HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-07-24, Page 10J
W
Y
Page 10 Times -Advocate, July 24, 1991
FARM IJPDATF
Happy anniversary - Keith Selves (left), and Jim Bibby were on hand
Wednesday evening, to help prepare pork for the barbecue held at
the Kirkton-Woodham Community Centre. The barbecue was held
to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Kirkton-Woodham Farmers'
Club.
August seeding
of forage crops
By Brian Hall
Farm Management Specialist
for Huron County
CLINTON - A number of alfalafa
fields are showing the effects of se-
rious thinning from winter kill and
frost heaving last winter. You may
be thinking of an August seeding.
An August seeding sown in good
time, has the potential to give three
cuts the following year. If you are
planning to August seed, here is a
recipe.
August seedings fit best in the ro-
tation after winter wheat or spring
cereals. It can also work following
a forage stand that has run out, but
this is second choice. The biggest
problem after cereals has been from
volunteer grain. To control volun-
teer grain, there are two methods.
Plow the field and complete secon-
dary tillage and pack quickly after
to conserve moisture.
The other alternative is to disc or
cultivate after harvest, and leave for
a week to 10 days until the grain
has germinated. The final working
will kill this volunteer cereal. All
fields should be packed after seed-
ing unless on clay loam soils if soil
moisture is unusually high. The tar -
,:get date for seeding is August 1 to
August 20: In short season areas,
aim for the early end of this range.
A good rule of thumb, is that you
want to have a top root on alfalfa
seedings the size of a pencil for
good winter survival.
Perennial weeds, like dandelions
and twitch, are a major threat and
must be controlled before seeding.
Good fertility levels, especially of
phosphorus, gets stands off to a fast
start. Unless you have a high soil
test reading for phosphorus, drilled
in fertilizer is preferable to broad-
cast.
The suggested seeding rate for
alfalfa is 12-14 lbs.acre. Higher
seeding rates will give you more
alfalfa plants per square foot this
fall, however, there will be little
difference in stand thickness by
Deer
population
raises
concerns
the end of next season. In select-
ing an alfalfa variety, the most im-
portant considerations will be
yield, winter hardiness and resis-
tance to the diseases phytophthora
root rot and verticillium wilt.
Should you grow a multi -leaf
variety? Multi -leaf varieties have
more leaves than standard varie-
ties, yields are similar, but there is
no difference in the feeding value
of these varieties. Don't plant a
multi -leaf variety just to boast to
your neighbour that your alfalfa
plants have more leaves than
theirs do. Be sure to look at the
other factors mentioned above.
e lootinthe
rrew'•i
"Found not only in the field by
the plow, non pareil you may dis-
cover somehow,
"That you're facing a person
who's been through the muck, so
say good -day and wish him luck.
"You may meet a person with a
hardened smile and boots worn for
many a mile,
"A hand will reach out, callous
and bruised, from hard days of
work. Has it been used?
"A hearty handshake says all is
well, in spite of problems that the
heart may dwell,
"From fighting fatigue, stress
and the till; the bankers know not
the pressure of will.
"Would various groups create
havoc, too. If they walked a mile in
our shoes?
"The farmer's been around since
the beginning of time; surely politi-
cians will find,
"That the backbone of the coun-
try they lead depends entirely on
the farmer's stead?
"If the spine was to break, where
would you be? Lost and forlorn
and maybe hungry!
"We could be travelling like our
city cousins to see the world as it
is: carefree.
"The world shows much and
we're held back by heritage that not
a farm it does lack,
"Like chaff clinging to a woolen
sleeve, a farmer's pride will never
leave."
This poem, penned by Rod. J.
Potter of RR1, Warkworth, was
sent to the Brighton Independent
for me. Jim Lawrence, the affable
editor of the Independent, was kind
enough to send it along.
I am no judge of poetry butthe
words rang true to nie and- it
.. r.....- o. M ,..166. 6.q_-.'. w.•!thIldr
seemed appropriate to include The
Farmer in this column.
This is a special time of year for
agriculture. As this is written, crops
around this part of the province
look splendid. The warm days in
June and sufficient moisture
brought most crops in two weeks
ahead of time. Hay has been plenti-
ful. The grains are heading beauti-
fully and the com is as high as an
elephant's eye.
Vegetables have been in abun-
dance. All this bodes well for do-
mestic animals. When crops are
good, they benefit. Although
drought has bothered some parts of
the province, most crops in south-
ern Ontario have been excellent.
1 have never been a full time
farmer. We had a horse farm for
many years, a hobby farm, so I do
have an idea of how farmers feel
when the animals have all been fed
and the barns and storage sheds and
silos are full. Closing the barn door
while animals munch contentedly
gives a person a marvelous feeling,
a feeling that God is in His holy
temple and alt is right with the
world.
I used to be frightened of God as
a youngster. I saw Him as big ty-
rant in the sky who frowned on all I
did. As I grew older, I went on a
determined search for God through
many religions and a thousand
books. I even abandoned the idea
that God existed and concluded we
were all a cosmic mistake.
Now that I have grey hair coming
out all over, even from my ear
lobes, I have come to the conclu-
sion that everything that is good is
God.
Leaving a barn full of contented
animals must put you right beside
Him.
HOW TO BEALOCAL HERO1
BE BUSHeroesYBODYLwhenow that the need is there,
even the busiest people have time to help.
They know that volunteering is one of life's
most rewarding experiences.
Be a Local Heo.
A New Spirit o1 Giving
• A nassooal pray......conyp.,,tihod .aw... ani..
THE RUGGED, DEPENDABLE
ZETOR
Test Drive One Today
and You Will
Know
Why.
=MICHELIN ky, I C 4m1 : I I: MICHELIN I C -1: I I: MICHELIN I C -1:1 11
-rr
111 11
T
N.
. i
Tr
eN
B
a.
OGET•.
GRAND BEND - A local group
of conservationists concerned about
a pressured deer population in Pin-
ery Provincial Park, northwest of
London, has received welcome sup-
port from Ontario's largest conser-
vation organization.
In a letter to the Ontario Ministry
of Natural Resources (MNR), the
Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters (OFAH) says that the over-
populated deer herd problem at Pin-
ery continues to be ignored by the
government. Approximately 1,000
deer were recently counted at the
6,400 -acre park.
A local group of farmers and
hunters has sent a 450 -name peti-
tion to the ministry, pressuring it to
allow a controlled hunt, which
would lower the herd number to
more natural levels. The OFAH has
supported their call with another
strong letter to MNR.
The OFAH say the park's herd
has grossly outgrown the park. As a
result, the area's farms experience
huge crop losses, local highways
have among the highest incidence
of deer/car collisions in the pmv
ince, rare savannah oak forests
have been devastated, and disease
threatens the herd.
In the letter supporting the group
to MNR Deputy Minister George
Tough, OFAH Executive Vice
President Rick Morgan states: "Our
organization took this problem to
both of your previous ministers
(Mr. Kerrio and Mrs. McLeod).
Neither would authorize a hunt.
Time has marched on and this prob-
lem has gotten even worse. Now is
the time to act...not tomorrow."
1
E1 _
-rr
w•
6.4T
r▪ "
i
3
W
•
...
WITH MICHELIN SALE PRICES LIME THESE 1
MXL
A wide tire
for the sport
car market
P 18570 R 13
P18570R14 $85
"OUR" PRICES INCLUDE MOUNT & BALANCE,
PLUS FREE ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION
XH M+S
The long -wearing
all -season radial
P18575R14 435
P19575R14 "9v
P21575R14 x$105
P20675R15 $1OO
P21575R15
P22575R15 $�1.AA
8
P23575R15 $11.2
XA4
The positively
durable,
positively all -
season radial.
P16580R13
P19570R148�A cc
9
5
P71575R15 _11
P23575R15)1.
MICHELIN
mouse so much
IS /,iMNw/ en lir tires.
MICHELIN, GREAT PRICE! GREAT QUALITY!
Come see your Michelin Tire Expert Today
HAUG H TIRE ,e.
Mike McNichol . Cart Hicks
265 Thames Ret. East Exeter
Call 235-3753, 262-2926
1 C -1: I II I: MICNIItL1N I C -1: 14 , I
4
M
A
N
9
t
x
E
T
E
HWY M1
R
0
a
M
0
N
T
(Hearth
I Tiro
MICNMLIN
��I:F-JI � N17�
I C -I : I I : MICHELIIt'