Our Aug. 23, 1962 issue reported on record yields in prospect despite heavy rains and flooding from storms in southern Manitoba — a tornado had struck between Elgin and Underhill on Aug. 14. However, editor Q.H. Martinson reflected that despite fertilizer, chemicals, better cultural practices and improved varieties, farmers were still having trouble beating the 1915 wheat yield of 24 bushels, which he attributed to “man exploiting the virgin soil,” calling for farmers to use more corrective measures.
Vegetable farmers were about to vote on establishing a marketing board (later rejected by 161 to 121), and members of the Canadian Agricultural Chemicals Association reported that they had made a profit of $214,123 on net sales of $19,358,234, or 1.1 cents per dollar of sales.
Elsewhere we reported that Cornell University found there has been a reduction of antibiotic and pesticide residues in milk, but it said “although radionuclides in food are partly related to (nuclear) bomb testing, nevertheless, our expanding monitoring system, which is keeping us well informed, indicates no cause for alarm.”
