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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-04-27, Page 467111777. • * • • ". ''• • •• ittif re .tI events agricultural • '4 ticulturai societies across the proklitet,These,-frien*Y. competitions give meteors an opportunity to -showoff their, beet- produce. The results ,will encourage others, Oliva as yourself. Here's how to start and have a betterAaltalr.eXagP- • chance of winning., PIM,• . hem)* a member of. your 1941 'group, The dost is noininid - about $1 to $3 per . person. Read the show rules orfAlly. Many societies . publish i rules in book form for each member. Select the best varieties, when grottlng flowers and vegetables from seed. Plant themin your best garden soil - a •well-drakted, protected, sunny location is preferred. Follow the recommenda- tions on the seed packet, or follow cultural practices • given in.the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food publications, available at local agricultural Offices. Timing is 01POrtant. Know the approximate date from seed to maturity, so you will • have plenty of specimens to • choose from when thowtime' arrives. A77 find .040ry9nr 1 is you'. shopping. the are rmj- L.. - and freshness. begm. Choose produce that Is #.0e show, insect and disease 400 is, -,not: Plant* " ear It iheats ti select esePAC SflCsaytQ v00tebles. that 417.0, OsIttly Utter than medjum size, 7'...,.srautrAnivintron,n 41041= itegetab1es5tenaWbe coarse in texture and poor in Elavor. There are 9111es' exceptions however, such 04!, Own& a Od squash. Select under -ripe rather, than over -ripe veKg ee et apb ne smir i,. the number of specimens required for the class. Only a certain number can be entered, but take along a couple of extras in case some are dainagedii transit. In most cases, it -is best to clean, specimens, !minding carrots, beets, turnipx and potatoe,s; with a dip cloth Washing isn't recommend- ed. Trial the outer leaves of such leafy vegetables as Cauliflower and cabbage, • neatly. If you are not sure, ask a show committee member whether the calyx on tomatoes should be removed, or whether rows of corn kernels should be ex- posed. Selecting fruit for competi- tion is ahnost the same as selecting Vegetables. erS •lis40 . 04007.,:07de of •tp41,0. a ou gaFdfAzw- to pick. Use a sharp ":c to tut &Tim; tools*cesh steins. Protect flowers from wind, heat and evaporation, after cutting, to maximize keepingqualities. Place the stems in deep water im- mediately after cutting, and leave them for at least four hours before the show, Remember, fresh uniform flowers with even blooms, win extra points. The beat tune to pick roses ' is when the outer petals begin to unfold. Pick dahlias in the evening when they are in full bloom, and gladiolus when the first buds open ful- 77' kedi een , ` 011—* , t• fi$340.411,1 ms .:Straight, carefully efore placing. r. Flowers, ROSA/gon : eontainera for conditioninget, flowet!!•are clean; A. little sugar m thewater will help prolong the life of cut flowers,. To overcome wilting„ place five cen- timetres (two inches) of the cut end into hot water for a few minutes, then add tepid water ahnost up - toe the flower head. A season or two of corn- petition; examining and comparing your entries with the winners, can be very good experience. Try it this year. Competitions begin in mid -spring and continue un- til frost. Taxes can't touch gardener's assets Do you feel manipulated and milked dry by the "System"? Are you looking for a legitimate tax loophole or a sure-fire weapon to fight in - Ration? Or perhaps for home - GREAT EARLY SPRING SAVINGS SNAPPER RIDING • MOWERS Fantastic Savings On Our Truckload of JACOBSEN RIDING 1 '82 ROPER TRACTORS White Only MOWERS Now Only 1400 SAVE ALMOST S30000 OFF SUGG. LIST PRICES '• • :47 •-• ‘7"4.7,47,544,%A74.7777774,44,074.4,." "LARGEST" Inventory of Lawn • Mower Parts And Small Engine Parts In The Area. ARGYLE 88 BRITANNIA D. E. GODERICH MARINE & SMALL ENGINES Please Dial 524.9201 based recreation to save on expensive gasoline? Home gardeners already have the answers and are using them to fight back. Gardening provides a tax loophole for the average Canadian, one of the few not subject to Revenue Canada audit. Vegetables from your home food garden aren't taxable. You can even barter garden produce for other useful goods. The cost of growing your own is still reasonable as compared to the cost of pur- chasing fresh or processed produce. A skillful gardener can harvest vegetables worth ten times his or her yearly investment in seeds and supplies. Budget -conscious and conservation -minded citizens. are planning to spend more weekends at home this' sum- mer. The National •Garden Bareau, a garden seed'trade educational organization, reports that sales of vegetable seed packets have never been stronger. Furthermore, sales of flower seed packets are keeping pace because more people are' planning to "fix up the place' with beds of flowers. The demand for community garden plots is increasingly rapidly, unfortunately at a, time when county and city park budgets are being squeezed. Consequently, some churches and other institutions with spare land are moving in to fill the gap. But, for the foreseeable future, the major% growth in gardening will be among families who have land' around their homes. Com- munity garden plots still make up only a small part of the land devoted to food gardens. The National Garden Bureau doesn't expect an immediate shift in the motivation for food gardening. First and foremost, Canadians garden for the joy of it. They like the good feeling of working in the soil and the fulfillment of producing healthful foods with one's own hands. But, oh, the allure of a tax- free, inflation -proof food factory right in your own backyard! A beginning gar- dener can harvest fifty cents in retail value of produce from • every square foot of garden space. Experienced gardeners regularly top one dollar per square foot per gardening season. No wonder home gardeners are such a cheerful ot! " • Young Gwen Holland 'knows what it take:An:lie a prize winning gardener:. -GWenwasone of ille.yinmgest.com- petitors and winner at the Clint Oir•HOtilealh011licietY's competitionin1982. (Shelley,IlliePlieepholli)4-. • •Clitnhing roses are rewardmg Climbing roses are shrubs which bloom sw.beautifully over such a long pericid of time that 'many home gardeners assume they are difficult to grow. It is true that climbers have particular needs, and attention must be paid to ..them, but the gardener's ef- forts are certainly reward- ed, says Bob Hamersma, horticulturist at the Hor- ticultural Research Institute of Ontario, Vineland Station. Climbing roses do not ac- tually -climb on their own. They produce arching canes up to five metres (15 feet) long which, if not trained on to a support, such as a trellis, post or fence, would soon bend over and sprawl. along the ground. Canes should be tied to such a support as they grow in length to keep the bush from becoming messy and taking up ground space; This also shows -off the blooms to best advantage. Hamersma says there are three distinct classes of clunbers, each of which has its own characteristics. These characteristics deter- mine the type of maintenance required; the gardener who is aware of the difference between the classes can make a more in- formed choice for his par ticular needs. Large -flowered climbers are the most popular. • Blooms are five eentimen- tres to 15 centimetres (two inches to six inches) across on strong arching canes and most varieties present two strong bloom periods, in spr- ing and fall, with scattered intermittent blossoms in between. Hamersma says these have excellent disease resistanceand are the most „nold tolerant of all the •climbers. Prune after the first flush of bloom since flower buds occur: on the previons season's WOod.:.,: Climbing •• versions, of popular bush -type roses (hybrid, tea, _floribunda) comprise a second class that • ProdUces shorter genes and therefore, a neater, ' more compact habit of growth. Hamersma says this type is •less hardy • than the large flowered -types, but its. con-, ,tinuous floweting,, disease • resistance and variety of , flower 'sizes and colOrs makes it very popular with gardeners. •- . Ramblers, the third :type of climber, are also the oldest. They bloom only once, on current year's wood, and so they should be pruned every spring.. t�. in duce new flowering wood. Hamersma says these have declined in popularity because of their rampant growth and often messy ap- pearance, their susceptibili- ty to mildew; and their single bloom period. Climbing roses grown in Ontario's warmer areas re- quire a cover of burlap of waterproof paper. Evergreen boughs may also be arranged against the canes to protect them from sun and wind. Ii i colder areas, • canes should be taken down from their supports, divided, tied in two bundles, bent to the ground on opposite sides of the plant, and pegged down. A loose insulating material, such as peat moss, should be placed over the canes to a depth of 25 cm (10 in.) and held in place with burlap or waterproof paper. >77.