Times-Advocate, 1981-04-08, Page 18Page 2A
Times -Advocate, April 8, 1981
Many topics covered at soils event
Speaker says do what your farm pays you to do: manage
Woodstock area farmer
Don Hart speaking to
Wednesday's Huron Soil and
Crop Association seminar at
the Pineridge Chalet used 10
words to illustrate his
speech.
They were "Hire a driver,
keep good i ecords, rough is
beautiful and rotate."
Hart who operates 1,100
acres said, "You should do
what your farm pays you to
do - manage it.
He continued, "Working
your land when it is too wet is
like too weedy. This means
as much as 10 bushels per
acre in yield. Why can't you
wait until tomorrow until it's
a little drier."
In talking about good
records, Hart said, "You
need a consistent written
report to see in the fall what
you did in the spring. If the
crop was worse or better you
should know why."
Hart uses from 35 to 40 test
plots. He added, "On only
one occasion did we get
enough additional yield from
using extra fertilizer.
Sometimes we find more
yield from less tillage."
"What's happening on
your farm could be different
than from your neighbours,"
continued Hart.
On the subject of "rough is
beautiful" Hart said, "By
leaving corn stalks on top we
have just about licked
erosion and we work the land
very shallow. Keep the seed
bed as shallow as possible as
long as the seed is firmly
bedded in moisture."
He went on to say,
"Rotation can make
profitable results. After
beans and wheat we get an
increase of 15 bushels per
acre in corn."
Hart concluded with, "We
are on medium sandy land.
It's a forgiving soil. It
forgives management
mistakes." -
Zurich area farmer Glenn
Hayter was the next to speak
on "Alternatives to the
mouldboard plow" and he
also showed excellent slides
on soil conservation and
erosion controls.
Hayter agreed with some
of Hart's remarks saying,
"Don't go Gungho on leave some strips unplowed
anything you may hear. It to allow for water runs and
may work on one farm and also recommended
not on the next." systematic drainage.
He suggested farmers Hayter said better results
Drainage pays off
in soil aeration
Good drainage aerates the soil. providing several oenefits
Release of nitrogen from organic matter is accelerated and
soil worms up faster since heat is not required for surface
evaporation
A test in Ohio once showed o 12 degree drfference
between drained and undrained land on one April day
And when a warm rain fell there was a 20 degree
difference between the temperature of the rain and the the
discharge: Soil temperatures make a vast difference to
planting schedules
would be achieved from
shallower plowing. He ad-
ded, "You will get better
yields at four inches than at
12 inches. No dee. than
HAY KING REGISTERS — Russell Bolton of Seaforth who won the world hay king title for
many years attended Wednesday's Huron Soil and Crop seminar at the Pineridge Chalet.
Above, Mr. Bolton registers with officials Bruce Shillinglaw and Stan Paquette. T -A photo
roLh drainotoge
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What prompts people to
write letters? All of sudden,
they're coming thick and
fast.
Sorry about that, boss, A
couple of letters have
arrived each day which, by
my standards, is thick and
fast.
Peculiarly enough, they
are not focussed on one
particular column. Some
months ago, a column
supporting the use of nuclear
power stations in Ontario
extolling the virtues of the
Candu reactor brought a
couple of dozen anti-nuclear
types to writing letters. They
were shooting from both
hips.
Just before Christmas, a
column on how to choose an
axe helve - an axe handle -
brought more response.
I sometimes wonder if
most farmers either cannot
write or simply don't take
the time to write. My
pessimism suddenly changes
to optimism when the
postman rings twice a day.
I would like to
acknowledge them all but
that is impossible. I would
bore too many readers and
too many are bored already.
Such statements as "I read
your column every week and
really enjoy them but, even
though you are always right,
who is going to believe it?
Certainly not the people who
are not on farms."
Right on, Durango, but it
still must be said whether
city people believe it or not.
Or this: "Twenty-five
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The outstanding contact activity
of FURADAN stops early root -
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FURADAN protects brace roots
from later rootworm attack. Helps
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Apply FURADAN as you plant.
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Order FURADAN now from:
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Centralia, Hensall 81302CA 3
years ago, we lived in the
city...we paid 69 cents a
pound for hamburger. Last
night, it was advertised on
television for 78 cents a
pound. Now, please tell me of
any other commodity that's
done the same...that small
an increase in 20 years. No
other sector of the economy
would put up with it but
farmers are forced to."
Or: "We are on a farm.
We can hold on for another
six months, but, if there is no
change in what we get for
our products, we, like so
many others, will have to
call it quits."
This article appeared in an
American farm newspaper -
I do not know the name of
the paper or I would give
proper credit - but the
message it carries is just as
appropriate in Canada.
Dear God: As farmers and
ranchers, give us the
patience and wisdom to
understand why a pound of
steak at =1,80 is high but a
Three -ounce cocktail at $1.50
is acceptable.
Lord, help me to un-
derstand why $3 for a ticket
to a movie is not bad but
$3.50 for a bushel of wheat
that makes 50 loaves of
bread is considered
unreasonable.
And a 50 -cent Coke at the
football game is okay ,but a
20 -cent glass of milk for
breakfast in inflationary.
And corn is too steep at
three cents' worth in a box of
flakes but flakes are sold for
50 cents a serving.
Also, Lord, help me to
understand why I have to
give an easement to the gas
company so they can cross
my property with their gas
lines and, before they get it
installed, the price has
doubled.
While you're at it, dear
God, please help us to un-
derstand the consumer who
drives by my field and raises
his eyebrows when he sees
me driving a $30,000 tractor
which he helped put
together (at a higher wage)
so he could afford to drive
down that right-of-way they
took from me to build a road
on which he could go hunting
and fishing.
Help us to understand why
cigarettes at$1.50for a pack -
and -a -half-day smoker is a
necessity when that amount
for a pound of hamburger
(which could feed four
people or more in a
casserole) causes people to
say, "We can't afford beef."
What is the reasoning
behind passing over a $5
roast because the price is too
high and pay the same
amount for a six-pack of
brew?
Well, the prices may not
be quite the same here as
they are in the good ole Hew
Hess Hay, but you get the
message behind the prayer,
I'm sure.
Bless all those wonderful
people who are still on the
farm even thoughcosta of
production geter and
higher. Everybody who eats
three meals a day owes them
a huge debt of gratitude.
But they can't live on
gratitude. They need more
money for their products.
six. You only need to work noes nut „t in with cash
the top layer of soll." crops. For livestock it's the
He continued, "The chisel answer."
plow is a dry land tool and is McLaughlin said, "Any
beat for well drained land. rotation will be helpful in
It's too deep for wet soil." breaking down rootworm.
"Good tillage is the short Root material is more
term answer and crop valuable than top in plowing
rotation is best for the long down. Nitrogen from alfalfa
term", concluded Hayter. improves the soil structure."
Norm Alexander who has a "Red clover grows in
long been a strong advocator
of good soil management and
conservation said, "It's
great to hear a farmer
talking about municipal
drains. Those things are
usually left to the engineer.
We need to get involved."
Dr. Rob McLaughlin, a
researcher at the University I~
of Guelph said, "roughness
maintains soil, but, it doesn't
build it up. Any rotation is - tet) Tr'• '�
better than none."
He continued, "Yields will
drop from five to 10 percent
with contlnous crops.,
Alfalfa is best in rotation but,
Consumers
shortsighted
In her opening remarks to
Saturday's Members of
Parliament meeting in
Clinton, Huron F of A
president Gerry Fortune
said, "The lack of
willingness by Ontario
consumers to pay enough to
ensure a constant food
supply is shortsighted
foolishness."
She continued, "The
people of Ontario have a
very short time to accept the
responsibility of seeing that
the five percent who are
primary producers receive
the costs of production, a fair
profit and a decent return
on capital Investment from
the 95 percent."
About the proposed Bruce
County agri-park, Mrs.
Fortune said, "While an
evaluation study is now in
process, we wish to make it
perfectly plain that any
Increase in transportation
facilities through Huron that
such a proposal would entail
will be met with close
scrutiny by our
organization."
She added, "Allowing
polluting industries to
establish in the agri-park
will simply not be
tolerated."
stubble and sits well under
wheat. Leave it as long as
you can In the fall. It has the
value of 80 pounds of
nitrogen in plowdown,"
added the researcher.
Other speakers during the
day were Dr. Tony Vyn of the
University of Guelph,
Marvin Smith of the
Wingham office of the
Ministry of Natural
Resources, Laurence
Taylor, a district director of
the Ontario Soll and Crop
Improvement Association
and Bruce Shlllinglaw of the
Huron Soil and Crop group.
Chairmen for the meeting
were Huron president Larry
Wheatley and secretary
Gerrit Van Keulen.
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