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Page THE HALTON HILLS November 1HQ Look south of the border for real Depression signs By DIANE Business Analyst Thomson News Service The question on people minds these days especially in depressed Ontario is simple and unutterable You can see it in their creditor haunted eyes their stooped gait their warned demeanor lb this the big one Has the Great Depression of 1990 begun A frightening number of finan and soothsayers believe it has Optimists like the finance minister and the governor of the Bank of Canada disagree In between lie the realists impelled neither by hope nor fear My friend Jim is one of them Not yet he said over lunch the other day Jim is a newspaperman so he has been steeled to a steady supply of bad news He is vious to the rash of gloomy reports He even bought a house for invest Two or three years he said cryptically Then it will come The big one I ask The big one he says I haven l been wrong yet SA ED AGAIN Thank goodness I sigh I m not ready for it now The wa Jim sees it the Americans will succeed in papering over their problems one more lime push the looming our out a couple of years Finance Minister Michael Wilson and Bank of Canada governor John Crow may cause a madeinCanada recession But Canada is a small fish in world financial markets For a real depression to occur it will have to be bom in the S A The United States is the biggest market in the world It is also a net borrower It is Canada No 1 client buying more than threequarters of our exports In a peculiar way its health may be more important to us than our own Let say Jim is right and we a two- or three year warning How can w prepare for hard times Well when thegoinggets tough Work hard save monej and off debts You or your spouse could take a part time job to help off the mortgage These ma sound like desperate measures but imagine how helpless you would feel if the economy slipped over the edge and left you with little money and big bills Talk like this annoys the op timists Mr Wilson chided reporters recently for making recession a self fulfilling prophesy People read scary stones and they stop ding causing the economy to slow he said BUT WE SAVE This is only partly true Gross domestic product is made up of business government and consumer spending inventories and net ex ports In Canada consumer spen ding accounts for the bulk of it So Mr Wilson would seem to be right But it could be otherwise Exports are what fuel the Japanese economy for example The Japanese savings rate is high Fat savings encourage business invest ment and enable a nation to finance its own need without having to rely on foreign borrowing say the greatest threat facing North America today is its dependence on foreign capital Its salvation lies in saving By paying off debt and saving money we will deliver the country from becoming hostage to foreign capital If we cause a recession in the process it can be helped Bricks remain popular as building materials This article is provided local Realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market With us since ancient times bricks are one of the most popular building materials used in Canada especial in Ontario Like other products of the masonry family stone block tile and concrete bnck is made of natural materials that combine beauty with utility and durability Not only are masonry products like bnck permanent but they are highly resistant to natural by wind water fire sun and pests In fact most surviving an structures are of masonry and the deterioration they show is more man s doing than nature s Made of various clay mixtures bncks once were molded by hand Today the clay is forced through a die then cut to size with wires After drying the bricks are fired or burn ed in a kiln The result is a very hard permanent product with many advantages it never has to be painted it is virtually self washing with a good ram or hosing it ages well and generally requires very lit tie maintenance Although somewhat expensive clay bncks are well worth their cost They come in an array of colors sizes and textures Colors range from white to black with buffs tans browns yellows and reds Almost any earth tone can be incorporated and some bncks can even be custom colored Textures range from smooth to rock face bark like to vertical scoring Bricks can also be made of materials other than clay Concrete bride is made of cement graded and water Its available in shapes sizes textures and colors for practically purpose While less expensive and lighter it is generally not as colorfasl or water resistant as genuine clay So be sure check the kind of you re getting before buying BRICK CHOICES The wide variety of bricks available break down into four basic types building bricks face bricks firebricks and paving bncks Building bricks come in a vanety of colors and shapes but are primarily red and rectangular Because they account for the ma jonty of all bricks used they are generally less expensive Three main grades are available brick for interior use moderate weathering bnck for outdoor use in wanner climates and severe for use anywhere Face bricks are used for more decorative purposes They come in a wide vanety of colors textures and dimensions Because they are made with more care and are usually rated for severe weathering they tend to be the most expensive type of bnck Firebricks are used to line fireplaces and furnaces or any tion where protection from heat is required Becuase they are made of special clays and fired to higher temperatures they can withstand intense heat Paving bricks are harder and more durable than building bricks and are usually sized for use without mortar They are typically used in driveways parking areas and sidewalks MORTAR must be tared Made of cement lime sand and water mortar is the bonding agent or glue that sticks masonry units together It also seals out wind and water compensates for varia lions in brick size anchors metal ties and reinforcements and pro vides various decorative effects Mortar can be colored or applied in certain ways to create a special decorative effect For instance the weeping mortar look has the mortar coming out from in between the CLEANING BRICKWORK Over time brickwork can collect a vanety of unattractive stains and marking from dirt chemicals mineral and salt deposits plant growth oils paints and smoke The appearance of bnckwork can be enhanced with a good cleaning but this requires patience and the nght materials Improper cleaning methods can irreparably damage brickwork Be sure to consult a bnck specialist before using any chemical And always test a small area first Some stains can be removed by simply scrubbing the surface with a kitchen cleanser or treating them with household bleach Others can be removed by using a poultice a paste made out of a solvent and inert material for the type of stain Poultices work by pulling the stain out or the pores of the Water blasting and sandblasting can sometimes be used to re juvenate bnckwork Water blasting relies on the force of Water rather than abrasives But it should only be used on fully cured masonry surfaces and left lo dry for at least two weeks before applying any finishes Survey Completed Wednesday October 31 it MORTGAGE RATES ANNUAL INTEREST SIX WE YEAR mo THREE TEAR FOUR TEAR FIVE TEAR TRUST COMPANIES Canada Trust 13 13 13 13 13 Municipal Trust NA 13 13 50 13 50 NRSRoyal Trust 13 13 13 25 13 13 13 25 CHARTERED BANK Bank of Commerce 13 50 13 13 25 13 13 25 Bank of Montreal NA 1325 13 13 25 25 1320 Bank of Nova Scotia NA 13 13 13 13 25 13 Royal Bank 13 13 13 13 Toronto Dominion 13 13 13 13 1325 13 This survey was prepared help the Herald readers track weekly Bank and Trust Company rates COUNTRY GARDENER Indoor gardening becoming popular Now that old man winter has taken control over our gardens we can now bring our attention to indoor garden ing potential Now that the ground is starting to freeze retailers of dutch bulbs usually sell off excessive stock of daffodils tulips hyacinths and crocus This is a good time to stock up and try your hand at forcing bulbs indoors Actually a better way to think of this would be gentle per suasion When considering forcing spring bulbs first check to see if you can fill the requirements for success When forcing you are actually deceiving the bulbs Into believing that they have experienced a winter and that spring has arrived even though it will only be mid winter when you will be enjoying their spr ing display of fragrance and color Therefore you will need a cool spot IOC to set them after planting them into the desired con tamer It is imperative that the pot ted bulbs receive absolutely no sunlight during the period so I recommend placing them in a black plastic bag to achieve this By doing this you also prevent premature drying of soil The bulbs will have to stay in this cool dark place a minimum of six lo eight weeks depending on temperature That it Okay you re ready to plan your color scheme when picking bulbs be sure to choose only firm dense bulbs that appear heavy for their size A large lose light bulb not desireable If this is your first time forcing bulbs don mix different types of bulbs I would recommend planting solid colors until you have experienced at least one year of for Now that you have chosen your favorite varieties choose a con tamer that is shallow and has good drainage Use only potting mix that contains at least 10 per cent soil for stability When these bulbs root have seen them push the soil nght out of the pot Place them in the pot with the growing tip visible Thoroughly water with tepid water and be sure the excess drains away Place in a cool spot and check them periodically to make sure they don dry out If you are using a clay post soak it thoroughly under water to avoid premature drying the reason is that you will not be checking this as regularly as you would a newly transplanted plant Now comes the tricky part when is it ready Well it has to have enough roots to support itself and to up necessary water and minerals Take a look at the drainage holes and you will see roots If you are not certain wait til the bulbs show a blanched tip of approximately two to four inches above the soil Now it is time to place your potted bulbs into cool sunny spots the cooler the better If placed into a warm location especially fluctuating warm temperatures the bulbs will finish quickly and fall over After flowcnng place your potted bulbs with their foliage intact into a sunny window where they can finish their growing cycle Fertilize fourth watenng and be sure to allow them to dry out in between water mgs In spring plant them out in the garden where they will follow a natural course of summer dormancy and the following year will flower If you have any gardening qurs call or write TOWN It K I- KIN ONTARIO NOB