The Rural Voice, 1979-05, Page 9T
According to provincial statistics, the
average heat units which should be
available on the Scott farms are 2700 to
2800 heat units per year. However, Mr.
Scott's records show the farm only
achieved this once - in 1971. In 1973, he
calculated 2697 heat units, in 1974, only
2324 heat units, in 1975, 2702 heat units
and 2698 in 1978.
Mr. Scott said he's found there can be a
variance in available heat units on farms as
little as five miles away. The Perth farmer
said a seed corn dealer in Hensall expected
the Scott brothers to use certain varieties of
seed corn with a heat unit rating which
does well in the Hensall area, 10 miles
away. However, Mr. Scott's calculations
showed those varieties wouldn't do as well
on his farm and "1'm buying the corn, so I
have to live with what I harvest."
The cash cropper said he isn't aware of
anyone else in his area who calculates the
heat units for their individual farm. Mr.
Scott said Pay Lynch, OMAF soils and crop
specialist, calls each fall for the heat unit
total and includes it in his soils and crop
report.
INVESTMENT
For someone who wants to do their own
heat unit calculations, the major invest-
ments are maximum and minimum ther-
mometers and a weather screen (see photo)
built in a louvered fashion so the air moves
freely in and out but the sunlight doesn't
fall directly on the thermometer. Mr. Scott
received his equipment from Environment
Canada but "if a guy was handy, I don't
see why he couldn't build one himself."
The thermometers are available from
Duncan Instruments in Weston, or Taylor
Instruments, Toronto.
Also, detailed weather records are
available in book form from Environment
Canada with weather station data for
farmers who live near government weather
stations like the Scotts.
Mr. Scott said he does try to gear up and
assume he'll have the optimum conditions
each season. However, sometimes it
compounds his problem when he looks at
his heat unit charts and sees from the
pattern that's developing, that it may be an
off year.
The Scott brothers plant at least three
varieties of corn each year. This year,
they're decreasing their corn acreage and
planting more soybeans. Mr. Scott is also a
white bean grower, and chairman of the
Perth county white bean committee. In
1977, like many other white bean growers,
he had firsthand experience of the havoc
that can be created by wet weather during
the harvest. Mr. Scott lost all his white
bean crop but was able to harvest his
soybeans. After storing them for one week
in a heated workshop, they went through
as No. 2 grade despite the wet harvest.
But even with his own calculations to
give him a hand in planting, Hugh Scott
K
Hugh Scott is checking the thermometers which record the daily
maximum and minimum temperatures in the Environment
Canada weather station on his brother's farm. Mr. Scott believes
anyone who's handy at woodworking could build their own
louvered box to hold maximum and minimum theremometers, a
necessary tool in calculating the available heat unit on a farm.
would like more accurate short-term
weather forecasts. "Surely with all the
technology there should be a way they can
zero -in on weather forecasts," he said.
Mike Miller, crops specialist at the
Huron OMAF office in Clinton said most
farmers have an awareness of approx-
imately what heat unit area they're in. He
said heat unit information for the south of
Huron county and area is available from
Centralia college. Heat units are modified
th ough by the topography of individual
farms and by their proximity to Lake
Huron.
Mr. Miller said one other unusual factor
in calculating heat units in the frost pockets
found in the area. He said some of these
pockets are found in the Brussels area and
affect the annual heat units available.
The crop specialist said he thinks in the
weather area, most farmers have sorted
out a system they feel comfortable with
that has a margin of safety built into it.
But, he admits, day-to-day weather can
still throw a real curve into an operation.
Like many others, he would agree the most
detailed weather information a farmer can
get are the farm weather bulletins on local
radio stations. Mr. Miller said farmers like
to hear updated forecasts in the noon hour,
so they can make changes in their plans if
necessary and the problem is Some radio
stations don't broadcast an updated
forecast until mid-afternoon.
The other major criticism Mr. Miller has
in regard to weather forecasts is that the
information from local weather stations
often has to go to Toronto on line, before
the information is fed back to local radio
stations. By then, the storm conditions are
often already here, Mr. Miller said.
Also, weather systems in this part of
southwestern Ontario tend to break in
Lambton, Middlesex or south Huron. This
means there are times when London or Mt.
Forest weather station reports just aren't
applicable for much of Huron county and
part of Bruce.
Mr. Miller said one example of this was
a winter ice storm which caused extensive
damage in Exeter, less in the town of
Hensall and none at all in Clinton, only a
few miles further north.
What can a farmer do then to beat the
odds in his gamble with the weather? The
main solution seems to be to utilize
whatever localized weather information is
available, whether from local radio stations
or by calling the weather station directly,
keep a close eye on weather patterns that
affect your own farm, and finally, keep
your fingers crossed that soon the art of
predicting the weather will be a little more
certain science than it is today.
And, if all else fails, there's still the
farmer's almanac!
THE RURAL VOICE/MAY 1979 PG. 7