Advice on Teaching a Calf to Drink

HELLO, FOLKS: I was browsing through my wife's notebook and came to this, entitled: "How to feed a calf."

"The hardest thing on a farm, I think, is trying to teach a calf to drink.

"He'll pull and twist and wiggle his tail. Then, the first thing you know — kerplunk! — there goes his nose in the pail. And most of the milk goes over your clothes."

ADVICE IN RHYME

"Hold on to your patience, your teeth you can grit. If you can't hold your temper, you might as well quit.

"For old Mother Nature, whose methods don't fail, never meant for a calf to first drink from a pail.

"Back him into a corner, get astraddle his neck. He hurt you much; you're already a wreak.

"Lift up the bucket. Push his head down. And away you go again, around and around.

"Give him a finger, and maybe, with luck, that little old calf will start to suck.

"Just do this for a week, with your back in a kink, and then maybe you'll teach him to drink."

—o—
Flight into Egypt

WITH SPUTNICK flying around in outer space, I am reminded of a story I heard.

The Sunday-School teacher told the children to draw a picture illustrating a Biblical text. One little girl returned with a drawing of an airplane, a man, a woman, a baby, and a pilot.

"What's this?" the teacher asked.

"It's the flight in Egypt," the tot replied. "That's Mary, Joseph, the Infant Jesus — and that one is Pontius, the Pilot."

—o—

A Worth While Program

THE RURAL development program is about two years old. It started in a small way and, as it gets to working, it will expand.

Congress appropriated two million dollars in 1957 and two-and-one-half million for the year 1958. The idea behind this program is to help the rural people in the distressed areas to gain a fairer share of the national income.

In these areas, the farmers can hardly expect to earn more from their farms. Therefore, it is the intent of the program to help these people to increase their incomes by developing new sources of income. The program is based on organized local initiative and is supported with federal help.

—o—

Volunteers Gain Experience

IN SOME CASES, the program helps train people to take on other jobs. In others, it helps them move to places of employment if there is no way to get jobs locally.

There are more than 200 volunteers working on the program. Most of them are in the areas where the program is being set up. Churches are encouraged to help out in the job.

Already the effects of the program are beginning to be felt, and as the people responsible for the program gain experience, it is expected to have a still greater effect.

Here, at last, is a program that has as its goal the development of character rather than the weakening of it.

UPDATE
Current information on the USDA Rural Development lists the portfolio of loans at $181.1 billion. It will loan $38 billion in loans, loan guarantees and grants this fiscal year.

For more current information go to USDA Rural Development.