,,history ,,of ,,farming ,,in ,,ontario ,,by ,c4 ,c4 ,,james ,illustration3 ,publisher's ,device ,,reprinted ,,from ,,canada ,,and ,,its ,,provinces ,a ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,canadian ,,people ,,and ,,their ,,institutions ,,by ,,one ,,hundred ,,associates ,,edited ,,by ,,adam ,,shortt ,,and ,a4 ,g4 ,,doughty ,,history ,,of ,,farming ,,in ,,ontario ,,by ,c4 ,c4 ,,james ,c4,m4,g4 ,illustration3 ,publisher's ,device ,,toronto ,,glasgow1 ,,brook ,,company #aiad ,this ,volume consists of a ,reprint1 for private circulation only1 of the ,one ,hundred and ,sixteenth ,signed ,contribution contained in ,,canada ,,and ,,its ,,provinces1 a ,history of the ,canadian ,people and their ,institutions by ,one ,hundred ,associates4 ,adam ,shortt and ,arthur ,g4 ,doughty1 ,general ,editors ,,history ,,of ,,farming ,,the ,,land ,,and ,,the ,,people ,from the most southern point of ,ontario on ,lake ,erie1 near the #dbnd parallel of latitude1 to ,moose ,factory on ,james ,bay1 the distance is about #gej miles4 ,from the eastern boundary on the ,ottawa and ,st ,lawrence ,rivers to ,kenora at the ,manitoba boundary1 the distance is about #ajjj miles4 ,the area lying within these extremes is about #bbj1jjj square miles4 ,in #aiab a northern addition of over #ajj1jjj square miles was made to the surface area of the province1 but it is doubtful whether the agricultural lands will thereby be increased4 ,of this large area about #be1jjj1jjj acres are occupied and assessed1 including farm lands and town and city sites4 ,it will be seen1 therefore1 that only a small fraction of the province has1 as yet1 been occupied4 ,practically all the occupied area lies south of a line drawn through ,montreal1 ,ottawa1 and ,sault ,ste ,marie1 and it forms part of the great productive zone of the continent4 ,the next point to be noted is the irregularity of the boundary-line1 the greater portion of which is water--,lakes ,superior1 ,huron1 ,erie1 ,ontario1 the ,st ,lawrence ,river1 the ,ottawa ,river1 ,james ,bay1 and ,hudson ,bay4 ,the modifying effect of great bodies of water must be considered in studying the agricultural possibilities of ,ontario4 ,across this great area of irregular outline there passes a branch of the ,archan rocks running in a north-western direction and forming a watershed1 which turns some of the streams to ,hudson ,bay and the others to the ,st ,lawrence system4 ,an undulating surface has resulted1 more or less filled with lakes1 and almost lavishly supplied with streams1 which are of prime importance for agricultural life and of incalculable value for commercial purposes4 ,to these old rocks which form the backbone of the province may be traced the origin of the large stretches of rich soil with which the province abounds4 ,an examination of the map1 and even a limited knowledge of the geological history of the province1 will lead to the conclusion that in ,ontario there must be a wide range in the nature and composition of the soils and a great variety in the climatic conditions4 ,these conditions exist1 and they result in a varied natural production4 ,in the extreme south-western section plants of a semi-tropical nature were to be found in the early days in luxurious growth2 while in the extreme north1 spruce1 somewhat stunted in size and toughened in fibre1 are still to be found in vast forests4 ,it is with the southern section1 that lying south of the ,laurentian rocks1 that our story is mainly concerned1 for the occupation and exploitation of the northland is a matter only of recent date4 ,nature provided conditions for a diversified agriculture4 ,it is to such a land that for over a hundred years people of different nationalities1 with their varied trainings and inclinations1 have been coming to make their homes4 ,we may expect1 therefore1 to find a great diversity in the agricultural growth of various sections1 due partly to the variety of natural conditions and partly to the varied agricultural training of the settlers in their homelands4 ,,early ,,settlement1 #aghc-ahaf ,originally this province was covered with forest1 varied and extensive1 and was valued only for its game4 ,the hunter and trapper was the pioneer4 ,to protect and assist him1 fortified posts were constructed at commanding points along the great waterways4 ,in the immediate vicinity of these posts agriculture1 crude in its nature and restricted in its area1 had its beginning4 ,it was into this wooded wilderness that the ,united ,empire ,loyalists1 numbering in all approximately ten thousand people1 came in the latter part of the eighteenth century4#a ,they were a people of varied origins--,highland ,scottish1 ,german1 ,dutch1 ,irish ,palatine1 ,french ,huguenot1 ,english4 ,most of them had lived on farms in ,new ,york ,state1 and therefore brought with them some knowledge and experience that stood them in good stead in their arduous work of making new homes in a land that was heavily wooded4 ,in the year #aghc prospectors were sent into ,western ,quebec1 the region lying west of the ,ottawa ,river1 and selections were made for them in four districts--along the ,st ,lawrence1 opposite ,fort ,oswegatchie2 around the ,bay of ,quinte1 above ,fort ,cataraqui2 in the ,niagara peninsula1 opposite ,fort ,niagara2 and in the south-western section1 within reach of ,fort ,detroit4 ,two reasons determined these locations2 first1 the necessity of being located on the water-front1 as lake and river were the only highways available2 and1 secondly1 the advisability of being within the protection of a fortified post4 ,the dependence of the settlers upon the military will be realized when we remember that they had neither implements nor seed grain4 ,in fact1 they were dependent at first upon the government stores for their food4 ,it is difficult at the present time to realize the hardships and appreciate the conditions under which these ,united ,empire ,loyalist settlers began life in the forest of #aghd4 ,having been assigned their lots and supplied with a few implements1 they began their work of making small clearings and the erection of rude log-houses and barns4 ,among the stumps they sowed the small quantities of wheat1 oats1 and potatoes that were furnished from the government stores4 ,cattle were for many years few in number1 and the settler1 to supply his family with food and clothing1 was compelled to add hunting and trapping to his occupation of felling the trees4 ,gradually the clearings became larger and the area sown increased in size4 ,the trails were improved and took on the semblance of roads1 but the waterways continued to be the principal avenues of communication4 ,in each of the four districts the government erected mills to grind the grain for the settlers4 ,these were known as the ,king's ,mills4 ,water-power mills were located near ,kingston1 at ,gananoque1 at ,napanee1 and on the ,niagara ,river4 ,the mill on the ,detroit was run by wind power4 ,an important event in the early years was when the head of the family set out for the mill with his bag of wheat on his back or in his canoe1 and returned in two or three days1 perhaps in a week1 with a small supply of flour4 ,in the early days there was no wheat for export4 ,the question then may be asked1 was there anything to market8 ,yes2 as the development went on1 the settlers found a market for two surplus products1 timber and potash4 ,the larger pine trees were hewn into timber and floated down the streams to some convenient point where they were collected into rafts1 which were taken down the ,st ,lawrence to ,montreal and ,quebec4 ,black salt or crude potash was obtained by concentrating the ashes that resulted from burning the brush and trees that were not suitable for timber4 ,for the first thirty years of the new settlements the chief concern of the people was the clearing of their land1 the increasing of their field crops1 and the improving of their homes and furnishings4 ,it was slow going1 and had it not been for government assistance1 progress1 and even maintenance of life1 would have been impossible4 ,that was the heroic age of ,upper ,canada1 the period of foundation-laying in the province4 ,farming was the main occupation1 and men1 women1 and children shared the burdens in the forest1 in the field1 and in the home4 ,roads were few and poorly built1 except the three great military roads planned by ,lieutenant-,governor ,simcoe running east1 west1 and north from the town of ,york4 ,social intercourse was of a limited nature4 ,here and there a school was formed when a competent teacher could be secured4 ,church services were held once a month1 on which occasions the missionary preacher rode into the district on horseback4 ,perhaps once or twice in the summer the weary postman1 with his pack on his back1 arrived at the isolated farmhouse to leave a letter1 on which heavy toll had to be collected4 ,progress was slow in those days1 but after thirty years fair hope of an agricultural country was beginning to dawn upon the people when the ,war of #ahab broke out4 ,by this time the population of the province had increased to about eighty thousand4 ,during this first thirty years very little had been done in the way of stimulating public interest in agricultural work4 ,conditions were not favourable to organization4 ,the 'town meeting' was concerned mainly with the question of the height of fences and regulations as to stock running at large4 ,one attempt1 however1 was made which should be noted4 ,lieutenant-,governor ,simcoe took charge of affairs early in #agib1 and1 immediately after the close of the first session of the legislature at ,newark 7,niagara7 in the autumn of that year1 organized an agricultural society at the headquarters which met occasionally to discuss agricultural questions4 ,there are no records to show whether social intercourse or practical agricultural matters formed the main business4 ,the struggle for existence was too exacting and the conditions were not yet favourable for organization to advance general agricultural matters4 ,when the ,war of #ahab broke out the clearings of the original settlers had been extended1 and some of the loyalists still lived1 grown grey with time and hardened by the rough life of the backwoods4 ,their sons1 many of whom had faint recollection of their early homes across the line1 had grown up in an atmosphere of strictest loyalty to the ,british crown1 and had put in long years in clearing the farms on which they lived and adding such comforts to their houses1 that to them1 perhaps as to no other generation1 their homes meant everything in life4 ,the summons came to help to defend those homes and their province4 ,for three years the agricultural growth received a severe check4 ,fathers and sons took their turn in going to the front4 ,the cultivation of the fields1 the sowing and the harvesting of the crops1 fell largely to the lot of the mothers and the daughters left at home4 ,but they were equal to it4 ,in those days the women were trained to help in the work of the fields4 ,they did men's work willingly and well4 ,in many cases they had to continue their heroic work after the close of the war1 until their surviving boys were grown to years of manhood1 for many husbands and sons went to the front never to return4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,see ',pioneer ,settlements' in this section4 ,a ,,period ,,of ,,expansion1 #ahaf-df ,the close of the war saw a province that had been checked at a time of vigorous growth now more or less impoverished1 and1 in some sections1 devastated4 ,this was1 however1 but the gloomy outlook before a period of rapid expansion4 ,in #ahaf1 on the close of the ,napoleonic wars in ,europe1 large numbers of troops were disbanded1 and for these new homes and new occupations had to be found4 ,then began the first emigration from ,britain overseas to ,upper ,canada4 ,all over the ,british ,isles little groups were forming of old soldiers reunited to their families4 ,a few household furnishings were packed1 a supply of provisions laid in1 a sailing vessel chartered1 and the trek began across the ,atlantic4 ,the emigrants sailed from many ports of ,england1 ,scotland1 and ,ireland4 ,sometimes the trip was made in three or four weeks2 but often1 through contrary winds or rough weather1 three or four months passed before the vessel sailed up the ,st ,lawrence and landed the newcomers at ,montreal4 ,hardly half of their difficulties were then overcome or half of their dangers passed4 ,if they were to find their new locations by land1 they must walk or travel by slow ox-cart2 if they journeyed by water1 they must make their way up the ,st ,lawrence by open boat1 surmounting the many rapids in succession1 poling the boats1 pulling against the stream1 at times helping to carry heavy loads over the portages4 ,their new homes in the backwoods were in townships in the rear of those settled by the loyalists1 or in unoccupied areas lying on the lake-fronts between the four districts referred to as having been taken up by the loyalists4 ,then began the settlements along the north shore of ,lake ,ontario and of ,lake ,erie1 and the population moved forward steadily4 ,in #ahaf the total population of the province was approximately #ajj1jjj2 by #ahbf1 according to returns made to the government1 it had increased to #aff1jjj2 in #ahcf it was #cgd1jjj1 and in #ahda it was #def1jjj4 ,the great majority of these people1 of course1 lived upon the land1 the towns being comparatively small1 and the villages were composed largely of people engaged in agricultural work4 ,this peaceful ,british invasion contributed a new element to the province and added still further to the variety of the people4 ,in one township could be found a group of ,english settlers1 most of whom came from a southern county of ,england1 near by a township peopled by ,scottish ,lowlanders1 and not far away a colony of north of ,ireland farmers1 or perhaps a settlement composed entirely of people from the vicinity of ,cork or ,limerick4 ,these ,british settlers brought new lines of life1 new plans for houses and barns1 new methods of cultivation1 new varieties of seed1 and1 what was perhaps of most influence upon the agricultural life of the province1 new kinds of live stock4 ,even to this day can be seen traces of the differences in construction of buildings introduced by the different nationalities that came as pioneers into the various sections of the province--the ,french ,canadian constructed his buildings with long1 steep roofs2 the ,englishman followed his home plan of many small1 low outbuildings with doors somewhat rounded at the top2 the ,german and ,dutch settler built big barns with their capacious mows4 ,these latter have become the type now generally followed1 the main improvement in later years being the raising of the frames upon stone foundations so as to provide accommodation for live stock in the basement4 ,it would be interesting and profitable to study carefully the different localities to determine what elements have contributed to the peculiar agricultural characteristics of the present day4 ,in this connection the language also might be investigated4 ,for instance1 to the early ,dutch farmers of ,upper ,canada we owe such common words as 'stoop1' 'bush1' 'boss1' 'span4' ,to the early ,british settler these were foreign words4 ,when the oversea settlers came up the ,st ,lawrence they were transported from ,montreal either by 'bateau' or by ',durham boat4'#b ,special reference must be made to the live stock introduced by the ,british settlers4 ,this was one of the most important elements in the expansion and permanent development of the agriculture of the province4 ,the ,british ,isles have long been noted for their pure-bred stock4 ,in no other part of the world have so many varieties been originated and improved4 ,in horses1 there are the ,clydesdale1 the ,shire1 the ,thoroughbred1 and the ,hackney2 in cattle1 ,shorthorns1 ,herefords1 ,ayrshires1 ,devon1 and the dairy breeds of ,jersey and ,guernsey2 in sheep1 ,southdowns1 ,shropshires1 ,leicesters2 in swine1 ,berkshires and ,yorkshires4 ,many other breeds might be added to these4 ,poultry and dogs also might be referred to4 ,the ,britisher has been noted for his love of live stock4 ,he has been trained to their care1 his agricultural methods have been ordered to provide food suitable for their wants1 and he has been careful to observe the lines of breeding so as to improve their quality4 ,in the earliest period of the settlement of the province live stock was not numerous and the quality was not of the best4 ,whatever was to be found on the farms came mainly from the ,united ,states and was of inferior type4 ,the means of bringing in horses1 cattle1 and sheep were limited4 ,the result was that field work at that time was largely done by hand labour4 ,hunting and fishing helped to supply the table with the food that to-day we obtain from the butcher4 ,when the ,britisher came across the ,atlantic he brought to ,upper ,canada his love for live stock and his knowledge how to breed and care for the same4 ,the result was seen in the rapid increase in the number of horses1 cattle1 sheep1 and swine1 and the placing of the agriculture of the province on a firm basis for future growth4 ,by #ahcj the population had grown to about #bac1jjj1 practically all located on the land4 ,in that year there were only five towns of #ajjj or over3 namely1 ,kingston1 #cehg2 ,york 7,toronto71 #bhfj2 ,london1 7including the township71 #bdae2 ,hamilton 7including the township71 #bjac2 and ,brockville1 #aacj4 ,the returns to the government show that of the #d1jah1che acres occupied #ggc1gbg were under cultivation4 ,on the farms were to be found #cj1ggf horses1 #cc1eag oxen1 #hj1hib milch cows1 and #cb1ecg young cattle4 ,it is interesting to note that oxen1 so useful in clearing land and in doing heavy work1 were more numerous than horses4 ,oxen were hardier than horses2 they could forage for themselves and live on rough food1 and when disabled could be converted into food4 ,they thus played a very important part in the pioneer life4 ,there were no improved farm implements in those days3 the plough1 the spade1 the hoe1 the fork1 the sickle1 the hook1 the cradle1 and the rake--implements that had been the husbandman's equipment for centuries--completed the list4 ,with these the farmer cultivated his lands and gathered his crops4 ,with two stout hickory poles1 joined together at the end with tough leather thongs1 a flail was made with which he threshed out his grain on the floor of his barn4 ,the earliest pioneers raised some flax1 and from the fibre made coarse linen fabrics1 supplementing these by skins of wild animals and the hides of cattle4 ,with the introduction of sheep by the ,british settlers wool became an important product1 and homespun garments provided additional clothing for all the members of the family4 ,seeds of various fruit trees were planted1 and by #ahcj the products of these seedlings supplemented the wild plums and cherries of the woods and the wild raspberries that sprang up in abundance in the clearings and slashes4 ,by this time every farm had one or more milch cows and the farmer's table was supplied with fresh milk1 butter1 and home-made cheese4 ,as the first half-century of the province was drawing to its close1 some of the comforts of home life began to be realized by the farming community4 ,the isolation of the former period disappeared as roads of communication were opened up and extended4 ,here and there societies were formed for the exhibition of the products of the farm and for friendly competitions4 ,so important were these societies becoming in the life of the whole community that in #ahcj the government gave them recognition and provided an annual grant to assist them in their work4 ,this is an important event in agricultural history1 for it marks the beginning of government assistance to the agricultural industry4 ,between #ahbj and #ahcj probably not more than half a dozen agricultural societies were organized4 ,some records of such were preserved at ,york1 ,kingston1 and in the ,newcastle district4 ,from the record of the ,county of ,northumberland ,agricultural ,society it is learned that its first show was held in the public square of the village of ,colborne on ,october #ai1 #ahbh1 when premiums were awarded amounting in all to seventy-seven dollars4 ,there were fourteen prizes for live stock1 two prizes for cheese1 two for field rollers1 and two for essays on the culture of wheat4 ,the first prize essay1 for which the winner received five dollars1 was printed for distribution4 ,the prize list was limited in range1 but it shows how this new settlement1 formed largely by ,british settlers since #ahaf1 was giving particular attention to the encouragement of live stock4 ,a short quotation from the prize essay as to the best method of clearing the land for wheat should be found of interest4 ,as a great part of our ,county is yet in a wilderness state and quite a share of the wheat brought to our markets is reared on new land1 ,i deem it important that our enterprising young men who are clearing away the forest should know how to profit by their hard labor4 ,let the underwood be cut in the autumn before the leaves fall1 and the large timber in the winter or early in the spring4 ,this will insure a good burn1 which is the first thing requisite for a good crop4 ,do your logging in the month of ,june1 and if you wish to make money1 do it before you burn your brush and save the ashes2 these will more than half pay you for clearing the land3 and by burning at this season you will attract a drove of cattle about you that will destroy all sprouts which may be growing2 do not leave more than four trees on an acre and girdle these in the full moon of ,march and they will never leaf again2 thus you may have your land prepared for the seed before harvest4 ,the act of #ahcj provided a grant of #ajj for a society in each district1 upon condition that the members subscribed and paid in at least #ej1 and in the case of a society being organized in each county the amount was to be equally divided among the societies4 ,the condition of making the grant was set forth in the act as follows3 ',when any ,agricultural ,society1 for the purpose of importing valuable live stock1 grain1 grass seeds1 useful implements or whatever else might conduce to the improvement of agriculture in this ,province1' etc4 ,as a result of this substantial assistance by the government1 agricultural societies increased in number1 and their influence1 in assisting in the improvement of the live stock and the bringing of new implements to the attention of farmers1 was most marked4 ,horses1 sheep and milch cows increased rapidly4 ,purebred cattle now began to receive some attention4 ,the first record of importation is the bringing of a ,shorthorn bull and a cow from ,new ,york ,state in #ahca by ,robert ,arnold of ,st ,catharines4 ,in #ahcc ,rowland ,wingfield1 an ,englishman farming near ,guelph1 brought a small herd of choice animals across the ocean1 landed them at ,montreal1 took them to ,hamilton by way of the ,ottawa ,river1 the ,rideau ,canal1 and ,lake ,ontario1 and then drove them on foot to ,wellington ,county4 ,the ,hon4 ,adam ,fergusson of ,woodhill followed two or three years later with a similar importation4 ,the first ,ayrshire cattle can be traced back to the ,scottish settlers who arrived during this period4 ,these emigrants had provided their own food for the voyage to ,canada1 and in some cases brought a good milch cow to provide fresh milk on the voyage4 ,she would be disposed of on landing1 at ,montreal or in the eastern part of ,upper ,canada4 ,this accounts for the early predominance of ,ayrshires in ,eastern ,ontario4 ,thus to the period #ahcj-de belongs the first foundation of the pure-bred stock industry4 ,it was in this period also that the first signs appear of improved farm implements and labour-saving machinery4 ,ploughs of improved pattern1 lighter and more effective1 were being made4 ,land rollers and harrows made in the factory began to take the place of the home-made articles4 ,crude threshing machines1 clover-seed cleaners1 root-cutters1 and a simple but heavy form of hay-rake came into use4 ,the mowing machine and the reaper were making their appearance in ,great ,britain and the ,united ,states1 but they had not yet reached ,upper ,canada4 ,the organization of agricultural societies in the various districts1 and the great impetus given to the keeping of good stock1 led in #ahdc to the suggestion that a provincial organization would be of benefit to the farming industry4 ,in the neighbouring ,state of ,new ,york a similar organization had been in existence since #ahcb and successful ,state fairs had been held1 which some of the more prominent farmers of ,upper ,canada had visited4 ,an agricultural paper called the ,british ,american ,cultivator had been established in ,york1 and through this paper1 in letters and editorials1 the idea of a provincial association was advocated4 ,for three years the discussion proceeded1 until finally1 in #ahdf1 there was organized the ,provincial ,agricultural ,association and ,board of ,agriculture for ,canada ,west1 composed of delegates from the various district societies4 ,the result was that the first provincial exhibition was held in ,toronto on ,october #ba and #bb of that year4 ,the old ,government ,house at the south-western corner of ,king ,street and ,simcoe ,street1 then empty1 was used for the exhibits1 and the stock and implements were displayed in the adjoining grounds4 ,the ,canada ,company gave a contribution of #bjj1 eight local societies made donations1 about #bhj was secured as gate money1 and #big members paid subscriptions4 ,premiums were paid to the amount of #hhj1 the bulk of which went to live stock2 books1 which cost about #bgj1 were given as prizes2 and there was left a cash balance on hand of #djj4 ,a ploughing match was held1 and on the evening of the first day a grand banquet was given1 attended by the officers and directors and by some of the leading citizens of ,toronto4 ,among the speakers at this banquet were ,chief ,justice ,robinson and ,egerton ,ryerson1 superintendent of education4 ,,footnotes3 #b ,see ',shipping and ,canals' in section v4 pp4 #dhi-ij4 ,,organized ,,agriculture1 #ahdf-fg ,the organization of this provincial association fittingly introduces another era in agricultural growth4 ,it is to be noted that this provincial organization was a self-created body2 it drew at first no government funds direct4 ,it commended itself to the people1 for on ,july #bh1 #ahdg1 the provincial parliament in session at ,montreal passed an act incorporating it under the name of the ,agricultural ,association of ,upper ,canada1 and in the charter named as members a number of the leading citizens of the province4 ,it was governed by a board of directors1 two of whom were chosen annually by each district agricultural society4 ,the objects set forth were the improvement of farm stock and produce1 the improvement of agricultural implements1 and the encouragement of domestic manufactures1 of useful inventions applicable to agricultural or domestic purposes1 and of every branch of rural and domestic economy4 ,out of this provincial association came all the further agricultural organizations of a provincial nature1 and ultimately1 some forty years later1 the ,ontario department of ,agriculture4 ,the second provincial exhibition was held at ,hamilton in #ahdg1 and ,lord ,elgin1 the governor-general1 was in attendance4 ,he was also a generous patron1 for his name appears as a donor of #ajj4 ,the address which he delivered at the banquet has been preserved in the published records and is copiously marked with cheers and loud applause4 ,the third exhibition was held at ,cobourg in #ahdh4 ,the official report of the exhibits indicates that pure-bred stock was rapidly increasing and improving in quality2 but the most significant paragraph is that dealing with implements1 and this is well worth quoting in full4 ,of implements of ,canada make1 the ,show was deficient2 and we were much indebted to our ,american neighbours for their valuable aid on this occasion4 ,a large number of ploughs1 straw-cutters1 drills1 cornshellers1 churns1 etc41 etc41 were brought over by ,messrs ,briggs ,co4 of ,rochester1 ,mr ,emery of ,albany1 and a large manufacturing firm near ,boston4 ,mr ,bell of ,toronto exhibited his excellent plough1 straw-cutter1 and reaping machine4 ,the first prize for the latter article was awarded to ,mr ,helm of ,cobourg for the recent improvements which he has effected4 ,mr ,clark of ,paris exhibited his one-horse thrashing-mill1 which attracted much attention4 ,at the fourth exhibition1 held at ,kingston in #ahdi1 the show of implements was much more extensive1 and comment was made on the improvement of articles of home manufacture4 ,at this meeting ,professor ,j4 ,f4 ,w4 ,johnson1 of ,edinburgh1 who was making a tour of ,north ,america1 was present4 ,the address of the president1 ,henry ,ruttan of ,cobourg1 is a most valuable reference article descriptive of the agricultural progress of the province from the first settlements in #aghc to the time of the exhibition4 ,ruttan was a loyalist's son1 and1 from his own personal knowledge1 he described the old plough that was given by the government to each of the first settlers4 ,it consisted of a small iron socket1 whose point entered by means of a dove-tailed aperture into the heel of the coulter1 which formed the principal part of the plough1 and was in shape similar to the letter ,l1 the shank of which went through the wooden beam1 and the foot formed the point which was sharpened for operation4 ,one handle and a plank split from the side of a winding block of timber1 which did duty for the mould-board1 completed the implement4 ,besides provisions for a year1 ,i think each family had issued to them a plough-share and coulter1 a set of dragg-teeth1 a log chain1 an axe1 a saw1 a hammer1 a bill hook and a grubbing hoe1 a pair of hand-irons and a cross-cut saw amongst several families1 and a few other articles4 ,he then refers to the large number of implements then being pressed upon the farmers1 until 'they have almost become a nuisance to the farmer who desires to purchase a really useful article4' ,all of which indicates that a distinctive feature of the period beginning with #ahdf was the introduction and rapid extension of improved farm machinery4 ,a few words as to the reaping machine1 which contributed more than any other modern implement to the development of agriculture in the past century1 may not be out of place4 ,various attempts had been made at producing a machine to supersede the sickle1 the scythe1 and the cradle before the ,rev4 ,patrick ,bell1 in #ahbf1 presented his machine to the ,highland ,agricultural ,society of ,scotland for its examination4 ,bell's machine was fairly successful1 and one was then in operation on the farm of his brother1 ,inch-,michael1 in the ,carse of ,gowrie4 ,one set of knives was fixed1 another set worked above and across these like the blades of a pair of scissors4 ,the grain fell on an endless cloth which carried and deposited the heads at the side of the machine4 ,a horse pushed it forward and kept all parts in motion4 ,it was simple1 and1 we are told1 harvested twelve acres in a day4 ,this was in #ahbf4 ,in the ,new ,york ,farmer and ,american ,gardener's ,magazine for #ahcd may be found the descriptions and illustrations of ,obed ,hussey's grain-cutter and ,cyrus ,h4 ,mc,cormick's 'improved reaping-machine4' ,the question has been raised as to whether either of these ,united ,states inventions owed anything to the earlier production of ,patrick ,bell4 ,it was1 of course1 the improved ,united ,states reaping machines that found their way into ,upper ,canada shortly after the organization of the ,provincial ,agricultural ,association4 ,our interest in this matter is quickened by the fact that the ,rev4 ,patrick ,bell1 when a young man1 was for some time a tutor in the family of a well-to-do farmer in the county of ,wellington1 and there is a tradition that while there he carried on some experiments in the origination of his machine4 ,the suggestion of a 'mysterious visitor' from the ,united ,states to the place where he was experimenting is probably mere conjecture4 ,this period1 #ahdf to #ahfg1 was one of rapid growth in population4 ,the free-grant land policy of the government was a great attraction for tens of thousands of people in the ,british ,isles1 who were impelled by social unrest1 failure of crops1 and general stagnation in the manufacturing industries to seek new homes across the sea4 ,in the twenty years referred to the population more than doubled1 and the improved lands of the province increased fourfold4 ,the numbers of cattle and sheep about doubled1 and the wheat production increased about threefold4 ,towards the latter part of the period a new agricultural industry came into existence--the manufacture of cheese in factories4 ,it was in ,new ,york ,state that the idea of co-operation in the manufacture of cheese was first attempted4 ,there1 as in ,canada ,west1 it had been the practice to make at home from time to time a quantity of soft cheese1 which1 of course1 would be of variable quality4 ,to save labour1 a proposition was made to collect the milk from several farms and have the cheese made at one central farm4 ,the success of this method soon became known and small factories were established4 ,in #ahfc ,harvey ,farrington came from ,new ,york ,state to ,canada ,west and established a factory in the county of ,oxford1 about the same time that a similar factory was established in the county of ,missisquoi1 ,quebec4 ,shortly afterwards factories were built in ,hastings ,county1 and near ,brockville1 in ,leeds ,county4 ,thus began an industry that had a slow advance for some fifteen years1 but from #ahhj spread rapidly1 until the manufacture of cheese in factories became one of the leading provincial industries4 ,the system followed is a slight modification of the ,cheddar system1 which takes its name from one of the most beautiful vales in the west of ,england4 ,its rapid progress has been due to the following circumstances3 ,ontario1 with her rich grasses1 clear skies1 and clean springs and streams1 is well adapted to dairying2 large numbers of her farmers came from dairy districts in the mother country2 the co-operative method of manufacture tends to produce a marketable article that can be shipped and that improves with proper storage2 ,great ,britain has proved a fine market for such an article2 and the industry has for over thirty years received the special help and careful supervision and direction of the provincial and ,dominion governments4 ,during this period we note the voluntary organization of the ,ontario ,fruit-,growers' ,association1 a fact which alone would suggest that the production of fruit must have been making progress4 ,the early ,french settlers along the ,detroit ,river had planted pear trees or grown them from seed1 and a few of these sturdy1 stalwart trees1 over a century old1 still stand and bear some fruit4 ,mrs ,simcoe1 in her ,journal1 ,july #b1 #agic1 states3 ',we have thirty large ,may ,duke cherry trees behind the house and three standard peach trees which supplied us last ,autumn for tarts and desserts during six weeks1 besides the numbers the young men eat4' ,this was at ,niagara4 ,the records of the agricultural exhibitions indicate that there was a gradual extension of fruit-growing4 ,importations of new varieties were made1 ,rochester1 in ,new ,york ,state1 apparently being the chief place from which nursery stock was obtained4 ,here and there through the province gentlemen having some leisure and the skill to experiment were beginning to take an interest in their gardens and to produce new varieties4 ,on ,january #ai1 #ahei1 a few persons met in the board-room of the ,mechanics' ,hall at ,hamilton and organized a fruit-growers' association for ,upper ,canada4 ,judge ,campbell was elected president2 ,dr ,hurlbert1 first vice-president2 ,george ,leslie1 second vice-president2 ,arthur ,harvey1 secretary4 ,the members of this association introduced new varieties and reported on their success4 ,they were particularly active in producing such new varieties as were peculiarly suitable to the climate4 ,for nine years they maintained their organization and carried on their work unaided and unrecognized officially4 ,to this period belongs also the first attempts at special instruction in agriculture and the beginning of an agricultural press4 ,both are intimately connected with the association1 already referred to1 that had been organized in #ahdf by some of the most progressive citizens4 ,for four years the ,provincial ,association carried on its work and established itself as a part of the agricultural life of ,canada ,west4 ,in #ahej the government stepped in and established a board of agriculture as the executive of the association4 ,its objects were set out by statute and funds were to be provided for its maintenance4 ,the new lines of work allotted to it were to collect agricultural statistics1 prepare crop reports1 gather information of general value and to present the same to the legislature for publication1 and to co-operate with the provincial university in the teaching of agriculture and the carrying on of an experimental or illustrative farm4 ,professor ,george ,buckland was appointed to the chair of agriculture in the university in ,january #ahea and an experimental farm on a small scale was laid out on the university grounds4 ,professor ,buckland acted also as secretary to the board until #aheh1 when he resigned and was succeeded by ,hugh ,c4 ,thomson4 ,he continued his work for some years at the university1 and was an active participant in all agricultural matters up to the time of his death in #ahhe4 ,provision having been made for agricultural instruction at the university1 the board in #ahei decided to establish a course in veterinary science1 and at once got into communication with ,professor ,dick of the ,veterinary ,college at ,edinburgh1 ,scotland4 ,in #ahfb a school was opened in ,toronto under the direction of ,professor ,andrew ,smith1 recently arrived from ,edinburgh4 ,the ,british ,american ,cultivator was established in #ahda by ,eastwood and ,co4 and ,w4 ,g4 ,edmundson1 with the latter as editor4 ,it gave place in #ahdi to the ,canadian ,agriculturist1 a monthly journal edited and owned by ,george ,buckland and ,william ,mc,dougall4 ,this was the official organ of the board till the year #ahfd1 when ,george ,brown began the publication of the ,canada ,farmer with the ,rev4 ,w4 ,f4 ,clark as editor-in-chief and ,d4 ,w4 ,beadle as horticultural editor4 ,the board at once recognized it1 accepted it as their representative1 and the ,canadian ,agriculturist ceased publication in ,december #ahfc4 ,the half-century of ,british immigration1 #ahaf to #ahfg1 had wrought a wonderful change4 ,from a little over a hundred thousand the population had grown to a million and a half2 towns and cities had sprung into existence2 commercial enterprises had taken shape2 the construction of railways had been undertaken2 trade had developed along new lines2 the standards of living had materially changed2 and great questions1 national and international1 had stirred the people and aroused at times the bitterest political strife4 ,the changed standards of living can best be illustrated by an extract from an address delivered in #ahdi by ,sheriff ,ruttan4 ,referring to the earlier period1 he said3 ,our food was coarse but wholesome4 ,with the exception of three or four pounds of green tea a year for a family1 which cost us three bushels of wheat per pound1 we raised everything we ate4 ,we manufactured our own clothes and purchased nothing except now and then a black silk handkerchief or some trifling article of foreign manufacture of the kind4 ,we lived simply1 yet comfortably--envied no one1 for no one was better off than his neighbour4 ,until within the last thirty years1 one hundred bushels of wheat1 at #bs4 #f;d4 per bushel1 was quite sufficient to give in exchange for all the articles of foreign manufacture consumed by a large family4444 ,the old-fashioned home-made cloth has given way to the fine broadcloth coat2 the linsey-woolsey dresses of females have disappeared and ,english and ,french silks been substituted2 the nice clean-scoured floors of the farmers' houses have been covered by ,brussels carpets2 the spinning wheel and loom have been superseded by the piano2 and in short1 a complete revolution in all our domestic habits and manners has taken place--the consequences of which are the accumulation of an enormous debt upon our shoulders and its natural concomitant1 political strife4 ,students of ,canadian history will at once recall the story of the ,rebellion of #ahcg1 the struggle for constitutional government1 the investigation by ,lord ,durham1 the repeal of the preferential wheat duties in ,england1 the agitation for ,canadian independence1 and other great questions that so seriously disturbed the peace of the ,canadian people4 ,they were the 'growing pains' of a progressive people4 ,the ,crimean ,war1 in #ahed-ef1 gave an important though temporary boom to ,canadian farm products4 ,reciprocity with the ,united ,states from #ahee to #ahff offered a profitable market that had been closed for many years4 ,then came the close of the great civil war in the ,united ,states and the opening up of the cheap1 fertile prairie lands of the ,middle ,west to the hundreds of thousands of farmers set free from military service4 ,this westward movement was joined by many farmers from ,ontario2 there was a disastrous competition in products1 and an era of agricultural depression set in just before ,confederation4 ,it was because of these difficulties that ,confederation became a possibility and a necessity4 ,the new political era introduced a new agricultural period1 which began under conditions that were perhaps as unfavourable and as unpromising as had been experienced for over half a century4 ,,the ,,growth ,,of ,,scientific ,,farming1 #ahfg-hh ,the period that we shall now deal with begins with ,confederation in #ahfg and extends to #ahhh1 when a provincial minister of ,agriculture was appointed for the first time and an independent department organized4 ,from #agib to #ahda what is now ,ontario was known as ,upper ,canada2 from #ahda to #ahfg it was part of the ,united ,province of ,canada1 being known as ,canada ,west to distinguish it from ,quebec or ,canada ,east4 ,in #ahfg1 however1 it resumed its former status as a separate province1 but with the new name of ,ontario4 ,in the formation of the government of the province agriculture was placed under the care of a commissioner1 who1 however1 held another portfolio in the cabinet4 ,john ,carling was appointed commissioner of ,public ,works and also commissioner of ,agriculture4 ,on taking office ,carling found the following agricultural organizations of the province ready to co-operate with the government3 sixty-three district agricultural societies1 each having one or more branch township societies under its care1 and all receiving annual government grants of slightly over #ej1jjj2 a provincial board of agriculture1 with its educational and exhibition work2 and a fruit-growers' association1 now for the first time taken under government direction and given financial assistance4 ,one extract from the commissioner's first report will serve to show the condition of agriculture in ,ontario when the ,dominion was born4 ',it is an encouraging fact that during the last year in particular mowers and reapers and labour-saving implements have not only increased in the older districts1 but have found their way into new ones1 and into places where they were before practically unknown4 ,this beneficial result has1 no doubt1 mainly arisen from the difficulty1 or rather in some cases impossibility1 of getting labour at any price4' ,it would appear1 therefore1 that the question of shortage of farm labour1 so much complained of in recent years1 has been a live one for forty years and more4 ,in the second report of the commissioner 7#ahfi7 special attention was directed to the question of agricultural education1 and the suggestion was made that the agricultural department of the university and the veterinary college might give some instruction to the teachers at the normal school4 ,in the following year1 however1 an advanced step was taken4 ,it was noted that ,dr ,ryerson was in sympathy with special agricultural teaching and had himself prepared and published a text-book on agriculture4 ,the suggestion was made that the time had arrived for a school of practical science4 ,at the same time ,ryerson had appointed the ,rev4 ,w4 ,f4 ,clark1 the editor of the ,canada ,farmer1 to visit the ,agricultural department at ,washington and a few of the agricultural colleges of the ,united ,states1 and to collect such practical information as would aid in commencing something of an analogous character in ,ontario4 ,it will thus be seen that the two branches of technical training--the ,school of ,practical ,science and the ,agricultural ,college--were really twin institutions1 originating1 in the year #ahgj1 in the dual department of ,public ,works and ,agriculture4 ,these institutions were the outcome of the correlation of city and country industries1 which were under the fostering care of the ,agriculture and ,arts ,association1 as the old provincial organization was now known4 ,the ,school of ,practical ,science1 it may be noted1 is now incorporated with the provincial university1 and the ,agricultural ,college is affiliated with it4 ,there were at that time two outstanding agricultural colleges in the ,united ,states1 that of ,massachusetts and that of ,michigan4 ,these were visited1 and1 based upon the work done at these institutions1 a comprehensive and suggestive report was compiled4 ,immediate action was taken upon the recommendations of this report1 and a tract of land1 six hundred acres in extent1 was purchased at ,mimico1 seven miles west of ,toronto4 ,before work could be commenced1 however1 the life of the legislature closed and a new government came into office in #ahga with ,archibald ,mc,kellar as commissioner of ,agriculture and ,arts4 ,new governments feel called upon to promote new measures4 ,there were rumours and suggestions that the soil of the ,mimico farm was productive of thistles and better adapted to brick-making than to the raising of crops4 ,also the location was so close to ,toronto that it was feared that the attractions of the city would tend to make the students discontented with country life4 ,for various reasons a change of location was deemed desirable1 and a committee of farmer members of the legislature was appointed4 ,professor ,miles1 of the ,michigan ,agricultural ,college1 was engaged to give expert advice2 other locations were examined1 and finally ,moreton ,lodge ,farm1 near ,guelph1 was purchased4 ,after some preliminary difficulties1 involving the assistance of a sheriff or bailiff1 possession was obtained1 and the first class for instruction in agricultural science and practice1 consisting of thirty-one pupils in all1 was opened on ,june #a1 #ahgd1 with ,william ,johnston as rector or principal4 ,thus was established the ,ontario ,school of ,agriculture1 now known as the ,ontario ,agricultural ,college4 ,its annual enrolment has grown to over fifteen hundred1 and it is now recognized as the best-equipped and most successful institution of its kind in the ,british ,empire4 ,its development along practical lines and its recognition as a potent factor in provincial growth were largely due to ,dr ,james ,mills1 who was appointed president of the college in #ahgi1 and filled that position until ,january #aijd1 when he was appointed to the ,dominion ,board of ,railway ,commissioners4 ,under his direction farmers' institutes were established in ,ontario in #ahhd4 ,dr ,mills was succeeded by ,dr ,g4 ,c4 ,creelman as president4 ,the next important step in agricultural advancement was the appointment in #ahhj of the ,ontario ,agricultural ,commission 'to inquire into the agricultural resources of the ,province of ,ontario1 the progress and condition of agriculture therein and matters connected therewith4' ,the commission consisted of ,s4 ,c4 ,wood1 then commissioner of ,agriculture 7chairman71 ,alfred ,h4 ,dymond 7secretary71 and sixteen other persons representative of the various agricultural interests1 including the president and ex-president of the ,agricultural and ,arts ,association1 ,professor ,william ,brown of the ,agricultural ,college1 the master of the ,dominion ,grange1 the president of the ,entomological ,society1 and two members of the legislature1 ,thomas ,ballantyne and ,john ,dryden4 ,in #aiac there were but two survivors of this important commission1 ,j4 ,b4 ,aylesworth of ,newburgh1 ,ont41 and ,dr ,william ,saunders1 who1 after over twenty years' service as director of the ,dominion ,experimental ,farms1 had resigned office in #aiaa4 ,all parts of the province were visited and information was gathered from the leading farmers along the lines laid down in the royal commission4 ,in #ahha the report was issued in five volumes4 ,it was without doubt the most valuable commission report ever issued in ,ontario1 if not in all ,canada4 ,part of it was reissued a second and a third time1 and for years it formed the ,ontario farmer's library4 ,even to this day it is a valuable work of reference1 containing as it does a vast amount of practical information and forming an invaluable source of agricultural history4 ,the first outcome of this report was the establishment1 in #ahhb1 by the government of the ,ontario bureau of ,industries1 an organization for the collection and publication of statistics in connection with agriculture and allied industries4 ,archibald ,blue1 who now occupies the position of chief officer of the census and statistics branch of the ,dominion service1 was appointed the first secretary of the bureau4 ,agriculture continued to expand1 and associations for the protection and encouragement of special lines increased in number and in importance4 ,thus there were no fewer than three vigorous associations interested in dairying3 the ,dairymen's ,association of ,eastern ,ontario1 and the ,dairymen's ,association of ,western ,ontario1 which were particularly interested in the cheese industry1 and the ,ontario ,creameries ,association1 which was interested in butter manufacture4 ,there were poultry associations1 a beekeepers' association1 and several live stock associations4 ,from time to time the suggestion was made that the work of these associations1 and that of the ,agriculture and ,arts ,association and of the bureau of ,industries1 should be co-ordinated1 and a strong department of ,agriculture organized under a minister of ,agriculture holding a distinct portfolio in the ,ontario cabinet4 ,provision for this was made by the legislature in #ahhh1 and in that year ,charles ,drury was appointed the first minister of ,agriculture4 ,the bureau of ,industries was taken as the nucleus of the department1 and ,archibald ,blue1 the secretary1 was appointed deputy minister4 ,we have referred to the reaction that took place in ,ontario agriculture after the close of the ,american ,civil ,war and the abrogation of the reciprocity treaty4 ,the high prices of the ,crimean ,war period had long since disappeared1 the market to the south had been narrowed1 and the ,western ,states were pouring into the ,east the cheap grain products of a rich virgin soil4 ,agricultural depression hung over the province for years4 ,gradually1 however1 through the early eighties the farmers began to recover their former prosperous condition1 sending increasing shipments of barley1 sheep1 horses1 eggs1 and other commodities to the cities of the ,eastern ,states1 so that at the close of the period to which we are referring agricultural conditions were of a favourable and prosperous nature4 ,,the ,,modern ,,period1 #ahhh-aiab ,in #ahhh a new period in ,ontario's agricultural history begins4 ,the working forces of agriculture were being linked together in the new department of ,agriculture4 ,charles ,drury1 the first minister of ,agriculture1 held office until #ahij1 being succeeded by ,john ,dryden1 who continued in charge of the department until #aije1 when a conservative government took the place of the liberal government that had been in power since #ahga4 ,two factors immediately began to play a most important part in the agricultural situation3 the opening up of the north-western lands by the completion of the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway in #ahhf1 and the enactment1 on ,october #f1 #ahij1 of the ,mc,kinley high tariff by the ,united ,states4 ,the former attracted ,ontario's surplus population1 and made it no longer profitable or desirable to grow wheat in the province for export2 the latter closed the doors to the export of barley1 live stock1 butter1 and eggs4 ,the situation was desperate2 agriculture was passing through a period of most trying experience4 ,any other industry than that of agriculture would have been bankrupted4 ,the only hope of the ,ontario farmer now was in the ,british market4 ,the sales of one ,ontario product1 factory cheese1 had been steadily increasing in the great consuming districts of ,england and ,scotland1 and there was reason to believe that other products might be sold to equal advantage4 ,dairying was the one line of agricultural work that helped to tide over the situation in the early nineties4 ,the methods that had succeeded in building up the cheese industry must be applied to other lines1 and all the organized forces must be co-ordinated in carrying this out4 ,this was work for a department of ,agriculture1 and the minister of ,agriculture1 ,john ,dryden1 who guided and directed this co-operation of forces and made plans for the future growth and expansion of agricultural work1 was an imperialist indeed who1 in days of depression and difficulty1 directed forces and devised plans that not only helped the agricultural classes to recover their prosperity1 but also made for the strengthening of imperial ties and the working out of national greatness4 ,the ,british market presented new conditions1 new demands4 ,the ,north-,west could send her raw products in the shape of wheat2 ,ontario must send finished products--beef1 bacon1 cheese1 butter1 fruit1 eggs1 and poultry--these and similar products could be marketed in large quantities if only they could be supplied of right quality4 ,transportation of the right kind was a prime necessity4 ,lumber1 wheat1 and other rough products could be handled without difficulty1 but perishable goods demanded special accommodation4 ,this was a matter belonging to the government of ,canada1 and to it the ,dominion department of ,agriculture at once began to give attention4 ,the production of the goods for shipment was a matter for provincial direction4 ,gradually the farmers of the province adapted themselves to the new conditions and after a time recovered their lost ground4 ,general prosperity came in sight again about #ahie4 ,for several years after this the output of beef1 bacon1 and cheese increased steadily1 and the gains made in the ,british market more than offset the loss of the ,united ,states market4 ,it was during the five years after #ahij that the farmers suffered so severely while adjusting their work to the new conditions4 ,with these expanding lines of ,british trade products1 the values of stock1 implements1 and buildings made steady advance1 and in #aija the total value of all farm property in the province crossed the billion dollar mark4 ,since that year the annual increase in total farm values has been approximately forty million dollars4 ,the following statement of total farm values in ,ontario1 as compiled by the ,ontario bureau of ,industries1 the statistical branch of the department of ,agriculture1 is very suggestive3 ,total ,farm ,values #ahhe #ieh1aei1gdj #ahhf #ihi1dig1iaa #ahhg #ige1bib1bad #ahhh #iha1cfh1jid #ahhi #ihb1baj1ffd #ahij #igj1ibg1jce #ahia #iga1hhf1jfh #ahib #igi1igg1bdd #ahic #igj1cfa1jgj #ahid #ied1cie1ejg #ahie #ica1ihi1egd #ahif #iaj1bia1fbc #ahig #ije1jic1fac #ahih #ibc1jbb1dbj #ahii #idg1eac1cfj #aijj #igd1had1ica #aija #a1jja1cbc1bif #aijb #a1jdd1hid1ccb #aijf #a1ahi1aai1abj #aiji #a1bda1jai1aji ,from the above table it will be seen that the closing of the ,united ,states markets in #ahij was followed by a depreciation in general farm values which lasted until #ahih1 when the upward movement that has continued ever since set in4 ,and now let us see how the population was changing1 as to its distribution between rural and urban1 during these years4 ,first1 we shall give the assessed population4 ,rural ,urban #ahhd #a1aag1hhj #fcf1ahg #ahhe #a1abf1eed #feh1djf #ahij #a1aag1ecc #hjj1jda #ahie #a1aji1jac #hdh1cgg #aijj #a1jid1bdf #iai1fad #aije #a1jei1cgi #a1jdb1hha #aiji #a1jdi1bdj #a1bdj1aih ,the ,canadian ,pacific ,railway opened up the wheat lands of the ,west in #ahhf4 ,at that time the rural population was nearly double the urban2 in #aije they were about equal2 and six years later the urban population of ,ontario exceeded the rural4 ,the ,dominion census figures are as follows3 ,rural ,urban #aiaa #a1aid1ghe #a1cbh1dhi #aija #a1bdf1ifi #ice1igh --------- --------- ,increase 4444 #cib1eaa ,decrease #eb1ahd 4444 ,it will thus be seen that during the past twenty-five years there has been a steady increase in the consumers of food products in ,ontario and a slight decrease in the producers of the same4 ,the surplus population of the farms has gone to the towns and cities of ,ontario and to the western provinces4 ,now for a moment let us follow these people to the ,west4 ,many of them have gone on the land to produce wheat4 ,wheat for the ,european market has been their principal product1 therefore they in turn have become consumers of large quantities of food that they do not themselves produce but must obtain from farmers elsewhere4 ,but not all who have gone ,west have become farmers4 ,the ,dominion census of #aiaa gives the following statement of population for the provinces and districts west of ,lake ,superior3 ,rural ,urban #aiaa #a1jei1fha #fha1baf #aija #ddf1jej #aii1dfg --------- ------- ,increase #fac1fca #dha1gdi ,the western provinces are generally considered to be almost purely agricultural1 and yet the percentage increase of urban population has been nearly double the percentage increase of rural population4 ,and this rapidly growing urban population also has demanded food products4 ,their own farmers grow wheat and oats and barley4 ,british ,columbia produces fruit for her own people and some surplus for the prairie provinces4 ,there is some stock-raising1 but the rapid extension of wheat areas has interfered with the great stock ranches4 ,from out of the ,great ,west1 therefore1 there has come an increasing demand for many food products4 ,add to this the growing home market in ,ontario1 and1 keeping in mind that the ,west can grow wheat more cheaply than ,ontario1 it will be understood why of recent years the ,ontario farmer has been compelled to give up the production of wheat for export4 ,his line of successful and profitable work has been in producing to supply the demands of his own growing home market1 and the demands of the rapidly increasing people of the ,west1 both rural and urban1 and also to share in the insatiable market of ,great ,britain4 ,another element of more recent origin has been the small but very profitable market of ,northern ,ontario1 where lumbering1 mining1 and railroad construction have been so active in the past five or six years4 ,the result of all this has been a great increase in fruit production4 ,old orchards have been revived and new orchards have been set out4 ,the extension of the canning industry also is most noticeable1 and has occasioned the production of fruits and vegetables in enormous quantities4 ,special crops such as tobacco1 beans1 and sugar beets are being grown in counties where soil and climatic conditions are favourable4 ,the production of poultry and eggs is also receiving more attention each succeeding year4 ,the growth of cities is creating an increasing demand for milk1 and the production of factory-made butter and cheese is also increasing1 as the following figures for ,ontario from the ,dominion census prove3 ,butter ,cheese #aijj #g1eei1edb lb4 #aca1ifg1fab lb4 #aiaj #ac1fii1aec #aeg1fca1hhc ,for the past ten or twelve years the farmers of ,ontario have been slowly adjusting their work to the new situation1 and the transition is continuing4 ,while in some sections farms are being enlarged so as to permit the more extensive use of labour-saving machinery and the more economical handling of live stock1 in other sections1 particularly in counties adjacent to the ,great ,lakes1 large farms are being cut up into smaller holdings and intensive production of fruits and vegetables is now the practice4 ,this1 of course1 results in a steady increase in land values and is followed by an increase in rural population4 ,the farmers of ,ontario are putting forth every effort to meet the demands for food products4 ,the one great difficulty that they have encountered has been the scarcity of farm labour4 ,men have come from ,europe by the tens of thousands1 but they have been drawn largely to the growing towns and cities by the high wages offered in industrial lines2 and the ,west1 the ',golden ,west' as it is sometimes called1 has proved an even stronger attraction4 ,it seems rarely to occur to the new arrival that the average farm in ,ontario could produce more than a quarter section of prairie land4 ,signs1 however1 point to an increase in rural population1 through the spread of intensive agriculture4 ,before referring to the methods of instruction and assistance provided for the developing of this new agriculture in ,ontario1 reference should be made to one thing that is generally overlooked by those who periodically discover this rapid urban increase1 and who moralize most gloomily upon a movement that is to be found in nearly every progressive country of the civilized world4 ,in the days of early settlement the farmer and his family supplied nearly all their own wants4 ,the farmer produced all his own food2 he killed his own stock1 salted his pork1 and smoked his hams4 ,his wife was expert in spinning and weaving1 and plaited the straw hats for the family4 ,the journeyman shoemaker dropped in and fitted out the family with boots4 ,the great city industries were then unknown4 ,the farmer's wife in those days was perhaps the most expert master of trades ever known4 ,she could spin and weave1 make a carpet or a rug1 dye yarns and clothes1 and make a straw hat or a birch broom4 ,butter1 cheese1 and maple sugar were products of her skill1 as well as bread1 soap1 canned fruits1 and home-made wine4 ,in those days the farm was a miniature factory or combination of factories4 ,many1 in fact most1 of these industries have gradually moved out of the farm home and have been concentrated in great factories2 and the pedlar with his pack has disappeared under a shower of catalogues from the departmental city store4 ,in other words1 a large portion of work once done upon the farm and at the country cross-roads has been transferred to the town and city1 and this1 in some part1 explains the modern movement citywards-- there has been a transference from country to city not only of people but also of industries4 ,whether this has been in the interests of the people is another question1 but the process is still going on1 and what further changes may take place it is difficult to determine and unwise to forecast4 ,and now let us see what agencies and organizations have been used in the development of the special lines of agriculture since the creation of the department in #ahhh4 ,we have stated that the ,agriculture and ,arts ,association had been for many years the directing force in provincial agricultural organization4 ,it held an annual provincial exhibition2 it issued the diplomas to the graduates of the ,ontario ,veterinary ,college2 and it controlled the various live stock associations that were interested in the registration of stock4 ,shortly after #ahhh legislation was enacted transferring the work to the department of ,agriculture4 ,the place for holding the provincial exhibition was changed from year to year4 ,in #ahgi a charter was obtained by special act for the ,toronto ,industrial ,exhibition1 the basis of which was the ,toronto ,electoral ,agricultural ,society4 ,out of this came the annual ,toronto ,exhibition1 now known as the ,canadian ,national ,exhibition1 and the governmental exhibition was discontinued4 ,the ,ontario ,veterinary ,college was a privately owned institution1 though the diplomas were issued by the ,agriculture and ,arts ,association4 ,the royal commission appointed in #aije to investigate the ,university of ,toronto recommended the taking over of this association by the government1 and as a result it passed under the control of the department of ,agriculture in #aijh1 and was affiliated with the ,university of ,toronto4 ,since that time the diploma of ,veterinary ,surgeon 7,v4,s47 has been issued by the minister of ,agriculture1 and a supplementary degree of ,bachelor of ,veterinary ,science 7,b4,v4,sc47 has been granted by the university4 ,the taking over of this institution by the government1 the resuming by the province of its original prerogative1 was accompanied by an enlargement of the course1 an extension from two years to three years in the period of instruction1 and a strengthening of the faculty4 ,the herd-books or pedigree record books were1 in most cases1 ,canadian1 and it was felt that they should be located at the capital of the ,dominion4 ,these have therefore been transferred to ,ottawa and are now conducted under ,dominion regulations4 ,the ,ontario bureau of ,industries was the basis of organization of the department4 ,as other work was added the department grew in size and importance1 and the various branches were instituted until there developed a well-organized department having the following subdivisions3 ,the ,agricultural ,college1 ,the ,veterinary ,college1 ,the ,agricultural and ,horticultural ,societies ,branch1 ,the ,live ,stock ,branch1 ,the ,farmers' and ,women's ,institutes ,branch1 ,the ,dairy ,branch1 ,the ,fruit ,branch1 ,the ,statistical ,branch1 ,the ,immigration and ,colonization ,branch4 ,each branch is in charge of a special officer4 ,in addition to the above there is a lot of miscellaneous work1 which as it develops will probably be organized into separate branches1 such as farm forestry1 district representatives1 etc4 ,john ,dryden was in #aije succeeded as minister of ,agriculture by ,nelson ,monteith1 who in #aijh was succeeded by ,j4 ,s4 ,duff4 ,under their care the department has grown and expanded1 and through their recommendations1 year by year1 increasing amounts of money have been obtained for the extension of agricultural instruction and the more thorough working out of plans inaugurated in the earlier years of departmental organization4 ,the history of agricultural work in ,ontario in recent years may be put under two heads--expansion of the various organizations and extension of their operations1 and the development of what may be called 'field work4' ,farmers' institutes and women's institutes have multiplied2 agricultural societies now cover the entire province2 local horse associations1 poultry associations1 and beekeepers' associations have been encouraged2 winter fairs for live stock have been established at ,guelph and ,ottawa2 dairy instructors have been increased in number and efficiency2 short courses in live stock1 seed improvement1 fruit work1 and dairying have been held2 and farm drainage has received practical encouragement4 ,perhaps the most important advance of late years has resulted through the appointment of what are known as district representatives4 ,in co-operation with the department of ,education1 graduates of the ,agricultural ,college have been permanently located in the various counties to study the agricultural conditions and to initiate and direct any movement that would assist in developing the agricultural work4 ,these graduates organize short courses at various centres1 conduct classes in high schools1 assist the farmers in procuring the best seed1 advise as to new lines of work1 assist in drainage1 supervise the care of orchards--in short1 they carry the work of the ,agricultural ,college and of the various branches of the department right to the farmer1 and give that impetus to better farming which can come only from personal contact4 ,the growth of the district representative system has been remarkable3 it was begun in seven counties in #aijg1 by #aiaj fifteen counties had representatives1 and in #aiad no fewer than thirty-eight counties were so equipped4 ,at first the farmers distrusted and even somewhat opposed the movement1 but the district representative soon proved himself so helpful that the government has found it difficult to comply with the numerous requests for these apostles of scientific farming4 ,approximately #abe1jjj is spent each year on the work by the provincial government1 in addition to the #ejj granted annually by the county to each district office4 ,the result of all this is that new and more profitable lines of farming are being undertaken1 specializing in production is being encouraged1 and ,ontario agriculture is advancing rapidly along the lines to which the soils1 the climate1 and the people are adapted4 ,a study of the history of ,ontario agriculture shows many changes in the past hundred years1 but at no time has there been so important and so interesting a development as that which took place in the opening decade of the twentieth century4 ,signature3 ,c ,c ,james ,transcriber's ,note3 ,the following correction was made3 p4 #egb3 ,newburg to ,newburgh ,spelling in quoted passages has not been changed4 ,page numbering matches the original4