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GROWING IN SLUDGE A pair of researchers at the Horticultural Institute of Ontario in Vineland have been quite successful growing fruits and vegetables using paper mill sludge as fertilizer. If this paper sludge can be marketed as a farm or horticulture fertilizer, it will help solve the major prob- lem of how to get rid of this stuff. Paper mills in Ontario generate 2,000 tonnes of sludge every day. and virtually all of it was simply shipped to landfills. As well, in certain parts of Ontario, traditional ma- nure is not only becoming scarce, it is expensive. Paper mill sludge is made up of wood fibres and de-inked recycled papers. Researchers Robert Cline and Calvin Chong found that high application of this sludge on things like tomatoes, cucs and peppers produced no toxic effects. But when nitrogen is added to the sludge, the re- sults are even more dramatic. The sludge fertilizer has also been tested on grapes and corn. A normal manure spreader is used to spread it on fields. In the foods grown with sludge (or mixes of sludge) there were not toxicities and no decline in nu- trient levels. For obvious reasons, paper companies are very interested, so much so that at least one company is now adding nitrogen fertilizer to the sludge at the source. The only major draw-back the researchers found in practical application, would be the cost of hauling the sludge from the paper mills to greenhouses and farm fields. The optimum rate of sludge was 30 tonnes/hectare with 100 kg. nitrogen/hectare. It is best to apply when the soil is dry and cultivate into the soil right after the application. An article about this research is printed in the March issue of "Highlights," a publication about agri- culture and food research put out by the provincial government. Research of this kind is one way we are going to solve the problem of what to do with the waste socie- ty generates. NICE DIGS | had a tour around the newly opened Animal Control Centre last week, thanks to Ann Barrett and her staff. The new building, which serves both Scugog and Uxbridge Townships is located on Durham Road 8, west of Port Perry. And what a magnificent facility it is: bright, clean, spacious, warm. Ann and her staff are delighted with their new workplace, and it will help to make their jobs a lot easier. As for the four-legged critters | saw on my tour, well, they had no comment for the record, but if wag- ging tales are any indication, they love their new digs, too. The new building, complete with indoor/outdoor dog runs, cost about $200,000 (shared equally by Scugog and Uxbridge) Now, some may think that is a lot of money for a dog pound, but as Ann points out, it was designed with the future in mind, and will serve the communities well for many years to come. And besides, | see nothing wrong at all in making sure that lost and stray animals receive the best care possible. : If my own dog should happen to get away some time and is picked up by Animal Control, | will feel a sense of relief that his stay in the Centre will be com- fortable. In talking with Ann, Shirley and Wendy last week, they remarked at how many citizens had paid a visit to the new Animal Centre since it opened March 1. They are proud of the new centre and enjoy giv- ing members of the public a quick tour. And there are always cats and dogs looking to be adopted into a good home. FUTURE WARS The Americans proved a lot of things in the six week Gulf War, not the least of which is the fact that when it comes to high-tech military hardware, they have no equal. The Gulf War gave us a glimpse into the future of what wars down the road will be like. And yes, there will be future wars, because that is the nature of the human race. The days of huge land armies fighting their way on foot are over. Most of the combatants will sit at key-boards pushing buttons, rather than pulling trig- gers. As in the Gulf War, the destruction will rain down from the skies for weeks, perhaps months, and then at the opportune time, the swift land forces will move in to actually occupy the enemy territory. The days of young, green, 18-year old conscripts rushed into battle are over. Armies of the future will be full-time, professional, highly trained and highly motivated. Wars of the future will be expensive. It costs a lot more to replace an F-16 or a Patriot Missile, than it does to replace foot soldiers. | suppose in a peculiar way, that's a sign of progress for this human race. Remember When? 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 14, 1946 A shower was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. MacFar- lane, Seagrave, in honour of Reid MacFarlane and his lovely British bride. Congratulations to Mr. James Kerr who has been made principal of the Rehabilitation School of Toronto. H. Capt. Rev. W.R. Tristram has completed his duties as Chaplain at the Interment Camp at Monteith. He begins work at the United Church in Nobel. Mr. and Mrs. George Hackett, Reach, have purchased a new farm on the fifth concession of Brock, known as the Drew farm. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 15, 1956 Fidelity Lodge {Masonic} have purchased the town lot west of the Gossard Company on Queen Street. It is their intention to build a lodge hall on this property. John Leask, Seagrave, won the nomination to represent the Province of Ontario for the W.H. Duffray Trophy. This trophy is awarded each year to the most outstanding 4-H Club member in Canada showing Guernsey calf. At the Drama Night in Brock District High School, Miss Barbara Love brought home the honour of best actress in the play they presented, "Bird on the Wing." Miss Alma Doyle was hostess at a shower in her home in honour of her sister Miss S. Thompson whose marriage to Mr. Dvitt, Toronto will take place shortly. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 16, 1961 Mr. Robert Walker is attending a three day Tonganoxie Milking System Training Seminar in St. Charles, Ill. Guide Margaret-Anne Witherspoon, Manchester, received her Gold Cord in Guiding. An address given by the guest of hon- our, Right Rev. H.R. Hunt, M.A.D.D., was enjoyed by all present. Mrs. Arnold Roach, District Commissioner, acted as Mistress of Ceremonies. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 17, 1986 Ontario County Junior Farmers are serving as hosts for two boys from Los Gerrillos, Uruguay, South America, who have won a Rotary Scholarship for travel in the United States and in Canada. The boys are Hansi Bretschnider and Carlitos Quaglia. The Port Perry Intermediate Hockey Team (Tripp's Bulldoz- ers), won the Lakeshore Intermediate "C" Championship last Turn to Page 12 Letters io the editor Politicians must cut spending To the Editor: The following quote is from a letter we received in our house from Mike Harris MPP. "The harsh facts: We're in a. deep recession -- with Ontario hardest hit; Ontario taxes are way out of step with competing jurisdictions -- in fact they are the highest in North America -- and threatening to go much, much higher; public spending is out of control and the bureaucracy is bloated after six years of 'tax and spend' government. And in spite of this overspen- ding, the economic and social in- frastructures (the underpinnings of our past prosperity) are rapid- ly deteriorating; -- our transpor- tation networks are crumbling, our future energy supplies are in doubt, and our health care and education systems are badly in need of overhaul." I suspect most people would agree with the above statements. There appears to be a rising number of Canadians who feel that our politicians must cut spen- ding on "the bloated bureaucracy" (with the speed and in the whirlwind manner of Desert Storm) before we end up a third world debtor nation. With the ending of Desert Storm, the Canadian public and press now have the time to start a new storm or tax revolt (let's call it winter whiteout). Starting at the local level and working right up to the Prime Minister. We need to get the taxpayers off the hook. We need to hear what the average Canadian citizen can do about our ever increasing tax bill. Instead of hearing what the politicians are doing to increase our tax bill. Canadians as a whole are a fair- ly complacent lot, but it appears that we are out of patience with our elected, appointed and employed government personnel. Let's hear more about some of the small but significant tax revolts going on in this country. We need to hear more about: The Ontario taxpayers coalition; the Port Dover farmers protest; the business owners revolt in Blenheim last year and the one brewing in Malden Centre this year; the restaurant owner in BC who is refusing to collect the GST; the dry cleaner who is selling potatoes (which are non taxable) and giving dry cleaning away for free. We need to hear about MPs like Alberta's David Kilgour and his attempt to force MPs to wait to age 60 for their fully indexed pen- sions, and his attempt to stop the "double dipping" in which former MPs collect a pension and a federal salary on a board or com- mission. We need politicians who will take the bull by the horns and make decisions without the great waste of money on royal commis- sions (if they are incapable of do- ing so they should not be in office). We need to let those who are ac- ting responsible with our money know that they have our support and those who are careless or greedy with our money know that they will no longer receive our support. Turn to Page 8 | -- ATTORNEY i yl bd y ' ---- ¥ 3 I \-- ore "I'M AFRAID YOU'LL HAVE TO GET A REGULAR DIVORCE, SIR. YOU CAN'T DEFECT FROM A MARRIAGE."