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RURAL ROADS 



(Continued jrom page 7) 

 It is roughly estimated that it would 

 take at least $900,000 to realign, repair, 

 and rebuild existing bridges and cul- 

 verts in this county alone. If state as- 

 sistance is made available in the future, 

 these townships could match only to 

 the extent of local tax income after 

 maintenance and administrative costs 

 have been deducted. Their bonding 

 potentialities are exhausted. 



Also, there remains the problem of 

 maintaining existing township roads. 

 Oil roads need to be re-oiled each year. 

 Resurfaced gravel roads will require 

 continuous maintenance. It is predic- 

 ted by some local people that the roads 

 resurfaced recently will not last much 

 longer than five years with present 

 maintenance service. 



Nevertheless, the $15,000,000 resur- 

 facing program has helped consider- 

 ably. Miles of roads resurfaced in in- 

 dividual townships have been small, but 

 badly needed sections have been resur- 

 faced. In the state as a whole, the 

 mileage improved has been substantial. 

 Progress varies greatly according to 

 local interest, initiative, and coopera- 

 tion between the road commissioner, 

 the county highway engineer, and the 

 state department. This program, in 

 spite of its limitations, has been a step 

 toward better farm-to-market roads. 



Some local groups are making de- 

 tailed studies of their road problems. 

 It is hoped the Farm-to-Market Roads 

 Commission will present a plan for 

 continued state contributions toward 

 the cost of surfacing local roads. If 

 permissive legislation is passed by the 

 legislature allowing township road dis- 

 trict reorganization, farmers should 

 know their present condition and have 

 ideas as to needed changes. Considera- 

 tion should be given toward reorganiza- 

 tion of road districts, additional assis- 

 tance from the state, and continuous, 

 long-range road planning. 



CO-OPS AND FERTILIZER 



(Continued jrom page 14) 



culiar, selfish interest in what the fer- 

 tilizer merchandise should be. It will 

 not be such grades as 2-12-6, the lead- 

 ing national grade of today, or 3-8-3, the 

 leading national grade of 1934. 



The co-operatives in the New England 

 states have demonstrated how effective 

 they can be in influencing the whole in- 

 dustry by strongly representing the farm- 

 er's interest. The leading grade today in 

 these states is 4-10-10, with such a high 

 concentrated grade as 6-15-15 high in 

 the list. 



With concentrations of straight, single 

 plant food carriers running from 20 to 



42% in nitrogen, phosphates up to 45 

 to 63% and potash at 60%, farmers in a 

 large part of the nation will not be satis- 

 fied until they can be supplied whenever 

 they want it with these lower-cost-fjer- 

 unit, straight goods. They will use row 

 starters as 4-24-12 and 8-16-12, but in 

 addition, they will want high concentrated 

 phosphate-potash mixtures as 0-30-30, 0- 

 20-40, 0-40-20 and nitrogen- phosphorus 

 mixtures as 20-48-0. Even if these may 

 cost more to manufacture on a unit plant 

 food basis, many farmers (especially those 

 far from supply sources ancf where rows 

 are long) will still prefer these concen- 

 trations. To argue that the concentration 

 of the mixtures must be low to allow 

 minor elements in the bag is not sound 

 because these must be bought on their 

 own merits and specifications — not be 

 just carried as extras that may or may not 

 be there in the amounts needed. 



The mixing industry had tended to 

 get "set ih its ways" by the time World 

 War II came. Things were almost on 

 dead center. It is up to the farmer- 

 owned co-operatives to help set things in 

 motion again for progress, and to get the 

 farmer's interest reflected in the competi- 

 tive picture of what the fertilizer pack- 

 ages of the future shall be. Those in the 

 field with much history back of them 

 have much experience and "know how" 

 to contribute. The job needs both the 

 old and the new, but the new will have 

 to move with the times to avoid the pains 

 that oppress the old because "It is al- 

 ways later than you think." 



NEWCASTLE DISEASE 



(Continued jrom page 10) "- 

 What should you do when you think 

 you have the disease on your premises? 

 You should report the condition at 

 once to your local veterinarian or one of 

 the district veterinarians mentioned above. 

 If, in their opinion, the disease is pres- 

 ent, arrangements should be made to take 

 typically infected live birds in the early 

 stages of the disease to the laboratories 

 at the university for positive diagnosis. 

 These birds should be transported by 

 automobile. Do not ship Newcastle dis- 

 ease suspects by common carrier. 



While awaiting positive diagnosis 

 all birds afflicted should be isolated at 

 once. The house, feed pans, water 

 troughs and utensils should be thor- 

 oughly cleaned and disinfected. If pos- 

 sible, one person should feed and care 

 for all birds suspected of having the 

 disease, and he should exert the utmost 

 caution not to spread the disease by his 

 shoes, clothes, or other means. If a 

 positive diagnosis is returned, follow 

 the directions of your veterinarians and 

 the College of Veterinary Medicine. 



A great deal of criticism was directed 

 toward the National Newcastle Disease 



Committee and state livestock disease 

 regulatory officials who recommended 

 the ban of poultry shows during the 

 past year. In justice to these officials 

 it still appears to have been a wise 

 move inasmuch as the information 

 available on the disease was not com- 

 plete enough to know what effect the 

 holding of poultry shows might have 

 on the spread of the disease. 



The Division of Livestock Industry 

 in Chicago has modified the ban on 

 poultry shows to the extent that poultry 

 shows may be held if birds are certified 

 to be free from disease and exposure by 

 the owner, and must be examined upon 

 presentation to the show and daily dur- 

 ing the show by a veterinarian em- 

 ployed by the sponsor of the poultry 

 show. 



Although Newcastle disease has not 

 been widespread in Illinois, everyone 

 interested in the production of poultry 

 should be on the lookout for this con- 

 dition. As more information on the 

 disease is accumulated and substanti- 

 ated, no doubt an adequate control or 

 eradication program will be evolved, 

 and Newcastle disease, like other dis- 

 eases, will be satisfactorily controlled 

 in Illinois. 



OPPORTUNITIES 



(Continued jrom page }) 

 would prefer that these services and 

 needs be supplied by young men and 

 women with an understanding of farm 

 problems and thinking that comes only 

 as a result of a background of living 

 on the land. 



Most of what I have said deals with 

 the opportunities in their home com- 

 munities for rural youth trained in the 

 sciences, professions of law or medi- 

 cine, mechanical trades, engineering, 

 architecture, accounting and business 

 or industry. I could say much more 

 about the place on the farm itself for 

 young people with ambition, education 

 and ideas. Farm parents should realize 

 that the highest ambition of our most 

 intelligent farm boys and most beauti- 

 ful girls could well be to make a fam- 

 ily tradition of the most respected vo- 

 cation on earth — ■ agriculture. Well 

 trained farm youth on the farm is one 

 crop of which we need not fear a sur- 

 plus. 



EDITORS NOTE: Picture contest entriet 

 should be addressed to Picture Editor. Illi- 

 nois Agricultural Association, 608 South 

 Dearborn Street, Chicago 5, III. Pictures 

 will not be returned unless accompanied by 

 a selj-addressed, stamped entelope. Entriet 

 are judged on originality, clearness, and in- 

 terest. Afoid shots oj persons merely loot- 

 ing toward camera. Best picture receites J5 

 award. Others published receive $1 prizes. 



FEBRUARY. 1947 



21 



