The Rural Voice, 1988-09, Page 26r_.ANSHARD
MUTUAL
SINCE 1876
Specializing in
your
farm and home
insurance needs
Blanshard Mutual
Insurance Company
293 Queen St. W. St. Marys, Ont. NOM 2V0
519-284-3084
Serving plowmen and farmers for over 110 years
Agents:
Bruce Hanly 229-6560
Ian Morrison 284-3326
OHC.
Your Complete
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FARMERS!
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Culvert —4" - 36"
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Full range of Fittings & Accessories
BIG "0" INC.
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1-800-265-7622
24 PERTH COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION
THE PLOWMAN
Mole Plow Dzgs
Deep to Drain Soil
What's among the latest innovations
in the technology of the plow?
Something called the "mole plow,"
and it's designed to solve a widespread
problem: poor drainage.
Walk through one of those heavy
clay fields in the springtime and you feel
it. The sticky soil tugs on your boots, too
wet to plow. And while farmers wait out
that sinking feeling, the brief days of the
Canadian growing season slip by.
The problem can be solved, usually
by installing plastic drainage tiles
beneath the soil. But for many farmers,
installation costs at more than a thou-
sand dollars a hectare are prohibitive.
The mole plow, a European import,
is being tested by Agriculture Canada
scientists. It promises to drain soil at a
lower price than traditional systems.
"Farmers are under a lot of pressure
to work the land before it's had a chance
to dry out after the spring snowmelt,"
adds Keith Wires, an Agriculture
Canada soil scientist investigating mole
drainage. "The soil compaction created
by their machines is formidable. Over
time it can make land impermeable to
water."
The components of the mole plow include a
long beam above the soil surface, a mole foot
which excavates a rough tunnel, and an
expander which molds the soil tunnel.
The mole device is a type of tractor -
pulled plow which forms a continuous
pipe -like channel in the subsoil. Under
the right conditions, these water chan-
nels function for years. And because
more do-it-yourself mole channels can
be installed per hectare, a mole system
may control water levels better than
conventional drainage systems.
(cont'd)