OCR Text |
Show Sunday, August 25, 1991 The Daily Herald, Provo, Utah D Garden Farm Understand role of soil conditioners What is the purpose of soil conditioners, and how do you Jurow which product to buy? It's confusing when you visit ; a "garden store and see the many kinds of planting mixes, soi conditioners, and other soil amendments on the market. How do you know which would be! best for your soil? ; Before you purchase any, you need to determine what kind of soil your garden has. : with additives alkaline. And wood ashes. Josephine Zimmerman iGARDEN EDITOR about half a cup of soil in a glass jar, add water, shake it, then let it settle. The ingredients will gradually settle into layers in the jar. Soil has three main mineral ingredients: clay, silt and sand. Added to these are the compost organic materials, the nutrients, the pH factor, and the air which, combined, determine the soil quality. Clay represents the smallest of the soil particles. Heavy clay content in a soil retards drainage because of its high density. Clay soil is "heavy," and once soptert with water, does not release the water easily. It also holds the nutrients longer, perhaps so long that plant roots will "drown" because it contains little of the "air" or oxygen plants need to survive. Silt represents the next larger particles of soil. If you want to determine how much of each ingredient your soil has, place i or-oth- Sand has the largest particles, and they can be fine, medium or larger particles. Sandy soil drains rapidly, and as a result it holds little moisture or nutrients. "Loam" is the term given soil that has a good mixture of clay, silt and sand. One thing should be emphasized: you can't build up poor soil overnight. It must be done slowly, usually over a period of several years. If you try to add soil amendments and fertilizers too quickly, you can end up with some kind of imbalance you hadn't anticipated. . There is a difference between soil amendments and fertilizers. Soil amendments will help the soil hold the nutrients and water so that they will be available for the plant roots. They also "loosen" the soil and make it easier to work. Fortunately, organic materi- als are useful both as soil amendments and as sources of nutrients. Soils in this mountain area are highly alkaline, having broken down from the limestone cliffs that surround our valleys. The last thing you would want to add here would be more lime. Many garden books on the market were written for areas of the country that have acidic soil, so don't follow their instructions to "sweeten" the soil that are highly that includes For heavy clay soils or those that are sandy, add compost, manure, peat moss or other organic materials. Remember that as these materials decompose, they use up nitrogen, and that could leave your soil nitrogen hungry. As you add the organic materials, add materials high in nitrogen. These can include commercial fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate, blood meal, bonemeal, fish meal or chicken manure. Some of these products will also add needed phosphorus. Some inorganic soil amendments can also be useful. Per-lit- e, vermiculite and pumice don't add any nutrients to the soil, but they are porous and will help sandy soil to hold water and nutrients. Their cost, however, will probably preclude their use in large gardens. To determine which kind of soil amendment is best for your soil, you can have a soil analysis done through your local Cooperative Extension Service for a small fee. This is valuable in determining if your soil has any deficiencies. Health issues, convenience govern food buys - HouseWASHINGTON (AP) holds with children spend more food money on milk and sweets than anyone else. The elderly buy more fruits and vegetables. And higher income families spend more on fish, cheese and butter. But it's health concerns and convenience that have the most influence over what the modern American eats, says an Agricul- ture Department economist. The dominance of health awareness on food choices reached a high level in the 19803 and is still rising, says Alden Manchester in a report based on a forthcoming study called "Rearranging the Economic Landscape: The Food Marketing Revolution, 1950-90- ." More than ever, foods are being viewed as good and bad, depending on popular perceptions of health consequences, he said. Concern about the ill effects of cholesterol, fat and caffeine, and knowledge about the need for fiber are major considerations when people plan their meals nowadays. As a result, the collective American thumb has turned up for poultry, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and cereal products. It has turned down on beef and pork, bakery products, sugar and sweets and coffee and tea, according to Manchester's research. Convenience starts to become more significant, Manchester says, when the adults in the family work outside the home. He says the proportion of families with more than one wage earner began to increase sharply after World War II from 39 percent in 1950 to 59 percent in 1988. Average household income also increased, jumping 126 percent in those 38 years because of rising real income per wage earner and r" family and household food. Microwave ovens are in 90 American homes, unpercent doubtedly contributing to the finding that in families with adults who work outside the home, meals are fixed in 20 minutes today instead of the average 30 minutes of a few years of ago. People also are eating out more, spending 46 percent of their food dollars on restaurant food in 1990 compared to 25 percent in 1954. Fast food places saw the most growth, Manches- ter says. He says the kinds of food people buy in the grocery store differs somewhat among races and geographic regions, but confirmed that kids lead to higher milk and sweets consumption; e to fruits and vegetables and increased income to more fish, cheese and eggs. old-ag- Keeping up with what consumers want to eat and how they want to buy it has led to major changes in the food industry over the last says. 40 years, Manchester In 1950, people were shopping mostly at small-- to medium-size-d grocery stores. U.S. importing large posse to fight pesky insects and weeds - Bad WASHINGTON (AP) weed in U.S. and insect the guys populations should beware. The Agriculture Department is importing a posse from abroad to track them down and kill them. Some 402,766 in- pest-fighti- sects and mites were shipped into the United States in 1990 by scientists at overseas labs of USDA's Agricultural Research Service, says Richard Soper, who heads the agency's research program on natural pest controls. "Most insects and weeds in the United States came from somewhere else, but left their natural enemies behind," Soper said. "We want to turn the tables on the pests by bringing their worst adversaries to this country." Bugs are being imported to target more than two dozen U.S. weed and insect pests, Soper said. "We're also importing beneficial microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, and testing native biocontrol agents," he said. The bug imports are an alternative to pesticides, which many insects and weeds are becoming resistant to, he said. Prominent members of the forcrop-damagi- eign posse were Asian 191,000 Ageniaspis fuscicollis wasps shipped by ARS scientists in South Korea. The tiny wasp kills which apple ermine moths invaded western Washington state in 1985 and does not sting people or animals. WASHINGTON second half of - The is likely to (AP) 1991 see larger commercial beef pro- duction, greater hog production and lower prices for both, the Agriculture Department says in its monthly Agricultural Outlook report. Consumers can expect some relief from last year's retail price increases of up to 15 per-- cent, the report said, with hikes of up to 4 percent expected this year as the larger production moves to retail markets. While corn, soybean and fruit crops were hurt by dry weather and the lingering effects of last December's freeze, the cotton crop is projected to be the largest since 1037. And the UJS. sugar crop may reach a record high this year of 7.3 million tons, the report said. - MushWASHINGTON (AP) in the United room production States increased 1990-9-1 5 percent during to 756 million pounds, the Agriculture Department says, while the value of the crop increased 1 percent to $671 million. The increase in value came despite lower prices for both fresh and processed mushrooms, the department said Thursday. Growers received an average of 88.8 cents a pound, down 3.7 cents from the previous season. The total volume of sales for commercially grown specialty such as shiitake mushrooms totaled and oyster mushrooms 6.07 million pounds, 2 percent above the 1989-9volume. Nearly all specialty mushrooms are sold fresh. The value of the 1990 specialty mushroom crop amounted to $22.4 million, virtually unchanged from the previous season. 0 WASHTNGTON (AP) - sjSWWPW'"'""' 5ize. These factors have led to more miney and less time spent on "a I Farmer must be own work safety director Since a farmer is his own boss, he also must be his own safety director. The agriculture safety record in the 1990s could be greatly improved if every farmer would reduce farm safety risks, said Gary S. Straquadine, Utah State University assistant professor in the Agricultural Education Department. He gives the following tips from the National Safety Council on ways to help reduce risks on farms and ranches: Make accident prevention a management goal. Realize that you are responsible for safety and health instruction. Reduce your risk of injury and illness with prevention. Read and follow instructions in operator's manuals and product labels and use personal protective equipment. Conduct routine hazard checks on equipment, buildings and grounds. Correct problems immediately and avoid hazards that can't be eliminated. Instruct employees and family workers on the proper way to do their jobs and to take care of both on and off their health the job. Do what is necessary to protect children, the elderly and others in your care. Be prepared for each activity. Most food free of pesticides By LADIES' HOME JOURNAL A Meredith Magazine For AP Special Features Americans panicked several years ago about the pesticides used on their fruits and vegetables. But according to the FDA, 99 percent of all domestically grown foods either contain no pesticide residues at all or levels within the legal limit. Roger Blobaum, director of Americans for Safe Food, a division of the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest, says, "The whole industry is attempting to do a better job, and I think they are." For people who are still concerned, Ladies' Home Journal magazine offers these tips: Rinse fruits and vegetables or scrub with a vegetable brush before eating. Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables. Look for domestic produce. fruit is more likely to be domestically grown.) Though the same safety standards are applied to imports as domestic (In-seas- foods, in FDA spot checks, 4 percent of imports violated them. Wax is often applied to produce after harvest to keep moisture in. The wax itself poses no known health hazards, but it may seal in fungicides added to prolong shelf life. No amount of scrubbing will remove the wax. To avoid it, peel the produce or buy from a market or a stand where goods post-harve- st aren't waxed. y Other questions? Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at Dean Blackhurst, Pleasant to the commission, which comprises 12 dis directors treated that make a difference at Mountain View Mountain View Hospital's Emergency Room Expansion is now complete! We have equipped our Emergency Room with new life saving equipment. The new Emergency Room opened August 5th and is complete with the newest and latest state-of-the-a- rt equipment. People Make the Difference. Although the instrumentation is important and keeps Mountain View Hospital on the cutting edge of technology - it's the people and the way you're Hospital. Doc Around the Clock. Our Emergency Center doctors are on duty 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And they are always ready to handle any medical crisis or emergency - no matter how large or small. Sniffles, snakebite, or stroke - we're prepared. When You Hurt, We Hustle. Next time you need medical care in a hurry, come to Mountain View Hospital's Emergency Center. food-safet- 5. Blackhurst elected to dairy board to Grove, has been serve as representative from District;? on the Utah Dairy Commission. ' Blackhurst was one of four We'ffe Now Etadly Ete Lifesavers. Mountain View Hospital tricts in Utah, western Woming and southern Nevada. Blackhurst was also elected secretary of the commission, while Mike Kohler, Heber City, is chaimran; Lee Reese, Benson, vice chairman; and Don Bailey, Wellsville, beef council. 1000 East Highway 6 Payson, Utah 84651 Farm- - raised catfish processed during July totaled 32.7 million pounds, up 11 percent from July 1990,; according to the Agriculture De partment. There were 16.9 million pounds; of processed catfish sold during July, with sales of whole fish representing 30 percent of the total and fillets accounting for 42 percent The reniaining 22 per-- ! cent were mostly steaks, nuggets: and other products. (801)465 - 9201 |