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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1954-04-22, Page 7JiSAIN FRONT d, jokz k'armers are busy putting them• gear in shape for seeding. Hopes, as always, will be for a bump- er crop next fall. But high yields can never be produced on hope alone, Smart fanners will be taking out their notebooks and using basic arith- metic they learned in public school to calculate l]ow they're Tging to get that bumper crop, heir first problem likely will be to determine how much plant ' loud was removed from the soil ' by last year's crop. o w m It might sound amazing in this age of scientific agriculture that many Canadian farmers are still of the opinion that soils are in- exhaustible and that all one needs for a good crop is perfect weather. Such nonsense has been exploded long ago. Nut- rients taken out of the soil by growing crops or by animals that consume them must • be re- placed if good yields are to con- tinue. 5 5 5 For example one good dairy cow producing 8,000 pounds -of milk a year removes an atnount Of phosphoric acid'from the soil equal to thatcontainedin 100 pounds of 20 per cent superphos- phate. A herd of 20 animals will remove phosphoric acid equival- ent to a ton of this essential fer- tilizing substance. Forty bushels Of wheat and 50 bushels of barley taken from the land the equival- ent of 100'pounds of superphos- phate. Seventy-five bushels of corn remove 12- pounds of nitro- gen, 44 pounds of phosphoric acid and 90 pounds of potash. The fact is—all crops extract a certain weight of these plant fe0ds. The relation of basic farm mathematics to high crop pro- duction is therefore obvious.What last year's crop took from the atoll must be calculated—and re- placed. di 5. .5 Every seaside resort in the Maritimes, it is said, has its beauty queen. But there is only One Potato King. This year as in the past six, the Maritimes' ppotato crown is being worn by a Prince Edward Islander. The man nOw occupying the throne is • James E. MacNeill of Kensington who won his title last fall at the Maritime Winter Fair at Am- herst. MacNeill ranks among the Is- land'a largest growers and has between 100 and 150 acres of his 800 -acre farm in potatoes, writes Maines Pendergast in the April issue of C -I -L Oval. What is the secret of his success? According to the article, he first found out everything there was to know about the soil in which he was going to grow po- tatoes, The subsoil which over- lies bedrock formations in the Kensington area consist of a mantle of rock residues rich in iron. It is free of sizeable stones. Combined with the mineral de- posits in the su'Ssoi1, this allows moisture to pass upwards, creat- ing rich topsoil in which good potato crops can be grown. The topsoil is also cornpiiratively stone -free. Since potatoes are heavy con- sumers of the plant foods, phos- phorus and potash, 'MacNeill ap- plies an average of 1,600 pounds of 6-9-12 fertilizer on the soil where his prize-winning Dark Red Pontiac potatoes were grown. He employs copper fungicide against blight and sprays with DDT to control inseots, His us- ual crop rotation is potatoes, grain, hay and pasture in that order. w a o The final ingredient in his suc- cess is the complete mechanize-, tion of his operations, He runs a modern potato harvester which digs up the tubers and throws them into a truck pacing the ma- chine, The potatoes are hauled to a warehouse where they are immediately graded. With four tractors and five trucks he is able to harvest six acres daily. EEN 1�l i 1 dr Gordon Smith lt. GARDEN NOTES No Rush at Either End. Far more plants are injured or lost through too hurried and early planting than in taking things slowly. In virtually every area of Canada it is possible to go on planting right up to the first of July. Aside froth very early things .,like grass seed, nursery stock;' sweet 'peas and a few others, which are all specially mentioned in any good seed catalogue, there is little to be gained from rushing the sea- son. As a matter of fact there is not a great deal of growth until both the weather and soil are really warns. This means at least May in most parts of Canada, though of course in the warmer parts of British COlum- bia, Southern Ontario and the lower tip of Nova Scotia it is usually possible to beat that she- dule by perhaps weeks. Even in these areas, however, there is lots of opportunity for garden- ing in May and June. Biggest Crops When the garden plot is small and one wants to make the most of it, there are various ways of growing two crops or practically so on the same piece of land. Of course in this in- tensive sort of vegetable garden- ing, extra fertilizer is essential and the soil must be well work- ed and rich. In double cropping we alternate rows of an early kin, with a lat one, for in- stance, radish and carrots, or let- tuce and beans, or peas and potatoes. We also have less space than normal between the rows, if necessary no more than 12 or 15 inches, The early stuff, of course, comes on quickly and is used up before the later maturing vegetables require full room. Another practice is to follow the harvesting of the first vegetables like the peas. lettuce, spinach. radish, early onions, etc., with another sowing of the `same or something else that will be ready say in August or September. Then there are cer- tain crops like squash pumpkins that we can plant in' the out- side rows of corn, or we can have staked tomatoes along the end of any vegetable row and cucumbers along the fence. With flowers, too, it is possi- ble to get double crops, --in fact nearly all gardeners do, and Dinner YPartners -- Prince Aly Khan and actress Gene Tierney leave for a dinner party after they arrived at Hollywood from Mexico. The film colony is speculating as 10 whether Aly will be heading for difficulties tes hie presenee in the U.B. might make him available for law suits by former wife, Rita Hayworth. • • Wonderful Fun In "Wonderful Town" — Rosalind Russell, relinquishing her role in the hit "Wond- erful Town,". to go to Hollywood for a new movie role, seems to be having a wonderful time at her farewell party. At left, she beats out a farewell tattoo an the drums, and at right, coproducer Robert Fryer rates a high -kicking hug as he presents the cast's gift, a silver cigaret lighter. some have more, Among the spring flowering bulbs they set out well started petupfas, asters," zinnias, marigolds, etc. These come into bloom within a short time after the last tulips, and in some cases the first of these are followed again by later set out plants or by annuals from seeds such as nasturtiums, alyssum, cosmos, etc. By care- ful spacing and planning and by using both perennials and an- nuals it is possible in most parts of Canada to have some bloom in the garden from the time of the crocusses in 1,Viarch or April until the -Chrysanthemums in October. The Place of Chemical Fertilizers In recent years, gardeners have turned more and more to chemical fertilizers. These are clean, easy to use and powerful. They are made up of three main elements, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, with the pro- portions of each expressed in formulae of three figures thus 4-8-4. The first of these boosts the green growth above the ground and is especially valu- able for lawns, lettuce, cabbage and other leafy vegetables. The phosphoric acid encourages the growth of starch and sugars, flowers and s e e d s. Potash balances the other two and helps naturity. When vegetables are stunted or misshappen it is usual- ly a sure sign that the soil is de- ficient in potash. Commercial fertilizers should be used care- fully according to directions and worked into the soil close to but .not actually touching the plants or roots. With them alone, plus some humus Or green manure, one can maintain the quality of garden soil indefinitely. Even where soil is naturally rich, or animal manure is available, a. little chemical fertilizer will be found useful for pushing growth fast; or as a stineulant or pick- sne-tap after transplanting. !' ''S co LAMES, TO PUT SAND iN YOUR KETCH The next time you get sand in your eyes or shoes, don't cuss. Fos' this uppercrust substance of Mother Earth is the basic in- gredient of a new chemical that's snaking life easier and better for you these days. From the sand conies silcon u and from the .silicon --• mixed with coal and oil — comes the newcomer, "silicone." Silicones are being used with remarkable success in 30 major areas producing industrial and consumer items. For instance, this versatile material is helping to reduce vibration in automo- biles, and it is also being used in completely unrelated products such as skin creams, which have, worked wonders an things like diaper rash. Once regarded as a post -war - curiosity, silicones are fast mov- ing into a vast :new industrial and consumer end-use pattern. In fact, the industry has expand- ed 25 times in the past nine years, and - forecasts predict it will treble in the next five years alone. Several major companies are experimenting with s i l i c o n e. General Electric, for example, began research on organic eom- pounds of the material back in 1932, Why is an electric company in the chemical business? Well, G.E. has been producing chemic cals for their own use for many years, and occasionally they come up with a product that looks good for the - consumer 'market. They figure silicone is a cinch to help the public tet their money's worth when they make a purchase. Take textiles. Fabrics treated with silicones shed beverages and many food -stuffs Without be• ing stained. They are also pro- vided with a durable water -re- pellency, often tor the life of the garment, and have an excelleut wrinkle recovery. Recently, the Cravanette Co., of Hoboken, N. J., completed in- tensive tests on silicone -treated garments. Officials there say non -oily spots may easily be re- moved from a suit by simply sponging with a damp cloth. And oily spots can be eradicated by regular dry cleaning or laun- dering. 5. 5. U Even though it will cost ap- proximately five or six cents to treat a garment with -three yards of cloth, textile manufacturers are enthusiastic about the new process, Dr. Charles E. Reed, general manager of the silicone products department of G.E., puts it this way: "The textile manufacturers feel they can increase their sales by giving the consumers a super- ior garment. We estimate one out of every four persons will buy a garment treated with sili- cone in 1954." The glassware industry is reap- ing fine benefits from the use ot silicone. Bottles treated with the chemical have shown a remark- ably lost' breakage percentage during packing and shipping. The Brockway Glass Co., pro- ducers of ketchup bottles, baby food jars, fruit juice bottles and liquor alld soft drink containers, recently reported a drop from the normal 0.3 per cent breakage to 0.014 per cent after a six- month test with siliconized bot - tics. Dr. Reed acids that bottle in- teriore treated with silicone per- mits easy drainage of fluids, fonds mud pharmaceuticals. If you've got a Iarge family think what you'll save on baby bottle breakage over a few months. Silicone rubber nipples will also stand repeated steam sterilirnttone. yet they won't clog or get limp. In its commonest form—water white oil --this amazing chemi- cal can be poured in subzero cold, and yet survive heat up to 600 degrees F. That's why you'll seen be getting a vibrationloss auto ride with all-weather trans- resine finids and shock absorb - ere made of silicone. As n defnamer, only a drop of two of silicone is needed to burst mil, ons of bubbles, In- duetry, therefore, is saving mil- lions of dollars annually by sharply - decreasing foaming pruhlcrts in vats and kettles. Beer makers, however, aren't interested, ,. r. • Silicone also steeps tires and other molded rubber and plastic parts from sticking in molds during manufacture because it's an excellent •release agent. This cuts rejects and speeds produc- tion. "Millions at cornbtuations are theoretically possible by altering the structure of the silicone chain chemically," says Dr, R e e d. "This means that the growth of the silicone -producing industry lies just begun." The leather industry stands to benefit greatly from this new chemical, For silicone penetrates the leather deeply and gives pro. By Demand — In response to numerous requests for a stamp with a religious theme, U.S. Post Office Department will issue the one shown above. Done in red, white and blue, it features the Statue of Liberty with the words "In God We Trust." taction from water and moisture. At the same time the leather re- mains supple and is able to "breathe." Some shoe manufacturers are already experimenting with sili- cone and report good results. Al- though it costs about 10 cents to treat the leather for a pair of shoes, they believe the added cost will be justified by a good selling point. It should solve loom's eternal worry on how to keep the kids dry, too, Silicone -treated snow- suits, for instance, will keep children dry as well as warm, despite deep snow and slushy weather. The countryman saw an article in a music shop, but could not understand the purpose for which it was used. "What's that thing for": he asked an assistant. "That, sir, is a chin rest," he was told. "It is used quite a lot by violinists." The countrymen gave a cry of joy. "Give me one," he said, Then, after a slight pause, he add- ed: "No, I'll take two. We've got the wife's mother staying with us as well" DM CHOOL LESSON ft. Barclay Warren. le A., ft.id Christ the Living Lord John 29: 24-29; 21: 15-17 Memory Selection: Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have. believed. Men talk of the good points Of the various world religions. It is hard to conceive of a religion surviving if it had no truth. But Christianity has this notable dis- tinction that its author rose from the dead. Ile must be divine Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared to the group of disciples. He hesitated to be- lieve their report. Thomas was a loyal disciple. When Jesus said, "Let us go into Judea again," his disciple:, s a i d, "Master, the Jews of late sought • to stone thee." But Jesus was going to awake La crus. Loyal Thomas said. -Let us also go, that we may die with him." Again when Jesus epoke of go- ing in his Father's house, Thomas said, "Lord, we know not whither thou guest, and how can we know the way?" Thomas was loyal but lie wanted to be sure. He was slow to appre- hend. Finally Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, an& thrust it into my side: and be not faithless but believing." Thomas did not insist on a physical in. vestigation but answered, "My Lord and my God:" Let us not forget that Thomas believed. Jesus gave Peter three oppor- tunities of affirming his love, He had denied him three times, Each time Peter assured Jesus of his love he received a corn - mission. If we really love our Lord He will have a task for us. Only as we keep his command- ments and serve him do we de- monstrate our love to him. We think much of the resur- rection on Easter Sunday. But we should talk of it more at other seasons of the year as well. It was the triumph of the early church. We must proclaim the Christ who died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Our Saviour lives today. We must let the world know it day by day. Stopped The Train For A Cup Of Tea Through the night thundered the express train bound with a full complement of passengers for Norway. Suddenly the brakes screeched and in a few moments the great engine drew to a standstill in the heart of the sleeping countryside. Down went windows in many carriages. People tumbled, al- armed, from their sleeping berths. Some women, hysterical because they feared an accident, scream- ed. From carriage -to carriage hur- ried members of the train staff, seeking the person who had pull- ed the communication cord. Eventually they found her — a frail old woman sitting calmly alone in a second-class compart- ment, enjoying the first train journey site had ever undertaken alone. To the red-faced, almost speech - lest; official who appeared in the doorway, she said sweetly, "How very kind of you to stop the train. I only rang for a pot ot tea, and I could have drunk it quite easily while the train was in motion.* What the conductor said—well, figure it out. yourself: 5o Long, Pal — "Cinco Rosa," a month-old burro, says a sad fare well to owner Mark McGovern, who's on his way to a hospital, McGovern bought the animal for his ton. But his car was ins. valved in an accident. When Dixon Kepley, an ambulance driver,, right, found them, McGovern was doubled up in the front seat and "Cinco Rosa" was licking his master's face. While McGovern was in the hospital, the burro checked into a local barn.