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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1970-02-19, Page 18l3 C~irltorl NeWP-BecOrci, FgbillOy 194 1970 774/01ficrw. 41. The old familiar barn (top left) that for generations has dotted The Canadian countryside is gradually giving way to the more modern single storey structure (seen at top right). Feet, for livestock is transported from the silos by electric augers and elevators. Nerve centre of the farm building complex is the electrical panel (seen at lower right). MAPLE LEAF MILLS LIMITED SEED DIVISION EXETER 235-0363 For Personal Service And the Kind of Quality . You Can Depend On . . . . SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER HARDI-GREEN PASTURE MIXES Nev" and Improved Varieties of Es CLOVER • TIMOTHY • GRASSES FIELD SEEDS & GRASSES Maple syrup production cost variations, 1967-69 • INVEST NOW Guaranteed Investment Certificates are now pay- ing a record interest of 9% per annum, payable half yearly. For further information write or telephone collect: STANDARD TRUST 214 Bay Street, Toronto, 363-5477 area code 416 for the name of your nearest agent MENILER CANADA DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING Notice Is Hereby Given That the 95th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE Hay Township Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company will be held in the , Township Hail, Zurich — ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1970 AT 2:00 P.M. To elecf Three Ohreetors to replace those whose term of Office expires and to transact all business as may be done at a general meeting of policyholders. The refiring'directors are Arnold McCann, bashwood; Theo SteinbaCh, tirieh, and Ezra Webb, Grand Bend, who are eligible for re=election, Mr. Webb does not intend to stand for re-election. JACK 8COTCHMER, JOHN R. CONSITI, PreSident Secretary-Treasurer .„„ CLINTON OUTLOOK 197Q If a 14-Yeareold boy were to ask you, today if he should gP farming, what would you tell him? Perhaps yott would eutline the difficulties -- the shrinking profit margin, the hard work, the long hours, the need for more education, more land, bigger and more sophisticated eqpipment and buildings. Perhaps you shottld also tell him about some of the adjustments Canadian Agriculture will be undergoing in the next ten years. The scope of the problem was spelled out by.economists at the recent Canadian Agricultural Outlook Conference held in Ottawa. They pointed out that, if We were to slice the totaleagrieeltural income pie equally, paying each farmer $4,000 for his time and skill in running his business and another $4,000 for risking his money, there would only be 154,000 slices, In other words, only 154,000 farmers, But, according to the last census, we had 431,000 farms in Canada in 1966. The trend .has been towards fewer, but bigger farms. Yet the trend projections indicate that we will still have about 315,000 farms in Canada 10 years from new, The present rates of adjustment in farm numbers, rum' size and farming.population are - not, therefore, enough to solve the income problem of Canadian agriculture by 1980. It may well be that, in discussing the rewards of farming, we all too often ignore the very real problems of the industry. OUTLOOK The economists arrived at 1969 figures from studies during September, October and November, then they made a 'forecast for the new year. In general terms, they say the livestock outlook is brighter than the crop outlook. Last fall it appeared that total cash receipts from agricultural production would decline in 1969 by about $100 million while expenses increased by 3.5 percent. ASS a result, realized net farm income was down about 10 percent to $1,425 million, with the tightest pinch being felt in Saskatchewan where the dependence on grain crops is greatest. • The outlook is for more of the same this year — total cash recipts down slightly — with field crops bearing the brunt of the decrease — and expenses up again, but not climbing as fast as they did last year. The economists, when they look ahead ten years, predict that capital coats will go up another 53 percent and operating costs ill double. WHEAT The outlook continues gloomy for Canadian wheat sales. The surplus will continue to grow, pushed upward by the big 1969 crop. By the end of the crop year on July 31, we will have more than a billion bushels of wheat on hand, setting a record. The economists say that we will need only 20 million acres seeded to wheat compared to 24.9 million acres last year and 29.6 million acres in 1968: FEED GRAINS There was a large increase in barley production last year, a small increase in oats and a drop in corn. This year we will need about 6.5 million acres seeded to oats compared to 7.9 million acres last year and about nine million acres of barley compared to 9.5 million last year. Corn, acreage will be up again this year. OILSEEDS The outlook for oilseeds is mixed. Prices for flaxseed will likely ease and there should be a big cutback in acreage — from the 2.4 million acres last year to between 1.5 and two million acres this year. We can use rapeseed from about 2.2 million acres this year, although -prices will fall well below last year's levels if the crop substantially exceeds 40 million bushels. There is ample scope for increased soybean production—we import about 400,000 acres worth annually from the United States—but prices will be a problem. Sunflower seed production could be increased substantially. LIVESTOCK AND MEAT The outlook is for prices to remain above year-ago levels for feeder cattle during the first quarter. Prices for fed cattle will be. extremely sensitive to supply and demand and a relatively small change in total marketings could cause a sharp price fluctuation. The underlying trend will be a gradual strengthening of fed cattle prices throughout 1970. Veal prices are expected to remain high right through the year. Good prices are expected to remain for slaughter lambs; the wool clip will be about the same as last year. Hog, gradings for the first six months this year will be eight to 12 percent higher than the same six months last year. Total 1970 gradings are likely to recover from 1969 levels to about the level of 1968 with prices steady, Canada will likely be exporting more pork to the United States. A heavy supply of broiler chickens in storage could affect the 1970 market and prices. Farmers may increase marketings of heavy turkeys slightly this year. There has been a rapid buildup in the national egg laying flock, so prices will likely be lower in the first half of 1970: DAIRY The Canadian dairy industry will continue to make adjustments. The world market outlook is not encouraging and in Canada milk production is expected to increase again this year while consumption goes down. Milk prices will hinge on the Canadian Dairy Commission policy for the 1970.71 fiscal year because the Commission policies are setting the effective price for most dairy products and the Commission also makes substantial direct subsidy payments to farmers who produce manufacturing milk under quota. The Commission policies also have some effect on prices for fluid milk, but only in an indirect manners FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Apples will meet, increased corripetition from Washington and Michigan States this winter atid'early spring and France will put up a stiff fight for the British and European Markets. More apples will move into juice, solid pack and pie filling. Prices will tend to be lower this year; the present production potential suggests farmers k should not plant any more acreage to applet. The potato crop Was down about six percent last year, although acreage waa tip one percent. Prime will likely be low for fresh potatoes in Canada; stocks of United States processed potatoes are also high, se< prices for processed potatoes will tend to weaken. The effect of the new seed potato certification program will be more evident this year and in 1971, expanding potential export markets. And that's the way the agricultural economists view the start of „,the '70s. FARMER'S INCOME TAX SERVICE- Year 'Round Services BOokkeepititt interne Tax *Businesses *Contractors *Farmers *Individuals BOk 35, LLiCAN, 9NT, PHONE 2274861 We will come to your taut or place of business tfn The .Scene is, a barn on a Jarle dairy farm in. Canadian ince,. Enter a young lad !IWO Andy who gets up. half an hour earlier than most city 'boys his. age. Andy flips .several switche,s1 OM stands hack to listen as a number of machines. spring .to life.% In no time at all 200 puree bred Holstein. cattle are fed- and watered. Andy then flips another switch to start the barn cleaning machinery,. After that, he bps breakfast and heads for school,. .Sounds easy, and it is, when to the hack-breaking tasks that faced Andy's grande father 30 years ago :and even his father 15 years ago, Aotomation on the farm is helping the farm operator per- form the hard, back-breaking and time-consuming tasks in a quer, ter of the time, at a fraction of the cost of the mantle! labour that would be necessary' for the same Volume of work. Electrically driven machinery has replaced the hired hand and other members of the family who migrated to the cities over the past two decades. Twisting augers worm their way through long lines of iron piping to deliver feed to livestock when time clocks announce the time for breakfast. Chopping mills mix and grind a variety of grains, protein sup- plement, minerals and medication in proportions designated by dial settings, to produce the Maximum weight gain and production. levels. Pressure pumps send water Hailstorms, early summer frost, an unusually severe winter, and drought in some areas and too much rain in others.... These were some of the conditions that led to crop losses for many farmers across Canada in 1969 — and likely to a greater awareness of the security afforded growers by provincially-operated federally-supported crop insurance programs. A survey of the eight provinces where programs care in• operation indicates that indemnities to insured farmers will exceed $13,500,000 for losses during the year, reports the Canada Department of Agriculture's Crop Insurance Administration. In British Columbia, grower indemnities are expected to reach at least $3,000,000. About two-thirds of this amount will go, to orchardists and small fruit producers for losses that followed a' bitterly cold winter. And in the province's Peace River district, claims may top $1,000,000 for losses to grain crops caused by frost and unfavorable harvest weather that left most crops standing over winter for harvesting this spring. A heavy June frost, widely scattered hailstorms and early summer drought contributed to crop problems in Alberta. The province also experienced one of the worst harvest seasons on record, particularly in the northern district where many grain crops were left standing to be harvested this spring. Settlement of claims could run as high as $4,000,000. An early summer frost, hailstorms• and a poor harvest season are the, factors in grain crop losses in Saskatchewan. Indemnities paid to date amount to $350,000, but this figure could. rise sharply if the large acreage left unthreshed cannot be harvested this spring. In Manitoba, excessive June rainfall, which left many fields flooded, and rainy harvest weather caused extensive losses through .plastic hosing to elec., trically,warmed water bowls. Chain-like racks push Manure along gutters behind the rows of cattle to central pits. The manure is often stored in large concrete tanks before it is distributed on the fields. The new; modern machinery is installed in the modern, single- storey steel and aluminum build- ing without windows that is re- placing the old style frame barn with hayloft. Electric fans coun- terbalance the heat given off by the animal population and create a carefully - controlled environ- ment for the livestock. to grain crops. More than 4,000 claims are being held in abeyance pending spring harvesting of crops left unthreshed last fall. Too much rain was the story, too, in Ontario where wet weather hit soybean, tomato, spring grains and winter wheat crops. Indemnity payments to growers are expected to total about $1,000,000. In Quebec, indemnity payments ;, are e amount to $2,500,000 for losses in crops covered by the provincial plan — forage and grain crops used as livestock feed; forages and grains grown as cash crops, and flue-cured tobacco. High winds and wet weather have resulted in claims amounting to more than $29,000 from Prince Edward Island farmers for damage to Some aspects of porosity in farm buildings can be used to increase the efficiency of present ventilating equipment, says Dr, D. R. Pattie, School of Agricultural Engineering, University of Guelph. At present, says Dr. Pattie, the electrically-driven exhaust fan is the most popular way to obtain ventilation. Using a combination of two fans of different capacities or the two-speed type of fan provides continuous ventilation. With this type of equipment, stale air in the building is replaced by fresh air filtering through the structure of the building and through openings like chutes, doors, windows and air inlets. Encouraging the filtration of ventilation air through the structure of a building reduces - the conductive heat loss of the structure almost to zero, even where the insulation value of the structure is poor, Filtration also allows draft free ventilation. Dr. Pattie notes there should be a Uniform filtration of air over a Consumption of electrical energy on the farm has risen dramatically over the last two decades, according to the Farm Electrification Bureau. In 1948, average monthly con- sumption on farms was 241 kilo- watt hours. Ten years later, it was 441 kilowatt-hours and in 1968 it was, 934, In short, electrical consumption on the farm has doubled with each decade since 1948. Prosperity on the farm is a reality today. It has been made possible, through the harnessing 'of highly efficient low cost elec- trical energy and machines, potato, oats, barley and mixed grain crops. • In Nova Scotia, crop loss claims are expected to amount to $8,000. It was the first year of operation <for the, province's program which provides coverage for grain crops. Early summer drought and yellow dwarf virus disease in barley were the main reasons for crop damage. In 1969, 63,000 farmers across Canada carried a total of e$180000,000 worth of insurance. Under a federal-provincial program, the federal government pays 50 percent of the administrative costs and 25 percent of the premium cost to farmers. If a provincial insurance plan is judged to be -actuarily sound, the federal government also guarantees losses in excess of premiums either by loans or through re-insurance. large area of the structure for the best results. Such an inflow of air cuts off the escape of heat, so that a higher inside temperature can be maintained. It also allows for more ventilation, which in turn means lower humidity and fewer odors. Dr. Pattie said tests had shown that if infiltration of the air is prevented by the use'of a plastic sheet; with an opening that admits only a little air, a lower overall inside temperature results. 'Most buildings are sufficiently porous, that it is not really necessary to provide openings for air, especially in cold weather. No building should be so porous, however, that the fans installed cannot control its ventilation. By Howard:Henry Soils and Crop Specialist Ontario Department of . Agriculture and FOod University of Guelph Guelph, Ontari4 If yqu are thinking of growing soybeans for the first time, look up All the information you can to avoid making mistakes. One good source is Publication 173, A New Look at Soybeans, available at county or district offices of the Ontario Department of.Agriculture and Food. It outlines the following important points in soybean production. Soybeans grow best on level, well-drained, fertile loam and clay loam fields, free of perennial weeds such as quack grass, chicory and Canada thistle. They often suffer from drought and herbicide injury on sandy soils. A wide range of maturities is available, To find varieties that will mature in your area, check Publication 296, Field Crop Recommendations, also available at county or district offices of the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food. Soybeans do not show much response to fertilizer applied at seeding time, but respond well to residual fertility from previous crops such as corn. A soil test is the best guide to what fertilizer is needed. General recommendations call for 125" pounds per acre of nitrogen, phosphate and potash in a 1-4-2 ratio on clay and 175 pounds per acre of nitrogen, phosphate and potash in a 1.4-4 ratio on loam or sand, broadcast before planting, or banded 2 inches below and 2 inches to the side of the seed. An additional 30 pounds of nitrogen per acre may boost yields when soybeans are grown in a field for the first time, because bacteria which supply nitrogen may not be present. Manganese deficiency sometimes appears. Veins stay green while the rest of the leaf turns pale green or white. Apply 8 to 10 pounds of manganese sulfate in 20 gallons of water per acre with a herbicide-free sprayer as soon as the symptoms appear. Apply a soybean-type inoculant to the seed just before planting."'Bactelea' in' the inoculant convert nitrogen from air into a form that can be used by soybeans. Seed also should be , treated with a fungicide- insecticide combination except when soybeans are grown in a field for the first time. The seed inoculant, so important in these fields, is more effective when the fungicide-insecticide is omitted. Soybeans generally yield best in narrow row spacings, particularly when early, short varieties are grown, Plants should fill all the space between the rows by the time the crop is in full bloom. To achieve this, grow Merit and Altona varieties in 7 to 14-inch, Ilardome and Chippewa in 14 to 21-inch, and Harosoy in 21 to 28-inch row spacings. Level the soil as much as possible before seeding so the combine can operate close to the ground and catch the lowest pods at harvest. Sow approximately 60 pounds (one bushel) of seed per acre in 28-inch, 75 pounds in 21-inch, 90 pounds in 14-inch and 105 pounds in 7-inch row spacings. Also check seed drop because seed size varies from one variety t d another. Sow approximately 12 seeds per foot in 28-inch rows, 10 per foot in 21-inch rows,' 8 per foot in 14-inch rows and 6 per foot in 74110 rows- Soybeans can be sown withagrain drill or corn planter equipped with bean plates. Do not sow over 11/2 to 2 inches deep unless the seed bed is very dry. Pack after seeding, but be Prepared t0 break soil crusts with a rotary hoe if seedlings have trouble emerging. Good weed control is important, Deep-rooted perennial weeds must be brought under control before soybeans are grown, probably while growing corn. Annual weeds can be controlled in the soybeans with a rotary'hoe, herbicides and row cultivation. In 7 and 14-inch rows, row cultivation is not practical so over-all treatment with herbicides is necessary. Many herbicides are recommended for soybeans. Some give good control of broadleaf annual weeds while others' are good on annual grasses. As a result, two herbicides are often mixed together in the sprayer, or applied separately at different times, to obtain control of both weed types. See Publication 75, By W. J. Dillon, Economist Farm Economics, • Co-operatives and Statistics Branch Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food A cost study on maple syrup production for the years 1967, 1968 and 1969 on Ontario farms reveals the variations in costs and net returns that can occur from year to year. Seventy-seven records suitable for analysis purposes were collected over the three-year period. The size of operation on a group basis varied from 1,213 trees tapped per' farm in 1968, to 1,441 trees per farm in 1969. The number of taps per farm ranged from 1,664 to 2,075. Production varied from 297 gallons per farm on a group average to 368 gallons. Individual variations were even greater. At .18 to .19 gallons of syrup per tap, it took 51/2 to 6 taps to produce a gallon of syrup.. Labor hours per gallon and per 100 taps were fairly constant for the three years on a group average basis. Labor hours per gallon were 1.7 and 1.8 for the u i de to. Chemical Weed. Control. Careful harvest is very important, Combine slowly and close to the ground to -catch low pods, The reel should he ahead of the otter liar and operate at about 11/4 times the ground speed of the machine. The combine can operate closer to the ground if the seedbed is packed after ,seeding to push down soil ridges and stones. Check settings for concaves, cylinders and fans in the manufacturer's' manual. Small lots of soybeans can be stored in bins like cereal grains if moisture content is 13 percent or less, When large quantities are stored for long periods, or during warm weather, they must be aerated even when low in moisture. Soybeans may be sold as a cash crop or fed as a protein supplement (38 percent crude protein). They can be ground and fed raw to cattle and sheep, but must be heat-treated for swine and poultry. three years, and ranged from 30 to 321/2 hours per 100 taps. Gross returns per farm ranged from $1,922 to , $2,536, and total costs per farm from $1,708 to $2,251, Gross returns per gallon varied from $6.04 to $6.90, and costs per gallon from $4.77 to $6.16. The lowest cost per gallon ($4.77) in 1967 is attributed in part to lower investment in syrup equipment per farm on a smaller number of farms (15) and the lower labor rate ($1.25) assessed per hour for family labor, compared to $1.50 per hour for the 1968 and 1969 records. Net returns per farm, in order of value, were $89 in 1968, $285 in 1969, and $454 in 1967 or a spread of $365. Net returns per gallon were 30c in 1968, 78c in 1969, and $1.27 in 1967. Net returns per tap varied from 5c to 24e. Gross returns per dollar of costs were $1.05 in 1968, $1.13 in 1969, and $1.27 in 1967. If we take 20 percent as a reasonable margin above costs, ,only • one year, (1967) gave ,e, reasonably good return above all costs. ELECTRICITY KEEPS THEM OW\ ON 'TOE FARM Information for Soybeans_ tr ATTENTION FARMERS WE HAVE A LIMITED ACREAGE OF BEANS FOR EXPORT, .TO CONTRACT For Further Information Contact BILL HILL: MITCHELL - 34E3.8666 Or' BILL HOCKING: KIRKTON — 229-6515 Crop insurance necessary Porosity of buildings aids good ventilation