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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-05-20, Page 22PAGE 8A—GODERICH SIGNALaSTAR, WEDNESDAY, MAY 20,1981 Last week was Police Week all across Ontario, and the local O.P.P. force and the town police had a display set up in the Suncoast Mall. Here, Constable Eric Gosse gives five-year- old Sonja Thompson some books to read and let her wear his hat. (Photo by Cath Wooden) Walton man has high boar Robert Robinson . R.R. 4, Walton had one of the two higheshindexing boar among the large grObli of 114 boars- . which completed test recent- ly at the R,O.P. Swine test station, New Hamburg. This ' top test station "graduate" was a Hamp- shire boar which achieved a station index of 136 and com- bined low backfat thickness of 12.8 mm (.50 inches) fast gain on test of .94 Kg (2.07 lbs) per day and excellent feed conversion of 2.22. Tied with the Robinson Hampshire was a Yorkshire from the herd of Jim Taylor, Woodstock, also with a sta- tion index of 136. All four breeds were represented in the ten highest indexing boars in the May group. These top ten in- cluded, in addition to the above twos boars, Landrace from Martin Van Bilsen, Glencoe and John De Gorter, Stayner; Duroc from Wm. Weaver, Dresden and Bruce Keil, Berkeley= Yorkshires from Robert Irwin, Vankleek Hill, . Avon, Head Farms, Shakespeare and Belldoon Farms, Iona Sta- tion and a Hampshire from Ralph Henderson, Atwood. A total of 27 boars, all with indexes of 100 or higher (above the group average on overall performance), were approved for physical and structural soundness. These boars will be offered for sale at the test station on May 21st, 7:30 p.m. This station tested boar sale is sponsored Woods to be surveyed An on -the -ground survey Of private, woodlands will be conducted this summer by personnel of the Ministry of Natural Resources in the Wingham District (Huron and Perth Counties and Huron, Minto, Kinloss, Culross and Carrick Townships). Woodlots in southern On- tario have a greater significanne than many peo- ple realize. Nearly 30 per- cent of wood produced in On- tario comes from private lands as opposed to Crown Lands. Woodlots in the Wingham District help supp- ly high value hardwood timber used by the region's important furniture manufacturing and other wood -using industries, with over 10 million board feet of locally -grown timber sawn in the Wingham District last year. A staff of thirteen forest inventory personnel will be working throughout- the hroughoutthe Wingham District from May 19 to September 1, 1981 to complete this survey. These people will be contac- ting local landowners for permission to enter their land to gather information from designated forest areas. As this information is vital to the Ministry's forest resources program, the co- o p e ra ti on o - operation of private woodland owners will be greatly appreciated. - • The head of the surrfey team is Don Cunningham from the Natural Resources office in Toronto. Further information con- cerning this survey can be obtained by contacting the Ministry of Natural Resources RR5 Wingham, Ontario NOG 2W0. Telephone (519) 357-3131, or toll free 1- 800-265-3003. WATER WELL DRILLING "80 YEARS EXPERIENCE • FARM ° SUBURBAN* INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL ° ° FREE ESTIMATES ° GUARANTEED WELLS • FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT • 4 ROTARY & PERC,UI5ION DRILLS "OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWER COST WATER WELLS" DAVIDSON WELL DRILLING LIMITED by the Ontario Swine Breeders' Association and is an excellent opportunity for pork' producers to purchase a boar- which has proven to be genetically superior when station tested under uniform feeding and management. Boars which are genetical- ly superior for backfat thickness, rate of gain and feed conversion can make considerable improvement in these important economic traits When used in commer- cial sow herds. -`ane f furrow' Farm marketing boards using supply management systems are getting it in the ear from all directions. After the annual marketing seminar in Heapeler in late February, predictions in this corner suggested that the flak was going to get worse. Two guessperts from the ranks of academia were even then working on a report for the Economic Council of Canada. Early talks from at least one of those gentlemen indicated the report would say that supply management farm marketing boards were actually gouging the consumers across Canada. Singled out at that time was the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency. A .hint that the dairy producers and the chicken broiler producers were also gouging the public was also spouted at that two-day seminar. The flak gets thicker. It almost seems as though a conspiracy is going against farmers. . _ It isn't enough that farmers are experiencing one of the worst years in decades. And what sectors of the farm scene are suffering most? Hogs and beef where supply manage- ment is not in vogue. Only the supply management sector is being criticized. It started with the eggheads from the universities. Then, the politicians got into the act. Gordon Walker, MPP for Lon- don South and Ontario's Minister of Consumer and Commer- cial Relations, had to put in his two cents worth the other day. Marketing boards do not serve consumers, he said. They basically work in the interests of those they serve - the pro- ducers, not the consumers. What in heaven's name did he expect ;marketing boards would do? Those very same marketing boards were formed under legislation passed by the Canadian government and the pro- vincial government,a provincial government of Con- servative convictions, a banner under which Mr. Walker, was elected. Of course farm marketing boards work for farmers. Does anyone think they would not work for farmers? That is what they were formed to do: get a better deal for farmers. They are doing nothing illegal. Consumer representatives have, for the last decade, work- ed closely with farm marketing boards. They have voiced their concerns and have been working quietly to get soiiae reforms. Some progress has been made. Some satisfaction has been gained. Farmers have given a littlehere and have held ground there. What farmers do not need is every egghead and every politician in the country on their backs along with screaming, second=coming headlines suggesting that every consumer in Canada is getting ripped -off. Aw, shucks. Why do I get so angry, blow my top? I firmly believe Canadian consumers will understand that no farm marketing board is purposely gouging the public. I believe those in charge of those supply management boards will come through in the clutch and reveal all their figures, all their formulae, to prove that their prices are set only to give a farmer a fair return on his labor and investment. I think Canadians already believe they are the most for- tunate people -in the world when it comes to food. Enough statistics are available now for Canadians to know that, when compared to other countries around the world, the weekly food basket is cheaper by a long shot with the possible excep- tion of the United States. The most recent survey at hand includes 15 capital cities around the world. The worker in Ottawa spends less time on FA to hold meeting on economy problems The Ontario*Federation of Agriculture (OFA) announc- ed last week it will hold a public meeting in Toronto on June 4 to discuss economic problems facing many members of Ontario's farm community. OFA President, Ralph Barrie, said he, expects On- tario Agriculture Minister, Lorne Henderson, and pro- vincial Treasurer, Frank Miller, will attend. Invita- tions have also been sent out to Federal Agriculture Minister, Eugene Whelan, and Minister of Finance, Allan MacEachen. Barrie said the meeting is necessary because politi- cians have done nothing to ease farmers' economic difficulties. He said both levels of government have a mandate to protect the best interests of their constituents. Yet the federal government has ac- cepted high interest rates and the problems they cause, and the provincial government has failed to put Ontario farmers in a com- petitive position. Other pro- vinces have already in- troduced programs to cushion the effects of high in- terest rates. The OFA has already call- ed upon the provincial government to provide low- cost, Long-term financing, as well as aid for short-term debt. Barrie said that failure to provide help could have a disastrous impact on On- tario's ability to produce food. He estimated Ontario is already losing 1,000 farmers a year and predicted this could increase as more farmers are forced out of business. He also predicted that the , present state of the economy . will discourage young people from entering farming. Barrie said he expects several hundred farm leaders from across Ontario to attend the meeting. He urged all Ontario MPs and MPPs to attend. Lette.s a,e aoofec.atea or Bob Trotte. Eioeie Rc N3B 2C the job to pay for the weekly food basket than in any other capital city in the world and that includes Washington, D.C. Certainly, the price of food in Canada has risen in recent years and will continue to rise. But compared to other coun- tries in the world, we're wonderfully blessed and it is because the farmers of Canada are among the most efficient in the world. I just do not believe that supply management marketing boards are ripping off anybody. Volunteer corn poses problems Volunteer corn may be a problem for farmers this year. Excessive rainfall, warm temperatures and an unusual abundance of corn borer moths and larvae made harvesting difficult last year. As a result, whole ears of corn and individual seeds were left on the ground in many fields, says Rudy Brown of the Ridgetown Col- lege of Agricultural Technology near Chatham. Farmers can eliminate un- wanted corn in non -corn crops by using either Hoe - grass or Roundup. . Hoe -grass is a postemergence. grass her- bicide applied at the on to four-leaf stage of annual grasses and volunteer corn for best control. It can be us- ed on soybeans, white beans, kidney beans, lima beans, snap beans, barley, carrots and onions. Roundup is registered as a spot treatment but RCAT is experimenting with roller and wick applicators. This application method controls corn and other weeds grow - ing rowing above shorter crops, such as beans and many vegetable crops, without hurting the crop. "In a corn crop, volunteer corn can be difficult to con- trol," says Brown. "It is hard to cultivate out and, because its. growing point is below the soil until the corn is knee high, it grows back when the top of the plant is cut off." In non -corn crops, volunteer corn can be easily controlled if it is caught ear- ly. If it is allowed to grow past its early stages, it is dif- ficult to control and can pre- sent problems for farmers at harvest time. BUTLER - Ring Drive Slio Un loaders MOW: i .tics Unloaders Volume Belt Feeders Convey -n -Feed Cattle Feeders Single. Chain Conveyors Barn Cleaners Oswalt Enslimixers FARMATIC- B lender Hammer Mills B lender Roller Mills B lender Mills for Ground HI -Moisture Corn Augers Leg Elevators ACORN - Cable Barn Cleaners Hydraulic Manure Pumps WESTEEL-ROSCO Grain Bins - 1,350 to 330,000 bu. 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