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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1970-11-05, Page 14SNAPPING TURTLE — Photo by Ontario Department of Lands and Forests Turtle's of Ontario ,P....V•Zi.*:::::::::.•;:.•::::;:;•;q:••••••••••••••••• • • • J. Douglas Jamieson new head of livestock at Centralia College The 1971 Mini-1Sn°. A smaller machine at a smaller price. BUY YOUR MOTO-SKI NOW WITH NO DOWN• PAYMENT No payments until the snow flies (December 1st 1970) no carrying charges if paid for within 90 days. Ask for details. Only moto-ski gives you a 2-year track warranty (one cylinder models) You can own this dazzling little beauty for just S.595.00 ()1.0,I3. Factory) And that includes a track of rubberized steel cleats, with a two year warranty. Control cables that virtually never freeze. A suspension system that makes big bumps little bumps. And more safety features than you ever imacgined. Bring your wife down, and look it over. After all, the 1971Mini-Sno is just her size. omorcoma We're tougher7 ways. 80-Lb BY CLINTON LOBB &SONS 2.,,94gi SERVING •CLINTON AND DISTRICT SINCE 1945 Gordon Grigg Fuels PHONE 4$24411 Call Our Agent ROSS HMV 'FE All FARM & HEATING PETROLEUM NEEDS. CLINTON No Waiting on Cleenouts' Pick Your Date Now! For your safety our delivery trucks carry fuel oil only FOR FREE BURNER SERVICE NIGHT OR DAY CALL 482-9411 Good today.... better tomorrow anada Sandhi' Bond-s An investment that grows and grows Canada Savings Bonds help you plan ahead—look to the future without worry. They're Canada's most popular personal investment. Canada Savings Bonds are easy to buy for cash or on inStalments, in amounts ranging from $50 up to $25,000. Canada Savings Bonds are cold, hard cash— instantly, They can be redeemed any time at their full face value plus earned interest. Canada SavingS Bonds are safe—backed by all the resources of Canada. They're a very special security, New Canada Savings Bonds yield an average of 7%% a year when held to maturity. ach $100 Bond begins with $6.75 interest for the first year, pays $7.75 inter- est for each of the next three years, and then pays $8.00 interest for each of the last seven years. On top of this you can earn interest on your interest. You can make each $100 grow to $227.60 in just eleven years. That's why we say, Canada Savings Bonds are good today, better tomorrow; an investment that grows and grows. 7 y4 0 0 average annual interest to maturity Buy yours today where you work, bank or IMAM t546.4 6A. Clinton New$•:13ecOd, Thgrglay, .November 5 197Q Pollution -are farm fertilizers. .a cause? To what eNtr,ifft does fertilizer use contribute to environmental pollutiog? Many statements in the pres$ have impressed on the -minds of the public that fertilizer use on the farm is a serious polluter.. Complaintsabound that many rivers, ponds, and lakes are being polluted by a tremendous growth of algae and other water plants. Since one limited factor for algal growth in most water is phospherus, the phosphorus level in lakes and streams thus becomes of prime concern. The large amounts of phosphorus that are used as fertilizer give rise to the claim that fertilizer use is responsible for a major portion of the phosphorus in our waters. Dr. M. B. Miller of the Department of Soil Science, University of Guelph, states that only ,a very small percentage of this phosphorus may reach our ground or surface waters. When applied to the soil phosphorus fertilizer reacts very quickly to form compounds which are only slightly soluble in the soil solution. There is very little Mr. J. A. MacDonald, Principal of Centralia College of Agricultural Technology, has announced the appointment of the following instructors to the College staff. J. Douglas Jamieson, formerly of the Agronomy Division, has been named head of the Livestock Division. Mr. Jamieson graduated with a B.S.A. in Animal Husbandry and an M.Sc. in Swine Nutrition from the Ontario Agricultural College. He has had experience as a lecturer in livestock production, both at Centralia and at Kemptville. He also served as assistant agricultural representative for 1.,incoln and Welland counties. Mr. Jamieson is a native of Huron County and was raised on a farm near Clinton, Ontario. Donald Orth has been appointed Director of Student Affairs and Dean of Men, as well as lecturer in Livestock Production. Mr. Orth previously worked with Agricultural Manpower, co-ordinating programs for foreign agricultural trainees. He also spent fifteen, years in Japan as an agricultural missionary. Mr. Orth graduated with a B.S.A. from the Ontario Agricultural College at Guelph. He received his B.D. degree from the University of Toronto, and his M.Sc. from Cornell University. John R. Stephens has transferred from the Farm Minister urges planning for AG. Congress Agriculture Minister H.A. (Bud) Olson has urged national agricultural organizations to begin planning immediately for the Canadian Agricultural Congress to be held in Ottawa, November 25,27. The Congress has been called by Mr. Olson to study the report of the Federal Task Force on Agriculture published recently. The Minister noted that the Canada Department of Agriculture would be preparing a reference paper as would some provincial agriculture departments. These papers will outline agricultural programs at both levels of government and their relevande to the Task Force proposals. , "I hope that national organizations interested in agriculture will also prepare reference papers to be circulated to participants prior to the Congress," he said. 4`I don't went to limit in any way the scope or the content of such papers," Mr. Olson said, "bat I would suggest that each organization make known its objectives in relation to the Task Force' recommendations — objectives backed up with quantitative evidence wherever possible," Organizational details and more specific information on the Congress will be announced at the end of August. The Ilederal Co•ordiriator for the Congress it Dr.. Ro) ‘.nci Poirier,f Ataistant DePuty.Miruster (Ecdnoniica), d(wnward movement Of phosphorus in the soil. Therefore, We can conclude that fertilizer use is not contributing significantly to Pollution through leaching of phosphorus to the groundwater, Because e‘ there is little ,.downward movement of Phosphorus in soil, fertilization increases the phosphorus content of the surface soil. Therefore, soil eroded /from fertilized fields will be higher in phosphorus than that from unfertilized fields. If fertilizer use is contributing to buildup of phosphorus in our water supplies, it will be through erosion and not leaching. Certainly there may be considerable loss of soil from cultivated land by surface runoff. The problem is to determine how much of this soil reaches our streams. The movement of soil from the top to the bottom of a slope. while undesirable from a crop production standpoint, will not contribute to pollution unless the sediment is carried directly Economics, Co-operatives and Statistics Branch, of the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food, to head .the Business Management Ell,i`sio,.n. Mr. Stepheris;'. a native of Elgin County, graduated in 1955 from the two-year diploma program at the University of Guelph, and in 1959 received his B.Sc. in Farm Management from Michigan State University. In 1966 he obtained his M.Sc. from the Department of Extension Education, University of Guelph. John A. Lawrence has been appointed lecturer in Business Management. Mr. La*reric graduated with a, •.B.S.e. (Agr.) from the . Ontario Agricultural College, and is currently completing his M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics. Mr. Lawrence has worked as a research assistant at the University of Guelph, on farm simulation models and problems of farm taxation. He was raised on a dairy farm near Embro, Ontario. Donald M. Blacklock has been appointed lecturer in English and Communications. Mr. Blacklock graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.Sc. in adult education and communications from the Department of Extension Education, University of Guelph. Mr. Blacklock will also be instructing chemistry in the Home Economics Division. .into a stream, pond, or lake, The Lake grie. Report of the Federal Water Foliation Control Admiaistration, United .States. Department of the 'Interior,. attributes 72 per cent of the phosphorus pollution of Lake Erie to ..niuni0Pai wastes. Of the remainder, 17 per cent is attributed to rural runoff 0,m1 4 per cent to industrial waste. The report of the International Joint ' commission on the Pollution of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and- the. International -Section of. the St. Lawrence River estimates that 24 per cent of the phosphorus in Lake Erle and 9.5 per cent of that in Lake Ontario comes from 'land drainage.. This includes phosphorus carried in sediments from erosion of stream banks, road construction sites, and ditches as well as surface erosion from farm fields. It can be conservatively estimated that less than 50 per cent of the sediment comes from farm fields. Although these sediments do contain phosphorus, the greatest proportion of this phosphorus occurs naturally • rather than being a result of fertiliZer use. Although it is impossible at this time to place an accurate figure on the proportion of the phosphorus reaching the lakes that comes from fertilizer application,"it is fairly safe to say that less than two and one half per cent of the phosphorus reaching Lake Erie and Lake Ontario can be; attributed to fertilizer use. Dr. Miller notes further that nitrogen is another component of fertilizers that is of concern from a pollution standpoint. Nitrogen, as well as phosphorus and other nutrients, is required for algal growth. The natural levels of nitrogen found in lakes are usually more than adequate for algal growth. However high levels,. of nitrate nitrogen in our water supplies do comprise a danger to the health of animals and babies. In cattle, high nitrates in water or feed will cause abortion, or, in more severe cases, death. In infants, particularly those under six months of age, nitrates are converted to nitrites in the stomach causing an affliction known as "blue baby". Adults are not affected as the nitrates are not converterlito nitrites., The iiSe dkitibgen in Ontario for r crop ' 'production has increased eightfold daring the last 17 years. Much of this nitrogen is added in -the ammonium form, The ammoniumion (NH4t) adheres to the soil particles and therefore .moves slowly in. the The ...wornottiorn ion is, however, converted rather quickly in the soil to pitrate (NO3) by microbial action. The nits ate ion .does not adhere to the soil particles and is thus free to move with the soil water,. Thus, if nitrogen in excess of that which the crop can use is applied to the nitrate-nitrogen will be leached to the groundwater. In a trial conducted by the Department of Soil Science, University of Guelph, nitrogen greatly in excess of that required for maximum crop yield was applied to a plot for two years. The groundwater beneath the plot contained 66 ppm of nitrogen in the nitrate form in December of the second year. When this level is compared with the 10 ppm eonsidered to be the upper limit for human use we must conclude that at that particular time the groundwater beneath the plot was polluted. If such conditions were applied to a large proportion of our agricultural land,, we could be faced with a very serious pollution problem. Dr. Miller says that nitrogen fertilizer is essential to efficient crop production. No one who understands crop production would suggest that our farmers should not - use nitrogen fertilizer. The objective should be to have adequate levels of nitrogen in the soil during the growing season without having excessive levels of nitrate remaining . in the fall. It is impossible to have a satisfactory level of crop production without contributing some nitrates to the , groundwater. We can, however, keep the contribution to a minimum and . acceptable level by wise fertilization practices. The rates of nitrogen recommended by the Soil Testing Service provided by the Department of Soil Science, University of Guelph, in co-operation with the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food, are designed to give the farmer the greatest profit per acre. If applied at the proper time, these rates will not cause unacceptable increases of nitrates in our water supplies. Seventh in a series. The snapper is found where there is suitable habitat throughout most of southern Ontario and as far north as Lake Nipissing and Thunder Bay Forest District. It is often regarded as a villain but, in spite of its large size and powerful jaws, it is handicapped to some extent. It can't withdraw completely into its shell for protection which may account, in part, for the offensive tactics it adopts when disturbed. If stepped on in the water, the snapper usually draws in its head and will readily retreat from bathers. On land, however, it won't hesitate to attack. If improperly handled, a large specimen would be capable of biting off a finger. If it is necessary to carry a snapper, it should be picked up by the tail and held at arms length, well away from the body, Ontario's largest turtle may attain a weight of 40 pounds and a carapace length of more than 16 inches, and it may live for from five to seven years. There are three distinct longitudinal keels on the rough, sculptured-like carapace of the young, but these become so worn with age that the whole shell may appear quite smooth. The rear edge of the carapace is markedly serrated. The plastron is somewhat cross-shaped and extremely small for such a large turtle; thus, much of the fleshy underparts are unprotected. The snapper's head is large, and both tips of its powerful jaws are sharply hooked. There are two small barbels on the chin, and the skin on the neck is rough and 'warty'. The long tail, quite thick at the base, is covered With 'warty' tubercles. The colour varies from almost black to light brown, a medium brown being most common. The carapace is darker than the rest of the body while the underparts may be dull yellow in adults and gray in the young. Newly hatched specimens appear to be almost black. The snapping turtle inhabits large bodies of water, such as , lakes and rivers, but may also be found in marshes and in quiet parts of streams if the water is sufficiently deep. It is aquatic and, like the musk turtle, seldom comes on shore to sun-bathe. It is omnivorous, taking fish, insects, crustaceans and other small animals it can catch easily. It must eat with the head submerged. It consumes some sport fish (although they are usually too fast for this clumsy turtle) and young waterfowl, but the bulk of its food is coarse fish such as carp, catfish and other species which frequent muddy-bottomed waters, its favorite haunts, It is the most common turtle in Algonquin Provincial Park, and naturalists there have noted that captive specimens often prefer dead food. This also frequently applies to those in the wild, making snappers beneficial as scavengers. The snapper lays its eggs in June in soft earth or sand. Sandy beaches, railroad and road beds are frequently chosen as nesting sites. There are usually 20 to 30 eggs in a clutch, although as many as 80 have been recorded in the U.S.A. They are round and slightly more than an inch in diameter, Half of the egg is white; the other half is pink. The shell is hard, tough and somewhat brittle. The mortality rate is high during the egg stage as they are relished by raccoons, foxes and other predators. Hatching usually occurs in late August or September. There are a few cases of these turtles being extremely tame, but in most cases they have been raised in captivity. A few years ago, a woman rescued a snapper, from people who were trying to shoot it, at a lake in Muskoka. It weighed about 30 pounds, but she noted that it was very docile and had a hole drilled in its shell. She found a home for it with a young couple who were members of the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Society. They took it to numerous conservation exhibits (carrying it about like a baby), with its massive feet and head always resting on their shoulders. People stroked it like any dog or cat. When the couple's startled apartment superintendent caught sight of this 'monster' ambling across the floor, knocking over a few small tables in its path, he told them that either they or the turtle must go! The pet was turned over to a zoo which, unfortunately, was not equipped to provide the warmth needed by reptiles in winter, The problem was happily solved when the curator of a large zoo in Ita'y became so taken' with this tame turtle that he purchased it. Young snappers are often popular as pets, but because of the enormous size they will attain are a poor choice. This turtle could face extinction if wanton killing continues because of exaggerated fears of its dangerousness or if it becomes exploited by those who collect it as food. Water pollution could also reduce the numbers of this aquatic species.