Loading...
The Rural Voice, 1987-04, Page 59DynahI14PAa IMGINLCRCD CLLANRG srsrrns ENERGY EFFICIENT CLEANING MACHINES uv1 �usre,, EIMPROVE MENT PIAN �� For Free Demonstration Call: RON STEMMLER RR1 Elmira, Ont. N3B 2Z1 Bus. 1.800.663-2272 Res. (519) 669-2150 COUNTY LINE SEEDS CONSISTENT QUALITY Dependable, high yielding, pedigreed barley and oat varieties at reasonable prices Certified OAC Triton Canola – 850/ Ib. Mixed Grain – blended to order Volume Discounts David Thomson 519-363-5623 Mac Thomson 519-363-6503 JIM'S FLYING SERVICE LTD. Spraying — Seeding — Fertilizing We Fly the Skies with a Tractor in Disguise Don't delay — BOOK NOW for your aircraft application to ensure your fields are mapped and on file for prompt service. • No Crop Damage • No Ground Compaction • Crop Ripens Evenly • Application Guaranteed Don't be fooled by other claims — trust your crops to over twenty years experience and thousands of crop spraying hours. CALL TODAY! Jim's Flying Service Airfield 519-527-1606 or book thru Milton J. Deitz Ltd. 519-527-0608 58 THE RURAL VOICE ADVICE WEED -KILLING BEETLE IS WELCOMED To the delight of University of Guelph professor Jack Alex, tiny beetles are devouring leaves and flowers in parts of southern Ontario. These insects are doing a better job of controlling poisonous St. John's - wort than any herbicide available. Common to grassy areas of southern Ontario, this weed is toxic to grazing animals and can cause death. Alex is studying the biological control of St. John's -wort by using a beetle of the same name. A pretty plant with bright yellow flowers, the aggressive weed is resistant to her- bicides and can quickly take over a pasture by choking out the grass. Animal deaths attributed to St. John's -wort are usually the result of starvation. The plant contains an alkaloid called hypericin, which causes photosensitization in light -skinned animals. Affected animals become severely sunburned on white -skinned areas and around the eyes and muzzle. Animals surviving acute reactions often suffer permanent damage to eye and mouth tissues, resulting in blind- ness and refusal to eat. Cattle are most susceptible to the effects of the weed, Alex says. Originally a European weed, St. John's -wort was brought to Canada in the 1800s, probably as an ornamental. Searching for a solution to Canada's problem with this weed, Agriculture Canada imported the St. John's -wort beetle from Europe in the 1960s. The beetle relies totally on the weed.° FARMERS' MARKET LAUNCHED IN SAULT To develop agricultural potential in the north and create demand for locally grown produce, a pilot project to launch a farmers' market in Sault Ste. Marie will receive an $80,000 grant. Funded by AgriNorth, a joint program of the provincial ministries of agriculture and northern development, the project will be evaluated in November. If successful, it could become the model for other projects in Northern Ontario and lead to a per- manent market in Sault Ste. Marie.°