HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1928-08-16, Page 7 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE THURSDAY, AUGUST Hi, lf)28
No Fads in Huron Farming
Good Orthodox Farming Practiced in Huron County
Run-out Pastures Giving Place to Legumes
Cattle Feeding is Still in Style
Good Horses Popular,
This editorial was copied from the Farmer's Advocate of August 2nd,
through whose courtesy the cuts were also loaned
Huron is one of those counties
rwherc one sees good crops of hay
and grain, where beef cattle still
graze contentedly on the hillsides,
and sheep and swine are raised in
appreciable numbers. It is a country
side of substantial homes. Huron
reminds one of rural Ontario in that
era of quiet prosperity prior to the
,war and hard times.
But there are more weeds show
ing than in the old days when live
stock pastured on the roadsides, and
leather, from some vantage point,
directed the boys in quest of wild
mustard, carrot and dock, ,
Huron County farmers refuse to
be stampeded into cash crops. There
are 12,000 acres of beans grown,
and considerable fall wheat as well
as some flax. Last year a few ven
tured into tobacco, nut we did not
intend to “bring that nn.”
And, of course, there are onions,,
which constitute quite ;an industry
in, South Huron. The poultry bus
iness is progessing, but live stock
production and grain growing are
&jr, long odds the major phases of, ( pluton County agriculture, ja ' -
There are Soo.000 acres of asses-’
feed land in Hur/m, occupied by ap- i proximately 5,800 farmers. That'
means that in every farm there are 1
from 15 0 to 200 acres—sometimes
pm orc. These farms are managed and j
worked by one man or two. A con-
wonder is that some enterprising
fruit grower does not rent these ne
glected orchards and transform
fithem, with the pro’per culture and
care, into profitable enterprises.
As an example of the fruit grow
ing possibilities in Huron County,
the 60 acres of bearing orchard,
owned by Major R. It. Sloan is str
iking in the extreme. In all, Mr.
[Sloan has 75 acres of orchard, lo
cated near Bayfield in Goderich
Township. The soil seems to be ad
mirably adapted for tree growth
and fruit production, for the orch
ard is the picture of health and
tliriftiness. Unfortunately, this is an
off year in Major Sloan’s orchard,
as it is in many other orchards in
Huron County. John Joynt, ex-M. L.
A., near Lucknow in West Wawa-
inosh Township, made the same com- j plaint regarding crop ’ failure this
’ year,’ His Spys apparently set -well
, in the spring, but it was a false
^show and most of the fruit dropped
I We found Kenneth Cameron in the
(same township more optimistic re
garding prospects. Mr. Cameron has
acre orchard, which for ten
years yielded about 1,000 barrels
annually. The crop will be consider
ably less than that this year for Mr.
Cameron figures that the leaf roller
ihas already knocked 150 barrels off
tlie crop.
G. II. PATERSON
Agricultural Representative
for Huron County
gaining in popularity in Huron
County, w. M. Henry, in Hast Wft-
wanosh, has gone quite extensively
into sheep and last winter kept 90
breeding ewes. They are 4 short of
averaging ij lambs per ewe this
year. The ewes were wintered on
alfalfa hay, oats and a few turnips.
Last year the clip was a trifle over
9 pounds per ewe. It is a little less
this year but of better quality, for
the sheep were dipped and external
parasites destroyed. Mr. Henry now
dips his sheep twice a year. The
revenue from the flock is figured
something like this: The fleece is
worth $3 and a good lamb brings
$10. The average lamb crop is 1$
lambs pur ewe, making $15 for the
lambs and $3 for the wool, or $18
in all that can be chalked up to the
credit of each ewe.
A Growing Flock of Borsets oji tlie Farm of W. M. Henry, Huron County.
Three ewes in the flock had 17 lambs in 13 months.
other tree in each row and the trees
thus marked ran diagonally across
the orchard. When we asked for an
explanation Mr. Cameron said: 'The
orchard is getting so thick that I am
shortening in the branches of those
marked trees. They will come out
eventually and the remaining trees
will stand 5 0 feet apart,’
“If you were setting out a young
orchard, how far apart would you
set Sipys?” we. asked. And his ans
wer was; “I would set Spys 50 feet
apart on rich clay-loam soil, and 40
feet on sharp soil.
The trees ip this orchard were
well supported with wires from
branch to branch, JTie wires were
attached to the limbs by screw-eyes,
and it has been found that the wires
must be renewed every 12 years.
There is a remarkable old tree in
Mr, ‘Cameron’s orchard that has a
record worth mentioning. During
the 8 years including and following
Dorsets are’Tncrenping in
Huron County.
Jas. R. Scott, near Belgrave in Huron County, in his (Lacre Field of
Certified, Irish Cobblers, Photo taken on July 17.
jsiderable portion of each farm has,
as a rule, been devoted to pasture;
and this grass land is becoming un
productive, or “run out" to use a
common expression. The practice
now is to break up a few acres of
these old pastures every year and
seed them down again with legumes
or mixed grasses.
Driving throughout the County
recently with G. It. Paterson, the
Agricultural Representative, we not
iced a piece of hilly land devoted
to pasture.•’It appeared dry even in
a season of exceptional rain, and it
3vas practically barren. Adjoining it
on the same kind qf land, a toler
ably good crop of hay was growing,
and a considerable portion of the
crop was alfalfa. The striking com
parison admirably demonstrates the
possibilities undeveloped in much of
Huron County’s pasture land.
In the good old days when apple
trees were immune from bugs and
blight, farmers in Goderich Town
ship, and to some extent throughout
Huron County, set some splendid
orchards. Potentially they are good
orchards still, but they are now ne
glected. Mr. Paterson informed us
that there are 12,000 acres of orch-
ard in Huron County, „but only 1000
acres of that is managed on the
-commercial scale. Thirty growers
Lave subscribed to the Spray Ser
vice, and information is .sent to 60
others on a supplementary list. The
A Trailer Truck for Carrying Sheep and Lambs
Constructed by W. M. Henry, Huron County, at a cost of $23.00.
There is a striking lesson in orch
ard culture on M'r. Cameron’s place.
The orchard has been in sod for 18
years and every other year it has
received a dressing of barnyard
manure at the rate of 12 to 15 loads
per acre. He tried nitrate of soda
one year and got such a heavy set
of fruit that'he has not applied it
since. The grass is kept cut and is
thrown under the trees as a mulch.
A large percentage ot the trees in
this orchard are Spys and all are set
3 5 feet apart, We observed that a
string had been tied around every
1918, this tree produced 120 barrels
of apples, tree run. The biggest crop
in any year was 24£ barrels and 22-
barrel crops were produced a couple
of years. * The tree is 35 feet high
averages 44 feet across the branch
es and the trunk is 6J feet in cir
cumference, 2 feet from the ground.
Mr. Cameron applies four good
sprayings annually, and a spray in
this case means two applications—
one from each side. Bordeau is used
for the first spray and lime-sulphur
for the other three.
.Sheep husbandry seems to be
There is a growing flock of Dor-
sets on this farm now headed by an
outstanding Dorset ram, whose pic
ture is shown here. Three Dorsett
ewes in this flock gave birth to 17
lambs in 13 months.
A great many Western cattle come
into Huron County every year, but
the number would be greatly incre
ased if stockers and feeders could
be bought cheaper in Winnipeg and
other Western Canada points. John
Joynt. ex-M. L. A., slapped down
$9,000 for cattle in Western Canada
last fall and fed 300 head through
the winter qf 1927-28. Mr. Jojmt
did not consider it a very good deal
for oats and barley were worth sc
much last winter that it appeared,
as lip said, “Like feeding gold doll
ars into cattle.’’ One bunch of calves
brought down last autumn have
since doubled in weight and are
making good gains on the pasture
now. It was Mr. Joynt’s opinion
that the cattle business would re
main good for a time, but in order
to make money the cattle must be
bought right.
Cattle feeders were not the first
to recommend sweet clover silage;
in fact they condemned it even aftei-
dairymen had been convinced of its
merits. It wak, therefore, interesting
to hear Mr. Joynt say that he had
filled his silos a couple of times
with sweet clover and thought it
just as good as corn silage. A Scot
chman feeding for him one winter
also voiced his approval,
Wonder is expressed sometimes
that C. B. Middleton, of Goderich
Township, can get through so much
work without ever being in a hurry
and never behind. Mr. Middleton is
farming 300 acres; 25 to 3 0 acres
are devoted to beans and some to
fall wheat, but this killed out badly
last winter. He has a ten-acre block
A Bunch of 10 Cattle, Mostly Black, on the Farm of John Joynt, ex-M. L. A., of Huron County.
tjaKaamiatw^anifik”,
Plus Vi cent per mile to points beyond, but not west of
Edmonton, MacLeod and Calvary.
Returning $20.00 piu3 20c, tax from Winnipeg, plus J4
cent per mile, starting point to Winnipeg.
21
Aug. 23
31
From stations in Ontario, Toronto and east to Kingston, Smiths Falls, and Renfrew Junc
tion; Toronto to Sudbury, including line Medonte to Midland.
From stations in Ontario, Toronto and south, west and north to Bolton, including all stations
in Ontario on the Michigan Central; Pere Marquette; Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore; Grand
River, Lake Erie and Northern; and Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railways.____________
From all stations in Ontario west of Smiths Falls and south of Sudbury and Renfrew
Junction.1
SPECIAL CARS FOR LADIES AND CHILDREN
FULL INFORMATION AND TICKETS FROM NEAREST CANADIAN PACIFIC AGENT
OR W. FULTON, DISTRICT PASSENGER AGENT, TORONTO.
of orchard in the prime of bearing,
and this includes a large percentage
of Spys. Another small Spy orchard
is rented. A small orchard of Spys
and McIntosh Reds were set. recent
ly. Last year 75 trees of Salomes
brought in $1,400, and Salomes are
not in the same class as Spys and
“Macs.”
Mr. Middleton keeps about 50 or
6<> ewes and annually feeds quite a
few cattle. When tlie next farm .sur
vey is made M'r. Middleton’s way of
doing things without worry and
hurry should be recorded.
There is a striking example in
Stephen township of what can be
done with those “useless little sam
ples’’ of grain that are sent out by
the o. A. C. Several years ago Har
old Walper secured a little bag of
the O. A. C. 144 oats. One of the
best crops of oats to be seen in the
County of Huron this year is grow
ing on Mr. Walper's farm, and it
traces back to the samples received
from Guelph.
Our tour of Huron also included
a visit to the farm of Frank Wood,
who recently sold the young Short
horn bull calf. “Wyehwood,” to Mr.
Tlios. E. Wilson, of Chicago, for
$5,500. The herd was in splendid
condition and there are still some
calves in the stable that Mr, Wood
believes will rival the high price1!
calf in merit when they reach his
age.
During « respite from the hay
field, J. C. Powney, East Wawanimh
Township, gave us some interesting
figures concerning the production ot
bis hens during last winter and he
showed us a comfortable and conC
vmiient henhouse, capable of accom
modating from 400 to 500 birds,
which he had constructed at a cost
of $65. But first are the records—-
On January 1st there were 230 hens
in the flock. They were about half
and half pullets and yearlings.
In January they laid 2,15 4 eggs,
which sold for $80.53. The feed that
mouth was worth $47,20.
In February tlie egg record was
2,989, The eggs sol'd for $105.64.
The feed cost $47. there was a little
loft over from January.
The March production was 3,234
eggs worth 98.91. The feed cost
$50.78.
In April 56 hens were sold and
2,308 eggs were laid. These were
worth $5 8.17, and the feed cost
$45.10.
The May record was 2,801 eggs
laid and 54 hens sold. The eggs
were worth $57.09 and the feed cost
$24.10.
In November and December 1927
the hens just about paid their way.
.“September and October are the two
dullest months for eggs,’’ Mr. Pow
ney said.
The economical henhouse to which
we referred was constructed in the
upper part of a lean-to attached to
the barn. The windows face tlie east
•with adequate provision made for
fresh air through cotton or open
sash. The nests are orange boxes
with one side, removed. Each box
makes two nests, for it already had
a partition in it, The glass, chicken
wire, tar paper, nests and all the
accessories together cost $65. Mr.
Powney said that visitors were quite
impressed with the accommodation
provided for the hens at so little
expense, and others had made sim
ilar readjustments in their build
ings.
Mr. Powney hatched over 500
chicks this year. “I must have good
luck to put a good pullet in the pen
in the fall costing no more than
$1.3 0,’’ he said.
During the winter feeding period
the hens in this flock had dry mash
or rolled oats before them all the
time. Morning and night their feed
consisted of buckwheat, fall wheat,
oats and barley, and they were
obliged to scratch for it. The warm
mash at noon consisted of shorts
and bran with cod liver oil and what
milk there was to spare. They had
turnips every day.
When asked regarding the not
profit per hen, Mr. Powney said,
“I have not carried my figures far
enough this year to determine what
the hens have cleared; but I rem
ember selling eggs at 12 cents to
15 cents per dozen, and two good
cockerels for a quarter, and then I
know hens cleared for me $1.58 per
year.”
m *I he a is
20 ----- 30
THE MEASURING STICK OF THE
TRACTOR INDUSTRY
The University of Nebraska, which
is the standard for United States and
Canada in their Official Test No.
134, has the following to say about
the WALLIS Certified Tractor.
The Wallis Tractor pulled 75% of
is weight on the Drawbar at 2.98
miles per hour.
It Delivered 76.55% of its maxium
belt power to the Drawbar.
It Delivered one HORSE POWER at
the Drawbar for each 1G8 pounds
of its Lincoln Test Weight.
It pulled 27.05 h.p. on Low Gear at
2.98 miles per hour.
It pulled 26.36 h.p. on High Gear
at 3.77 Bailes per hour.
Arthur Jones
MASSEY-HARRIS MACHINERY
GOAL
BUY GOHL NOW
Prices away down for Month of May
No. 1 B. C. 5x Shingles $1.16 bunch
7 wire woven fence per rod 38c.
8 wire woven fence per rod 42 c.
FERTILIZER ON HAND
A. J. CLATWORTHY
Phone 12
GRANTON, ONTARIO
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Highest market prices paid
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Crates loaned- free
Write for our guaranteed
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Returns made the same day
poultry arrives
References:- Royal Bank, College
& Bathurst; Dun's & Bradstreet’s
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