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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-06-03, Page 14EXPOSITOR, JUNE 8, 1(16 ise foot in the iurrour 1'704 Letters are appreciated by Bop Trotter, Eldale Rd , Elmira, Ont N38 2C7 urfactant Oil ConcentrJte S GAL (22 7? so I r". 4 527-0770 .1' Corn weed control EVERYTHING TO GET THE JOB DONE! Surfactant Oil 'Wv5Ilif5r3 M concentrat Apply with Atrazine for early post, weed emergence treatment. Extends period of application and increases efficiency of , herbicides. LASSO Emulsifiable weed kill, er for the control of most annual grasses. 5 gallon pails. The leading Agriculture chemicals are at your CO-013 We have a good stock of SEED BEANS EPTAM & PATORAN WEED SPRAYS We like to know our customers by name! SEAFORTH FARMERS CO-OP Bladex WP or Liquid Pre-emergence or early post- emergence spray with low residue. Particularly effective for grasses and safe for reseeding crops. AAtrex Liquid The most convenient corn herbicide. Combines well' with other herbicides and liquid fertilizer for pre-plant, pre- emergence and post-emergence application. Cola-Car4( @Wet 80% IWO v rr-r-T •.1•1111 I/ANI PINSDN rU Shrll Ci • t • II I I . AAtrex Liquid =7_ 90W • , . AAtrex 90W The tine-proven formulation that's bepn the standard for controlling broadleaf weeds and grasses in corn. Opinion by John Miner Are we osin • The newest political game these days seems to be kicking around figyes on how much farm land is ie Ontario and whether any of it is disappearing or not. The NDP in the last election managed to score quite a few points with the revelation that Ontario • is, losing 24 acres of farmland every hour. But the Conservatives aren't prepared to sit back and let the NDP walk away with the series, so they'have launched a cOunter-offensive with a set of figures all their own. Huron County had a front row seat for the action last week when Lorne Henderson, provincial cabinet minister and MPP for Lambton County, set the record straight at the Huron-Middlesex PC's annual meeting. It is always good to hear the other side to any story• and the news that the minister had was all good... Ontario is. not only not losing farmland, but according to Mr. Henderson, has gained some 102.4 percent in total field crop acreage in-the last ten years. In the same period, 'furthermore, Huron County alone has:managed to come up with almost' 100 thousand more acres• of field crops. If Huron County by itself has fbund almost 100 new' country blocks offarm land in the last ten years and with other counties also contributing, then it, doesn't look like there is any 'problem. .Perhaps the government. should be taking steps to ensure that the agricultural industry doesn't eat - up allthe•land available for urban developnient 'and factories, I say to myself. But still 100 thousand acres is a lot of land when you come to think of it. Especially when you realize that the townships of Tuckersmith and McKillop added together don't contain 100 thousand acres. I don't know where Mr. Henderson got his figures and he didn't say, but they sure don't match the Dominion Bureau of Statistics figures , that Gary Davidson, Huron County planner, gave me. According to those figures; Huron had 765,135 total farm acreage in 1961 and 742,965 in 1971. That fOoks like a ,drop of 22,170 acres. However, Mr. Henderson was talking about "total field crops" Report from Queen's Park ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT BERG HAS THE BEST BARN CLEANER J r • . Berg Barn Cleaners are the best you can put in any barn. ' They're the best In strength, durability and performance. Each chain link is forged, in one piece, from special nickel chrome content steel. No tools molted' to ,remove them. The Continuous duty motor eliminates over-heating and, assures ample power at all times>: Via „could.ogo on and on, but better yet, for more complete details, please call us. Jamesway parts available. ' Keith Slemon Plumbing Farm Equipment Waltono Ontario , Phohe341.5.2734 111111.11111.011,•Ve*VTINING ONETTaill MOAN MEARIAIIE , . farm and this may account for part, of the difference as considerable pasture in Huron has been ploughed under for field crops - about thirty to seventy thousand acres in the last 10 years, Mr. Davidson estimated. But to suggest that this ,.represents productive land being added to Ontario's agriculture industry is misrepresentation. Pasture is productive land. Mr. Davidson said that he couldn't really comment on the figures supplied by ,Mr. Hender- • son as he did not kn6w the data base,' but added "they certainly don't jive with the information we've been getting from the census of agriculture and other indications." It is difficult to be sure whether,:' the new figures produced by the Ontario government to show we don't need any farmland preser- vation laws are correct or if the ones 'by the Dominion Bureau. of Statistics are right'. But as' I see more houses sprawl out from the urban centres and industrial developments swallow .up more land, in Huron County, I knoW who 1 have my money on. land or not? New agricultu?al engin6er named choir and was a 4-H member and,' Junior Farmer member in Oxford County. At University, he was active in several clubs including square dancing, Junior Farmers, University choir, rifle club, intramural sports and cross country skiing. Ron worked with •the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food for two summers doing drainage surveys in the Ridgetown and Ottawa areas and his interests include music, photography, sports and farming. YOUR ONE STOP BUILDING CENTRE "Where your building dollar goes the farthest" arm Buildings by the Experts For FREE estimates call Les Broadfoot in Mitchell • Let him help you with your farm expansion at low cost without sacrificing quality PRESSURE TREATED Lumber & Squares (Pentachlorophena Black in. Appearance) 2"x6 "T&G 4 11 x4 11 ,.4" x6", 6"0" Western• Ontario's LARGEST STOCKING dealer of PENTA TREATED LUMBER We buy the 'CARLOAD & pass on the SAVINGS to you "EVERYTHING IN BUILDING MAYEINALi" Bileshfiggim, 34843437 MITCHELL No. 8 Hwy. oast of klittOholf; ti 4 menage money, PC hear t governinefit was being cafful not: demaiul outstrip- funds will covet* all tile drainet* to give out too much in° ey and ping the available equipment. that there is machines M pat- thereby drive up the cost of "We believe that the increased tile in the Bound with." Six or eight months ago, this corner suggested that some farmers would be happier if they could do the work of the technicians now employed by artificial insemination units. The idea sparked considerable controversy. The sugges- tion wasn't original. It came, in fact, from a dairy farmer who suggested that farmers get it in the ear because they eventually have to pay the shot to keep the technicians on the road, pay their salaries and expenses, A quote• used at the time was: "These technicians don't need to be paid to gallop all over Ontario inseminating cows. ': I suggested at the time that few farmers would write in support of the plan but the artificial breeding units would reply, with courtesy and restraint. They did. A few replies did come from farmers and there seemed to be some points on both sides of the story. Western Ontario Breeders Inc. invited me to their head- quarters near Woodstock for a half-day of information. A week or two later, Don Fortune, director. of information and promotion for United Breeders Inc. with headquarters near Guelph, wrote a lengthy letter and even came to see me about the idea. So many other things have been happening on the farm front that I haven't been able to get around to acknowledging the letter u!ltil now, United Breeders, said Mr. Fortune, were one of the,first units in Canada to sponsor a do-it-yourself course for farm- ers. "But the idea of farmers inseminating their own cows with semen stored at the farm is viewed with mixed emotions by governments, breed associations, AI groups and farmers, too," said Mr. Fortune. "It allows the farmer-breeder •to inseminate at the most convenient time.— for him — usually milking time, But the successor failure of this method rests squarely on the farmer's shoulders. Every ampule of semen used represents an out-of-pocket cost to him alone and, therefore, he tends to tighten up his breeding management. All this is good.- It does mean that bull semen must be stored in unsuper- vised locations which creates a lot of problems. A couple of years ago an individual in the United States was round guilty of turning ampules of mis-identified semen into a quick profit. Quick work by the government and insemination unit officials prevented the same thing happening in Ontario and resulted in more restrictive legislation. Some great technical breakthroughs are ex,ected in the next few years, said Mr. Fortune. The use of hormones to control heat periods is rapidly de- veloping. This will allow a dairy farmer, for instance, to bring, say, 20 heifers in heat in one day.- Then the question really doesn't need an answer. Most farmers will opt for a professio„nartechnician to be there to do the job all in 'one visit instead of taking a chanceon doing his own work. Speaking abOut the poor profit-and-loss picture painted by most of the breed units last year, Mr. Fortune said: "Like our farmer-members we .are subject to the fluctuations of the agricultural economy and, like them, we have-to be over- invested at certain times as we currently are on the beef side ... i but we'll) have a topnotch group of beef sires avail- able for the golden age of the beef business which will emerge over the next two or threeyears.- "Speaking of golden ages, what is going to happen when the price of cull cows rises and all those milk cows that have been held off the market become meat? The current concern over milk surpluses will be looked back upon with total dis- belief just as the concern about beef shortages in the early 1970's is looked upon today: "Despite these re-evaluations .. we Canadians continue to look upon the food business as a short-term thing. The bank- er tells us we should have six months' income stored away for emergency yet if the nation has six weeks' food supply ahead, we are in a desperate surplus situation. "The food business and our related .businesses are long term. We don't opt out when the going is rough. 'We aim toward more efficiency in various ways and hope to recoup our losses 'next year." It is certainly not a very hard-headed outlook. But for that outlook the consumer can be thankful. And thank you, Mr. Fortune and United BreederS Inc. Ronald (Ron) '. Fleming was recently appointed Agricultural Engineer for Huron County. He succeeds George Penfold who since January has been assoc- iated with the Huron County Planning Dept.,' Goderich, as rural Planner. A native of Oxford County where his family operates a dairy and hog farm, he attended Woodstock Collegiate Institute and then enrolled at the Univer- sity of Guelph. majoring in Agricultural Engineering. At high school, Ron was active in student council and school crime.". Capital Distributing, a subsidiary of U.S. - owned Capital Distributors, headed by John Santangelo of Derby,, Conn., U.S.A., has been' charged with distributina obscene publications: The Attorney General indicated he had no specific information which would link the distribution of pornographic material to organized crime.- • Farmers who have been turned down on their application for a tile drainage loan because their municipal council was out of funds may have a second'chance as the Ontario Government has decided to put $3.8 million more into tile drainage loans. . Lorne Henderson, Ontario cabinet minister without portfolio, made the announce- ment last Wednesday evening at the annual meeting of the Huron- Middlesex Progressive-Conserva- tive Association. . . Mr. Henderson said that the government will allocate $16.8 million for the program instead of the original $13 million dollars which was set aside. ,However, southwestern Ontario may not benefit much from the increase as the eastern townships of Ontario will have priority ' over other areas, since it needs drainage more, according to Mr. Henderson. Mr. Henderson said that tile drainage increases the amount of workable land and saves energy. "You do half the work and 'get 50 per cent more production." Mr: Henderson also said the Teachers elect Gaeten Blanchette of St. Mary's School, Goderich was elected president of Ontario English catholic Teachers' Association at a recent meeting in Seaforth. He succeeds Terry Craig of Seaforth. Other officers elected are: vice presidents Jim McDade of Dublin, and.Sister Loretta Eagen of Goderich; Treasurer, Sandy McQuillan of Seaforth; recording' secret ary; Mary Duncan of Stratford; Corresponding secretary, Inez Haid. of Listowel and councillors Michael Dewan of Stratford and Joe MacDonald of Sebringville. I More (By Murray Gaunt MPP) Ontario will give more than 355 tons of white pea beans to Canadian international food distribution agencies for use in needy ' countries, Agriculture Minister William Newman said this week. The high protein food will be purchased at $13. a hundredweight from the Ontario Bean Producers Marketing Board. Premier William Davis said this week that Ontario does not intend to resurrect proposals for a new federal airport in Pickering, 'northeast of Toronto. He also indicated that Ontario will not support expansion at Malton, which he• described as capable of handling more traffic on existing runways if flights were "spaced properly during the course of the day".' Agriculture Minister Newman has announced the establishment of a Financial Protection Task. Force to review methods of protecting farmers against default. of payment for their. products, In making the annOuncemmt Mr. Newman said he is concerned::: about a situation where a producer sell his entire crop to one or two buyers and then, because of difficulties experienced by the buyers, may be unable to collect all or part of the payment due him. To deteritin'e the .bat Method of eitdriding'finaneial protection to Pr6dticer4, Mr. -Newman said the task force ' will examine exisling provincial prograMs and also look at Methods used in other . aberal hi.P.14.. Albert Rey told the Legislature that police suspect people involved in organized crime' are among the main beneficiaries of profit from pornographic, material. He asked the Attorney General to confirm suspicions that Capital Distributing Co. Canada Ltd. and its owners "are known or suspected by police to have some association with organized Ontario donates bea ns