HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1925-01-22, Page 2:Ott'
Aeerese canrmunla;attone to Agronomist, 73 Adelaide SR. W.eet. Toronto.
ROW CANADA COMPARES WITH
OTHER COUNTRIES IN WHEAT
PRODUCTION.
As the value of the wheat cropon
the prairie is normally about fifty per
cent. of the total value of the entire
znual agricultural production of the
prairie pr.:winces, it is interesting to
Learn how the yields of this important
crop in Canada compare with those in
other countries. Briefly stated, Can-
ada has a much higher average yield
per acre than any other important,
wheat exporting country. Some conn-'
tries which import wheat have a high-
er average yield per acre than Canada
but there are only a few of these, such
as the United Kingdom, Germany and,
Denmark, which have a yieldconsidre-,
ab;y higher, whine . the total quantity i
produced` by these countries is relative-
ly very small. Moreover, the expense
of producingwheat in thecountries
m
is extremely high. Even such an im-
portant wheat producing country as
France has an average yield of only'
two bushels per acre higher than Can-
ada, while both Italy and Rumania
have lower yields per acre.
The average yield per acre of
wheat, over a period of 23 years, for
the following chief exporting coun-
tries of the world, is as follows: Can-
ada 17,8 bushels, United States 14.1,
India 1(3, Argentine 10.6, and Aus-
tralia' 10.4. In Russia the average
yield over a period of 15 years, was
9.4 bushels per acre. It will be seen,
therefore, that Canada enjoys some
considerable advantage over other ex-
porting countries. This advantage. is
due in part to a natural adaptation
of wheat to the soil and climate of
this country, and, also, to unproved
methods of cultivation as well as to
better varieties of wheat which have
been introduced by scientific agricut-,
Lure.
Neverthelless, in spite of this very
favorable showing in average yield
per acre, Canada is unfortunate in
having the greatest variation from
year to year of any large exporting
country in the world. This large var
iatiott exists not only between individ-
ual years but also between averages
of two successive year periods anfl of
five successive sour periods. The low-
est yield per acre ever secured in Can-
ada as awhole, was' 10.1 bushels in
1919, while. the highest yield was 26.0
bushels in 1915. The five-year period,
from 1917 to 1921, had 'an average
yied of only 12,8 bushels per. acre,
while the five-year period, from 1901
to 1905, had an average yield of 21.2
bushels per acre. Australia, while
having less variation than Canada in
bushels per acre, has a larger varia-
tion in per cent. of the average yield,.
For example, in Australia in 1903 the
average yield was only 2,5 bushels per
acre, while in 1922, the highest yield
on record, it was 16.0 bushels per
acre.
The outstanding facts, then, in the
Canadian production of wheat aret
that the average yield per acre is
much better than in any other export-]
ing country in the world, but that,+
unfortunately, the.variation from year,
BY PETE
to year is also greater than in any
other country, The reason for this! When winter conies we are 'remind-
great
remindgreat variation in yield is due pre- ed of two things—blizzards and the
dominately to variation in rainfall. old wood -saw. The two invariably go
When the season is dry the yield is hand-in-hand, just like Santa Claus
small. It is self evident, therefore, and Christmas.'
that experimental work is urgently, Perhaps it is just a memory chord
required to try to improve this con- • striking a note of joy and sorrow ex-
dition. It is the object of Experi-1 perienced way back in boyhood days.
mental Farms to experiment in order; Just a few weeks ago we heard the
to discover methods of farming which' Holiday Bells. But once more, the old
will reduce the injurious effects of ; rip -saw's scream and snort told us
dry years. The high average yield, that dad was out at work and was
per acre, which Canada now enjoys in; expecting us to pull -on the boots and
comparison with that of other coon-' join him.
tries, is due in quite a large part to 1 Folks "sawed their own" then as
the results of scientific agriculture., now. Only they could cut and saw
There remains yet the difficult task; what came nearest to the _ax while
of reducing' the losses suffered in dry: now they must use a gooddeal of
years• forethought and be -careful which tree
they cut. Many of them do, while a
good many do not. On the whole,
!however, most of us realize that tim-
ber must' be regarded as•a crop, just
like oats, wheat, corn and potatoes.
The boys hi Europe, with the C.E.F.,
could never heel admiring the way in
which the French and Germans took
ogre of their trees and forests, It
l was a common sight to see.old folks
and young walking along the road
' with a' bundle of twigs;:- and small
branches on their: backs. Arid in win
ter .one could See farnre•ne reesging fromi
the woods with their .; two, -wheeled
carts loaded down.with'the same kind
of` fuel, It. was a lesson for any Can-
adian to see these people spend half
a day gathering what we burn up in
' bon -fires or allow to rot,. thus stealing
, from the timber supply which really
I belongs to a future generation.
Conservation in Canada; has been
preached for quite a few years. But
j preaching and practice don't always.
work like twin cylinders. Coming
!right down to facts, the first question
any farmer will ask, when approached
on the subject. of forest' conservation'
It and economical home use of the wood
on the farm is: "What will it save for
me?" One answer is:."It will save
Carried the Best Romance. !waste of time."
"That magazine carries the best ro-; If we consider it right and figure
mance eve ever read," that many essentials are secondary
"Yes; it's ads are particularly in-; and that there are only a few primary
teresting, I think." lanes to success, there is no doubt' but
that the greatest waste on: the farm
Encourage the Bir
It really needs ee argunte]n;
that birds are useful as Well
mental. With a few exceptio
serve a very important purp
keeping the earth's vegetatio
being almost entirely destroyee
sect pests:, They do the double
protecting our food for us ars
the air with music.
Birds aro diligent in their e op-
tion .of those insignificant thin ich
cause man so much troulee, we
wonder if man. is as,diligertt oei-
procating.
'With the deforestation of
which the hands oi' man have
the harbors and hiding , ,pi
birds have been largely d
Their food supply has also be
ered with, so that at times thei
for food. avails thein nothing.
Note what is being done in mat-
ter in the 'United States.. 20 ew an
appreciation of birds and w they
are doing, foe us, the city of Col-
tins, Colorado, has' been officjaty de-
clared a bird sanctuary where more
birds can seek refuge from the, rigors
of the winter and be . provided' with
food and water at times; when they;
are scarce. The children a !b. being
especially interested, and the Bare be-
ing urged to feed the'birds o that
they will come to the windows ; o seek.
crumbs.
ay
naye..
hey
in
m
in -
Of
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arid,
ght,
for
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arch.
..._...- -„.1^.,w,...PM,
Is this not .a worthy thought .for
rural sehoo s, and even rural homes?
The children .are benefited by their "Tna IChfld'►Irl rsanQvl ! use i+:Anzl�y”'-¢ rpl,"
acquaintance with birds, as there is,
aoinething esthetic in an interest err
bird lore.. Furthermore, the cbildren's
interest in nature and ' the beauties,
around them,..become enlarged and
they get interested le the cq:hServa-
tion of nature.
Would not the bast tee store have he have an idea where it came from?' taught when the child is still in the
offered a great opportunity of reliev-; When you take your daughter down- home or at least in his very early
ing suffering among bird friends and town to buy her a new coat, does she school years, because then he has
at the same time afforded an interest- think that the "Charge it, ` please " fewer distractions and temptations,
ing pastime? .and' his mind • most impressionable,
settles the account? : If we can succeed in getting the child
* dust recently Richard wanted th buy to follow a safe and sane schedule
A Word About Driving Cars. a second-hand bicycle which a chum while directly under home influence,
had' to sell, but his father' told' him he; there is a pretty good chance of his
It takes. fourqualities to be a good, „ ,
driver of an automobile -even the didn't have the money to spare: Wekeeping to it.
close est: You must be abet to-- give me. a cheque, said Richard, andThe mother who hands out to her..
p when Daddy explained that there, children pennies and mettles without
Drive safely;
Home Educatioa
Your Child's Idea of Thrift—By Edith Loehridge Reid
When you give your child his school a procedure 'by going without luxuries
allowance on Monday morning; does. of thatd habits rt a are rest, ef the so much week.
eier"
Drive fast -not all the time, but
when it Is necessary—fast but still
safely;
Be easy on your passengers --partly
a,matter pf springs, butemuch more a
platter of skill;
Be easy on your engine and ear; any
foo' -ea abuse, a ood mach n
We. know, and, no ,doubt you know,
wasn't any more money in the bank,, restriction during their babyhood, will
Richard insisted, "Why there is, too.. find them demanding dollars in batter
I saw. my teacher come out of. there years with no appreciation whatever
this noon with some dollars they had and with no idea of their value except
given. her." : las they ,translate it into terms of ice
Now Richard doesn't belong to an cream soda and frills.
illiterate .family,, nor to a poverty- • Thrift .involves more than the mere
stricken one, either. His. father. makes putting of. money into the bank from
a deposit in. the savings bank each a stated allowance„ It is moral train
many drivers who have two` of these time he receives his salary. cheque, ing in self-denial, promptness; -reason-
qualities-, and: • some who itave ., three. although he may, run low on his ing, and a right attitude toward the
The ones who have all four are rare chequeing account the last of the .family finances and home' comforts.
indeed. Repair shops, hospitals, and month. But Richard, although past Children taught to save intelligent -
police courts seldom see them. nine years old, still thinks that banks ly make better men and women; they
exist in the community to pass out: are usually successful in business and
-'- money per order by cheque. are self-reliant and contented.
Teaching thrift is not only a pat Take your boy tote savings ants
h b
�%ZZ ZZ e butit is a civic obligation next week when he is his alowance
ZZzX �� c�° $$$$$$$ ental duty, g
whichthe family osves.to the ..,et hi..,... deposit book like "big folic.""
POULTRY.
"Welt, Mac," I said, "I suppose
you're getting ready to mate up your
breeders now, aren't you?"
Bruce MacDonald gave a hearty
laugh. "You know right well I don't
bother mating them they just run
around and mate themselves."
"Yes," I agreed, "maybe they `da ,
ley the ; way, where's that ptize : mule
bird of yours? Do you still have him?"
"Say, he's a dandy, do you • know it*
Yes, I still have him; he's around,
somewhere. I paid ten dollars for
him"
-
I suppose this good bird will mate
with every bird on the farm,," I said.
"Well, I don't know about that," he
replied, "but I suppose likely he mates
with a good many of them."
"Look here, Mac," I went on, "you'
have a few good birds. Well, why in
the world don't you put these birds
in a pen with this good male of yours
and get something good from them,
Instead of letting them go to waste
around the farm?"
The foregoing state of .affairs seems
to prevail on a number of farms.
There may be one or, two good males
and a few head of standard -bred fe-j
males, but they are running all over'
the farm, the good male mating with
the scrub stock as well as with the
good females, and the males of the
scrub stock mating with the good fe-1
Nearly every farm flock has some
real good birds that are worth breed-
ing from. These should be selected
from the rest of the flock and kept by
themselves. If there is no real good
male on the place one should be pro-
cured.
first thing to do is to select out
the birds to be u es breeders, bear-
ing in mind the purpose" l7ir' .Which
the birds are to be bred, which in
cases is egg production. Vigor ab
all is the first thing to consider. i
Health, erect carriage, prominent eye t
and pep all go.to'make and indicate
vigor.
A good depth„of body, as measured
from the middle of the back to the
front tip of the keel bone, and a broad
back --one that does not cutin toward
the tail—are indications of capacity,
and birds showing such characters
should be kept, as should birds that
"handle well"—that is, have soft, pli-
able skin that is loose and velvety to
the touch. Also a bird showing three
or four fingers' capacity in the ab-
dominal region is one that should be
i,ept.
The birds that. should be selected as
breeders should be kept by themselves
and not permitted to roam all over the
faun. The number of males to use de-
pends upon how many females there
are in the pen. One male maybe used
to about twelve or thirteen females;
of the lighter breeds, and about one'
male to eight females of the heavier
breeds.
Where large flocks are used, how-
ever, say of about one hundred, this
proportion may be increased, so that
Where a flock of this size is used, four
Males will answer,
Matings should be made during
d'anuary at, the latest. Preferably,
however, during December. This
term s eretty early to many poultry
keepers to be thinking of mating birds,
especially since most chicks are not
hatched before March or April.
There are reasons for this, though,
one of which is that the actions of the
male can be observed and if he does
not show the necessary breeding quaff=
ities, he can be removed and another
substituted before the actual breeding
season arrives.
Further, sufficient time can elapse
so that high fertility will result. -Tn
this :connection, if it is at all possible
to run `through a preliminary hatch it
should be done, so that there can be
no question as to the value of the
male sent breeder. Early mating also
permits of selling hatching eggs in
addition to hatching for the home
farm.
I provide greens for hens in winter,' is waste of time.
by putting about one peck of oats into fihere are some farms where folks
a coarse -mesh sack, add an equal work all day long the year around.
quantity of sand, and moisten .well But On the majority of farms the•
with hot water. Then 1 place sack winter -time is a period of lighter work
and contents in a large splint basket and less hurry; .November to March
and set in a warm place where the are usually considered the sleek
sunlight can reach it sometime during months on the 'farm. And no one
the day. In a short tiine the oats will wants to sit and listen to -the radio
send out green shoots, pushing their' both day and evening.
way through the sack the same ee if If you have a hired man, don't over -
it were soil. The basket becomes filled work him, but keep him busy.;And
mos t, mass of green, and is ready to if you have boys, teach them that the
ova art of wood -craft is likely' to become
much more profitable than the pastime
of trapping, or, rather, trying to trap,
does damage by destroying the purity skunks.
of the breed 1 'perhaps you have only five
set before 'reeheps.
Crossing produces stamina,~ .but it
acres
GELLERT ity. To be sure, it takes more time and watch his eyes shine.
•and patience to divsde up the savings Recently our Elinor opened a sav-
of tisnber• maybeaccount into respective accounts for ings account and a few days after-
y you hgve 40. Ie each member of the family, but any wards when a new' little neighbor
either case spendp have enough of a tare moral training takes effort. Why not came over to get acquainted, Minor
ben crop to a number of days give five-year-old son his ten or . said, "Don't you want to. trade at.my
in winter going. through the woods, twenty cents a week and then take, bank?"
cutting dead lower branehes; cutting hint down to the bank and show him So the thrift habit and its influence
out gnarly, crooked trees, pruning where to put half of it or a fourth may easily spread. The time spent in
for safe keeping? If he spends the teaching the child to save is a .good
remainder for candy on the way home, investment and will •always bring its
let him learn the consequences of such own reward.
those trees which are getting too bot-
tom -heavy, and weeding out those
which prevent the development of bet-
ter ones.
If you haven't tried it before, try
it this year. And you will be surpris-
td to find that probably there are
enough dead and waste branches and
trees to supely your home with wood
for the winter, if not a good deal more.
This may mean a saving' of from $50
to $100. -
"How so?"some one who has a
Targe tract of woods may ask. In this
B 1 thed timber,
1
THE CHILDREN'S
HOUR
r to move all of the blocks with the
first "ball" he will be credited with
200. If five or more are moved, only
j 50 is credited and if Mess than five are
1 moved, the score is five. One man
le should be stationed near the blocks to
retrieve the "balls" and also to act
SOME ICE GAMES, I as umpire on close decisions. The score
A smooth expanse of ice always can run to 500. You'll enjoy this
prompts the question,. 'What can we game.
way: y caving good, rm r, play?" True. sharp skates and strong FLIPPING THE SKIPPER. which .you would otherwise have used, legs give perhaps more fun than any An old watch -case is required, first
for sale to a local market or perhaps other single thong; still, after awhile of all. The' case should be one worth-
s sawmill: If -you have ripe timber to f the interest dies down and it is then less for its original purpose, but free
cut, you have er can get reasonably athat the skaters would like to try from dents, and should be of the
cord -wood saw" and use this and your something else, hunting -case type: The stem is cut or
time as well as that .of the boys, saw -The three games or contests men filed off, leaving a perfectly round.ob-
ing the wood for. your customers. tioned in this article all fall under the. jest.
Some people complain that it is head of amusements. Yet any contests The interior is filled with leach and
hard to find a localmarket. One farm- requires some skill and Practice: Per-' held in a flame, with a pair of tongs,
err has solved this :hand'icap by having haps there will be one or more of these; until the lead has' all melted. Usually
hist brother-in-law. in ' a small town: stuntsyou will want to little
tTy. �"a solder. shoved be added to the
farther south take .orders; then he THE.,BorxL> GnME, j lead so that -the melted. metal will
ships his year's crop of wood down:in, I milder .the two sides tightly toether,
carload lots. In this game, . each contestant es of this step is a successthe ase when
Where one man runs a farm alone provided with a hockey stick and a finished is a single round object,
he might join' with his neighbors in .POP bottle. The hockey sticks. can smooth to the touch and quite heavy.
cutting, hauling out and marketing vary in style and shape but the bottles This 'done, it is carried to the ice,
these trees. Without going to the must be all alike. A line is marked on the ice for the
trouble of forming a association ac Two lines are drawn parallel on the starting point. Two skaters. are'de-
cording' to 1•aw, you can still unite ice, 100, 200 or 500 feet apart. Upon de -
stretched in the other direction to re -
your efforts, so that all timber on the one line the bottles .are placed three turn the skipper and also to mark
various farms may be taken care: of feet apart, the record distance. leer -this is a
and turned into cash. Each farmer At a given signal each contestant distance contest to see who can send-
should keep accurate account of his commences to move his bottle across the skipper the farthest,
logs, so that the proceeds can be di-
vided equitably.
Let no tree. be cut without good rea-
son, and permit a tree to stand and
the ice toward the other line, and the If you have ever flipped a dollar or
one who first crosses it with his ,bottle other silver piece over the foe you will
in an upright position wins. Any con- know that any fiat object can be
testant who, in his eagerness to get - thrown a great distance. The skipper,
grow wherever there is room for one: ahead of the rest of the racers, upsets however, has but a very • small spot
Have every tree that is cut, worked his bottle, is taken from the race. So on the under side which comes in con -
up into sled or wagon length at ante, you see one must exercise patience and tact with the ice and, therefore, is
and pile the wood so that it can not a very steady hand as well as parse- more efficient that an ordinary coin.
freeze down nor be snowed under. verance.Overhand throws• are barred. The
Have it of a length that will cut into BOWLING ON THE ICE. I skipper must be thrown with an
sticks for use with the least sawing.Materials required for this game underhand flip, though it can he either
When drawing and delivering, put are ten blocks of wood, each four inch- rolled or thrown with, the flat side
all dy, decayed and soft wood into a. es square, and two pieces of wood six next to the lee.
pale by itself for use during warm' inches square and one inch thick. The trick of throwing this a great
weather. The hard wood is invalu-I The blocks of wood are set up on distance lies in bringing the hand
able, for it does away with frequent, the surface of a triangle. There are close to the ice as it is released. One
feeding of the fire and much littering four blocks across each side and one of these skipper has been sent across
of the floor. Let these two assort- f in the centre of the triangle. - There the ice, under favorable conditions,
merits be kept separate when sawing.; is a clearance of four inches between more than one-quarter of a, mile. If
Give the housewife the feeling that forblocks. the metal is polished it will catch the
cold weather or special baking days; t One hundred feet from the blocks sun's rays and reflect them a great
she has a store of wood that is depend -1a a line is drawn across the ice and the distance, se it is almost impassible to
able and as clean as coal. Saw the! contestants are stationed behind this lose the piece.
wood to one standard length, not too' line. Each contestant, using a hockey. ' -
long nor too short. Any crooked or stick, has two chances and a score of :i
dirty wood discard for the time being. 100 is marked down if all the blocks' Life.
Have all the fuel piled neatly under are moved with the two slabs or A Crust of bread and a corner to steel
cover where the air can circulate ;'balls" driven front the line. Should in,
through it, the contestant be fortunate enoizeh A zttinute to smite and an hour to.wenin,
A pint of Joy to a peck of trouble,
Reel clants of the noarriving 010 of New alas
oval$
ti
an` hardly believe thaeithis photograph shows .their to as it was In 1.870.
And never a laugh but the moans•
come double;
And that is Iifet
A crust and, a corner that love makes
precious,
With the smile to warm and the tears
to refresh us;
And jos seems. sweeter when cares
come after;
And ti moan is the iffiest of foils for
Jae tot;
And that is iifet
—Paul Laurence Dunbar.
The grenates•t music in the world is
the laughter
Happy, contented, singing &ens ar
found in congenial environment. 'ate
are in the best of Health and profit,
Sur; -a fol poultrymen nim to have
sometheig for sale each day of the
year, always entering to the demands
of the season.
Breading stock should be purchased
early, ao the fowls will become aceto-
tan ed to their new home before the
hatching season arrivea
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