Weekly Market Review
By STEPHEN C MARKS
Agricultural Economist
OSU Cooperative Extension
Service
Farm Cost-Pile
Saueei Tightens
Declining prices on farm com
modities such as fed cattle,
hogs, lambs, eggs, milk and last
winter's sharp break In wheat
prices are combining to stir up
unrest among farmers. Price de
clines are old hat to farmers but
what is aggravating the situa
tion is the continued rise in
cost of production. The discom
fort Is in the cost-price squeeze.
The upshot of this in the Mid
west is a farm boycott on milk
deliveries, and deliberate mar
keting of pregnant cows and
sows. Southern Plains wheat
farmers, meantime, are talking
about plowing down the in
crease in acreage planted for
harvest this year. But unless
rains come quickly, drought will
wipe out part of the Plains crop.
There was some respite from
lower prices on Oregon farm
commodities the past week but
prices remain below the recent
highs.
Fed Cattle Prices Improve
In the cattle markets, slaugh
ter steer prices advanced for the
third week in a row to a top of
26.20 on choice steers at Port
land. Pacific Coast fed cattle
prices in general improved from
their recent lows, but Corn Belt
markets did not share in the
price increase. Farmers there
continue to market more cattle
than a year ago and they are
selling more of the lower grade
cattle. This may be an indica
tion that feedlot inventories of
heavy, highly finished cattle
may soon be worked off.
Here on the Pacific Coast,
California has fewer cattle In
feedlots now than last spring
and the supply of finished cat
tle is short of packer needs. Be
cause of this, California pack
ers have been competing for
available supplies in Idaho and
Utah. Idaho usually supplies
large numbers of fed cattle to
Oregon packers. Whether or not
the West Coast price advantage
in relation to Mid-west beef wUl
be maintained remains to be
seen. Regional market supplies
are readily equalized by modern
methods of distribution.
While Northwest fed cattle
prices advanced the past week,
feeder cattle held unchanged.
But feeder cattle prices have
been favorable right along while
fed cattle prices have been drop
ping. Prospects of good spring
grazing in the Northwest and
in California should help hold
prices upon feeder cattle, al
though there may be distress
sales in the drought stricken
southern plains if rains do not
arrive soon.
Hog Prices Sag to Two-Tear Low
In the hog markets prices
dropped to the lowest level In
nearly two years at Portland
and at Corn Belt markets. Hog
marketings and pork production
tapered off some from the re
cent high levels, but with larg
er cold storage holdings and
competition from large supplies
of other meats, packers were re
luctant to bid ud hog prices.
Spring Lamb Lower This Tear
Lamb prices improved in re
cent weeks after sliding down
to a long time low but fed
lambs have not been profitable
this winter. That is because the
lambs in feeder flesh cost more
than thev returned in the mar
ket when they reach slaughter
iinisn.
Spring lambs should bring
better prices, however. The ear
ly spring lamb crop is smaller
than it was last year. The seas
on's first spring lambs sold in
Portland at 524. In California.
spring lambs sold in a range of
$23 to $23.50 last week.
2
HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES. Thundery. April C 1967
County Agent's Office
Showing of Rust Brings Concern
By GENE WINTERS
County Extension Agent
Stripe rust and powdery mil
dew continue to concern a num
ber of wheatgrowers in the Ore
con Columbia Basin wheat
counties.
A survey of these counties
two weeks ago by R. L Powel-
son. Oregon State university As
sociate Plant Pathologist, found
stripe rust in almost everv field
visited. The rate of epidemic de
velopment had lessened since
the first part of February. Much
of the foliage on which rust pre
viously was present has since
died.
Morrow county with Gilliam
The Wheat Field
By GEORGE W. DEWET
Legislative Counsel.
Oregon Wheat League
The Question of "How do you
keep prime agriculture land
irom going to other uses is
not only one that faces the Ore
gon State Legislature but Is
being considered in most other
states.
Attempts to ease the dilem
ma faced by Oregon farmers
whereby 27 of their net in
come goes to pay property tax
es is now featured in three bills
currently before the State Leg
islature. Repres e n t a t i v e Lawrence
Smith R-Corvallis, has introduc-
Oregon Farm Cash
Sales Set Record;
Farm Total Drops
Cash sales by Oregon farmers
hit a new record high in 1966,
topping the 1965 level by some
eight per cent.
The cost of fanning also went
up in 1966, according to the
preliminary estimates quoted
by Mrs. Elvera Horrell, exten
sion agricultural economist at
Oregon State University.
Livestock sales, notably cat
tle and calves, jumped 14 per
cent over 1965, while crop sales
were up some 3 per cent. Big
gest contributors to the increase
in the value of crops were
strawberries and cherries.
Addition of some $24 million
in government payments, about
the same as last year, brought
total cash received by the
state's farmers to $538 million
While dollar figures for farm
operating costs aren't out yet,
Mrs. Horrell says indications
are that feed and livestock will
prove to have cost farmers
more in 1966, but the total
amount spent for hired labor
and seed may show some de
crease.
The trend toward fewer but
larger farms continued during
the year, says Mrs. Horrell.
There were some 40,500 farms
in Oregon at the start of 1967,
according to U. S. Department
of Agriculture estimates. This
Is 1.500 less than a year ear
lier and the smallest number of
farms in the state since near
the turn of the century. Acre
age per farm is up sharply.
More farm sales and fewer
farms add up to a boost in the
income of individual farmers,
points out Mrs. Horrell. The net
income per larm in xybb is es
timated to be $3365, 14 per
cent above 1965 and the high
est since records were started
in 1949.
Oregon is still below the na
tional average income per farm.
which is $5,024. Lowest average
farm income for the year was
in West Virginia where the fig
ure was $1,055. Arizona, at
$21,071, was tops in this de
partment.
Oregon Farmers
Increase Wheat
Acreage Sharply
Oregon farmers plan to in
crease planted acreages of
wheat, sugar beets and potatoes,
according to survey results just
released by the Oregon Crop and
Livestock Reporting Service.
Intended spring wheat acre
age at 120,000 acres, is up sharp
ly to 67 percent more than a
year ago. Spring wheat acre
age, plus the large winter wheat
acareage planted last fall,
equals 1,117,000 acres, 33 per
cent more than planted in 1966.
The increased wheat acreage is
in response to larger 1967 wheat
acreage allotments and will be
planted on land Previously in
feed grains, hay pasture, other
crops, conservation reserve and
land previously Idle.
If Oregon farmers carrv out
their planting intentions, the
following crop acreages will de
crease: Spring and winter bar
ley, down 19 percent: spring and
fall sown oats down 11 percent;
rye lor grain, down 7 percent;
dry peas, down 9 percent; and
hay acreage for harvest, down
1 percent. Field corn acreags is
expected to be the same as a
year ago. Oregon farmers intend
to plant 6 percent more sugar
beets and 7 percent more potatoes.
Heavy precipitation in No
vember and December, plus a
mild winter, brought fall sown
grains through the winter in
good condition. Some concern is
being expressed over the possi
bility of an outbreak of striped
wheat rust. Spring planting is
in progress at lower elevations
in eastern Oregon. Field work
has been hampered in western
Oregon by recent rains.
Harley Sager of the Heppner
branch, First National BanK,
comDleted a course in commer
cial loan training in Portland
March 20 after attending ses
sions for a week. A first week
of training in the course was
in January. The Sagers spent a
week prior to the March class
on vacation in Hay, wash., ana
in Enterprise, visiting with rel
fttivos in both places.
Choose Group's Name
At finr Cflmn Vire fHrl mt.
ing last Monday at the Christ
ian cnurcn, we aiscussea our
Camp Fire Girls' Camp. Then
we chose our name, "A o wa
ki ya" which means band to
gether in purpose. Then we dis
cussed symbols for our group's
name. We then had refresh.
ments.
Robin and Wendy, reporters
ed HB 1692 at the request of
the fiscal committee. Smith's
proposal would direct the State
Tax Commission and county as
sessors to value farm land
through the capitalization of
average annual net rent per ac
re for various soil classifications
within the county.
This proposal would require
a "payback" of the tax differ
ential when the farm land be
comes available for a higher
use. Hearings on this proposal
are scheduled in the very near
future before the House Taxa
tion Committee. A representa
tive of the Oregon Wheat Grow
ers League will present testi
mony in favor of this approach.
Still another bill proposing
farm propeity tax equity has
been introduced by Representa
tive Gerald Detering, R Harris
burg, chairman of the House Ag
riculture Committee. Detering's
bill is similar to HB 1176 intro
duced by Representative L. B.
Day, D-Salem which is drawn
from the California Statute and
would provide farmers a tax
break providing they sign an
agreement to limit hte use of
their land to agriculture for a
minimum of a ten year period.
The Detering proposal varies
from Day's bill in that a seven
year instead of a ten year con
tract is established between the
farmer and the county or city
government. Day's bill would
limit the tax opportunity to
lands of prime value where as
Detering's bill would apply to
any farm land.
Under the Day proposal, prime
land would be defined as the
1st and 2nd land classification
under the Soil Conservation
rating system or land that has
produced within a certain per
iod of time an aveage of $200
of gross Income. All of the bills
have two main purposes: that
of attempting to provide great
er equity in the assessment of
larm land and the preservation !
of prime agricultural land.
The three approaches have I
the sympathy of everyone but '
whether or not they have the
"understanding" will be up to ;
members of the Oregon State
Legislature. '
county, appears to have leu
stripe rust than Sherman, Uma
tilla and Wasco counties. Mild
temperatures last fall and win
ter conformed closely with those
conditions considered necessary
for the development of the dis
ease. Conditions differ In sev
eral respects from that of a few
years ago when stripe rust as
sumed epidemic proportions.
The mast important was the
vast majority of county wheat
acreage now planted to adult re
sistant varieties, such as Gaines
and Moro, rather than the sus
ceptible varieties Omar and It
ana or the intermediate resist
ant variety, Burt.
Powdery mildew was found In
most areas surveyed by Powel
son. It was noted that the sev
ere leaf yellowing and dead
leaves widespread last year In
Morrow county was observed
only in northern Wasco county.
Powdery mildew fungus over
winters in wheat stubble and
straw or volunteer wheat. With
the arrival of warm dry weath
er, the fungus usually becomes
inactive. Under dump conditions
wheat plants may be damaged
severely.
Car Needed on Using
Wheat Lands for Pasture
The slow growth of forage
grasses until the rain and snow
of a week ago has resulted In
using wheat as pasture. Pastur
ing wheat is a common prac
tice in the southern half of the
Great Plains, except In dry
years. In Morrow county, with
a different pattern of rainfall,
care must be used or wheat
yields may be reduced to the
point of being rather expensive
pasture.
With little research data
available for pasturing winter
wheat in this area, individual
growers' experiences may indi
cate whether it is a good or bad
practice.
In other areas it has been
well established that livestock
Grain Exports
Show Increase
Grain inspectors of the Ore
gon IVpartinent of Agriculture
cheeked 13.118 more tons of
grain for export out of Portland
in March than In February, but
were 7.4CI tons behind the ex
ports for March, l'.Hiti,
The figure for this March was
203.7S3 tons, with 1!M.M"8 tons
of this wheat and the remain
der barley.
Grain receipts at Portland In
March were down to 217,457 tons
from 239.SD5 tons In February
of this year. The March, lt,
figure was 307.334 tons.
Protein analyses made on
wheat In the Grain Division
laboratory totaled 2.590 in
March, compared with 2.274 in
February of this year and 3,593
analyses in March, 1906.
Division records showed that
grain from seven states east of
the Rocky Mountains moved
through Portland In March.
These states were Montana,
Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas,
Iowa, North Dakota and South
Dakota.
At the Pendleton office of the
grain division 187 track inspec
tions were made on wheat and,
at Merrill, there were 22 track
inspections, 11 outlnspectlons.
10 hopper-track Inspections, and
33 hopper-out inspections.
should le removed from the
wheat when the plants grow
erect just previous to Jointing.
Wheat plants mav be injured at
any time after their growing
points are above ground. In ar
eas with nearly identical head
ing dates, as found In this coun
ty, the growing tips of winter
wheat enlarged and begun the
reproductive stage forming
spikes about April I or 60 days
before heading. Pasturing at
this time reduced wheat yields
20 to 40 per cent.
Wheat plants usually begin
Jointing at heights between four
and six Inches.
Rainfall Averages Reported
Not all the March weather
observers rainfall reports are in,
but it appears that In several
communities precipitation is
below normal for the third con
secutive month. Seasonal aver
ages for the 1906-iy;7 agricul
ture weather year are near aver
age for two of the official
weather observers.
Take Judging Tour
On March IS, seven of our
Pine City i ll Livestock club
member went on a Judging
tour to five ranches in this ar
ea. We Judged xlx different
groups of antmalji. At our meet
ing on March 23. at Clarence
Frederlckson's, Mr. and Mr.
Gall McCurtv came to show
movie about beef. The movie
was Interesting to our club. We
are planning to have a trail
ride April 15. Our ride during
spring vacation was postponed
because of bad weather. Mrs.
Frederlckson served PU
and cup cakes. The next meet
ing will be at the George Lu
clanl home on April 27.
John Myers, reporter
POWER
CONTROL
ELECTRIC MOTOR SERVICE
WE REPAIRi
Electric Motor
Power Tools
Hydraulic Jack
Alemito Equipment
421 8. E. 4 th Pendleton
Phono 278 5862
THE BIG ONE
That Didn't Get Away
Savings accounts,
largo or small.
always help
tight sltua
. . . Don't let
opportu n 1 1 y
from
can
In a
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big
get
away
you.
OPEN AN ACCOUNT TODAY
Accounts Now Insured to $15,000
FIRST FEDERAL
SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION
BOX 848
PENDLETON
Mobile Home
Living
MODERN MOBILE HOMES
From 10 ft to 24 ft Wide
UP TO FOUR BEDROOMS
DELIVERED & SET UP
C&R
Mobile Homes
OPEN 7 DATS EACH WEEK
LOCATED BACK OF
Albertson's, Pendleton
Phone 276-7385
T - -, t
For Weed Spraying
Call on
Mel Boyer
Owner Gar Aviation
FIELD MAN Jim Pettyjohn
Spraying-Dusting-Fertilizing-Seeding
DRY OR LIQUID FERTILIZER APPLICATION
A GOOD JOB AT A FAIR PRICE
You Can Find Us All Year Around
AT THE
LEXINGTON AIRPORT
Phone 989-8422
8th ANNUAL
HEPPNER WRANGLERS SPRING
MEET
U
Two Go-Rounds
NOVICE NOVICE
For Horses Which Have Won Less Than $100
and Novice Rider
$100 NOVICE
For Horses Which Have Won Less Than $100
and Any Rider
$300 NOVICE
Horses Which Have Won Leu Than $300
Any Rider
$500 NOVICE
Horses Have Won Less Than $500 Any Rider
$1000 NOVICE
Horses Which Have Won Less Than $1000
Any Rider
OPEN
COW
U U UN
APPROVED: NWOHA
WRANGLERS
PLAYDAY
AT WRANGLER CROUNDS
SUNDAY. APRIL 9
1:00 P.M.
SPECIAL OBRA
BARREL RACING
EVENT
Public Welcome No Charge
APRIL 8 and 9, 1967
IN COVERED ARENA
MORROW COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, HEPPNER
SATURDAY. 7:00 P.M. SUNDAY. 9:00 A.M.
No Admission Charge
3