HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-10-22, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1986.
Bly th council briefs
Several bylaws to get look next month
That controversy about whose
driveways to pave and how far will
go on for another month at Blyth
village council.
A draft by-law was presented to
council by Ann Nesbit, acting
clerk-treasurer Oct. 14, but Coun
cillor William Manning said he
couldn’t endorse the bylaw in its
present form and moved to have it
set aside until the November
meeting for more study.
*****
Also set aside for the November
meeting is a resolution to adopt the
community improvement policies
to the offical plan. Councillors felt
they had not had enough time to
study the 25-page document.
*****
Council, with councillors Wil
liam Howson and Lloyd Sippel
declaring conflict of interest, had
no objections to a request for
severance by the Canadian Pacific
Railroad oflandwhichhad been
occupied by the old railway station.
Ifthe severance is approved by
county land division committee,
CPR will sell the land to Howson
and Howson Ltd. with a portion
Next weeks most dangerous
for silo gas, farmers warned
BY JOHN HEARD
SOILS AND CROP SPECIALIST
We like to worry about making
corn silage. Farmers worry about
the correct moisture content to
ensile at, and we, government
folks, worry about farmers killing
themselves with silo gas.
Corn reaches its maximum
silage dry matter yield at 30 - 40 per
cent dry matter. The variance
within this range accounts for
hybrid differences and CHU loca
tion in Ontario. A 35 per cent dry
matter sample of whole plant
silage compares to 40 - 50 per cent
grain moisture.
Obviously then we will be
determining the right silage mois
ture content with something other
than a grain moisture tester.
A microwave oven works well to
quickly dry corn silage for moisture
determinations. Weigh out a 100
gram sampleofchopped silage.
Zap for six minutes in the
microwave. Reweigh. Zap for two
minutes. Reweigh. Zap and re
weigh at two minute time intervals
until you no longer find weight
loss. (Burning the sample does not
constitute weight loss - use the
previous weight in your calcula
tion).
Moisture content of the silage is
then equal to weight of water
burned off divided by the initial
weight times 100.
A rp^.ilt 65 per cent moisture
would then correspond with 35 per
cent dry matter.
Corn silage cannot all be harves
ted and ensiled at the exact correct
moisture (for the same reason we
can’t plant all our corn on the best
planting date). Safe limits for
storage are:
a) for harvested storage, greater
than 60 per cent moisture.
b) for upright concrete silos -
greater than 55 per cent moisture.
c) for larger upright silos - com can
be stored at 50 per cent.
d) for oxygen limiting silos, as low
as 35 to 45 per cent moisture.
Once the corn is in the silo it’s
time to worry about the farmer.
Nitrate, a form of nitrogen in the
corn plant, converts to poisonous
gas. Examination of those unfortu
nates who have been killed by silo
gas show massive bleeding in their
lungs - due to nitroguen dioxide
gas. The most common reason for
poisoning is because the farmer
feels he has to level off the silage at
the top of the silo. This is a job
better left undone in many cases.
Indicators of silo gas are:
a) brown or yellow haze at the
silage surface or feed room floor
b) coughing of livestock (since
animals on the floor are exposed to
heavier gas concentrations than a
person standing)
c) deadflies, cats ormiceonthe
feed room floor
Tests have shown that running a
blowerfor20minuteswill likely
disperse the gas IF the silo surface
is within 15’ of the top of the silo
and the doors are all closed.
However, silo gas is unpredict
able. It’s best to stay out of the silo.
Be careful if there are open
doors. The gas may spill down the
chute. If there are open silo doors,
keep the feed room door shut and
disperse the gas with a ventilating
fan in the feed room.
BE CAREFUL. There have been
too many tragedies to take chanc
es. The recent wet conditions may
increase the possibilities of a
problem.
Fire departments are available
in the event of a life threatening
emergency.
later to be offered to Bainton
Limited.*****
The council will consider a
property standards bylaw at its
November meeting. The bylaw,
detailing minimum standards peo
ple will be expected to keep their
property at, is necessary along
with the Coriimunity improvement
policies, in order for the village to
apply for the PRIDE program,
successor to the Neighbourhood
Improvement Program.*****
Council has received one offer to
dismantle the house on the Popp
property recently acquired by the
village and the Township of Hullett
as a buffer area around the waste
disposal site. Councillors hope the
building will be removed and
cleaned up before winter.*****
Local groups will be invited to a
public meeting at the Blyth and
District Community Centre on Oct.
28 to discuss what grants are
available through the Ministry of
Citizenship and Culture. Melanie
McLaughlin from the Ministry will
be on hand to answer questions.*****
Council was informed by Mrs.
Nesbit that it is considerably over
budget in the construction portion
of its road budget. While at
present, the maintenance portion
of the budget is under budget,
normal weather conditions (i.e.
snow to be removed) would bring
the maintenance side up to budget.*****
The public works department
will have a completely new look on
its trucks after council snapped up
a chance to get a bargain in a new
snowplow truck. The township of
Hibbert was replacing its truck
with a tandem truck and council
was able to buy the old truck with
only 44,000 miles on it for a little
over $6,000. The truck has added
value because the snow plow
equipment from the present truck
will fit it. Council had planned to
get one more year out of the current
truck but after looking at the
possible repairs necessary to put
the truck on the road decided to
switch the plow equipment to the
new truck.
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