Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1981-09-23, Page 12PAGE"125 CIJNrON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23,1981 Farm & Home news Hog Stabilization Program More than $33.4 million has been paid to 5,800 pro- ducers so far under the 1980- 81 Federal Hog Stabilization Program. The program, announced by Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan in May, covers hogs marketed between April 1, 1980 and March 31, 1981. Under the program, producers. receive $8.96 per hog up to -a max imum of 5,000.hogs. Still less than half the elgi- ble producer claims .an- ticipated an-ticipated have been receiv- ed. Hog producers who have not yet submitted their claimsare urged to do so im- mediately. Appication forms are available I at the Agricultural Ofice, Clinton. - D.S. Pullen, Ag. Rep. Somatic Cell Counts - Helps Detect Mastitis A great deal of interest has been generated concerning somatic, cells and their use as a method of detecting subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle. The milk from an uninfected mammary gland i.e. one that does not have subclinical mastitis, may contain up to approximately 250,000 somatic cells per milliliter. The counting of somatic cells in a milk sample pro- vides a means of monitoring subclinical mastitis. If the count is low and remains low, then it is likely that the cow is not infected. However, if the =count becomes elevated, it is likely that an infection has occur- red. A recent study at the O.V.C. found that if a cow had a cell count of 1,000,000 cells per ml. throughout her lactation, she would lose ap- proximately 15 percent of her potential milk produc- tion. Thus, if the level of mastitis in a herd is reduced, the producer can either pro- duce more milk or alter- natively produce' the same amount of milk from fewer cows. D.H.A. offers the option of individual cow somatic cell counts at a cost of 17 cents per sample or $2 per cow per year. The service is optional to users of the pfl.I<'Super- vised, D'H.I. Owr er Sampler or R.O.P. milk recording systems. However, dairy producers should take ad- vantage of this program to help ensure maximum herd production. -D. Martin, Assoc. Ag. Rep. Putting A Value On Rented Land A survey done in the American Corn Belt sug- gested that close to half the crop producing land was not farmed by the owner. It was either rented or share crop- ped. The high costs of owner- ship make some form of ren- tal agreement the only viable situation for many young farmers. This time of year we get a lotif inquries about land ren- tal. "What is land renting for in this area?" is the typical question. Frequently you have to pay the going rates just to get land. The price squeeze is making more Pro- ducers stop and think. There will be some hard negotiating take place in many cases before next year's rates are hammered out. I'd like to offer a few points to consider in your negotiations: il Most ofthe � land in, this area is clay loam. Loam and sandy loam soils are worth a bit of premium over clay loam. You will do better in adverse weather on -a loam or sandy loam farm - even if it has had several years in row crops. Muck soils will be less than clay loam because of pro- blems with some nutrients and weed control. Soil ap- plied chetpicals won't work too well. Muck soils tend to be in low areas which are prone , to early and late frosts. Sandy soil or eroded knolls should be discounted if they have a history of drought or nutrient problems. These eroded knolls will appear as lighter coloured soil, once they are ploughed. Drainage The weather of recent weeks reminds us of the value of tile drainage. Well drained land that doesn't need tiles is rare. If land is well drained because of slopes; you're probably look- ing at erosion problems as well as machinery problems in coping with the slopes. Add to this lower organic matter levels and this in- creases your chance of her- bicide damage. Generally, if land is not fairly level and not tile drained, the rental should be discounted by 20. to 40 per- cent. The lower yield poten- tial and higher risk factor of poorly drained land should be accounted for. Production History There are the obvious things such as weed pro- blems and herbicides that have been used. Every year you'll hear about somebody getting their beans planted on a.newty rented farm only to find that the prior tenant used lots of atrazine the year before. The new tenant drops a bundle of money on a destroyed crop. The fertility and past per- formance of land is often a good indicator of what can be expected. Fertility alone, however, can be misleading. For example, turnips are a heavily .fertilized crop. Corn or beans following turnips, however, will rarely produce even average yields. Soil condition, rather than fertili- ty, becomes a limiting fac- tor. All the working and com- paction takes a' heavy toil on clay loam soils. In Fact, I wonder if you can afford to pay more than $25 an acre for land that was in turnips the previous year. If you grow beans, for ex- ample, and the farm you are considering has already had a couple of years in beans, be careful. Each successive year of beans makes the land worth five to ten percent less for another crop of beans or corn. Similarly a corn crop following two or more years of corn won't have as high a yield potential and the land value should reflect that fact. Land that has hada crop of wheat and some red clover to plow down is worth a 10 to 15 percent premium when compared to land growing corn after corn or beans after beans. Land that has., had a good crop of alfalfa may be worth a 20 percent or greater premium. Another factor to keep in mind is the treatment of the land in the prior year. If it's a clay loam, it should be fall plowed or you'll likely drop 10 to 15 bushels per acre in corn yield potential. Land that was churned into a mud bath at harvest and plowed in extremely wet condition will ' also have lower yield potential. Excessive tillage and compaction will reduce yields even a year later. Land is easier to break down than to restore to top condi- tion. Long Term Agreements Are Best What do you do if you have to pay more than land is 'worth' to rent it? You have two choices. If the land isn't worth the rent asked - don't rent it, OR, try to work out a longer range plan with the owner. In my opinion, a lease might reasonably be presented as a cropping and land management plan. The minimum term of the lease should then be the length of the crop rotation plus maybe a year. The tenant should reap some of the benefits' if the land ' management is good. If the land manage- ment practices of the tenant aren't good, then the owner should be able to cut the lease short. The dollars per acre paid in rent each year could be tied to the commodity price index or the average price of corn or some other mutually agreeable index. Year to year rental agreements, with no con- tinuity, are short sighted: Good land management re- quires planning and time. Land that is rented year by year to the highest bidder will probably grow a crop of beans or corn every year - it's the only way to justify - the rental cost. This abuse of the land will eventually lower the value of the land. Its cropping potential will decrease. A good, long term cropping plan, works out well for both the owner and the tenant. They both depend on the yield potentials and profitability of the land. However, the final word is with the landlord. I strongly urge landlords to accept less rental for their land in ex- change for a good cropping program. This, improves their long term investment since a good crop rotation makes that land appreciate. - Pat Lynch, Soils and Crops Specialist. We are ready to receive your 1981 Corn Crop • Faster and efficient service with increased drying capacity • Trucking & combining avilable • Forward contracting for hill delivery 'A�'razxC4R. a �:.k+�vtgfritYT�f�y,�<, Lloyd Howatt of Clinton is practising for the antique class here. With this 1940 Cockshutt, Mr. Howatt placed second, in his class. (Stephanie Levesque photo) Huron County ueen of the Furrow crowned news farm news By Stephanie Levesque A 22 -year-old Seaforth area girl was crowned the 1982 Huron County, Queen of the Furrow at the 54 annual plowing match held north of Brussels last Saturday. Dianne Oldfield, 22, of RR 4, Seaforth was crowned on Saturday, by the 1981 Queen of the Furrow Deb Arm- strong, 19, of RR 4, Wingham. The runner-up was Jacquie Robertson, 17, of RR 2 Bluevale. Miss Oldfield was chosen from four contestants. Besides Miss Robertson, other competitors were San- dra Fii,layson, 16, of RR 3, Kippen and Carol McIntosh, 18, of RR 4, Seaforth. SSecretary-Treasurer of the Huron County Plowmen's Association Graeme Craig Sheep course set If you're a sheep producer, or thinking about becoming one, Centralia College of Agricultural Technology has an interesting course, that you should take. "We're offering the sheep management program in three different locations this fall," said Don Cameron, Head of Communications and Continuing Education at Centralia. The course will be offered at the College beginning on Thursday, October 15. It will be offered also in Belmore at the Community Centre star- ting on Wednesday,. October 14 and it will also be offered at the Wilmot Township Hall in Baden starting on Mon- day, October 19. These are evening programs. The course will consist of eight sessions of classroom training and discussion and will conclude with an all day tour of sheep farms in the area. The tours will be on the Saturday following comple- tion of the course. Because each course is one session per week (the same night throughout), the courses at Centralia and Belmore will have their tour on December 5 but the Baden course will not end until December 12. "There is no charge for these courses," Cameron said and they are made possible because of .th' cooperation of area Ministry of Agriculture and Food per- sonnel and the funding assistance of the Canada Employment and Immigra- tion Commission. If you are interested and would like to register for one of these sheep programs, contact the area OMAF of- fice or phone Centralia Col- lege at 228-6691. The pro- gram is practical and will have excellent speakers and experienced ' sheep farmers on hand. You should plan to attend. said the crowd attending the match at the farm of Mrs. Viola Adams on lot 29, con. 4 of Morris Township was good. Mr. Craig said there was a total of 55 tractor en- tries and commented the judges said the plowing was good. The senior champion for the day was Ken Innes of. Brussels with Barry Gordon of Seaforth as the reserve champion. The junior cham- pion for the day was Brian McGavin of Walton with Bevan Shapton of Exeter as the reserve champion. Mr. McGavin and Mr. Shapton will represent Huron County at the 1981 International Plowing Match at Barrie. The winners in each class are as follows, in order of merit: class two, tractor class for Huron boys and girls between 15 and 0, Bevan Shapton of Exeter, Brian McGavin of Walton and Jeff McGavin of Walton; Class three, open to Huron residents, Ken Innes of Brussels, Barry Gordon of Seaforth; Class four, open to all, Elmer Erb of Millbank, Ron Scotchmer of Mitchell, and Scott Cardiff of Ethel; Class five, Stephen Adams of Brussels, Paul Pentland of r Dungannon, Stephen Hallahan of Blyth; Class six, tractor class for girls under 24, Marion Hunt of Walton; Class seven, Huron residents under 20, Brian Farmers demand action Hundreds of letters are pouring into the Huron Federation of Agriculture office from concerned and angry farmers ' demanding immediate action from the Prime Minister to save what is left of the farming industry. The letters will be per- sonally delivered to the Prime Minister's office by Murray Cardiff, M.P. for Huron - Bruce. When parliament reconvenes this fall, the Federal budget must bring relief to the farming industry which has been most adversely affected by the government's high interest policy. There is little time left for farmers to inform the government of their plight. A personal letter from you to the Prime Minister can make a difference in government policy. The fall harvest season- will be over sooner than we think and many more farmers will be unable to meet their financial commitments because of low corn prices, says the Federation. Individual comments of many farmers are included in the letters the Prime Minister will receive. An important point made by one farmer is that farming is the only industry in the world, where everything we need for pro- duction is purchased retail and then pro- cessed or grown and finally sold wholesale. This alone, puts farming in a very unique situation, which government must realize. Another letter writer, found it ironic than. on the day of receiving the Huron Federa- tion of Agriculture survey letter to the government, he had met with the Trustee regarding his farm bankruptcy. A farmer said it is a frightening situation to see neighbours losing their farms and having them put up for sale. They are unable to meet • high interest rates while receiving low prices for their products. We wonder who will lose their farm next. Making changes to a watercourse? The waters of rivers, streams and creeks belong to everyone. Improper use of the watercourses which carry these waters may result in the following? - irrigation and drainage problems for neighbours - destruction of aquatic and wildlife habitat - reduced recreational opportunities - erosion and flooding problems Whenever permanently flowing watercourses are to be altered in any way including damming, diverting, and channelization, Federal and Provincial laws require that the approval of the Ministry of Natural Resources be obtained. As a first step in planning any work on a watercourse, contact us. Our staff will be glad to discuss possible design and layout alter- natives which will minimize future problems for you, your neigh- bour and public in general. Ontario Ministry of Natural Rns urces District Manager, Ministry of Natural Resources, R. R. If 5 Wingbom, Ontario N 2W McGavin of Walton, Bevan Shapten of Exeter, and Jeff McGavin of Walton; Class nine, present and former wardens, mayors, reeves, deputy reeves, MPs MPPs, farmers and businessmen, Andrew MacRobbie of Mount Forest, Edgar Howatt of Blyth, Or- val Mellin address unknown; Class 10, tractors drawing four plows or more, Peter VanDeborne of Seaforth, Harry Johnston of Seaforth, Bob Caldwell of Hensall, John Baker of Hensall, John Baker of Hensall, and Glen Lobb of Goderich; class 11, antique class, Ron Scotchmer of Mitchell, Lloyd Howatt of Clinton, and Carmen Howatt of Clinton. Prizes and trophies will be awarded at the banquet and dance on Oct. 23 at the Legion Hall in Brussels. Social notes To all Zone 8 senior citizen clubs: There is an invitation to attend a fall rally in the Holmesville Community Centre on Wednesday, Oc- tober 14 at 9:30 a.m. Fee will be $1.50 per person, lunch will be provided. Any. senior citizen M the Auburn Silver Tops wishing to go, please let the president, Ross Robinson know. Mrs. Myrtle Munro return- ed home last week after visiting in Ottawa with Mr. and Mrs. Glen Youngblut and family and also in Toronto with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Youngblut and fami- ly. Mrs. Glen Youngblut returned home with " Mrs. Munro and visited for a cou- ple of days before returning home. Ship your livestock with ART HEFFRON ®myth Shipper for United Co-operatives of Ontario Livestock Marketing ®vision Ontario Stockyards, Toronto CALL dLYTH 523-44221 by 8:00 a.m. Monday Stockers and Feeders Also Available Best Interest I1 9 %%?; AR ANNUAL We represent many Trust Companies. We are often able to arrange tor the highest interest being offered on Guaranteed Investment Certificates. • Subject to change EXETER 23S-2420 Gaiser-Kneale Insurance Agency Inc. CLINTON 482-9747 Shur•Gain beef production. It's the solution. Feeding SHUR-GAIN has the nghl products and programs 10 . *Winn performance and profits with every cattle feeding situation Choose from six different starter pr0gIoniatogel ,ceders 00 10 1111 10100 quickly without sel•backs Cattle supplemenla developed at the SHUR.GAIN Beef Research Centre property Dmence grana. hay, silage and 151190 grass Liquid 9dpplemonla and a complete line of high quality economical cattle minerals round'out your feeding needs Orood cowsyoung stock end leedlel steers or hollers achieve the most efficientprofitable guns with SHUR-GAIN s proven choice of high energy cattle feeds Get the full facts on the program best suited to your exact requirements at your SHUR-GAIN centre Services Your SHUR-GAIN representative will late the erne and carel1000 ng and managearation ment ist nputs sou al your cattle choose Pell a profit oriented SHUR-GAIN compute100d beef program to wont with your situation Target your speak dally gains. feed conversions and available loedel1ff, to optimize the return on your Important Investment The SHUR-GAIN program roally works. Convenient delivery custom -mixing, competitive pncee and terms all conlnbule to reasons you should feed SHUR-GAIN - ANmal health SHUR-GAIN provides almost all the animal health products you aro likely 10 require Electrolytes and vitamin are proven mango help overcome s rose of newly arrived leaders Growth promotanla Synepves, Ralgro MGA and Rumen,in should be ulitl,ed, along with Tramisol to control worms Eliminate grub damage and lice with Grube, Effective antibiotics such as SHUR-GAIN Oxylelracychne tog, Tylan 200 and Penicieln:Strep clear up disoawgas indicated Biological vaccines when required are readily available AlIthese important products plus sanitation and pesticide Rams can be obtained promptly and ecohomically at your nearest SHUR.OAIN Centro ASK US, There is a Shur -Gain Solution. T.B. ALLEN LTD. Londesboro 412-3363 VARNA FEED MILL Varna 482-9219 Clinton's Largest Selection CIIINNEY PIPE ANO ACCE$$SRIE$ TYPICAL PUMGALOW INSTALLATION ROUND TOP SPARK ARRESTOR CHIMNEY -+ FLASHING CEILING SUPPORT COUPLER BLACK SMOKE PIPE OVAL TO ROUND BOOT SELKIRK METALIESTIS CNIMMEY •Prefinished Stool Outer Casing in decor grey ',Stainless Steel inner liner and couplers •Fully Insulated (1" of low K Insulation equals 17" of brick) •ULC listed and CMHC accepted We also carry CEMENT CHIMNEY BLOCK AND FLUE LINERS LANGFORD LUMBER HOME CENTRES 1Foreverly Fred J. Mudia Les.) 230 RAYFIEL® ROAD, CLINTON 402.3903 LUCAN 229-449e PARKHILL 294.6933 lir (),Indic F•PL7011(TS X Qc1:13;t1Flft, SFRv'CF ` COMP t n nvf f'Rtt INCy