Parkway ^Visitors Decline h Blue Ridge Parkway travel ."during the 1974 calendar year . was 13,967,273 visitors, which iFas slightly less than die 1973 J Calenf -ibad at any time. Ji S'i £ -•■Under the Federal 'Recreation Fee Program, the i ■’ Golden Eagle Passport and the Golden Age Passport will again be available. There is no j entrance fee for travel on Blue •Ridge Parkway, as charged in *ome national parks and recreation areas; however, tfce Golden Eagle passport will on sale at major Parkway offices. . ] • In addition, the Golden Age ■ Passport for persons sixty-two j 162) years of age or older will be available. This Passport l' does provide a 50 per cent reduction in camping fees. ^.Camping fees again will be "> required in Blue Ridge Park t; way campgrounds, all of which will be fully opened on 1 Way-1 ^iWhen yoa think of \ prescriptions, think of % ffARNER'S. adv. Hints From The County Extension Chairman By - Jerry Purser BEEF CATTLE - CURRENT SITUATION The cattle producing in dustry is in serious financial condition. The problem is not really oversuppiy or low prices. Forty dollar cattle aren’t cheap compared to prices feeders have been happy with in the past. Can the producer really expect the consumer to pay any more for the amount of beef sold at retail than she is paying now? Marketing margins are wider than they have been in the past but that only accounts for a small part of the cattle feeder’s plight. The major problem of cattle producers today is neither consumer demand or marketing costs, the major problem is high feed costs. USDA estimates that it would require a price of over $45.00 for the January - April 1975 period for feeders to cover the cost they wqll have in cattle already on feed. They may be lucky to cover the cost of feeder cattle and feed (roughly $5.50 - cwt. less than total costs). There is little prospect for profits in the near future for the cattle feeder. Midwestern feed costs have risen dramatically in just the past year. Corn prices are estimated at $3.49 - bushel for cattle placed on feed October 1975, compared to $2.11 - bushel for corn fed to cattle a year earlier. Hay prices have risen from $24.00 per ton in 1973 to $37.75 per ton a year later in October 1974. Corn silage is $23.68 per ton com pared to $14.51 per ton a year earlier. And 30 per cent protein supplement is up from $8.60 per cwt. in October 1973 to $9.90 per cwt. in October 1974. Higher feed costs have forced large losses in cattle feeding over the past months and prospects for continued losses into the future. But the feeder cattle producer has help beat inflation Nationwide Insurance has an answer to the high cost of inflation. It’s Nationwide Homeowner's Insurance with built-in inflation protection. Based on U.S. Department of Commerce cost index figures, Nationwide automatically adjusts your coverage each month—so that your home is covered today for what it’s worth today. Call your Nationwide agent for details. R. Daml Hoop* 7- S. Broad Street Phone: jas-2317 7 S. Broad Street Phone: 80-2317 NATIONWIDE INSURANT Nationwide is on vol Nationwide Mutual Fite Insurance Home Office: Columbus taken the brant of the total losses in cattle production in the more recent months. It has been estimated that the cost of producing a 600 pound feeder steer may average about (50.00 per cwt. under typical midwestern conditions. Over the past 3 months such feeder cattle have averaged just over (30.00 in price. These figures represent a loss of about (20.00 per cwt. of (120.00 per head on a 600 pound feeder. GENERAL OUTLOOK FOR 1975 The outlook for feeder cattle is based on the outlook for slaughter cattle and feed cost prospects. The key to outlook for cattle in 1975 is feed cost. If feed costs remain high, feeder cattle prices will remain low relative to slaughter cattle prices. But, high feed cost will also cause slaughter weights to remain light which will tend to strengthen slaughter cattle prices. High feeding prices also encourage increased slaughter of calves and “baby beef’’ which is the quickest way to eliminating a future over-supply of beef. On the other hand, lower feed costs will tend to raise feeder cattle prices relative to slaughter cattle prices and improve the profitability of cow-calf operations. Also, lower feed cost could make cattle feeding more profitable even at lower beef prices. And, the current “surplus” of beef is a surplus only because production costs are high. There is little doubt that lower feed costs would be preferred by most cattle producers. Current indications are that acreage of corn planted in 1975 will be roughly equal to the “intended” acreage planned for 1974. With a “normal” yield per acre, total U. S. com production could be up 40 - 50 per cent over the 1974 crop. Even with a strong world demand that would be a sizeable increase. With decreasing supplies of poultry and hogs $2 bushel com is not out of the question for next fall, but $2.50 might be a more likely figure. A similar weakness is also possible in the soybean meal market. UP AMP UP BALLOON BLOWING is fun for all children as Jamie Weaver, March of Dimes National Poster Child, shows. Even though she was born without eyes, the nine-year-old from Spo kane, Wash., gets along great in this world just the same. Jamie repre sents some 250,000 children born with birth defects in the United States each year. L C COPVWOHT 1973 BY NO CRCATIWf An “Oh, No!” is something unexpected that messes up your money plans An “Oh, No!” is when that “little something extra” your boss hinted about giving you for Christmas turns out to be one of his wife’s fruit cakes. That money was to help with Christmas bills. Now the bills are in ... but the money’s gone. But we can help when an “Oh, No!” strikes. We arrange loans for 1,001 reasons. Give us the reason and we’ll tiy to give you the money you need. Now 1 SAFEWAf FINANCE We like to say ye* to the "Oh. No's!" in your i/e. " LOANSTO$1,500 42 W. Main St. 883-8264 Brevard ] Board Eyeing U. S. Development Grants —Continued From Page One plicants must submit an Annual Application containing the following information: y\ summary of a 3-yaar plan lich identifies needs and jectives and demonstrates a strategy to meet those needs. Formulation of a program to meet needs and objectives, indicating resources available (other than Community Development funds) and taking into consideration environmental factors. A description of a program to prevent slums, blight, and deterioration and to provide community facilities and public improvements where necessary and appropriate. A Housing Assistance Plan (HAP) which surveys the conditions of the community’s housing stock, assesses the needs of lower income per sons, specifies an annual goal (number of units or persons) and indicates the general locations of proposed housing. In limited circumstances, all requirements except the HAP may be waived. , A total of $63.54 million will be available for North Carolina cities and counties, and it appears that 20 per cent of the money will go to non metropolitan area. This grant application must be completed by April 15, so the commissioners have little time to lose in defining the needs of the county. The commissioners will also open bids for the placement of the general fund in one of the three local banks. The com missioners also need to give final approval to the Rural Transporation Grant. Transylvania County is one of the few counties in the state involved in transportation and this two-year grant would allow transportation to be expanded to transport the poor and the elderly to such things as doctors’ offices or other necessary trips. This grant would provide 100 per cent funding. The Commissioners will be asked to approve the sale of the remaining school bonds. Only $700,000 in bonds remains unsold and the school system will be needing some of this money to complete the buildings recently let to contracts. Bond experts feel that a March sale will probably hit the market at the lowest possible interest cost. A petition to add the Riverside Estates road to the State Secondary System will be on the agenda for approval. The Socia' Services Director is asking for 06,000 to match a $48,000 State grant providing chore service for home bound elderly or disabled persons. Mr. Morrison told Com mission Chairman Bill Ives that he believes this will save the county money because if the persons have to be in stitutionalized, then the county must bear half the cost of institutional care and this can amount to several thousand dollars for one person alone. Assuring Wholesome Food In a single year, federal and state inspectors certified as wholesome about 120 billion pounds of meat and poultry products from some 5,800 plants. My Niijbbori “We’ll take it.” Sawdust May Prove Beneficial To Cattle South Dakota State Univers ity researchers have found that untreated Ponderosa pine saw dust may have beneficial ef fects for cattle. Tests have shown that the coarse sawdust can be used as a roughage substitute at levels up to 15 percent with no sub stantial loss in animal perform ance. resTonic I SAVE ON THE MATTRESS! 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A heavy gauge steel beam is built Into the center area of the foundation, providing up to 44% less box spring sag and greater strength for a firmer, more comfortable sleep ing surface. PLUS: elegant longwearing damask ticking, extra cushioning, superb spring units. Starts at $109 EACH PIECE S3-55 EAST MAIN STREET WgVMP. N C