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Features

Crop variety trial and
Christmas tree information

[NOV. 25, 2002]  The University of Illinois variety trial information is now available. You can get information from http://vt.cropsci.uiuc.edu/soybean.html, or you can get a paper copy about each crop from the local office at a cost of $2 each. These trial results are from the university plots and include multiyear results and statistical analysis.

We’re on the Web

Visit the Logan County U of I Extension home page for office information and a calendar of upcoming events in and around our county. The site address is http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/
cie/offices/index-t.cfm?oid=190.

Christmas tree selection and care

For many families, the Christmas tree is the main symbol of the holidays. Several have gone to the artificial trees because of convenience, allergies or other reasons, but many still prefer to get "the real thing" for their symbol. Here are some helpful hints to make your purchase and then keep your tree safely through the holiday season.

Freshness is the key to having an enduring symbol of the holidays. Freshness is directly related to the moisture content in the needles. Once the tree is cut, its life functions quit. However, if placed in water, it will continue to function much like a wick as it absorbs moisture through the stem. If adequate water is not available for the tree, the moisture content of the needles (moisture is lost by transpiration in your house) drops by about 35-50 percent. Trees that drop below 85 percent moisture will not regain their freshness.

When identifying a fresh tree, one obvious way is to cut your own (or observe it being cut). Many families make a ritual of selecting their own tree, and you know that it is fresh that way. If you buy from a "lot," you need to buy from a reliable dealer who can give information on how long the trees have been cut. You then need to determine freshness for yourself.

Fresh trees have needles that are relatively supple and firmly attached to the twigs. All trees will have brown needles that will fall, but the green ones are the ones that count! If the green needles tend to snap when bent between your fingers, the tree is probably quite dry. If temperatures are low (around zero), then all needles will snap since they are brittle. Fresh trees will have a fragrance to them. They also will have a waxy, natural green appearance, but some trees are sprayed with a needle colorant to make them more green.

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When caring for your freshly cut tree, start with trying to avoid hauling the tree over a long distance, where it will be exposed to the wind. Air moving across the needles is what actually dries them out. If you purchase your tree from a sales lot, buying the tree early will help ensure better freshness and selection. You can then take the tree home and give it the proper attention.

Once you get the tree home, you should make a fresh cut on the trunk of the tree, place it immediately in water and store it in a cool place (like your garage). Avoid putting the tree on the ground, since it could freeze in place and be difficult to move. The cut you make at home is important. You should make a straight cut to make it easier on you, and the tree will take up just as much water as if you made an angled cut.

Water is then the rule! Make sure your stand will hold enough water for your tree. A fresh tree may use up to two quarts of water the first 24 hours and up to a quart a day for the first week. You also have to have the water level above the cut surface of the trunk to keep your tree fresh.

When you locate your tree, make sure it is not by a fireplace, furnace outlet or other heat source, as they will dry it out. Closing a heat register in the area of your tree will help keep warm drafts from drying out one side of the tree.

A properly cared-for tree that was fresh to start with can safely be displayed in the home for at least two weeks. The tree is actually your best indicator. If needles start dropping and water use stops, there could be problems developing.

For more information on available varieties and locations of tree farms, try looking up the Illinois Christmas Tree Grower’s website: http://www.ilchristmastrees.com/.

Hopefully these tips will help you enjoy your holiday season.

[John Fulton]

Weekly outlook

Undervalued corn?

[NOV. 19, 2002]  URBANA — Corn prices have the potential to add to last week’s gain, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist, but upward potential this winter may be limited if consumption patterns continue near projected levels.

"As always, the USDA’s January reports will provide information to reassess price potential," said Darrel Good.

Good’s comments came as he reviewed corn prices, which have declined significantly over the past two months. December 2002 corn futures traded to a high of $2.96 on Sept. 11, declined as low as $2.34 on Nov. 11 and recovered to $2.42 at the close of trade on Nov. 15. The average spot cash price of corn in central Illinois peaked at $2.785 on Sept. 11, declined to $2.30 on Nov. 11 and recovered to $2.37 on Nov. 15.

"The sharp decline in prices occurred during a period when the USDA increased the projection of year-ending stocks by a modest 100 million bushels," said Good. "The price decline has led some to conclude that corn prices are ‘undervalued.’ In general, this conclusion is based on the observation that, historically, prices have been higher than current prices when carry-over stocks were small.

"However, trying to correlate price with stocks, or a ratio of stocks to annual use, is a shortcut that has a number of shortcomings. In particular, that type of analysis generally ignores the fact that price, consumption and stocks are determined simultaneously, not independently. Similar stock levels can be associated with different price levels, reflecting, for example, variation in the demand for consumption, the demand for stocks and the total supply of the crop."

The best test of whether crop prices at this time of year are undervalued or overvalued is the rate of consumption in relation to available supplies, Good noted.

"If consumption — seasonally adjusted — is occurring at a faster rate than can be sustained by available supplies, it would be safe to conclude that prices are undervalued, and vice versa," he said.

"The difficulty in reaching such a conclusion is twofold. First, the size of the 2002 corn crop is not known with certainty. Large changes in the crop estimate in the January report are not expected, but the magnitude of available supplies may be different than currently estimated. Some expect a smaller estimate due to a reduction in the estimate of harvested acreage.

"Second, complete, timely information on the rate of corn consumption is not available. Feed and residual use of corn is the largest category of use, but the rate of consumption is only revealed in the USDA’s quarterly Grain Stocks reports. The first such report for the 2002-03 marketing year will be released on Jan. 10. The magnitude of livestock slaughter and livestock inventory reports provides some insight on the likely rate of consumption, but the quarterly stocks reports provide the only hard information. The expectation this year is that declining numbers of cattle and hogs, along with low hog prices, will result in a decline in feed and residual use of corn."

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Good added that the year-over-year decline will likely be the largest in the last half of the marketing year. The USDA currently projects a 3.4 percent decline for the year.

Domestic processing use of corn is partially revealed in monthly industry reports. The most important sector this year is the ethanol industry. Monthly reports confirm a record pace of ethanol production, and the USDA projects a 15 percent year-over-year increase in the amount of corn used for ethanol production.

Weekly reports of corn export activity are available. Export inspections through the first 10 weeks of the 2002-03 marketing year totaled only 255 million bushels, 27 percent less than during the same period last year. Unshipped sales as of Nov. 7, however, were reported at 314 million bushels, 17 percent larger than outstanding sales of a year ago. Total commitments stood at 569 million bushels, 6 percent less than commitments on the same date last year.

"For the year, the USDA projects exports at 1.925 billion bushels, about 2 percent larger than exports of a year ago," said Good. "It is expected that larger sales to Canada, the entrance of Australia in the import market and the tight supplies of grain sorghum will support U.S. exports at a higher level."

At this stage of the marketing year, there is no evidence that corn is being used at a rate that cannot be sustained, Good noted.

"Based on the current projections for the marketing year, stocks on Sept. 1, 2003, will total 848 million bushels," he said. "That is a relatively low level of stocks but is above the minimum pipeline inventory. There is room for the production estimate to be reduced and/or consumption to exceed current projections without running out of corn this year."

While there is always the need for more information, Good said it now appears that current corn prices are significantly undervalued only if production does not rebound in 2003.

"In general, it is thought that current price prospects favor more corn acreage, at the expense of soybean acreage in 2003," said Good. "The USDA’s Winter Wheat Seedings report to be released on Jan. 10 will provide some insight into prospects for spring-planted crops, particularly in the Plains states. The major unknown for 2003 is weather. A return to a trend-line yield may be required to maintain consumption of U.S. corn at the current level."

[U of I news release]

Honors & Awards

[NOV. 13, 2002]  Logan County had its annual 4-H Achievement Night on Nov. 7 at the Lincoln Park District Rec Center. Approximately 115 4-H members, leaders and families came to congratulate the award recipients.

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Home and Family

[Logan County Extension news release
by Amy Hyde]

Ag Announcements

Olympia FFA Alumni news

[NOV. 8, 2002]  What do a tree, a chain saw and a TV have in common? The Olympia FFA Alumni chapter is selling raffle tickets for these items. The low-priced tickets provide a chance at a 36-inch Zenith color TV, a Stihl Farm Boss chain saw and a 1.5- to 3-inch diameter sunset red maple tree.

The chapter draws in members from McLean, Tazewell, Woodford, DeWitt and Logan counties.

Proceeds from the raffle will help support the agriculture program of the Olympia School District.

The drawing for the items will be Jan. 11, 2003, which is the tentative date for the FFA alumni banquet.

For more information on purchasing a raffle ticket or about the FFA Alumni chapter, contact any member of the chapter or call (309) 379-5911.

[News release]

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