Ineffective spraying
The Damaged Harvest front page article issue (Sept.22) with interior same-vein articles was very informative.
Last year we were hit almost to the maximum with a plethora of diseases.… Of course we were wet. This year our rainfall, except for one field, was much less. All but that one field resulted in a significant reduction in disease.
Grain does look better in the samples, but there is still enough disease to push the grades down limit.
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In mid-summer I became aware of a fellow farmer who tried an experiment. He sprayed some fields for diseases and left some others without spraying. Just a few weeks ago I was informed that, yes, the spraying did have an effect. However, the diseases were still prevalent enough that the final grades were thought to be similar for the past few years.
Our atmosphere has been stagnant — low winds. From that we seem to be caught in an extended airflow out of the southwest. This seems to be different than the northwest to southeast airflows we grew up with.
Maybe, just maybe, in a normal year the spraying for diseases would be far beneficial. However, this continuous different flow seems to have stacked the system a greater degree against our so-called science and its disease control abilities.
This scenario, like in the past, will finally change. Hopefully next year.
Delwyn J. J. Jansen
Humboldt, Sask.
Other issues for ottawa
I read with interest, WP Sept. 15 article, page 10 by Kelsey Johnson, entitled, “Numerous issues at forefront as politicians return to Hill.”
As much as we might agree with certain contents of above article, I note the runaway public debt, no mention of Canadian economic decline, absence of western support in the House of Commons, ignored are four western provinces, their valuable resources and absence of pipeline transportation infrastructure, are glairing examples of omissions, a natural disgrace.
The cost involved leading up to infrastructure cancellation has never been disclosed, such as law enforcement, environment issues, land claims and court decisions.
We must never forget the rich resource of northern and western Canada. Pipeline cancelation has cost our federal capital billions of dollars in revenue and job losses. Included are high profile projects such as the 1974 McKenzie Valley pipeline project, June 23, 2016, cancellation of the Northern Gateway pipeline construction and a 27 month delay on the eastern pipeline.
It must be brought to the attention of each and every taxpayer that Canada sponsors an equalization scheme whereby have-not provinces are awarded $18 billion annually to balance the wealthy and poor. The province of Quebec received the major share, totalling $10 billion annually.
It can never be denied that Canada is one of the richest nations on Earth with its abundant agriculture production in addition to a trillion dollars value in natural resources.
However, development is less than acceptable with too much government talk, limited action and serious absence of common sense.
John Seierstad
Grain by air
I am an 81-year-old farmer’s wife who no longer lives on the farm but on an acreage.
I think of bans on roads in spring, of swampy yards and land that cannot be crossed, of wet, swampy roads themselves, of lakes that are in the way of land travel.
I wonder if anyone else thinks about moving grain — and everything else — by blimps or air ships?
I think about the Hudson Bay route and port. If there were blimps that could lift up at least a semi load of grain to a more convenient spot, it would be great.
Now with GPS and driverless cars, could not a blimp be outfitted the same? Even though helium is explosive, surely nowadays this can be gotten around somehow. After all, rockets are sent up and they sometimes fail or explode.
I didn’t think it would matter how big it was as all farmers have some fields. However, it would need to be kept as compact as possible and still work.
Perhaps a blimp might last longer then shaky rails over swamp ground. Perhaps it would be far too expensive and perhaps not.
Mavis Waldherr
Churchbridge, Sask.
