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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1989-03-08, Page 71Akte 27A — Farm Edition 4031 1IONEER. SEED CORN Ams 4,3772 Lson 4)380 ADS791) 4,3902 PIBNEERt BRAND • AL-FALFA'SEED 'TRACTORS OLD AND NEW a The mit{arright, a Ferguson'Type A, is oneiof:aniyrhree North America:and the centrepiece:of a donationfof-rare Massey-Fergusonraehinery to the Ontario Agricultural Museums. Nextsnmmer enthusiasts of vintage farm equipment can examine the collection, valued attmore than $25,000 and donated by Varity Corpora- tion, at the Museum in Milton. Gett iGetting from there fo here: Notes 'iron ou r ttgric.uttur a e p st " SPARAGRAS" Asparagus has been a popular plant for thousands of years; the Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, rentions.asparagus as does the sixteenth -century botanist, Pietro Mat- tioli t.isinteresting to note that these -men praised the vege able ►ot.,ior.aits,murlin<aiy, but for its medicinal qualities. Asparagus was believed to be an excellent spring tonic and was lauded for its qualities as a lax- ative, a diuretic, and a cure for heart trou- ble, k:.. complaints, ,and bee stings The species was introduced to North America by English colonists, and by 1672, it was reported that "sparhgras was wide-' ly .grown in Massachusetts". It was subse- quently brought into Canada and French settlers °cultivated it inthe .Windsorarea. in 1872, Dr. Beadle :described the plant in his Canadian Prnit, Flower, ,and Kitchen Gardener as an "early vegetable, perfect- ly hardy, and :perennial". :Re also thoughtfully :provided a recipe for prepar- ing asparagus: "-`The buds are cooked by boiling them in water for twenty or thirty minutes, until they become soft. Some toasted bread is • then laid out :upon a dish, the cooked asparagus ,spread :upon the toast, and melted: butter, poured over the whole. In this manner the buds are kept entire and brought to the table." Early attempts to grow .asparagus com- mercially met with uneven success. The crop required a large financial investment per acre and the return on the investment was delayed since it took about three years before the first crop could be harvested. This, combined with wide fluctuations in the market price, chiefly from processors, led asparagus.growers to form a committee in 1933 which mainly marketed the crop to can- neries. 'This later became the marketing board. By 1935, under thedirection of Presi- dent V.C. Nickerson, the.board was handl- ing over 600 .tons each year. The number 1 grade fetched 10 cents per pound and the number 2 grade, 5 cents. Asparagus;bas r-emainedas a commercial crop in Ontario to the present. `Viking', developed 45 years:ago;at thelorticultural Research institute of Ontario and further refined. in `Viking C' and `Vakia gt1',: as been thestandardtmtil recently gwith traEANs !JONEER 1111FIAN e'SCPYIBE AN IVIED LtMITFt USED BUILDING MATERIALS ERIALS •Want Steel Seam *steel 'Pipes *Windows & tour *Large Ouantity o`Uf 2x4's up to 16 feel a2x6's up to 16 fee4 •2x6's up to 14 feel/ •1Fluoresnen Lights Bela -bac 1174 .l1l:8€ Ray Brown i. 3. Coder cth, 52-726 Ole `Jersey Centennial' from the USA. These are hardy, •but relatively low yielding. Selec- tion and eultivar evaluation is still under- way to develop high -yielding varieties -which will continue to:suppiythe -' *:market with more of those delicate..greenspears, ouriirst;;::tasteeof-ispring . (Highlights of Agricultural Research, Dec. 1988 ) CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN 1888 Most of the traditions we associate with Christmas existed in Ontario 100 years ago. People sent cards, poinsettias were available, electric lights for the tree had been invented. A Christmas Carol was popular reading for the season, and, of • course, children looked forward with eager anticipation to receiving candy and gifts on December .25th. The Christmas seasonmeant much -more than this, however, to people iiving.in-rural Ontario. During :the winter -months, when snow covered the Toads and lanes, sleighs made visiting easy andpleasant. Asidefrcmn the :daily ,barnchores, the heavy labour and long hours of farming wereatanebb.-There was more time for family and -friends to .gather together. Diaries 131 farm families at this time record a busy sschedule'.of visits, many ef which were overnightstays. Other important events included the annual Christmas concerts at the local school and Sunday school. Christmas Day itself was marked by at- tending church and exchanging gifts. The highlight of the day, however, was a large, elaborate dinner. The exact menu would vary from family to family depending on, among other things, their ethnic traditions and level of prosperity. The following is one menu for the feast suggested by the Early Galt Cook Book (1898) : Oyster Soup, Roast Turkey. Cranberry Sauce, Mashed and Browned Potatoes, Onions in CreaarnSauce, Tomatoes, Chicken Pie, Rice Croquettes, Plum Pudding, FoarningSauce, Mince Pies, Lemon Tarts, .Salted Almonds, llery, Crackers, Cheese, Fruit, Coffee ;Wiailepeople ray root indulge in quite as ,-many: itennsof food,evenat Christmas din- ner,therenre:otill plentyLof `traditions' left. (liig ights tOf igricultural -Eat arch, Dec. 1988) 1' I� SEER OMANI) • SEED CONN Pioneer IR a brand name: numbers identity varieties '. Registered trademark licensed to Pioneer 141 -Bred Limited Chatham, Ontario DISCOUNT Ot USED PIPE * For information and 7 -Demolition Quotes Cali: -4300-265-3062 19469 3203 Warehouse and Sales arms] Looateei =cru : -South of Durham on Hwy. 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