Rental Decisions Weigh
Heavily F or Tobaccomen
Winter it decikipn ? making
season in tobacco country.
Two of the most important
decbions flue - cured growers
are grappling with are (1) how
much acreage can they plant in
1971 and (2) how much can
they afford to pay for rented
or leasid poundage quotas.
The decisions require careful
consideration and some pencil ?
pushing. There are a number of
factors that have to be taken
into consideration. Jim
Allgood, extension farm
management economist at
North Carolina State
Universitv, outlines some of
these as follows:
-The anticipated yield per
acre
-The anticipated price per
pound on the market
-The cost of production
-The amount of family
labor available
-The availability and cost of
hired labor
?The risk involved in
producing the crop.
On the last two points,
Allgood suggested that growers
not overlook the importance of
having enough labor to harvest
the crop lined up well in
advance. Also, the risks of crop
failure due to weather must be
considered in making a fair and
complete analysis.
On the question of market
price, the economist suggests
Fruit cake
Enjoyed by
Old Romans
One of the most-fav
ored delicacies of the holi
day season is the Fruit
cake.
Many a loving home
maker will start months in
advance and make the
cake from an old family
recipe, wrap it in a rum- or
brandy-soaked cloth and
store it until the Great
Days come.
Most of us envision a
dark red-brown cake so
filled with fruit and nuts
that it can hardly be cut
... so aromatic with spir
its that we could stand
over it all day and 'drink
in' its redolence.
However, the term "good
fruitcake" has as many
variations as the singers
of its praises.
Such discrepancies arise,
says an expert in bakers'
matters, "because no one
appears to have decided
exactly what constitutes
fruitcake." Not even a su
per-fussy Department of
Agriculture of a certain
state has attempted to de
fine the delicacy.
It's not difficult to see
why. Over the years, fruit
cake has had as many reci
pes as eaters. To the an
cient Romans, according
to a well-known cookbook,
it was Satura, a mixture of
a well known barley mash,
dried raisins, pine kernels
and pomegranate seeds
"laced with condiments
and honeyed wine."
To Elizabeth of Eng
land it was spice cake,
containing, according to a
recipe of the time, good
ale barme . . . eight eggs
with two yelkes . . . am
seedes bruised . . . (and) a
little rose water."
Most modern recipes ap
pear to descend from the
old Pennsylvania Dutch
cake and British plum
pudding cake.
' Nk'W SHOPS ?? Raeford Jaycees treated four local youngsters to
new clothes for Christmas. Here Peter Dockery, a Jaycee,
supervises, fitting.
CHRISTMAS CHEER ?? Walter Blue, a Raeford Jaycee, helps a
young lady select shoes during a shopping spree sponsored by the
Javcees for several local youngsters.
ERKY
wwm
Joy To All at Christmas t
Avery Connell
Insurance Agency
that 1971 prices should be
about the same as those
received in 1970.
Generally, rental costs of
flue ? cured poundage quotas
are expected to be about 10 to
IS cents a pound this season.
To help the grower determine
if he can afford to pay this, or
whatever price that may be
asked, Allgood made these
observations.
If tobacco averages 2,100
pounds per acre, a fair cash
rent price is somewhere
between S210 and S3 IS per
acre, generally.
In order to figure a fair
rental price, a farmer should
first estimate the expected
gross income per acre. The
2,100 pounds per acre at 72
cents would gross SI ,512.
The farmer should then
estimate the expected cost
involved in producing an acre.
The cash cost of producing a
2,100 ? pound yield would be
about S3S0. This figure doesn't
include land, labor or fixed
costs on machinery, equipment
or buildings.
The fixed costs are
estimated at about S210 per
acre. If the grower is already
set up to grow tobacco, this
cost may not be related to the
decision to rent. However, it
may be indirectly related.
On labor, Allgood points out
that about 250 manhours are
needed to produce 2,100
pounds with mechanical
harvesting aides.
Allgood assumes that 10
percent of this labor will be of
a managerial type, valued at S3
per hour or about $75. The
remainder would be family or
hired labor valued at S1.50 per
hour. Therefore, the total cost
for the 2,100 ? pound per acre
crop would run around
$412.50.
If the family or hired labor
is valued less than $ 1.50 an
hour, costs would be reduced.
By substracting expected
labor costs and other
production expenses from the
anticipated gross income, the
farmer can get an idea of how
much rent he can afford to pay
for the tobacco.
IZWrr DEEDS
By JANICE R. CHRISTENSEN
Coats made of "wet look"
vinyl are the in thing this
season in Rowan County. But
they can put a crimp in the
family budget; especially if you
have to buy several of them.
One homemaker, with three
daughters, decided to make
vinyl coats for her girls.
She bought fabric remnants,
lining material and buttons at
outlet shops. Total cost was
eight dollars: about a tenth of
what three store - bought coats
would cost, Mrs. Edith
Hinshaw, home economics
extension agent, says.
The homemaker believes she
helps stretch family income
more by staying home and
sewing, freezing and canning,
than she would by taking a job
away from home.
Taking time to read the
Sampson County Extension
Homemakers Newsletter
proved profitable for Mrs. R.C.
Merritt, Magnolia, Rt. 1.
Using a recipe from the
newsletter, the homemaker
baked a cake to auction off at
a sale. It sold for S25.
"When children come home
from school looking for a mid
afternoon snack, they need
something more substantial
than a candy bar and soft
drink." Mrs. Russell Mack, a
Durham County homemaker,
believes.
So she gives her children
snack foods that are low in
calories, but high in food value.
For example, one of the
childrens' favorites, vegetable
and fruit lolipops, are made by
inserting a colorful toothpick
into cubed fresh fruits and
vegetables.
Frozen fruit juice cubes and
flavored milk drinks are two
other favorites.
Although Mrs. Mack spends
less money for snack foods
than many homemakers, she is
buying better health for her
family, Mrs. Mary J. Whitmore,
associate home economics
Extension agent, observes.
Many lucky persons wil
receive useful and attractive
Christmas gifts from womer
who attended a district craft!
workshop in Greenville this
summer.
One participant. Mrs. Glenn
Smart, Winterville. learned to
make attractive tablemats from
pine needles. Mrs. Sue May,
Pitt County Extension home
economist, relates. She plans to
give these handcrafted items to
friends.
HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL!
Maxwell* Euo Service
401 South By-tow
We hope your Christmas is the
happiest yet. You deserve the best
John K. McNeill, Jr.
SINATO* p??
SAMERVIN
Is
* SAYS *
WASHINGTON - One of
the major legislative battles of
this Congress has been over
Federal funding of the
development of the supersonic
transport plane.
I am opposed to the funding
of this plane by our
Government for the following
reasons:
The ultimate objective of
the development of the SST is
to make supersonic planes
available for the use of private
airlines. This being true, the
job of financing the
development of such a plane
should be borne by private
enterprise, and not by the
taxpayers of the United States.
The reasons given for using
taxpayers' funds to develop the
SST are threefold in nature:
(1) That the development and
use of such planes carrying
such a large number of
passengers will enable
Americans to fly to other
countries quicker in American
planes rather than in foreign
planes, and thus reduce the
deficit in our balance of
payments; (2) that the
development and use of such
planes will result in the making
of huge profits by private
airlines and thus result in the
payment of vast amounts of
income taxes into the Federal
Treasury; and (3) that the
development of the SST is
necessary to promote the
prestige of the United States.
The first of these arguments
is. in my judgment, patently
unsound. The development of
the plane will result in
American tourists carrying
American dollars abroad, and
thus exceed any revenues
derived from the use of this
plane in comparison with sums
that they would otherwise
expend for travel in foreign
planes. The second argument is
of dubious force. The history
of the Federal Government in
respect to air travel has been
that the Federal Government
subsidizes airlines rather than
derives profits from them. 1 do
not think the third argument is
valid because 1 do not believe
that taxpayers' money should
be used to advance the
interests of private airlines
merely to promote American
prestige.
One of the greatest problems
of our nation and of the world
in general is the pollution of
the atmosphere, the rivers, and
the ocean. Before we proceed
with the development of the
SST, we should make it certain
that it is not going to make a
hazardous contribution to the
further pollution of our earth.
There has been no adequate
study of this problem up to the
present, and the only provision
for such a study contemplates
a commission composed of
men who are more or less
crusaders for the SST. We need
a study made by impartial
scientists.
There are proposals now
pending in Congress that we
bar the use of our airports to
supersonic planes to guard this
nation against further pollution
of the atmosphere and the
hazardous noise of the sonic
boom. If legislation of this
nature is adopted, this would
render the SST entirely useless.
The Federal debt is rapidly
nearing $400 billion. At the
present time, the Federal
Government is spending more
than $21 billion for the current
fiscal year just to pay interest
on the national debt.
Furthermore, prospects are
that the Federal Government is
going to run a deficit of
billions of dollars this fiscal
year. Congress ought not to
authorize outlays for the SST
unless it has the courage to cut
other appropriations
accordingly or to levy new
taxes sufficient to defray its
cost.
Frahm Elected
Board Chairman
Leonard Frahm was elected
chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Southern
National Bank in Raeford for
the year 1970-71.
George S. Crawford was
elected vice ? chairman and
Freddie G. Williams was
elected secretary.
With Our
Service Personnel
Miss Susan W Walters of Rt.
1. Raet'ord has enlisted tor
three years in the Women
Marines. GY Sgt. Fred Smith,
local Marine Corps recruiter,
announced.
She will begin her training
on Jan. 7 at Parris Island. S C.
Miss Walters, daughter of
Mrs. Louise Love, was formerly
employed by Southern Bell
Telephone Company of
Laurinburg. She giaduated
from Hoke High School in
1970.
Sgt. Smith said that she may
serve anywhere in the United
States or at many posts and
stations overseas.
ROCK'S
GARAGE
CUSTOM WORK
WELDING
REASONABLE RATES
McNeil Lake Road
2 Mi. Wait of
Shannon
Call 843-4500
Free Inspection
Of Your Premises
EXTERMINATE FOR
ROACHES - RATS - TERMITES
FUMIGATION
Form Chemical Inc.
TELEPHONE 875 3954
GREETINGS
"Smooth driving" thru the season!
Carter's Esso Service
We bring to you the good cheer
of the Vuletime, wishing you a
Christmas that will be merry
and bright.
MCNEILL & WILLIS
Motor Company