The Rural Voice, 2000-08, Page 14TOP QUALITY
EXTERIOR PAINTING
Painting Contractors since 1946
• All types
of exterior painting
• Sandblasting
• Pressure washing
• Repainting pre -finished steel
• Boom trucks
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GLEN EATON
PAINTING
P.O. Box 522, Chesley, ON NOG 1L0
519-363-2595
1-800-667-0138
eaton@wcl.on.ca
A NEW CONCEPT
FOR
HANDLING
BALES
• two 5 1/2" augers
provide positive
gentle lift
• eliminates
troublesome chains
• space saving
vertical positioning
• reverse for loading
out of mow
• low maintenance —
durable Delron
bearings
• all drive and controls
conveniently at
ground level
AUG -A -BALE
also Mow Systems - inslaIWtgn available
WEBER LANE MFG.
(1990) CO.
R R 4. Listowel. ON 54W 3G9
For Sales & Service call
Webers Farm Service 519564.1185
10 THE RURAL VOICE
Robert Mercer
Visiting the Living Prairie Museum
There's not much left of the
original prairie habitat the way it used
to be. In fact, in Manitoba there is
less than one per cent of the "tall
grass prairie"
land left
uncultivated or
buried under
parking lots or
houses.
A touch of
prairie can be
seen tucked
between a
McDonalds
franchise, a
housing
development and
a road, looking
more like a
disused factory lot than a living
active soil and habitat that has lasted
for thousands of years. Inside the city
limits of Winnipeg is this unique
presence of 32 acres that is a
reminder to us all of how the land
was before the settlers arrived.
This Living Prairie Museum may
not match the Science Centre or even
the Farm Museum for size or
complexity, but it is preserving a
heritage that can not be recreated. It
is holding undisturbed the living soil
untouched since 60 million bison
roamed the prairies.
It was here in this urban settingion
our way back from Ontario to B.C.,
that we found what a dedicated few
can do to halt destruction of part of
our national natural prairie heritage.
Within this 32 acres it is estimated
that there abounds over 151 known
mature plant species.
Most of my soil background is
based on Ontario experiences, so
learning about tall grass, mixed grass,
and short.grass prairies was a new
and rewarding experience for me.
This example was populated with
grasses, wildflowers and insects,
butterflies and birds.
There is no entry fee to this
learning centre, and a self -guided tour
brochure helps visitors vary their
length of stay. If you know your
wildflowers, you may see the early
season Prairie Lily, the Western
Snowberry, goldenrod, fleabane or
gaillardia.
We were told that the tall grass
prairie grass is called Big Bluestem
and it was once the staple food of the
plains bison. The grass is very
resilient and well adapted to living in
the cold northern plains. Its roots may
go down seven metres. The life
cycle's up to 50 years so it can
withstand fire, drought and frost.
When we visited this living
museum it wasn't drought, frost or
fire that kept us from walking round
all the trails, it was too much rain.
Winnipeg had just received over 100
mm of rain in two days. The rivers
were high, the soils wet, some crops
flooded and other crops beaten down
by the strength of the storm.
Much of the prairies is now
suffering from the same excess of
moisture as hampered Ontario. Heat
is needed to dry out the soils and
speed maturity.
Although not growing at the
Living Prairie Museum, canola across
the prairies looks both in excellent
state and abundant in acreage.0
Robert Mercer was editor of the
Broadwater Market Letter and a
farm commentator in Ontario for 25
years.
INDUSTRIAL &
FARM SUPPLIES
• Nuts & Bolts (all grades)
• Hydraulic hose & fittings
• Belts • Bearings
• Grade 70 Transport Chain
• Roller Chain
• Tools
Brian Gibson
Springmount Industrial Park
519-376-0283 FAX 519-376-7202