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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1961-10-26, Page 3Searching For Wayside Crops Thisis the time of year when those of us who do not sow reap our fall harvests, The crops are there for the searching -and it is the searching that provides most of the fun. The elderberries have been ripe along the Wisconsin country roads for several weeks, but it is not too late to gather enough for a pie, After dark, there is a nip in the air,although the first frost has not yet come, and that means the shag -bark hickories are be- ginning to drop their bounty. The black walnuts which are on the ground this early are not as good as the ones that come later, but the squirrels are al- ready busy and a human who wants his share had better make plans, Butternuts. are , getting scarce, but the rich, oily nut is worth looking for and its scarci- ty makes it all the more worth the hunting, The crops that grow wild along the byways and fence rows are seldom noticed by speeding mo- torists, which suits -us scat'engers perfectly. We'll tell you where the good fishing spots are if you ask and how to find a restaurant where the sauerbraten' has been marinated a full seven days and costs only $1,25 a serving. But ask us where the' good nut trees are and we'll change the subject. Inquire where 'a man can find the ingredients for eld- erberry jam and we'll shrug and turn away, Some secrets must remain untold or the day will come when we'll all depend for sustenance on the supermarkets and we grasshoppers who • eat what we do not sow will fare poorly. We've already harvested our crops of wild blackberries and wild raspberries, not to mention that finest product of the Ameri- can roadside, the tiny, sweet and dusty wild strawberry, which is too precious to be taken ' home and is eaten as 'fast as it is picked. The wild asparagus is gone, too -not gone actually, but grown too tall and branched, storing up sustenance for next spring. There's nothing to do about the wild asparagus now but to note where it grows and to make plans to come with a sharp knife and sharper appetite next'June. But along the country roads the purple clusters of the elder- berries still wait the visitorwho has patience. More than any ether food, the elderberry de- mands this quality. Patience is needed to await the proper moment for harvesting - picking the berries too soon means they taste like birdshot • and your wife will complain that a lot . of her , time was wasted. Patience is needed, too,: in pre- paring the pie, The harvesting of the berries is easy enough -each is no longer than a BB, but they grow in clusters of a hundred or more. A half hour is time to fill a peck basket. But that is only the start. Each tiny berry has a tiny stem, which must be removed, The; small, hard berries must be, culled out. The whole batch must be washed and washed again to; get rid of the country dust, for the elder- berry is a lover of dusty places,. But the result is worth it all. An elderberry pie, oozing its pur- ple juices, its aroma, filling the kitchen, is worth almost any- thing. And the harvesters of wild crops must be ready to ac- cept a few drawbacks. Take the hickory nuts, which will fall to the ground until they nearly cover it as soon as the frosts come. The hull has four parts and is easy to remove -in fact, the cold snap which changes the outer shell's green to black may do the job for you. • But the hickory meat itself must be cajoled from its shell with craft,and labor. If the nut is struck just right between ham- mer and stone,the two halves of the meat can sometimes be brought out intact, But more often a nut pick is needed to rescue the provisions, which amount tojust enough to whet the appetite for the next such operation; The black walnut is more li- beral' with its meat, but it has another drawback, The outer hull, whether still green or blackened by frost, contains a dye that turns fingers brown, Some . walnut eaters solve this problem by forcing the nut. through a hole in a board -a hole just the right size to admit the main body of the nut but not its shuck, Other harvesters prefer an' even more ancient method - trampling the walnuts under foot, rolling them about under the in- step against a stone until the hullsare off, The butternut, which may well be the finest food known to man, combines both of the problems associated with the hickory,,, nut and' the walnut. Its outer,hull is sticky. Itclings stubbornly to the nut and stains the fingers that try to cope with it. And once the' hull is removed and the nut cracked, the meat is hard to remove. There is more of it than in a hickory `nut, but it requires even more patience. to extract the edible part. Kept, stored in the. attic or basement, the harvest of the hickory, walnut' or butternut trees will keep us busy through the winter, A few bushels of each should suffice, And by the time: they're gone, it will be spring. The snow will melt and the streams unlock. And off we'll go again, with small knives and pans this time, in search of the first shoots of the dandelion, The children will start com- plaining then. The dandelion greens, they will say, taste bitter. The wild asparagus is no differ- ent, they will claim, fromthe kind.you can buy at the markets. And' who wants to sit around cracking hickory nuts when he can crouch 'before the television tube with a bowl of salted pea- nuts at his elbow? But we know better, We know, 'for one thing, that prod- ucts that are free for the finding taste better than those for which money has changed hands. And. we know something else -that a little of the' taste of the Wild strawberry or the butter - ,nuts" or the spearmint' that grows along the brook is compounded. of the cricket's chirp and the frog's piping and the sunlight filtering down • on a man's back as he walks through, the woods'in search of treasure. More Trouble: For Well -Known Prisoner Serving out his one-year in- come -tax -evasion hitch in a Fe- deral'pokey at Danbury, Conn Boston. industrialist Bernard Goldfine may correspond as :of- ten., as he pleases with seven stipulated' persons, But a, pri- soner's letters, may not .address themselves to his business af- fairs --' just as they may not contain threats or escape plans - and last month the Federal Bureau of Prisons suspended three of its Danbury employees .f o r allegedly taking, bribes' to help Goldfine carry on business correspondence, and also for fetching 'him . a watch. from the prison commissary. Goldfine, age 70, found himself . under ad- ministrative 'segregation, which differs from ' solitary confine- ment in that he is deprived only of companionship, and not of such amenities as the normal prison meals and reading pri- vileges, ' In Brookline, Mass., froldfine's wife said sadly: "We have enough troubles -' now this." • 8, Cognizant 34, Passed CROSSWORD 10, Return like 85. Firearm for like g8, Initiated 11, Lowest timber PUZZLE 18, Chop hip 15..Tho�oughfare 41. Drift 42. Salm lily 44. Stage whisper CI. African tree 47, Peel 48, Spilt pulse 52. Chemical suffix 58. Poker player's delight 58: Masculine nickname 57. Forward ACROSS 1. Part of a church 6. Olve heed to 9. Sacred chest 11. Funny 14. Very small 15•: Sudden thrust 9. Paint leaf 17. Devoured 18. Compass point 19. Figure 21, Circle of light 24. plod for whom Tuesday Is named 26. Moray 20. Slow (mus,) 22.0. Provided') 82. Perch 85: imposing' 86. Son of Judah 27. Tlisa 99,,Oreet 40. Slameeo cola. 48, Anpreprlat6 45. Afresh 46. Streaks 48. Dleplaodd person {{B, Hasten : 150, KCeel-billed ouottoo 61. Pertaining .to a continent !Rya. (. . am lab ,nt D wM 2. Fr. winter resort 8. Orb of day 4. Maritinne drinks 5. Exclamation 6. Black ,rood 7, )7ntice 8. Measure of paper 20 ]lye (scotch) 21, Timid animal 22. Worship 28. One of the ' Tal race 24. Sign of the n Unitive 27, Possessive adiective 29. Iustoal Syllable 31, Went swiftly Answer elsewhere' on this page STEERING WITH CARE -' Lash year's reflective license plate makes a fine cow protector, one Sioux Falls farmer discovered. The plates may be clearly seen for 2,500 feet. Good sense when the livestock crosses the road. TIIEFALR,N FRONT fes` ICd4a ala Drought, excessive moisture. and reduced acreage had their effects pn seed production of the principal grass crops this year and preliminary estimates show that supplies of most types will be generally smaller than the 10 - year average. and also smaller than last year's. However, ` 1960 was an ex- ceptionally good year. Timothy seed production, for instance, was a 'record' 23 million pounds in •1960 against the 10 -year average of 16,3 m. lb. and there was a, Carryover in dealers' hands of 3.6 m. lb. last June 30., This was fortunate 'as the timothy seed crop for 1961 is now 'estimated ' at only 13,5 m. lb, -less than the average, but 58 per cent below the pre- viousyear's harvest. * * * Constant humidity and exces- sive rainfall, promoted . exten- sive undergrowth in 'western Ontario and it was -necessary to swath most of the crop ;in the expectation that ' improved, weather' would ' permit ,thresh- ing' and ' combining. This re- duced theyield per acre. In eastern Ontario, shattering 'and poor pollination were 'factors. Quebec province, the next largest producer, expects one of the smallest seed harvests in years.', Less acreage was planted and' much was cut for hay. Timothy harvested for seed .in' the Maritime Provinces was far below average. Significantly,' United States has forecast its .1961 timothy seed crop at. 27.8 m. lb.,' .39 per cent - smaller than last year's. - * * * Climax timothy acreage in- spected for" registration • and. certification was down - slightly. Since most of this crop . is grown, onthe prairies` it was a victim of drought and the production of pedigree seed is ,expected to be ' only half of last. year's '3.2 m. lb. Preliminary reports on other grass crops are pessimistic, 'except for creeping red fescue, r ■ * Biome grass send harvest at 3.7 m, lb. maybe one of the smallest on record and less than halfthat of last year. Dry weather and wind were ad- verse factors. Dry weather also reduced crested wheat grass seed 'pro- duction, which is expected to be 1.1 m, lb., about half of. last year's. Creeping red fescue seed grown in Alberta and British Columbia may be 20 per cent less than the record 1960 crop of 16.6 million pounds. Acreage was reduced but yields in some fields amounted to between 500 to 800 pounds per acre. Carry- over at June 30 was 7 m, lb. of which half was committed for export. Production of meadow fescue seed in Manitoba was expected to be cut by drought to 44 per cent of the 1960 figure of 3.2 m, lb. * ,, *. The same conditions dras- tically cut common Kentucky blue grass seed production in Manitoba and there may be only one-fifth of last year's crop, Unfavourable weather reduced the crop of Merion Kentucky bluegrass seed grown in the other western provinces. Wet weather and poor har- vesting conditions *in the Niagara Peninsula defeated early hopes of exceeding the 1960 production of 70' thousand Ds. of Canada blue grass. In fact, the preliminary estimate is for 25 thousand lb, in 1951. * * * With a climate well stilted to the production of high quality flax, Canada is going all out to develop new varieties that will produce even higher standards of oil, yield, earliness and resist- ance to disease, reports Dr. W. G. McGregor, of the Canada Department of Agriculture, Oil content of Canadian lin- seed oil has averaged between 41 and 43 per cent in recent years and some test varieties have exceeded 46 per cent, Two of the more popular varieties, Redwood and Rocket, are noted for their "fairly high oil con- tent and good drying qualities." * * * The drying quality of linseed oil is important In paints and other industrial uses and is measured by the iodine number. Because flax grown in a cool climate has a, higher iodine number, it is a better drying oil than that grown in a warm climate Most Canadian oils average from 185 to' 190 but some varieties grown in north- ern areas have iodine numbers of more than 200. "The 'objective of our breed- ing ' program is to couple a high oil content with a high iodine number," Dr. McGregor observes, * * Early maturing of flax is necessary for the more north- erly regions of the prairies but is also desirable in southern regions' because of occasional early frosts. But late -maturing varieties usually :yield' better than early ones when seeded • early. If seeding must be delayed, early -maturing varie- ties should-be.used. "The number of days from seedingto maturity for Red- wood averages 105 days," he states, "while Raja, an early variety, matures in'95 days. With the new varieties the aim is to increase the yield of early - maturing varieties," * e. * Dr McGregor says new varieties being developed are highly resistent to rust, and to wilt caused by soil -borne organisms. To date, research- - ers have found novariety of flax immune to pasmo, a disease that causes the leaves to turn black and drop, ,and also kills the stem. But, reports Dr. Mc- Gregor, some of the flax varieties now being developed show .a promising tolerance to this dis- ease. Railways Killing Countless Reindeer To a reindeer, the puffs of smoke from a railway engine are as attractive as the smell of a frying steak is to most of us. Be- • cause of that, they are dying in their thousands on the railway lines of northern Sweden. ' Last year, 2,369 reindeer .were killed by trains. •And Swedish State Railways paid out nearly $45,000 in compensation to ag- grieved Lapp owners - to whom the reindeer is the only source of livelihood. Laplanders - almost the sole inhabitants of north Sweden - rely on their herds for milk, meat, jerkins, boots, leggings, caps, transport and tents. And. the horns are used for ornament- al carvings and knife handles which fetch high prices from tourists, The Lapps are a nomadic race. In the winter they drive their herds from the cold hills of the north to forests below the Arctic Circle, In late spring they trek northwards again to feed their stocks on the fresh grass which carpets the mountain slopes. Their routes and camping sites are traditional, They have been used for more than a thousand years by these hardy people Who have learned to live in harmony with the severe climate, Swedish Railways have tried installing "scarecrows," explo- sive alarm systems and stink bombs to keep their lines clear. But none has proved a worth- while deterrent, When frightened, a reindeer's ISSUE 42-k 11 instinct istoseek shelter op high ground, which is just where the tracks run. Smoke effects seem to entice the creatures, rousing their curiosity rather than acting as warning -off signals. Engine drivers have been in- structed to drive slowly when warped at stations of reindeer sightings near 'their tracks. But even the most" careful drivers safe often confounded. Sometimes, during snowstorms, reindeer lie on the track, cover- ed with snow, and are quite in- visible to approaching trains. Others leap on to the track un- expectedly, One solution might be to fence in the lines, But the Lapps made it plain that they are against fences, They would impede their traditional rights of complete freedom of movement across Swedish Lapland. So, for the time being, it looks as if the slaughter will go on, and the railways will continue to pay out heavy sums, some- times as much as $50 for bump- ing off a valuable sire, Wild Ponies In An English Forest As the great, old, wind -shaped forest trees; as the wild, sweet, waters, the ponies are likewise a true part of the New Forest scene. They come and go mys- teriously in their bands like the roving Gypsies of former years; though the ponies move with reason of the weather or follow- ing the seasons of the wild plants, especially seeking the fa- mous gorse the "furze" - which is their chosen susten- ance. The forest foals are marvelous and'a surprise as they are born every mid -spring, in such variety of colours, including piebald and skewbald, dappled and streaked. They are late -born, the mares being helped by Nature in not having their foals before the worst of the heavy forest frosts generally have cleared and the 'gorse has made young growth of the branch tips ... Gorse is above all their food, but they improve on this with shoots of heather and thorn, the sweet reeds and forest grasses, many shrubby things and, the varied herbs of the forest, Of the • gorse it is a frequent sight to see the mares pounding this with their hooves to render , it easy of mastication by their foals in their early months, just as foresters will in winter -time pound old furze with mallets to prepare it for forage for any ponies they have brought into compound.' to break them in for work or riding, and they do like- wise for their cattle •.. Even if the tourist finds no gold in the hills he can see some at the. town's gold museum which is run by the local chamber of commerce. Once in the New Forest there - had been a true wild horse, to- gether with wild cows, goats, boars, buffaloes and deer, and all that teem of animals, only the deer, remains wild and the ponies semi -wild,- . The Gypsies claim that they were the, first to tame the true wild horse of the New Forest when they themselves arrived centuries ago from ' their mys- terious undefined region which is said to be beyond where the sun sets, in contrast to the like- wise mysterious region of the Red Indians who say they have come from beyond where the. sun rises. When the Gypsy bands came to the forest, led by their kings and dukes, they were already expert in the capture and tam- NDAYYSC11Q01; _LFSS0N fay Rev, R. Barclay Warren BA., RD. The Clsurch and Christian Growth 1 Corinthians 12;12-27 Memory Selection; Those 1nem- bars of the body, Which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.. 1 Corinthians 12:22 Of the various figures used of the, Church of Jesus Christ, one of the easiest to understand is that of the body. The body is composed of many members. While each has its own distinc- tive function, yet each has a measure of dependence upon the others,' If one suffers, all suffer. Once while pulling carrots, a wedge-like piece lodged under my fingernail. It upset the har- mony of the whole body, It did not touch the eye but I had no disposition to read, I was so dis- turbed over the irritation caused by that piece of carrot that I couldn't compose myself to use my other hand in writing. So it is in the body of Christ. If one member suffer, the others suffer with it. Remember the flow of sympathy from millions of hearts to the widows of the five young missionaries slain by the Auca Indians just five years ago. if one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. We have experienced that, too. How refreshing it is that envy does not prevail in the hearts of God's sanctified people. We rejoice with those who 'do rejoice and weep with those who weep. The Church of the first born is a closely knit body with a pas- sion to bring others into fellow- ship with our Lord. It is not the Christian Church as we see it in the world, for here the wheat and the taresgrow together until the harvest. But the Lord knoweth them that are His. We are often mistaken. A man said recently, "I have a quarrel with' the Church, for it seeks to please the people and give them what they want, and is afraid to take a stand on a controversial issue." I asked him if he had any quarrel with Jesus Christ, He replied, "No." I hope he may soon be- come a member of the Body of Christ. Then he will do his best to make the church as organized by men, to become more like or Lord and Saviour. •ing of the many wild'- horses which they' had taken from the savage plains over which they had travelled. They took horses only for the taming of them for riding and later for pulling their vans. - From "Wanderers in the New Forest" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. • When -people say yor are mel- lowing with. age they probably mean that you finally are agree- ing with their opinions. Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking 47tl( NBC `7a NV, swig N -700B -N00 .3 ! H M©© `'d0 V; Q�[J` ©©d l sly''; ifl5 "=150021 1V2321 Ias;iu,ta1viH '7DE15wfN .1 t -1-, 3iszaxb 1 0h 9 N fill 3UM:., 31ii HOnv1 NEir 'rVV3Q(i:' 35dtf BEFORE AND AFTER - Alfalfa growers are taking a cue from hybrid corn men. Plant experts are measuring, cutting, charting and breeding mariy varieties of this important livestock fodder. Results are shown above. Plant, left, hos smaller stem and leaf than the new variety, right.