HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1945-11-15, Page 6ARCTIC HARVEST
Gardens now flourish in the land of the midnight sun (top).
Even this old one at Fort Albany, on James Bay, is .way down
south by modern standards, (Left) This 10 -foot sunflower was
grown at Fort Laird, N.W.T.; (Right) These giant cauliflowers
were grown near the Arctic Circle, believe it or not!
(By LEONARD BUTLER)
Canada's frigid north is not as
barren as most people think. Care-
ful ililtsyatiott of sheltered Arctic
Circle will often $toduee ample
dividends in both vegetables and
Rowers. The vegetables are par-
ticularly welcome, since fresh vi-
tamin and mineral-rdsh foods are
not easily obtained in the remote
settlements of the far north.
Northern gardens have prob-
lems peculiar to themselves. The
growing season is very short and
the gardener has to be constantly
on the alert. Tender plants must
be covered up when frost threat-
ens, and sowings killed by late
frosts must he replanted. The
same watchfulness is necessary at
the end of the season when early
frosts might destroy tomatoes and
other tender crops.
Season Short
To compensate for the shortness
of the season. however. the hours
of daylight are much Longer than
farther south, and the mysterious
catalytic agents that promote
growth in plants with the aid of
sunlight are able to work on a
"swing shift." In this way adapt-
able plants, like the potato and
cabbage, are able to complete three
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NIAGARA FALLS
OPPOSITE
C.N.R. STATION
normal months' growth in two
months of longer days, To pro-
vide extra raw materials for the
"swing shift" and to give plants a
quick start in'tbe spi'ttig it is neces-
sary to use fertilizer. Rainfall is
scanty in the north, and much of
the moisture is furnished by the
thawing subsoil,
Beyond the tree line the soil oc-
curs only in cracks and crevices
and in river bottom lands. These
Arctic soils are usually very acid
and are composed of undecayed
plant debris. To salvage nutrients
locked up in this material and
make them available for plant
growth, it is necessary to employ
millions of bacteria. These bacte-
ria are present in all good garden
soil, but are often Lacking in the
:Arctic soils and have to be intro-
duced. This is done either by ship-
ping in a small quantity of loam
(often a trip of two or three thou-
sand miles) ur by using dog ma-
nure which sometimes contains a
desirable type of soil bacteria.
Eskimos Hole,
Sometimes a wholesummer has
to be devoted to "growing" the
soil before one can start growing
plants. First the soil must be
scraped up and brought to the
gardensite. For this purpose it
is often possible to enlist the aid
of it few Eskimos who think that
the crazy white man is going to
eat dirt. The soil is dumped in
a cold frame or other protected
spot and line is added to neutral-
ize the acidity. Next a complete
fertilizer is mixed with the soil.
This soil is kept warn all sum-
mer and by the next season it is
in good shape for raising vege-
tables.
Competitions Held
In the eastern part of the
Northwest Territories and in nor-
thern
orthern Quebec, hotbeds or green-
hones have to be constructed be-
cause the outside summer temper-
atures are not high enough for
normal plant. growth. Sometimes
it is even necessary to use a coal
oil lantern or heater to keep the
temperature in the greenhouse
from falling too low at night. In
spite of all these adverse condi-
tions, good salad plants are being
grown in the far north. Crops of
lettuce, radishes, chard, spinach and
endive thrive in many parts of the •
Northwest Territories. At Lake
Harbor, in Baffinland, over 100
tomatoes were ripened one year,
and some enthusiasts are trying
to beat this record by growing to-
matoes evert farther north on-Baf-
finland,
In order to encourage northern-
ers to grow their own vegetables
the government and. a number of
companies have issued gardening
literature and promoted vegetable
and flower competitions. The Hud-
son's
Bay Company have been
holding these competitions for the
past four years, and some of the
entries are shown in accompany-
isig photographs.
Soil Producing for 250 Years
Although gardening north of
the Arctic Circle is a relatively
new venture, a little farther
south, on the shores of Hudson
and James Bays are found some
of the oldest gardens of Canada.
In' same of these the sante piece
of soil has been producing con-
tinuously for. over 250 years.
Anyone who thinks that pests are
confined to southern gardens
should read the tales of woe that
come out of the land of midnight
suntans. Grasshoppers, maggots,.
caterpillars, utice and even sleigh
dogs seem to be attracted to the
garrleii, while all the mosquitoes
from the surrounding country
come to feast on the 'hardworking
gardener,
WHO, US?
Quizzical expressions on faces of jap interpreters Hasegawa, Nimori and Inoaye indicate they could
never, neva:- be guilty of British accusations. Trio arrested in fong Kong is charged with collabor-
ation in brutal treatment. of. Allied prisoners. They await war criminal trial.
NATURE STRIKES
Wreckage looks like result of air raid, but was caused by fierce typhoon which struck Okinawa, de-
molishing U, S. Army post'office and 'grounding many Navy ships. Only deck and twisted girders of
roof remain of building as mute avidonce of storm's fury.
FORTUNE HUNTER
Postwar plans of Cyril Wileman,.
47, British sugar -process worker,
call for a junket to the United'
States to claim a $16,000,000 for-
tune left by the late Thomas Hen-
ry Blythe, California gold pros-
pector. Wileman alleges 'inheri-
tance was left to his grandmother
and never claimed.
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