Show cattle guide t to 0 crop adjustment land retirement demands plans to use grain and forage yields by bv R R hnatin asmoel associate a to chief in doot cattle university ot of IIII 1111 illinois no N service retirement of some acres of corn and wheat land from normal production under the AAA programs Is likely to be successful only it if live 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 and give permanence to many adjustments which may be made in agricultural practices farmers with cattle will quick quickly IY see the advantages to be gained by raising less grain and more forage and pasture since tills this new supply of forage can be used effectively in beef production consequently hanges changes made by such farmers in their cropping systems will be relatively permanent on the other hand farmers without cattle will find their hay and pasture crops even more difficult to dispose of at remunerative prices than were their former surpluses of corn and wheat wh ea t 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 if marginal and land Is entirely removed from cultivation I 1 on it will be imperative that the land used for the growing of harvested crops be maintained in a lit high gh 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 f five ire million pounds of beef the million bushels of corn in its natural state would supply the total cereal needs of people for nn an entire year while abile the pounds of beef will suffice only for persons a year at the present scale of beet beef consumption small fluctuations in the corn barley and oat crops amounting to a few million bushels either way have 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 0 sufficient grain to make good the deficit by the varying number of cattle given a grain teed feed without sufficient cattle to furnish this safety factor relatively small fluctuations in the grain crops may have a great influence on market prices |