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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-09-23, Page 29THE OLD FASHIONED WAY—Plowing with a team of match at the Usborne farm of Ken Duncan. Above Ken Ross of St. Marys guides the team horses featured Saturday's Huron plowing Duncan takes h'old of the plow while Lorne in heading for the fields. T-A Photo QUEEN OF THE FURROW—Lori Stafford was crowned Queen of the Furrow at Saturday's Huron County plowing match. Above, Miss Stafford is shown with members of the committee John and June Clark and Elaine and Howard Datars. T-A Photo Bill Stewcirt's Huron match is successful Times-Advocate, September 23 1976 More to plowing than you may think SAVE ON OIL Hydraulic Oil $1 785 Per 5 Gallon Pail * Engine Oil COME COME SAVE SAVE EXETER FORD* Equipment Sales 11 Ltd. .Thames Road East Phone 235-2200 BOB HOLLOW Your local Sales and Service Steel Building man will give local service, the best quality and the lowest prices. Contact me before steel prices rise. Good Luck and Good Farming. M' WONDER STEEL BtilthliNCV k BOB HOLLOW St. Marys, Ont. NOM 2V0 CALL COLLECT 010 677-1980 FERTILIZER LAND FORAGE Works for you now and next spring. Guaranteed pricing — You'll save money if fertilizer prices go up in the spring. If prices go down your CO-OP will rebate the difference. You can't lose! Equipment is available now — because spreading service isn't as busy in the fall. You can fertilize when it suits you, when fields are still firm and dry. Fertilizer is available now — There's a much better chance of getting your exact fertilizer formula in the fall. And without waiting in the usual spring line-up. Your crops get a fast, healthy start — when fertilizer is where it's needed, when it's needed during 'the critical early growth. Eases your spring work load — Your time in the spring when you've got plenty to do is valuable. Get your fertilizer on in the fall, when you can afford the time? These are all good reasons for spreading CO-OP fertilizer this fall. And your Co-operative is ready to help in any way you want, with: custom blended formulations, bulk spreading, equipment rental, bag of bulk pick-up or delivery. Fertilize your fields, now! Plow it down and forget about it. It's one less job you'll have to find time for next spring! •••• • tv• -;••.; , Exeter District Telephone 235-2081 Co-operatives work for you! Don't mention losses There's more to plowing than just riding a tractor across a field while a piece of equipment turns the ground over. To about 40 Huron County farmers plowing is an art, a technique and a skill all rolled into one. The farmers think enough of the art of plowing to make it worthy of competition and for 49 years have been pitting their skills against one another in the annual Huron County Plowing match. The 49th Annual match was held Saturday at the farm of Ken Duncan of Usborne township about eight miles east of Exeter, The competitors gathered from all over the county to plow in one of the eight classes sponsored by the Huron Plowman's Association while businessmen also tried their skills behind a horse drawn walking plow in a special class held for non far- mers. Like any other competition the If primary producers are always going to be the butt of unfavourable, or otherwise, comments regarding the cost of food in the Consumer Price Index, then, as a farmer, I have a right to know information con- cerning disposable incomes, collective productivity and, finally, cost of government. I venture to suggest that there are many other Canadians who would like to know "the other side of the coin" too. I suggest as well that if such figures were known by the public there would be less talk by the Canadian Labour Congress of a withdrawal of all labour ser- vices on October 14 next. One wonders where our society and economy is headed when one recognizes the incredible power of labour unions. Need weather cooperation The white bean harvest is off to a good start according to Mike Miller of the agriculture office in Clinton. However, how much is I4te vested varies greatly through- out the county, anywhere from 75 percent of the crop along the lakefront to 40 percent in other areas. The quality of the beans so far has been good and while the overalll yield may be down a little, it will not be a drastic drop. Any beans still in the fields will not be deteriorating in the present damp weather, in fact it will help eliminate some of the splitting from dryness which was occurring earlier last week. Mr. Petch at Cooks Mill in Hensall agreed the yield varies greatly as did a representative of Thompsons Mill in Hensall and Earl Wagner from the Hensall Co-op, adding the quality so far is good. The most serious thing the wet weather seems to be doing is delaying the bean harvest, Mr. Miller pointed out. Many of the farmers have spring wheat to plant and if they haven't got their beans off soon there may be some difficulty getting the planting done. The sileage corn harvest is just getting started and the grain corn harvesting is still a few weeks away according to Mr. Miller. The warmer weath- er in the past while has helped the corn a good deal and most of it is now ripe enough that even frost wouldn't hurt, in fact, a frost would help the corn ripen. Another week or two of good weather would ensure a good corn crop. Protect alfalfa in the fall Good fall management can make the difference between a thick or thin stand of alfalfa next year. Damage to the alfalfa crop actually occurs in the fall, although it may die over the winter period, says Professor R.S. Fulkerson, Department of Crop Science, Ontario Agricultural College. Farmers should avoid grazing or cutting too near the critical fall harvest date, if they want to protect their crop, Harvesting close to the critical date allows the alfalfa to regrow for only two or three weeks because the alfalfa leaves become severely injured by fall 11 frosts. This does not provide it with enough time for food storage in the roots, The plants then go into the winter with low root reserves or antifreeze and are killed by low-winter tem- peratures, A lack of fall growth denies the alfalfa proper winter insulation, causing it to die, A foot of top growth, however, keeps the top inch of soil five degrees or more warmer than if it were removed. It holds the snow, keeping the plant crowns at about -2 to -3 degrees C (25 to 28 degrees F) regardless of sub-zero tem- peratures. This is extremely important since alfalfa dies at -8 to -12 degrees C (1) to 20 degrees F), YOU'RE MONEY AHEAD By Buying Our UNPAINTED FURNITURE WHITING'S Main St., Exeter 235.1964 Every time the monthly cost of living index is published there is usually some reference to food prices. Great glee appears to be exhibited by some Federal politicians, and bureaucrats associated with the AIB (Anti- Inflation Board), in announcing a drop in consumer food prices. Little or no mention is ever made of losses • sustained by beef producers due to depressed beef prices both in Canada and the U.S.A. Whether consumers know it or .not they have been buying beef at less than cost of production for months, And this depressed market could continue for some months to come. Practically everything is rising in cost, Le.Ilivingaccommoda tion, whether rented or purchased; energy, whether it is electricity, gas, oil, natural gas, propane gas; postage rates up 25 percent, with another 25 percent increase in March; shoes, clothing—ask any mother who has had to outfit her youngsters for school this fall. The list could go on and on. While Statistics Canada simply announces the CPI (Cost Price Index) figures the news media consider such increases as newsworthy. Publication of such figures without corresponding figures indicating higher con- sumer incomes leaves the public convinced that they are worse off than last month or last year. Some Civil Service Unions, and some in the private sector, have negotiated "cost of living" clauses into their labour con- tracts and are thus, to a con- siderable degree, insulated against increases in CPI, Understandably these employees are more unconcerned about rising costs than others not so fortunate. No one is suggesting that the CPI figures should not he made public. The concern that many have is that current reports about changes in the "cost price index" are one-sided and therefore could be misleading. Continuing the present method of publishing the CPI without giving equal prominence to concurrent changes in earnings tends to separate the SPENDERS from the EARNERS and, of course, no The facts that are not made public on the same basis as CPI are that per capita disposable income is rising at a more rapid rate than CPI. For example, between 1971 and 1974 the CPI rose 38 percent while per capita disposable income rose 64 per- cent. In the same period of time, total per capita expenditures on goods and services rose 60 per- cent. With the abundance of statistical information available the tax-paying public is entitled to a more balanced report. Surely it is possible and practical to develop a "Consumer Status Index" that would take into account both changing prices and changing incomes. Other countries have recognized this ineqdity. For instance, I am advised that, while Canadians are under the con- straints of the AIB, New Zealand has restricted wage increases to half the increase in the consumer price index. Surely the time has come, and perhaps long since passed, when it should be recognized that wages are reflected in costs just as are units of productivity. As long as the public is only told half the truth re the cost of living there will be continuing social and economic tensions leading to more talk of strikes for higher wages and salaries which inevitably lead only to further weakening of Canada's com- petitive position in world markets. Come to think of it, why not publish an Index of Productivity per worker in comparison with other countries, or indeed between industries or labour either in the private or public sector? Since Taxation, in all its forms, represents the single largest annual cost to the average tax- payer, why not publish an Index of the Cost of Government? Why shouldn't the public know the increases, or hopefully decreases, relating to Boards of Education, Utilities Com- missions, Municipal, Provincial and Federal Governments? Surely since the public pays the costs of being governed it is entitled to know the relative structure of costs month by month, Cost of Government is not included, according to my in- formation, in the Consumer Price Index. One wonders why. Could it be because the Federal Govern- plowing match requires a great deal of preparation by the en- trants. The contestants set up their machinery to within a quarter of an inch of the required depths and widths of the furrows and even shine the moldboads on their plows to give the freshly turned earth a shiny appearance. "It's a sport," said Huron Plowman's Association secretary Russel Bolton of Seaforth, Mr. Bolton is charged with the task of setting up classes for the day, making sure that entrants meet the demands of the class and that tliey work their proper area to make judging possible. He also lines up prizes and awards for entrants and collates results of the day. The secretary outlined the steps a plowman must take to compete in larger and more prestigious competitions. The next step winners of the county matches takes is to the Inter- national Match which this year is being held in Walkerton and promises to be the biggest match ever. Winners of the international can then go on to the World Match. "You can't go. to the Inter- national without competing here,", said Mr. Bolton. The attraction of great com- petition is not the primary reason contestants enter their local plowing match. According to one entrant "it's fun," Bob Learning, a 15 year old from Walton, served as a coach for the young com- petitors putting three years of experience in plowing com- petition into the task. "It's fun and I enjoy the competition, " he said as he measured the furrow of Brian McGavin, also of Walton, "I like plowing but it is alot more fun competing against someone else." The youngster explained the need for measuring the furrows. According to rules the plow cannot cut less than a foot of soil and must go six to seven inches into the ground. The depth is set and the entrants adjust the distrance between plow shares to ensure that the furrow is the proper distance across. The coach, usually working with younger entrants, constantly measures the work of the plowman to ensure quality. John Clark has been competing in the Huron match since the days before tractors. He t remembers the Pt. Albert match, which was all horse drawn A equipment, and has been a familiar face at Huron cora- 'petitions for years. John Didn't compete this year but two of his children did. His son Kevin and daughter Heather both entered the match, Kevin winning his class and Heather finishing second in hers. "They've been practising fo"r a week," said Mr. Clark. He ex- plained that his children were members of the 4-H Sodbusters Club and had spent a week on their Colborne township farm practicing plowing with three other Sodbusters. "They plowed all day 'last Saturday getting ready for today," said Mr. Clark. "Kevin has been competing for three years now, since he was 10, and Heather decided this year she wanted to take a crack at it." Mr. Clark brought his tractor and plow 30 miles to. compete, something most of the com- petitors wouldn't hesitate to do. He said he brought his equipment oh a truck but quickly added that he would have driven it from home if he had to. The special treat of the day is usually in watching the non farmers plow land. A special class is held for mayors, reeves, ex-reeves and businessmen competing with a horse drawn walking plow. Other special attractions at the match are horseshoe pitching, log sawing and nail driving. . Winners of Class Two of the competition, a class for boys and girls under 19 years of age, were Kevin Clark of Goderich finishing first, Ralph Nivens of Auburn second, and Greg Cook of Belgrave third, Class Three, a class for Huron contestants only, was won by Reverend Ken Innes of Brussels. Bill Armstrong of Wingham was second and John Becker of Dash- wood third, Class Four winner was Don Little of Monkton while John Little of Monkton finished second and P.P. O'Malley of Teeswater finished third, Class Four is an open class for all contestants. Class Five is a green class for Huron boys and girls 15 years of age or younger who have never won a first prize at any match. The winner was Brian McGavin of Walton. Heather Clark of Goderich was second, Ralph Nivens of Auburn third and Joe Dougherty of Goderich fourth. Class Six, open to Huron County residents 18 years of age and older, was won by Marty Becker of Dashwood with Brian McGavin of Walton finishing second, Greg Cook of Belgrave third and Glen Dougherty of Many prizes in fair draw Directors of the Exeter Agricultural Society are again selling•tickets on a draw with a number of good prizes going to the lucky ticket holders. First prize is a quarter of beef donated by Exeter District Co- Operative. To the holder of the second ticket drawn will go a side of pork through the courtesy of Earl Neil at Quality Produce. Gerald Dearing is providing a side of lamb as third prize and local Sterling Fuels dealer Bob Chaffe is supplying a case of oil for fourth prize. A turkey, the courtesy of Don Stroud goes, to the fifth ticket drawn and sixth prize winner will get a bushel of apples from Fred McClymont. Cancer can be beaten Goderich fourth, Class Seven, open to all corners was won by Don Little of Monkton, Ken Janes of Brussels finished second and Doug* Damble of Teeswater finiShed third, Class Eight, the horse drawn businessmen's class was won by John Stephens of St, Mary's who is the head of the Ontario Plowman's Association. Roy Bennett of Wingham finished second and Elgin Howatt of Londesboro finished third. Class Nine, consisting of tractors drawing four plows or more, was won by Marty Becker of Dashwood. John Becker, also of Dashwood, finished second and Peter Hallahan of Belgrave finished third. Alex Boa and Harold Carter of Goderich teamed up to win the Huron horseshoe pitching con- test, The Class One segment of the competition was open to residents of Huron County only. Class Two, an open class, was won by the team of Stan Pearn of St. Thomas and Vern Hutchings of Shedden. Edgar Howatt and Howard Ross, both of Londesboro, sawed their way through a 12 inch log in 55 seconds to win the log sawing contest. Herman Fisher of R.R. 2 Clinton and Mervin Shute of Kirkton placed second with a time of 57 seconds, The com- petitors used the same • saW throughout the match. COM- petitors using their own saws teamed up in another class and Roy Bennet joined up with the Queen of the Furrow to win that class. Bill Learning , president of the Huron Plowmen, and Mrs. Ken Duncan, wife of the host farmer, placed second. Helen Shute of Kirkton drove a nail into wood in four seconds to win the Ladies' Nail Driving contest edging out Jean Ross of Kirkton. Pete Brenderson won the Men's Competition, Winners of the Junior Plow Match held Thursday were Marty Becker of Dashwood, finishing first, and Peter Hallahan of Belgrave second and Ralph Nivens of Auburn third. • such separation exists in Our. Merit prepares the CPI figures economy. that are published regularly?