to furnish this safety factor relatively small fluctuations in the grain crops may have a great influence on market prices |