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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-12-02, Page 13CONSERVATION AWARD — The 1981 Conservation award sponsored by the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Associa- tion was won by Don Lobb of the Clinton area. Making the presentation at the right is Norm Alexander who presents the trophy annually. T -A photo Huron corn tests show big increase Farmers urged to consider test plot Members of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association attending Thursday's annual meeting were told to use their own test plots. Jim O'Toole. a researcher at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology suggested Huron farmers evaluate hybrids on their own farms. He added, "We rely on your farm research. Keep your test plots from getting 'too large. Be selective, about a half acre max- imum". He contipued. "Select'a uni- form location, keep soil and fertilizer texture level and put a special effort on weed control". On corn hybrids, O'Toole said. "plant hybrids of different maturities with six to eight rows of each. Six would be ideal and then use the four rows in the middle. Keep the test ongoing and use at least two years of in- formation before making a switch." Other advice from the researcher was, "check ger- mination and emergence, note flowering dates and record weather conditions." Retiring president Larry Wheatley talked about the past and the future of the organization. He said."When this group was formed 30 years ago the objective was to help farmers. in Huron become more knowledgeable about soil management and aware of the advantages of clean pedigreed seed for crops." He continued. "This objec- tive has been accomplished through our efforts at seed fairs, organizing bus tours. etc. No matter how unique or new we may think our projects are today, the end result is still the same, creating in the farmer an awareness of the advantages of good seed and soil management." "I believe we can learn from the past. Some of our projects such as crop rota- tion and red clover plow - down are methods our fathers used as a matter of course each year, realizing then the advantages we are seeing notv." The past president con- cluded. "Instead of dreading the future and predicting terrible times ahead perhaps we should examine the causes of our problems and use the experiences of our past to remedy them." After the election of direc- tors Wheatley made a few comments regarding a re- cent runoff of sewage from the town of Wingham into the Maitland River. He add- ed. "No one should be allow- ed to do a thing like this where they let a whole week's raw sewage into the river. It's terrible. It shouldn't be allowed to happen. Pollution from this went all the way to the beach at Goderich." Commenting on the various corn trials which were held throughout Huron, soil and crops specialist Pat Lynch said. "Yields jumped up again showing what a great corn year 1981 was." The average of 45 tests in Huron in 1980 was 96 bushels per acre. The figure this past year was 113 bushels per acre according to 64 tests. The results in Perth were 104 bushels this year, an increase of nine bushels. The heat units measured at four locations were a bit lower than they were a year ago At Centralia College this year's heat units were 2.914 as compared to 2,965 in 1980 The normal figure is 2,- 863. The same ratio showed at Hugh Scott's farm at Staffa with 2,797 this year, 2,819 in 1980 and 2.707 as the normal. Rainfall in 1981 was con- siderably more than the previous year. At the Scott farm which is located in Hibbert township, there was 763.4 millimetres as opposed to 636.6 a year ago. The biggest increase was at the F. Kreis farm in Fullarton township with 806 millimetres and 541 in 1980. An experiment on the farm of Aart de Vos in plan- ting white beans on spring plowed land after a first cut of haylage was harvested was not successful Ike Vos commented. "I would not try to grow beans in this. manner again. Corn silage attempts were successful. Using micronutrients on corn failed to show any sub- stantial yield increase. In fact there may even have been a yield decrease. Doug (`ameron of Ashfield township is the new presi- dent. New directors are Art Bolton. McKillop and Bill Armstrong. Morris. Con- tinuing in their positions are Jim Ross. West Wawanosh; Ray Hartman, Day: Gerald Hayter. Stanley: Wayne Ratz. Stephen: John Oke, Usborne: Bob McNaughton, Tuckersmith: Bruce Shilinglaw. Hullet; Gerrit Van Keulen. Grey; Hans Rasmussen. Howick: Aart de Vos. Turnberry; Bruce Raynard. West Wawanosh; Walter Mcllwain. Goderich and Don McNeil. Colborne. The Norm Alexander Conservation award for out- standing efforts in conserva- tion and soil preservation was won by Don Lobb. Last year's winner was Larry Wheatley. December 2, Page 13 Chained Lightning_ Stop in today for a demonstration on the new line of John Deere Chain Sows. Choose from sever models - 30 to 78cc.12 to 27 -inch spocket-nose guidebor. Each has o chisel or semichisel chain, automatic oiler, and counterbalanced crankshaft. Convenietly located handles and controls. Throttle/trigger interlock provides added safety. Get professional quality and dependability in the new line of John Deere Saws SNOWMOBILE AWARD — Greg Dougall, RR 3, Exeter won the HuIly Gully Trophy for exhibiting outstanding knowledge of snowmobiles, along with the sofe operation of a snow- mobile. at the 4-H Awards Night, Friday. Becky Collins made this presentation. Dillon. photo CARDINAL SEEDS OF CANADA AWARD — A show halter donated by Cardinal Seeds of Canada was won by Patti love, RR 3, Parkhill for being the top first year member in 4-H beef dub work. Harvey Culbert, RR 6, Goderich, made this presentation Friday at the 4-H Awards Night. Dillon photo i We'll Do the Job Right...- & Whatever the project, call on us for Readv-Mix Concrete • RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • FARM (Including Manure Tanks) FREE ESTIMATES C. A. McDOWELL LTD. EXETER, ONTARIO Plant: 235-0833 Office: 235-1969 CO.OP I SOIL AND CROP TALK — Caught by the camera at Thursday's annual meeting of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association were Russell Bolton, Seaforth; Jim O'Toole, Centralia College researcher, soils and crop specialist Pat Lynch and CCAT researcher Bob Forest. T -A photo • AREA SOIL AND CROP DIRECTORS — Shown at Thursday's annual meeting of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association are area directors Wayne Ratz, Stephen township John Oke Usborne and Ray Hartman, Hay township. T -A photo "You ain't seen nothin' yet," said the once -famous Al Jolson when he appeared on Broadway. rt becamea slogan for him. It appears that farmers in Canada could adopt the same slogan. Gloom and doom is being preached from every sector of the food chain. Even the usually -staid Ontario Federation of Agriculture has mustered a lot of verbal ammunition for its annual presentation to the province. But their picture is painted so bleak even the. politicians might shake their heads in disbelief. Premier Davis was told he should declare "a state of emergen- cy" for agriculture. "The economic situation is critical because of high in- terest rates and low com- modity prices but it's even aggravated more by the deluge of rain we've peen having." said Ralph Barrie, president of the OFA. "Let me repeat, Mr. Premier. there are many desperate. disillusioned farmers out there. It would be unforgiveable to avoid ad- dressing their plight." The federation told Queen's Park that there are 95,000 farmers in Ontario. Twenty percent of them produce 80 percent of the food. said Mr. Barrie. Therefore, the bankers association should multiply l.rm,.,e .op.ea,ed by Rob hon., (Wog Rd 110.... On, NJe 2(7 its estimates of troubled farmers by 10 to indicate the number of commercial -scale farmers in dire financial straits. This boils down to saying that more than half of On- tario's biggest producers are in, financial trouble. If they gunder. half the province's food supply goes with them. Maybe. But the federation and the old Ontario Farmers Union before them have a way of making things seem much worse than they really are. I don't for one minute believe that half 'the food producers in Ontario are in deep, deep trouble. I do believe. though. that a great many of them are facing the toughest year since the Great Depression. And the Band-Aid solutions handed out by the federal government in the budget this month are not enough. Major surgery is necessary. Band-Aids are not good enough. Even Ontario's deputy minister of agriculture, Duncan Allan, is pessimistic. He maintains most farmers will only make enough this coming year to pay interest charges. Nothing on their investment and nothing for their labor. Net farm income will drop by at least 20 percent, he told a group of farm writers recently. The present supermarket price was will squeeze farm incomes even lower and more bankruptcies will result, he said. He candidly admitted that this province does not have a farm policy and there hasn't Put warmth where you want it ..: with a John Deere Space heater Two models are available to heat machine sheds. workships, cabins... anywhere 115 -volt current is available. All burn kerosene or No. 1 or No. 2 fuel oil. Fuel saving thermostat is standard on 150,000 BTU model, optional on the 90,000 BTU model. been one in Ontario for many years. Strong words from a civil servant who is working for the ministry responsible for farm policies. The fact that is most im- portant in all this gloom and doom is that some of the province's best brightest and most efficient young farmers may be wiped out in the current financial crunch. These are the people who will be hit the hardest: the young, innovative fellows who have tried to moder- nize, some of them with the best education available in Canada. When they are gone - bankrupt. disillusioned, apathetic. bitter and bewildered - who will take over? Everyone is familiar with the children's song about Old McDonald. The key word here is 'old'. The average age of the Canadian farmer hovers around 52 years. If the young guys go belly up, who will be left to fill the gap? Even more important, who will be around to fill the thousands of empty stomachs? 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