Peninsula Enterprise

County Defense Goals Announced

Continued from page 1.

Consideration should be given to better feeding and housing of existing birds. Additional housing and other facilities are encouraged only when the operator would expand under normal conditions. Home needs, present facilities, experience, and availability of markets are essential considerations.

Spring Pig crop, an increase of twelve per cent in sows farrowing in the spring of 1942, and a four per cent increase in the number of pigs saved over 1941. By better care and management of sows and pigs farrowed, the goal for more pork products also involves an increase in market and farm slaughter weights. It is suggested that sows be re-bred immediately after pigs are weaned, and that hogs be fed for rapid and economical gains by the judicious use of pastures, home-grown feeds, and mineral supplement.

Soybeans for beans, 325 acres suggested in 1942, compared to 222 acres in 1940, for use in crushing into oil. The trend in soybean acreage has been upward in recent years for the county.

Relatively large increases have been asked in Virginia for soybeans for oil. Soybeans are selling at fair prices, the board said, but there has been no announcement of a plan to support the 1942 price of soybeans for oil at 85 per cent of parity. It was suggested that due consideration be given to available harvesting and processing machinery, adapted oil varieties, latest experiment station recommendations, and harvesting methods. It was pointed out that in many counties soybeans offer a profitable means of reaching the oil goal.

While specific county goals were not determined, other state goals for 1942 are a 10 per cent increase over 1940 in the liveweight marketings and farm slaughter of cattle and calves, a slight (about 1/2 per cent) increase in sheep and lambs over 1940, a continued normal production of chickens and turkeys, a 38,000-acre increase in corn in corn-deficient counties, an increase of approximately 30,000 acres in the planted acreage of oats and barley over 1941 with special reference to substituting barley for oats in areas where barley produces more feed per acre, 1,180,000 harvested acres of hay which is about 7 per cent over 1941, about 48,000 acres of rye grain which is approximately 23 per cent over 1941.

Secretary of Agriculture Wickard has proclaimed that the price of hogs, eggs, evaporated milk, dry skim milk, cheese and chickens will be supported through loans, purchases or other operations at not less than 85 per cent of parity, or comparable prices, during the period ending December 31, 1942. Farmers should remember, the defense board says, that this support refers to the average price and there is no guarantee that every individual sale will bring an 85 per cent of parity price.

The above-mentioned are the only non-basic crops for which an average price of 85 per cent of parity is assured. Prices of such basic crops as cotton, tobacco, wheat and peanuts for edible nuts are supported by loans. County goals for these crops are within AAA allotments and it is desirable that farmers continue to comply with their farm acreage allotments. Additional production of these crops is not needed.

Plans were made at the meeting for a county meeting at Accomac High School at 7:30 p. m. on Monday, October 27, of the defense board with all agencies and farm leaders to outline and discuss county plans. Following this meeting, a series of community educational meetings to discuss the Farm Defense Program with farm men and women will be held at: Central High School, Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 p. m.; Temperanceville School, Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 p. m.; Parksley High School, Thursday, October 30 at 7:30 p. m.; Accomac High School, Thursday, October 30 at 7:30 p. m.

Food is a very vital element in the world struggle for freedom, says R. G. Northam, Chairman of the local board, and Accomack County farmers are being called upon to do their part. Secretary Wickard has stated that food will win the war and write the peace, and that in this struggle we have more machinery with which to avert the serious post-war conditions that prevailed after World War I.