HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-12-16, Page 28Page 10A Times -Advocate, December 16, 1981
Huron farm and home news
Check your moisture tester;, learn about micronutrients
Sam Bradshaw.
Engineering Assistant
Is your moisture tester
accurate? During the fall,
several farmers take ad-
vantage of the moisture
testing service we provide
here at the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food
office. In the past, we have
used two different moisture
testers. One is a Koster Crop
-Tester and the other an
electronic tester.
The Koster tester dries
corn using forced hot air.
This method is accurate, but
very time consuming - 2 to 3
hours per sample. The
electronic tester is a
moderately priced unit $300
to $400 and gives a reading
quickly, however we have
found its accuracy is
unreliable at very low -or
high moisture readings i.e.
over 28 percent corn. Also,
different readings will result
depending upon how fast or
slowly you pour your
weighed sample into the
machine. These testers
should be recalibrated
periodically!
We now have a microwave
oven for use in moisture
testing corn. This unit is very
accurate and relatively fast
i.e. 6-12 minutes per sample.
If anyone wishes to check
their tester against ours,
Cecil R Squire
Sales & Service
Repair Shop
Equipment
92 Waterloo St.
Exeter
235-0465
KM
Aluminum
Products
Eavestroughing
Replacement
Windows
Siding
Carpentry
Renovations
Ken McCann
Enterprises
234-6401
bring a sample (2 cups) of corn to the O.M.A.F. office moisture reading which you
your dried or High Moisture anytime. I will give you a
can check against your own.
PROVINCIAL HONOURS — Six girls have completed 12 Homemaking clubs and received
Provincial Honours certificates at Saturday's Middlesex 4-H Achievement Day. Back, left
Jane Straatman, Susan Hodgins and Karen Carter. Front, Jacqueline VanDenBoomen.
Sarah Chase and Diane Scarborough. T -A photo
1 t is not often that farmers
win battles these days.
They have been getting
turned down so often by
politicians it is a mystery
why they keep demanding
action. Good old Brampton
Bill and his colleagues did
promise support after the
annual federation of
agriculture meeting.
Treasurer Frank Miller
says something will be done.
A few days ago, three area
farmers from Ilderton, On-
tario. got what they have
been seeking for more than
six years: compensation
from Interprovincial Pipe
Line Ltd.
Farmers and farm writers
were gleeful almost three
years ago when Peter
Lewington. Stuart O'Neil
and Irwin Lunn were award-
ed $120,000 plus costs. The
judgement came in 1978. The
farmers did not get their
money. The pipeline com-
pany appealed.
The fight continued.
When Lewington, et all,
first started their fight, few
people gave them a chance
against the big company.
Peter. in fact. was snickered
at by some of his colleagues.
But Peter persisted.
An excellent farm writer,
he is also a fine
photographer. The written
co.op
1
'One foot in the
1urrow',LZ
40*
1•TI•'..'. .Op....b0 by Bob bo,,., t 1.I. Po [.m.,. ant NJe 2C )
evidence and the
photographs he had to pre-
sent to the courts was im-
possible to ignore. The On-
tario Court of Appeal on
November 16 turned down
the company's last possible
avenue of appeal. The com-
pany's application will not
be heard.
The three farmers were
awarded 8120.000 plus court
costs and interest. Total
amount: 8143,000.
"As 1 see the law, that's
the end of it," John
Brownlie. company lawyer,
is quoted as saying.
No doubt Peter and his
friends hope that is the end
of it.
Agriculture got another
boost, too, when the Roman
Catholic Church on Prince
Edward Island gave
spiritual and vocal support
to Island farmers. Bishop
Francis Spence of
Charlottetown diocese
declared November 29 as
Land Sunday and church-
goers heard sermons that
encouraged Christians to
join farmers in their fight to
control the land on the
island.
Farmers on Y.E.I. are
battling to keep the giant
K.0 Irving family from buy-
ing an additional 6,000 acres
of land for their Cavendish
Farms Ltd. frozen vegetable
processing firm.
Under P.E.I. law, any sale
of land more than 100 acres
to outsiders must get cabinet
approval. Farmers are
frightened that if Irving gets
control or owns that much
more land, the farmers will
be frozen out of a market for
their potatoes. In other
words, Irving - Cavendish
Farms - will produce their
own potatoes and Island
farmers will have no market
for their produce.
The church then, if all
reports are correct, shares
the fears of the farmers.
Refreshing, isn't it?
I suppose a great many
other organizations are sym-
pathetic to agriculture. Cer-
tainly, many speakers for
other religious
denominations have spoken
out strongly for agriculture,
notably the United Church,
the Mennonite Church and
the Anglican Church. As is
the case down through the
ages. churches - at least
most of them - are close to
the people.
When so many people are
in dire straights right across
Canada, at least some peo-
ple are hearing the voices
crying out in the back forty.
And if God is on our side,
who can be against us?
SALE
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235-2081
Micronutrients
I have a 11/2 year old boy at
home named Danny. Right
now he is going through the
"crumb" stage. To him
everything that is small and
in pieces is "crumbs". Thus,
in the morning after break-
fast everything left on his
placemat is crumbs. When
he comes in from outside and
the dirt falls off his clothes
onto the floor he refers to
these as "crumbs". When we
are moving wood from the
wood pile to the garage I give
him a ride in the empty
wheelbarrow. As he rides he
is busy throwing the
"crumbs" out of the
wheelbarrow as we go back
to the wood pile for another
load. At his age everything is
black and white - all small
things are "crumbs".
It would be nice if in the
grownup world everything
was black and white - but it is
not. Take for instance
micronutrients. As you listen
to the micronutrient fer-
tilizer sales people they will
try and make it very black
and white for you. In their
minds all crops need
micronutrients. If you apply
micronutrients to your crops
your yields will increase. All
black and white.
But it is not that way every
year on all fields. Both the
Perth and Huron County Soil
and Crop Improvement
Associations had projects on
micronutrients this past
year. There was one soybean
field, 2 white bean fields and
8 corn fields. The treatments
for each field was somewhat
different, but each field was
treated the way the
micronutrient sales person
suggested. Each field had a
check area. You can
probably guess the results.
Soybeans - no yield dif-
ference. White beans - one
field - no difference (average
yield 2400 lbs. acre). One
field the treated side yielded
13 lbs. acre more.
The corn demonstrations
yielded the most interesting
results. On one farm (Nott
Bros.) there was about .4 bus
acre more corn on the area
that was treated with
micronutrients. There were
two other farms - Ken
Britton (Dublin) and John
Oke (Exeter) where there
was no difference. But there
were three farms with a
yield difference - Ray Brown
and Ray Hogan from the
Goderich area and Leon
Louwagie from the Mitchell
area. The treated yielded 3 to
9 bushel an acreless than the
non -treated.
Now normally you
shouldn't be concerned
because the average yield
decrease was small.
However, when 3 out of 7
farms show a yield decrease
and the greatest being 9 bus.
acre maybe you should take
a long look before you bulk
on "micronutrients. I dm
talking specifically about
fields where you are not sure
If there is a micronutrient
deficiency. On areas of fields
where you know you have a
micronutrient deficiency -
say manganese on grain or
beans you have to use them.
But these Soil and Crop
Improvement demonstra-
tions were shot gun type of
applications of
micronutrients. They were
applied "to see what hap-
pens." As you can see, the
final conclusion is not black
and white.
Research on
micronutrients
You know both the
provincial and federal
government researchers
have thoroughly researched
the need for micronutrients
on field crops. Neither the
researchers at the
University of Guleph, nor
Ridgetown College nor
Harrow nor Ottawa
Research Stations nor the
Kemptville College have
shown any yield decrease
either. What puzzles me is
why you believe a
salesperson showing
research from some other
country instead of trusting
Canadian research when it
comes to applying
micronutrients.
The yield decrease in the
Soil and Crop Improvement
trials was real. It -may have
something to do with the
application technique I
don't know. The point I am
making is that you are
helping to fund good
research to look at
micronutrients. This
research states you cannot
expect a yield increase by
routinely applying
micronutrients. The farmers
who help the demonstrations
this year are merely
verifying that research. So,
why are you fooling around
with micronutrients?
Factors affecting
yield
Another point that con-
cerns me is that you can
waste a lot of time fooling
around with micronutrients
when you should be checking
other things. The Perth and
Huron Soil and CropV,
Improvement Annual Report
summarizes demonstrat-
ions that showed 30 bushels
per acre difference among
hybrids: Another demon- -
stratfon indicated over 25
bushels per acre difference
in primary tillage treat-
ments. Another demon -
Please turn to page 11A
GET COUNTY HONOURS — Receiving County Honours certificates at Saturday's Middlesex 4-H Achievement Day were
Kim Hadley, Linda Giesen, Margo Jones and Vicki Bedggood. T -A photo
15°'
PRICE
ROLLBACK
IN DECEMBER
Plus Waiver or 13.9% APR Financing
Forget any reasons you may have for not
buying a big new 2 -wheel drive tractor right
now. Massey -Ferguson has rolled back prices
to us in December by 15%...on every new
Massey 2000 Series tractor on our lot. This
means some of the biggest savings we've
ever been able to offer...to you!
Don't wait. Come in and buy now, because
these savings apply only to new equipment
purchased in December — just in time for
year-end tax credits, too.
Choice of financing
If you buy now and qualify for financing
through Massey -Ferguson, we'll make your
deal even sweeter, with a waiver* of finance
charges 'til season of use, or 13.9%** annual
percentage rate financing for two years. It's
your choice. See us now for all the details.
Waiver dates:
Tractors. implements,
industrial machines March 1, 1982
Hay tools ... May 1, 1982
Grain combines, swathers ... August 1, 1982
Corn/bean combines .... September 1 1982
Used equipment savings, too.
Waiver of finance charges and 13.9% financing
options are also available to qualified buyers
through MF on used machinery and equip-
ment on our lot.
Hurry! These price rollback savings.,
are good only during December 1981.
* * E XAMPLE ONLY
Ceeh sea+q Pate
D PIPMeni
9e1arme 10 Mum. el Jan 1. 1992
Anar10.d loin. at 13 9% APR 1a 2
p.an; 4 aerl wwat payreas d
9,7 b.q n July 1, 1962 -ah equal
payments On Jan 1, 1963, J,Ay 1,
1993, ant Jan 1. 1914
idar Meme chirps at 139% APR
99 An 1. 1914
?otat M Payments (ur.."
e91•04110 winged)
556,900 00
17, 700 00
4i 20000
12,149 93
7,396 92
44.596 52
MF
Massey Ferguson
* EXAMPLE ONLY
Down M 1
f 7.70000
17.70000
Baton» to Marco 41.30000
rearms chore. b Wren 1, 1992 -0—.
idol contract due 41,20000
(Mardi 1. 1962, or Aug 1. 1992. or
s•pt 1, 1962. or ot+e term orarped)
Sherwood (Exeter) Ltd.
18 Wellington St., Ex.tsr 235-0743
JOHN
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ore designed to make kids
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And you'll never have to
buy batteries as John
Deere toys don't need
them. Choose toys from
our farm and lawn and
garden lines. All are
authentic scale models of
the real machines.
Free gift wrapping
available at our store.
Cold Weather
Sportswear
We have distinctive,
machine washable
sweaters for men and
women in a variety of
styles
Keep batteries
powered up
with -a John Deere
Charger
You can keep batteries
at peak charge or boost -
start engines with a John
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have a sa'ety thermal '
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HIGH-
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WASHER
Clean up quick with
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washer. It's right for
dozens of tough jobs
around the home
500-550 psi of nozzle;
pressure make short
work cf normally
tedious jobs.
Put warmth
where you
want it ...
with a
John Deere
Space heater
UO
Blyth 523-4244
Exeter 235-1115
41