Banner Graphic, Volume 15, Number 357, Greencastle, Putnam County, 2 October 1985 — Page 9

Fescue grass may have potential for fuel, erosion prevention

1985 N.Y. Times News Service ALBURN, Ala. is. But this particular grass being tested on small plots at Auburn University could, along with other grasses and legumes, one day play a vital role in a national fuel crisis and help stem erosion of America’s dwindling cropland. Such grasses can be used to make alcohol mix with regular gasoline, or they can be simply burned for fuel, like sawdust and other waste now being used by some lumber mills. The Auburn project, started in March and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is part of a continuing effort to find ways to produce energy other than from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. This already is being done successfully with corn, sorghum and other grains, as well as plain wood. As a control for soil erosion, the grasses are being grown on marginal cropland land on which regular crop yields are so low that any profit is questionable. There’s an estimated 125

lowa governor will go to court to prevent foreclosures of farms

DES MOINES, lowa (AP) Gov. Terry Branstad says he will go to court to help farmers stop foreclosures under a moratorium triggered by his declaration of economic emergency, a move one activist said would “hold out a little hope’’ to troubled farmers. Branstad said his main target in declaring the moratorium Tuesday is the Farm Credit System, a quasi-federal agency that is the biggest farm lender in the state. He said the financially troubled system plans to begin foreclosing on up to 12 percent of its borrowers unless Congress approves a bailout plan. “I know that Farm Credit System officials may challenge the applicability of the moratorium to their operations, but I’m prepared to go to court if necessary to protect the farmers of the state o f .owa,” Branstad said. “These farmers need time. It would be a tragedy if we lose these farmers because the Farm Credit System gets tired of waiting for Congress to act.” A banking spokesman said the moratorium would actually hurt farmers by making bankers leery of extending loans. A spokeswoman for the Farm Credit Bank of Omaha said Tuesday that officials had not seen a copy of Branstad’s order and therefore could not comment on it. In a news conference, Branstad, a Republican who headed President Reagan’s lowa campaign last year, lashed

GIRTON RENTS: • Backhoes • Bobcats • Trenchers • Forklifts • Compressors • Post-Hole Diggers Hourly, Daily, Weekly or Monthly |h Girton Implement ■ Co. I U.S. 40 E. Brazil \ 812-443-4271 Mon. Sat. 8 to 5

Shop The Banner Graphic ’ Classifieds

EAR SAVERS! Cote International corn heads feature a low ,j / profile that allows row units to slip under A-T . J|ljl|P| Q f~ j I 1 d° wn and leoning stalks to save more f)#*? MB) M :| y il-’jt-Jj ears Deep pockets keep ears from bounlhi )■ ''■■■■• 'Jj fWnfrli!' '» cin 9 °«*. even at fasl speed Large cross 1 HUJ < M_J JUft augers move large crop volume steadily to jf£ !j * ,h e feeder. And, every head is designed fa j jjfc?#*" lik f° r eas y service and maintenance. . ( '('Wide and narrow row sizes. There are seven -'OM/; $/■■■'! /1 \Pw^^«Sr,Syi <f ri differenl models, including 4,6 or 8 row W j 1 and 4,5, 6 and 8-row wide. Come '* '’ftwMv /yjin and let us show you how a new Case In*s• <>" (g, , ‘ternational corn head can put new life into 7-~ *’*•'“ your combine, and into your harvest. Case International Corn Heads USED EQUIPMENT _... A _ F USED TRACTORS USED I ILLALiC Fermali Super A w/Woods mower IH 710 5-18 AT plow IH Fermali H w/loader IH 510 5-18 plow IH Farmall M Kewanee 1020 21 Vi ft. hyd. fold. )H j s q w /| oaC ( #r IH 470 15 ft. manual told disc IH 574 G w/(o ,der IH 490 24 ft. hyd. told disc. IH 6740 USED COMBINES IH 806 G wide front 1 H715D IH 1066 D with cab IH 915 D, high profile IH 1 «86 D with cab IH 915 D Hydro low profile IH 1486 IH 1460 1979 1800 hrs. IH 1586 D JD 4400 D IH 3588 D ov * rh * ul Gleaner M IH 3588 D 900 hours We have a variety of cornheads and platforms. IH 3788 D 900 houra JD 4020 D Case 1070 D overhaul MISC. Steiger St 320 1 964 Ford 850 Tandem with tandem dump bed Caae 990 w/55 loader, 900 houra Ford 3000 * ALL USED EQUIPMENT ELIGIBLE FOR3-1-86WAIVER FINANCE CHARGES. Larr Equipment 1-386-7211 kwHIII

million acres of marginal cropland in the United States, and much of it is plagued by soil erosion. Much of the marginal land was put into production in the 1970 s by plowing up and clearing traditional pastureland and timberland so that more acreage would be available to plant soybeans and similar crops Overproduction of soybeans in recent years, along with a growing disease problem, has made farming marginal land virtually unprofitable. And it has helped promote a serious soil erosion problem across the nation “Our main goal here at Auburn is determining how good a yield in grasses and legumes we can get off this marginal land,” said Dr Cooper King, who, along with Dr. Coleman Ward, is heading the project. “Forages are easier and cheaper to raise than grain crops, but we want to get the most economical yields possible on this marginal land, and learn the cans and can’ts of it, the economic aspects to know how best to do it if it is ever needed.”

out at Congress, the Reagan administration and officials of the Farm Credit System. He said his action was prompted by the inability of Congress and the Reagan administration to approve a 1985 farm bill and a bailout package for the Farm Credit System. In order to trigger the moratorium measure, Branstad declared Tuesday that a state of emergency exists in the lowa farm economy. Last month he ordered a 3.85 percent across-the-board cut in the state budget due to poor state revenues from the farm-dominated economy. He said that while 65 percent of all jobs in lowa are related to the farm economy, he had limited the foreclosure protection to those people with farm real estate loans. Before the Legislature rewrote the Depression-era moratorium law this year, such a moratorium would have automatically applied to all real estate loans in the state. District court judges would determine on an individual basis whether farmers were eligible for moratorium protection, which would grant up to a year to pay principal as long as interest payments were kept up. Branstad said he had no idea how many lowa farmers could be saved from foreclosure, but that up to 40 percent of the state’s approximately 110,000 farm families are threatened.

Roof leaks are eliminated by using fasteners with extra thick washers. Call Toll Free in INDIANA FOR INFORMATION: 800-552-2981 - authorized dealer. Doug Lawson Built-Rite, Inc. R.R. 2, Box 246 Coatesville, IN 317-246-6196

Market reports INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Hogs 600. Barrows and gilts very active, 1.00 to mostly 1.25 higher. US 1-3 230-255 lbs 43.50-44.00. US 2-3 220-265 lbs 43.2543.75. Sows: Active, steady in very light test. US 1-3 couple packages 360-500 lbs 35.00. Cattle: 900. Slaughter steers and heifers steady under good demand. Cows 1.50-3.00 lower. Bulls steady to weak in a light test. Supply good and choice slaughter steers; 35 percent heifers, 10 percent cows. Slaughter steers: Package choice 3 1185 lbs 56.00. Choice 2-4 970-1250 lbs 54.00-55.00. Mixed good and choice 2-3 965-1380 lbs 52.25-54.25. Lot good 1-2 1065 lbs 51.75. Holsteins: Couple small lots 3 14701500 lbs 45.50-47.00. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Grain prices Wednesday at Indianapolis area elevators: Corn No. 2 yellow shelled 2.01-2.14; fall 2.02-2.12. Soybeans No. 1 yellow 4.83-4.96. Wheat No. 2 soft red 2.63-2.76.

1 /2 OPEN of Greencastle on j£B& JMzp 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Indianapolis Road r SUNDAYS W $Wf JMrf Mw J&K Noon to 5:00 p.m. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO tfMr fW^9 LIMIT QUANTITIES AND CORRECT PRINTING ERRORS + K Off JjP' Sf OJ W jS Jfgijj# ( OREGON SAWDUST DATS I <tf S * W rSSfr Ira | I VWI BSg -TB Available in 12", 14", J is the Chain used b r H V-t sr*-’ ■ H <*,« I«" and 20" Lenqths. pro lo ° gers than all other 8 \l\ 8 lb. Forged Carbon-Steel IB B coined. Available ,oM \» lead Fiberglass Handle 10 I ■ w oil Doouiar mol'cs of \r\ «• . ,« * H S 98 tfors meet or exceed ■ i t-n-es Sponge, r than woo* B| 1 „i,M equipment specs. I 1*24" IV5°2 MBaßaafflll iQffpMc^ o4^ (lpß * 9 , 27 y II I|B mnriMv I

WE HAVE ALL YOUR COLD WEATHER NEEDS AT POOL'S

r~sn Mm way to manually sharpen I ■chain saw Accurate cutter I sharpening. Built-in handle. I m\ H Beg. ‘16.97J ■Save Time, Effort, Energy when splitting] land stacking firewood. 1099 m Reg. 5 15.97 j

Similar studies are being done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Cornell University, Purdue University and a private firm, he said. Some grasses and legumes being tested are coastal Bermuda, Johnson grass, switch grass (a native Midwestern grass), pearl millet (a tropical grass used to produce birdseed), rye, alfalfa, vetch and crimson clover. The Department of Energy has spent about $3.2 million the past two years researching use of marginal cropland for trees or “non-woody” (grasses and legumes) crops, said a spokeswoman. She said researchers expect to get at least 12 dry tons per acre per year from such crops. Most of them produce two crops per year. In the meantime, research continues on finding ways to make fuels produced from grain and grasses more economically feasible, said Eugene Ecklund, program manager of the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Utilization unit. “The most appropriate fuels are still ethanol alcohol typically used for beverages and methanol, or wood alcohol,”

Farmer referendum is added to House version of farm bill

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democrats, seizing what could prove to be a potent political weapon for 1986, are pressing for a new farm bill that would let farmers themselves decide the shape of future grain subsidies. The House on Tuesday launched a contentious debate over the proposal to give the nation’s wheat and corn farmers a choice between two sharply different price-support programs. Farmers would be able to vote early next year on whether they want to accept the gradually declining price-support loans and frozen income subsidy levels in the emerging 1985 farm bill, or to replace that with higher price supports coupled with strict controls on production and marketing. The Reagan administration is vehemently opposed to the referendum. Agriculture Secretary John Block has warned President Reagan will veto any bill con-

r <s>' I Premium quality files from I the people who make the ! gfl|™[| chain. 1 WP* Beg. '2.79 j fSTOV^ PIPE AT DISCOUNT l PRICES!

Wednesday, Oct. 2,1985, The Putnam County Banner Graphic

Ecklund said. “Both of these alcohols have high octane and can be used as octane blending agents, instead of lead, or can be used straight. Methanol has been used by the racing fraternity for years.” Ethanol today sells for about $1.60 per gallon in the cornproducing Midwest, he said. But it has only about tv. o-thirds the energy of gasoline, raising the real price to about $2.40 a gallon for the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. Methanol, which is made mainly from natural gas, sells for about 45 cents a gallon wholesale, but has only about half the energy of gasoline, he said. It also can be made from wood. “The big success story is in Brazil where they’ve been using ethanol from sugar cane in gasoline for more than 50 years,” Ecklund said. “Today about 25 percent of all autos on the road in Brazil use straight ethanol, and conventional fuel is 20 percent ethanol. “This substantially reduces their import costs, because they are heavily dependent on imported petroleum.”

taining such language. The farmer referendum was a lastminute addition to the farm bill as it was drafted by the House Agriculture Committee. It had been opposed by Majority Whip Thomas Foley, D-Wash., chairman of the grains subcommittee. However, Foley agreed to include the provision to help unite the deeply divided panel behind the bill. When the legislation came before the full House, the chamber’s Democratic leaders saw in the referendum a politically popular option, particularly in Midwestern states where agriculture issues will be important in next year’s elections. Farmers in many areas, particularly the Midwestern grain belt, are suffering from low crop prices and falling land values that hamper their ability to pay off often heavy debts. Some politicians are nervous about supporting a farm program which could be

blamed for further bankruptcies. A farmer vote would shift responsibility for policy from Congress to the farmers themselves. “At no time since the Great Depression has it been so important what we do in a farm bill,” said Rep Glenn English, DOkla. “Let the farmer decide. It’s his fate that is at stake.” If 60 percent of wheat or corn farmers vote “yes,” a two-year program would be set up giving higher crop loans to farmers who enroll and agree to cut their production by a specified amount. They would also receive certificates permitting them to sell their grain domestically or which could be converted to export subsidies for grain sold overseas. Farmers who choose not to participate in the program would either have to feed their grain to their own livestock or sell it on the export market at the prevailing world price.

r 1 l Reg. 5 9.97^J M L Beg. *14.97 Jj

A9