We're moving toward larger summer and early fall slaughters of hogs. Chart 1 shows that the period of heavy slaughter began in middle to late September last year. In previous years, the big slaughter run didn't come until the fall months.

A new system of row-crop farming holds promise in protecting soil from water erosion, in reducing drowning in poorly drained areas and in possible reduction in labor and power requirements. The new system- called ridge planting - combines the high yields of surface planting with the conservation features of contour listing. The system has been under development by Iowa State College and USDA agricultural engineers for the past 4 years.

A striking similarity between diets of school-age girls and older women raises this question. Why does a high school girl have a poorer diet than her little sister? Are poor eating habits passed on from generation to generation? How can we upgrade the diets of Iowa school girls?

This section reports on the statewide educational work of the Cooperative Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics for the past year. Like the earlier report sections about the research and resident instruction activities, this section is designed to keep you informed on what's going on at your state college.