The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-09-28, Page 21J
cave
syks
I find the whole affair rather in-
credible.
The International Plowing Match,
hosted by Huron County, began on the
farm of Jim Armstrong east of
Winghain Tuesday and continues
through Saturday. It features daily
plowing competitions, five miles of
tented city with over 500 exhibits and
numerous daily programs.
Not being farm oriented this plowing
match intrigued me and I petitioned
newsroom cohorts on the fine art of
plowing and the necessity of such
matches.
Now my limited knowledge on the
subject raised some chuckles, actually
it was raucous laughter, as I attempted
to find out what exactly went on at a
plowing match. As near as ° I could
figure, it was no big deal that farmers
got together to plow some fields.
My ipnornnr*P of farm xnatterc is now
somewhat of a standing joke around
the pulsating newsroom But I've neyer
tried. to camouflage that ignorance, it's
almost impossible, and my simplistic
approach to farming fascinates rural
people.
Now my knowledge of farming is
indeed scarce but there are wsome
fundamentals that have noteluded my
grasp. I amMable, for instance, to detect
a field at a passing glance. But if asked
what was growing in that field, well
that's a different story.
Through years of learning and astute
observation I can, without a doubt,
identify corn. Anything else growing in
a field could be weeds, although I am
led to believe the market for such
products is slim.
Farmers also harbor various species
of the animal kingdom, and this is one
area. 1 must admit with modesty, that I
'toderich
Winners in the Dungannon Fair Baby Show were left to right: Lucus Sproul, son of
Joanne and Garry Sproul, R.R. 3, Auburn, in the category up to four months;
Mark Johnston, son of Don and Linda Johnston, Goderich, 5-8 months category
and Joseph Garrich, son of John and Christina Garrich, (toderich, in the 9-12
month category. (photo by Sharon Dietz)
131 YEAR -39
1
know something about.
Cows, pigs, horses, chickens, goats,
or just about any other animal that is
likely to be found on a farm, are_ all
discernible by this writer.
Now all this farm background has
served me well in this trade especially
covering farm related stories. And
when assigned to an infrequent farm
story I feel I am able to carry on an
intelligent conversation with area
farmers.
"Well I see you have cows in that
field. What is it exactly that is growing
in that field? Vttheat'eh. I was going to
say that, cause it sure looked like
wheat. Nice crop you got there."
"What's that, it's not a good crop this
year. Well I didn't want to say anything
but it does look kind of thin."
Farmers have had some good times
at my expense when I masquerade as a
reporter on the farm beat but the editor
believes that such exposure will assist
me in understanding farm procedure.
The editor has often suggested farm
stories that might be investigated but
as soon as I formulate some questions
on the subject it gets passed on to
someone else.
But this plowing match has me in-
trigued. I didn't think there was
anything to plowing but apparently it is
an art. I' drove a tractor once, the only
time I offered my services on a farm,
and was relieved of duty in short order.
The tractor was about 100 yards off
course and I had only covered about 50
yards of ground.
A little exposure to farm life at the
plowing match should help and who
knows I may just forsake the
typewriter for a few fields and some
cows.
NAL—STA
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28,1978
SECOND SECTION
Dungannon fair attendance down
BY MARY BERE
Drizzly weather and
cloudy skies had their
effect on attendance at
Dungannon Fall Fair on
Thursday, September 21.
Gate.receipts were
down somewhat from last
year. However the fair
went ahead with an en-
couraging array of
exhibits and a good
program of events an-
nounced by Ron Alton of
Lucknow.
Winners of baby con-
test up to four months
were: 'Lucas, son of
Tanya Hodges, 4, was dressed up in her "Sunday go meetln' clothes" for
parade at the Dungannon Fall Fair. She placed third In the category for best
dressed vehicle with rider. Tanya Is the daughter of Terry and Penny Hodges,
Dungannon. (photo by Sharon Dietz)
the
Dressed in eolonial costume, Andrew Glenn, 4, pulls his sister, Amy, 2, in their
covered wagon at the Dungannon Fair last Thursday afternoon. The children of
Mr. and Mrs. Gerrie Glenn, Lucknow, they marched in the parade and!par-
ticipated In the category for decorated bicycles and wagons. (photo by Sharon
Dietz)
Joanne and Gary Sproul,
R.R. 3 Auburn; Jason,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Keith
Kerr, R.R. 6, Goderich;
Mark, son of Gary 'and
Yvonne Kerr, R.R. 6
Goderich, and Daniel
Steven, son of Brenda and
Steven Wylds.
Babies 5 - 8 months:
Mark, son of Don and
Linda Johnston,
toderich; Kyle; son -of
" Doug' and 'Sue' . Brown,
R.R. 6, Goderich.
Babies 9 - 12 months:
Joseph, son of Christena
and John Garrick,
Goderich; Jason, son of
Shirley and Bob
Straughan, _. _ derich;..
Benjamin, son, of Betty
and ElmerDebold, R.R. 6
Goderich; Joey, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Frit-
zley, Goderich:
LOG SAWING
CONTEST
Men: Bob Gilchrist and
Bob Struthers, Lucknow;
Lorne Alton, R.R. 2
Auburn, Wes Nivins, R.R.
3 Auburn; Tom Culbert,
R.R. 1 Dungannon, Harry
Levis, Lucknow.
Ladies: Marybelle
Cranston, R.R. 2 Auburn,
Nancy Stapleton, R.R. 2
Auburn; Nancy Brindley
and Violet Brindley, R.R.
3, Auburn.
Man and Lady:
Marybelle Cranston, Bob..
Gilchrist; Judy Smyth,
R.R. 2 Auburn, Bob
Struthers; Nancy
Stapleton and Lorne
Alton.
CATTLE
Holsteins: Junior
heifer, born after Jan. 1,
1978, Larry Henry, Shawn
Drennan, Kent Alton,
Ralph Nivins; Sr. heifer
born July 1, 1977, Kevin
Smith, Jim Van Osch,
Brent Van Osch, Parry
Van Osch; yearling
heifer, Kevin Smith;
grand Champion, Cliff
McNeil.
Best group of three
junior or senior heifer
calves, Jim Van Osch;
new exhibitor, Wayne
Nivings.
Overall winner of
Exotic Beef Brand, Gary
Rintoul, R.R. 2,
Lucknow; Overall winner
o 1-1ereiord brand, -Brian-
' Rintoul; R.R "; 3,
Wingham;`liest beef steer
under 15 mos., Lorne
Hackett, Heather Ann
Stapleton.
Best beef showman,
Lorne Hackett, Heather
_Ann Stapleton_ __.......
POULTRY
Most points, Bradley
Black, R.R. 6, Goderich.
HORSES
Clydesdale, Geo.
Gregg, Paisley; Per-
cheron, Brownley Love,
R.R. 1, Mount Forest;
Heavy Belgian, Jim
Aitchison, R.R. 2,
Lucknow; Light Belgian,
Arnold Young, R.R. 5,
Goderich.
• SPECIALS
° Single wagon horse
commercial, Bev. Little,
Shelbourne; single wagon
horse heavy, Geo. Gregg,
Jim Aitchison, Brownley
Love; best matched
team, Bev Little,
Brownley Love, Arnold
Young, Jim Aitchison,
Geo. Gregg; unicorn
hitch, Jim Aitchison,
-Arnold-Young, Brownley -
Love, .Bev Little, Geo.
Gregg.
Single tandem; Arnold
Young, Geo. Gregg, Bev.
Little, Brownley Love;
best tandem, Arnold
Young, Geo. Gregg, Jim
Ait.chisan.,_._ R r n w n 1 -e -y .._..
Love, Bev. Little. •
Mare and • foal,
Brownley Love, Gary
Kerr, one year old filly or
gelding, Ron Gethke,
Geo. Gregg, two year old
filly or gelding, Geo.
Gregg, Gary Kerr,
Best groomed horse on
line, Jim Aitchison,
Arnold Young, Bev Little.
Inside:
ROAD HORSES
Best gentleman's
Turn to page 2A •
September wet Page 4A
Blyth centre Page 5A
Holmesville Page 6A
Colborne Council' Page 7A
Church page Page 8A
Commencement Centre special
IMP - - Page 15A
Captain Comet Page 17A
Weddings Page,22A
I found out Monday morning that I'd
never make a hunter. Stalking the
prey, pitting your, skills against Mother
Nature, the call of the wild and all that
stuff, great for some people but not for
me.
My problem is that I'm not high on
death. The thrill of the hunt is not
enough of a thrill to wipe out the empty
feeling I have when the kill is made.
My most recent excursion was into
the wilds of the kitchen. The four day
seek and destroy mission was a fi11
scale offensive aimed_ax_nab in field
mouse that had invaded the cupboards.
The little devil decided to seek the.
comfort of a heated house rather than
Pay the high costs t� go south for the
winter and while I'm flattered he chose
my house my wife announced she was
not operating a resort for cold.mice and
turned her thumbs down on our guest.
There wasn't much concern about
the mouse until last week when he got a
little too brazen and decided to visit the
washroom. 117iy Wife had three female
guests in the dining room and one of
them politely excused herself to use the
facilities. When she turned on the light
in the john the mouse, startled by her
arrival, scurried across the floor into a
closet. Seeking refuge in a pile of
laundry he apparently planned to give
our guest.some privacy but that didn't
appease "th,e women. Frightened to
death •by the apparent danger the
Mouse put them in the four women
quickly threw up a barricade of chairs
and armed themselves with rolled up
newspapers and a broom to try.,to
capture -him.
My arrival may well have saved the
walls of the bathroom from an assault
with a broom and my wife quickly
pulled back her front line troops and
sent me into the can to deal with the
fierce animal. I closed the door of the
bathroom and not really knowing what
I was going to do with the mouse if I did
catch him, I began to search through
the laundry.
My, .concerns were unfounded. I
picked up some laundry and the mouse_
dropped out onto the floor. Stunned for
a second he stood there blinking in the
light"then headed for the door. Figuring
I had him trapped I began looking for
something to capture him with when he
squirmed under the door and headed
back to the kitchen.
Unfortunately for him his escape
only delayed the inevitable. My wife
stood firm. The mouse had to go,
preferably in a pine box.
Never having hunted big game
before I was at a loss for a plan. I rifled
through the cupboards and came up
with a rusty old trap to hastily press
into service. I scanned the contents of
the refrigerator to see what we had in
stock that a mouse would like to eat.
In elementary school the mice' we -
kept in an old aquarium at the back of
the classroom were kept fit on a diet of
lettuce and bread but I figured a mouse
with the run of the house would turn up
his nose at anything so bland. 1 knew
the trice outside loved to chew the
shrubs during the winter but I had no
intention of using a shrub as bait.
Cheese is big with mice in fairy tales
but in truth I don't think they're all that
impressed with it.
Bacon. That's what I used. Lots of
aroma to tempt the appetite of the
fattest of mice. A nice chunk of bacon. I
carefully baited the trap keeping my
fingers clear of the giznio that flips
around and hammers glutton mice.
Looking for a spot to place the trap
where the mouse could get it and the
kids and dogs couldn't I found the ideal
place, not far from his front door and
out of harm's way.
My plans were successful. The little
devil found the bacon and paid for the
treat with his life. When I got up
Monday morn ipg' fi3r the hasty funeral
before shaving for work I couldn't help
but feel a twinge of sorrow for him. He
wouldn't cover the palm of my hand
and I'm sure that if he had been a little
more careful of where he relieved
himself the budget could have handled
his appetite. But it was too late. Word's
out in the field. I think the rest of his
family is going south.
jeseddon
j