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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-10-18, Page 31f.EJDERICI-I-SIGNAL-STAR,MUMMY, OCTOBER 18,1979—PAGE M R Fertilizer tips save $$ Applying fertilizer is one of the most expensive and time-consuming jobs on the, farm, and many farmers are not getting the results they deserve. "The key to successful fertilizer use is to apply only what the soil needs," says Russ Johnston of the Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology. "Too many farmers judge fertilizer requirements by guesswork when they could get an accurate picture of soil needs with a soil test." Soil and crop specialists recommend soil tests every two or three years. Taking samples in the fall, after the harvest and before fall tillage, allows far- mers time to use the results in farm planning. By following the results of a soil test, farmers are able to apply just the right amount of fertilizer which can result in im- proved crop yields. "Soil testing can also increase profits by , reducing unnecessary applications of fer- -tilizer," says Mr. Johnston. "Many far- mers have built up soil fertility to the point that they are throwing money away by applying large amounts of phosphorus and potassium now. In some cases, the excess amount of these elements has resulted in micro- nutrient deficiencies." Mr. Johnston also cautions farmers to follow soil test recom- mendations to conserve fertilizer. Many fer- tilizers are limited natural resources. "To maximize the benefits of soil testing, farmers must take samples properly," he says. "Take at least two cores per hectare (one core per acre) to the depth of the topsoil using a soil probe. The more soil cores you take; the better the sample." After sampling various parts of the field, mix the cores to make one sample for analysis. One sample should not represent more than 10 ha (25 A). Samples of problem areas or different soil types should be taken separately. The provincial soil testing laboratory at the University of Guelph analyzes soil samples for Ontario farmers free of charge. Soil sample boxes are available from local Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices arid some fer- tilizer dealers. Satellite imagery new Satellites are making waves in the field of agriculture. In one current experiment, the photographic "eye" of a Canadian satellite focuses on six counties in eastern Ontario once every 18 days. The pictures or satellite imagery that are relayed back to earth look like a rainbow -colored puzzle. When the sophisticated pictures are interpreted by " technicians, they provide information which is Ided to a land use inventory. "The satellite is like a huge mirror in the sky reflecting exactly how - the land is used," says Bob Van Den ' Broek, party leader of the., Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) soil survey unit. intensity indicates a "The pictures are most different land use. To beneficial when taken simplify the iden- during perfect weather ti f i c a tion process, conditions in June or 'researchers • have com- July, because then we puterized the color code. can determine the location and size of areas "The satellite is an growing particular expensive but useful tool crops." for predicting crop volumes for a given The satellite imagery is year," says George deciphered with the help Jackson of OMAF's Food of a field crew. They . Land Development describe representative Branch. "Over • several field plots from the years, the accumulated roadsides . the same day information can show as the satellite' passes •crop rotations." overhead. As -many Knowing these systems different crops and land uses as possible are of land use is critical for identified visually. wise planning. Under- utilized farm land can be The survey, called the identified . "for alternate ground truth, is matched use, while potentially, with the rainbow colors.of arable land can he saved the satellite pictures. for productive Each change in color agricultural use.. Bill Clements shows some of the jeans and work clothes available for sale in his new store, Country Casual Workwear, located beside his French Dry Cleaners at 35 West Street. The store, which has been open since August 20, offers a 90 per cent stock of clothes for the industrial man and farmer and a 10 per cent stock of clothes for women and children. Bill hopes to increase this latter stock in the spring. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) A. For sale HIGH MOISTURE CORN fur sale. Phone Goderich 524-9900.-42 RABBITS FOR SALE - young, healthy breeding stock. 35 young does, 5-6 months old. 40-50 cages, .all equipped plus seven good and healthy bucks. Phone 524-7039 before 9:30 a.m.-42 B. Custom, work COMBINING, soya beans or narrow row corn. Phone 524-9900.-42 CLAY — Silo Unloadors Feeders Cleaners Stabling _ Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equipment Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unloaders Feeders Conveyors FARMATIC -- Mills Augers, etc. ACORN — Cleaners Heated Waterers WESTEEL-ROSCO ,Granaries B & L - Hog Panelling LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ont. Phone 395-5286 B. Custom work WANTED TO RENT: J.and suitable for growing cash crops. Phone 482- '039.-42 WANTED TO RENT: Crop land in Colborne, Goderich and Ashfield Townships. Top dollar paid for top land. Call Steve Buchanan, Goderich 524- 4700.-38tfnc C. Wanted CUSTOM COMBINING - book your corn early before the rush. $18.00 per acre under normal conditions. Call 524-2520 evenings. -42-43 CUSTOM COMBINING with 6600 John Deere combine wide row, wagons and auger sup - Phone 523- 4260.-42-45 D. Livestock 'REGISTERED polled Hereford bulls ready for service. Halter broken. Good rate of gain, sire gained 3.5 lb. per day. Ed Powell, RRI Wingham. Phone 335-3893.-42 F. For rent HORSES BOARDED Box stall, exercise, . grooming and oats available. Call 529- 7$51.-42,43 Anyone in Canada with even a remote connection with agriculture should be watching what happens when Dr. Hugh Horner of Alberta tries to sort out the wheat problem in this country,. Although only six percent of the population is ac- tively engaged in farming, the entire country has a stake in this appointment because it deals with some of the biggest and most powerful institutions in Canada. Western farmers could grow twice.as.much wheat as they are now growing but they, say there is no in- centive. Yet, most people in the world, 70 percent of them, go to bed hungry every night. Estimates of land lying fallow in the West range as high as 25 million acres. Wheat once was king but is becoming a poor cousin to other crops. Dr. Horner, the new transportation czar for Canada, has a rough, tough job ahead of him. He is going to need all the muscle, all the clout he can get. 'He must battle the solidly entrenched Canadian Grain Com- mission, the powerful Canadian Wheat Board, the two giant railroads, the wheat pools and the grain trading companies Canada could sell millions of bushels of wheat more than what is being sold now. In fact, half of last year's crop is still in storage. Officials admit this country is losing $2 million every day in wheat sales.' A billion dollars a year! To those of us directly connected with agriculture, it all seems to be a nightmare. Here we are, sitting with a potential to double our grain sales yet we are losing our markets to the U.S., to Argentina and even to Australia. What i,� the problem? That is going to be Dr. Hor- ner's job:To find out. All aspects of the grain chain get blamed to some extent. Grain freight rates set more than 80 years_ ago, say the railroads, make it un- profitable to give grain shipments any priority. Farmers say it is useless to grow more grain when the grain board can't sell it. Outdated equipment from the farm gate to the docks -- shipping facilities, storage facilities, loading facilities-- is also blamed. ' Outside observers say the railroads just don't give a damn if they ever carry another bushel of wheat. They are into other things these days such as real estate, mining, oil and airlines. They aren't interested in transportation any more, especially when they can only get 12 cents a bushel. Others blame the unions, particularly the dock- workers. Canada sells the grain but strikes prevent shipments. Ships line up to load but sit empty. All the nitty-gritties are too numerous to mention in less than a thousand words but the answer, it seems to me, rests to a greatdegree within a transportation system which we Canadians have allowed to decay to the point of dereliction. CUSTOM CORN DRYING Buy o Sell ® Store or weigh out to your account ROBERTSON FARMS George Robertson R.R. s Goderich 5244658 Lette,s a,e app,et aien ny Bop T,oite, E,daie Rn Ei,n"a 0't 1i38 2C 7 The farm lobby itself, let it be said, is responsible for some of the mess. Farmers have lobbied for 50 years to leave the Crow rate alone. Now, some of them are grudgingly admitting adjustments are necessary. • So Horner has a big job ahead of him. He has a lot of big guns lined up against him but he certainly has a lot going for him, too. He's a seasoned politician.. He was deputy premier in Alberta, bora a Westerner. He has been both agricultural minister and transport minister•in Premier Lougheed's cabinet. Those who know him say he will. not be a puppet on a string for any of the big or little institutions, organizations or industries invblved in the grain chain. I, personally, think his appointment is an excellent choice. a What remains to be seen is whether the, new Tory government in Ottawa will back him all along the line. The prime minister is a Tory and Westerner. Which could mean much in this battle to solve the grain problem, a problem that could mean a great deal to every Canadian in year's to come. If it isn't solved, it could affect everybody in this country because we all have to eat. We need those balance of payments which only massive grain sales can give us. • Good luck, Hugh.. GODER,ICH COUNTRY CASUALS specializing in Professional FARMERS & INDUSTRIAL 1st LINE GWG WORKWEAR AT BELOW DISCOUNT PRICES Other Clothing Accessories Available 35 WEST STREET Beside French Dry Cleaners WATER WELL DRILLING "79 YEARS EXPERIENCE" TOYOTA TERCEL. The first perfect small car? Total Economy Project. Toyota will be the first to tell you that there's no such thing as perfect,.that they will never stop trying to perfect, to improve the automobile. Introducing Tercel, the Phase 2 Economy Car for the crucial years to come. Front Wheel Drive. Toyota's Tercel combines front wheel drive with a new 1.5 litre SOHC longitudinal engine. 4 -wheel inde- pendent suspension, direct transmission linkage, 2500mm (98") wheelbase and special suspension geom�etr Thr Tercel has been designed to reduce to a minimum the tendency of some front wheel drive vehicles to veer with ac- celeration or deceleration • FARM • SUBURBAN a INDUSTRIAL a MUNICIPAL e FREE ESTIMATES e GUARANTEED WELLS m FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT e 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS "OUR EXPERIENCE ASSUTAS LOWER COST WATER WELLS" DAVIDSON! WELL DRILLING LIMITED AY I (known as torque steering), jerking and pitching when accelerating, (known as snatching), mushy gear shifting, difficulty in engine servicing and to correct the inappropriate position of pedals and steering column. Longitudinal Engine. In designing Tercel with a fore-and-aft (longitudinal) engine, Toyota has created a powerplant which is ex- ceptionally easy to service. This ease of access will help keep the cost of operat- ing your new Tercel to a minimum. • 4 -Wheel Independent Suspension. For years racing cars have used a 4 -wheel independent suspension.. Naturally, Tercel has 4 -wheel independent suspension with MacPher- son front•strut and pure trailing rear arms. There are stabilizer bars both front and rear. To improve steer- ing stability and brake efficiency, to reduce to a .minimum snatching and torque steering, Toyota has ingeniously employed slightly positive — offset kingpin geometry on Tercel.. Thus shock transmitted from the road to the steer- ing wheel is efficiently supressed and steering balance is maintained. The Lineup. The four Tercel models (Sedan, Sedan TG, Liftback and SR5 Liftback) require very little by way of options. The Economy Story. 1980 Toyota Tercel 1.5 litre Fuel Consumption in litres per 100 km. Comparative Urban Hi -way Rating rtSti • Estimates , * 6.9 litres/ 100 km equals approximately 41 m.p.g. 1 gallon equals 4.5 litres, Numbers based on laboratory tests usipg approved Transport Canada test methods, Actual consumption will vary, Urban winter consumption will be significantly greater. Consult the 1980 Transport Canada Guide for details. 6.9* Tercel is very, very thrifty on the; road and at the pump. 4 Rotary and Percussion Drills PHONE 357.1960 WINGHAM Collect Calls Accepted "ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1906" 2 DOOR SEDAN ! Test drive the amazing Tercel at your Toyota dealer. Stricklcind 334 Huron Road ami otors Tel.: 524.9381