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that of the eastern part of the Province and that of the western part. The former met on January 9, 1901, at Smith's Falls, and President Derbyshire delivered an important annual address. He pointed with pride to the progress they had made by hard and united work. "We have moulded public opinion in this Province until our Government appointed a Minister of Agriculture specially charged with the development of agriculture in all departments; we secured the appointment of a Dairy Commissioner, who has rendered excellent service for the whole Dominion; dairy schools and farmers' institutes are some of our work." He pointed out, however, that there was much yet to be done. "We have sixty per cent. of the cheese trade. with the Mother Country, but only seven per cent. of the butter." The value of these products for 1900 was $25,000,000, but he hoped it would be $30,000,000 in 1901. He congratulated the Hon. Mr. Dryden, the Hon. Mr. Fisher and Professor Robertson upon the practical assistance they had given the farmers. The auditor's report showed receipts of $9,867 and expenditures of $8,517. Lord Minto, who was present at the opening ceremonies, was presented with an Address, and in His Excellency's reply reference was made to the increased export of butter from Canada-$340,131 worth in 1891 and $5,122,156 worth in 1900.

The Ontario Agricultural College Report, as published in 1901, showed a good year's work. Dr. James Mills, M.A., stated in this document that there were 259 registered students during the year, and 83 taking the dairy course. Of this number 83 per cent. were Ontario farmers' sons, and the age limit being from 16 to 33 years the average age in attendance was 20 years. He referred separately to the various subjects of instruction-English, physics, biology, geology, chemistry, veterinary science, dairying, experimental feeding, horticulture, bacteriology, poultry raising, bee-keeping, etc. were 18 graduates receiving the degree of B.S.A., or Bachelor of the Science of Agriculture, and 27 who were recipients of Associate diplomas. The financial statement showed a total expenditure of $81,516, with College revenues of $22,005.

in Quebec

There

The annual Report of the Department of AgriculAgriculture ture was presented to the Legislature in February. 1901, by the Hon. F. G. M. Dechène, and as a whole indicated a progressive condition of affairs. During the preceding year an investigation had been made, under instructions from the Department, into the making of cheese in the Province, with a view to ascertaining why higher prices should be paid for English cheddar cheese than for the Canadian article. Two or three cents per pound difference in the price meant a matter of a couple of million dollars to the agricultural community, so that the importance of the question was very considerable. Messrs. Gabriel Henry, C.E., and E. Bourbeau, who were the Commissioners appointed, visited the Dairy School and some of the cheese factories in the Province, and then studied the methods of operation and work in England.

The result was an elaborate presentation of the reasons for the

existing Provincial inferiority, and the expression of an opinion that no insuperable obstacles existed to an improvement in Quebec manufacture which would bring the latter product to a level of equality. "I believe," said Mr. Henry, "the thing to be not only perfectly possible (an average increase of one cent per pound in value) at little cost, but I also believe that better than that can be done if rational means are adopted." Canadian and American cheese was found to bring a lower price in England than English cheese; Quebec a lower price than Ontario cheese. The adoption to some extent of the English system would meet this difference in price and method of The Commissioners advised the appointment of a skilled and scientific cheese-maker to instruct the farmers of the Province on certain points. According to the official figures for 1899, there were then 404 creameries, 1,192 cheese factories, and 307 creameries and cheese factories combined in the Province. During the last few years there had been a steady increase in the production of cheese and butter in the Province.

manufacture.

Fruit growing was dealt with at some length, and Mr. Dechène expressed pride in the excellent exhibit made at Paris and in the awards carried off by Quebec producers. The Minister also drew attention to the admitted suitability of Canadian horses for cavalry purposes and to the fact that in spite of this the Dominion had only furnished three per cent. of the horses required by the Imperial Government in South Africa. He favoured giving the agricultural societies freedom to use part of their grant for exhibitions and fairs in the purchase of good breeding animals. The Agricultural Societies and Farmers' Clubs in the Province were stated to number 596 in 1900, with a membership of 59,440. Their receipts were $95,423 for the year ending December 31, 1899.

In the Legislature on February 28th, Mr. Dechène presented a Bill respecting Agriculture. It passed the Assembly on March 19th, and related chiefly to the encouragements awarded by the Government and the Department of Agriculture to the farmers of the Province. Two classes were to be constituted, one composed of those who made their livelihood by agricultural work, and the other of those who were not farmers by profession, though owning, and in some sense, managing their own farms. In the competitions arranged by the Department to test merit in the production of crops, or raising of stock, the person who in previous years may have already received the Diploma of Distinguished Merit was to be given another opportunity. The person, therefore, who showed the best result in his district in maintaining the degree of excellence, which he had already reached, for the five years after receiving his diploma, might, upon the report of the local judges in the matter, and the recommendation of the Council of Agriculture, receive either a gold medal with an extra diploma marked with the words "Distinguished Exceptional Merit," or, if he were a gentleman farmer of the second class described above, a certificate describing the facts and with the words "Distinguished Special Merit."

This discrimination between the actual farmer and the amateur farmer did not please Mr. N. Garneau, and in a debate which occurred on March 19th, he declared that the latter class produced better agricultural results than the former, and should not be debarred from competing for the gold medal. Mr. Dechène replied that this clause was dictated by the advice of the Judges of Agricultural Merit and the Council of Agriculture. It was thought that the farmer who had to work upon his own farm to produce improvements, in competition with the capital of the gentleman farmer and his greater opportunities, deserved special consideration and reward. The Hon. L. P. Pelletier supported Mr. Garneau's views and thought the medal should be awarded to the man who spent his money as well to the man who expended his labour. He took occasion to congratulate the Commissioner upon the manner in which he was following in the footsteps of his Conservative predecessors. The proposals of the Government were adhered to and finally approved by the Legislature.

The question of good roads-so intimately associated with farming affairs came in for some discussion during the year in connection chiefly with Mr. James Cochrane's measure to provide for the improvement of the roads in the vicinity of, and leading to, the City of Montreal, and the raising of a fund for that purpose. It was presented to the Assembly on February 21st, and on March 16th a debate took place in Committee on the subject. Mr. J. A. Chauret moved to eliminate a clause which required farmers to have their wheel tires at least four inches in width in order to receive free passage through the tolls when carting certain products. He said the farmers of his county were bitterly opposed to this clause. Mr. Cochrane declared in reply that much of the horrible condition of the roads around Montreal in spring and autumn was due to the narrow tires in the vehicles used. They cut the roads up so that it was impossible to keep them in good repair. In many American States they were not allowed. Ultimately two years, instead of one, were allowed to the farmers in which to change their tires.

In connection with another part of the Bill which touched the matter of tolls, the Hon. Mr. Duffy read a letter from the Dominion Minister of Finance saying that it would reduce the revenue of the Turnpike Trust of Montreal, and injure certain securities held by the Province, and he therefore moved the elimination of the clause. This was carried, although Mr. Pelletier objected to receiving threats from Ottawa. The measure was then reported, and after several amendments had been rejected, was passed by the Assembly on March 21st, and by the Council a week later. In his Report of this year, the Commissioner of Agriculture stated in this general connection that within three years 6,000 miles of rural highways had been either opened or repaired in the Province.

Agriculture in Manitoba

According to the Report for 1900 of the Hon. R. P. Roblin, Minister of Agriculture and Immigration, which was submitted to the Legislature during 1901, the Province of Manitoba has 25,000,000 acres of land, "incomparable in

its virgin fertility, easy of cultivation and of which only 3,000,000 acres have yet been cropped." Partial crop failures in certain years were now being met by a system of mixed farming. The sentiment that live stock forms the basis of all agricultural success now pervaded the Province. "This sentiment, fully developed, will bring on its tide of prosperity, natural fertilizers and rotation of crops." During 1900 the number of beef-cattle exported was 16,500. There were 25,000 yearlings shipped to the ranches of the Territories and 3,000 to the United States. The Minister estimated that during the year 25,000 hogs were supplied for all purposes by the farmers of the Province.

Winnipeg, however, for its packers' use and for the fresh meat trade, could take at least 100,000 a year. The British Columbia market was waiting for them to supply cured meats, and could take another hundred thousand. Between 1893 and 1900 the live stock in the Province had increased from 88,000 horses to 118,629; from 173,250 cattle to 237,560; and from 50,700 pigs to 77,912. Sheep only showed a decrease-35,400 to 25,813. Meanwhile the exports of cattle had grown from 11,000 in 1894 to 44,500 in 1900. The expenditure on farm buildings was reported at $1,351,000 in 1900 as against $1,000,000 in 1892. The production of butter increased from 2,357,049 pounds, valued at $383,578, in 1899, to 3,338,431 pounds, worth $541,661, in 1900. Cheese increased from 848,587 pounds, worth $86,980, in 1899, to 1,021,258 pounds, worth $102,330, in 1900. There was also an increase in the numbers of poultry sold by the farmers, the figures in 1900 being 64,762 turkeys, 29,465 geese, and 270,005 chickens.

The year 1900 was a comparatively poor one in grain crops. From 1887 down the wheat production in eight years had run from twelve to eighteen million bushels. In 1891 it had been 23,191,599 bushels; in 1895 the crop was 31,775,038 bushels; in 1898 it was 25,913,155 bushels; and in 1899 it rose to 27,922,230 bushels. 1900 it was only 13,025,252 bushels. Some 2,000 men came from the East to help in harvesting this crop. The production of oats, which reached its highest figure of 22,555,733 bushels in 1895, and was 22,318,378 bushels in 1899, fell in the next year to 8,814,132 bushels. Similarly, barley, in the flush years of 1895 and 1899 showed 5,645,036 bushels and 5,379,156 bushels respectively, but had fallen in 1900 to 2,939,477 bushels. Some experiments were made during the year in the raising of sugar beets, but were not successful owing to the dryness of the season. The work of the Farmers' Institutes had been considerably extended, and the membership for 1900 numbered 1,028; the meetings held were 104; and the grant given by Government was $486.50. The Agricultural Societies numbered 48; their Government grants totalled $13,590; their other receipts were $25,450, and the amount paid by them in prizes was $20,821. Miscellaneous expenses were $19,626. Such were the salient points of Mr. Roblin's Report. The Manitoba wheat crop of 1901 was phenomenal. The highest number of acres heretofore cropped had been 1,629,995, in 1899; but,

in July, it was announced that over two million acres were under crop, and the indications were reported as the most promising in the record of the Province. Toward the middle of August it was stated that many thousands of labourers from the other Provinces would be required to harvest the immense crop, which was then nearing readiness. It was hoped that many of these would stay and settle in the country, and in speaking to the Ottawa Journal on August 15th, the Manitoba Premier declared that a good percentage certainly would do so. "Those who will return East will be able to tell what they have seen, and in this way will do more good even than if they all stayed."

Before the crop was harvested, Mr. F. W. Thompson, Manager of the Ogilvie Milling Company, stated certain opinions in the Winnipeg Free Press of July 27th, which were of importance. "The financial results from this year's crop will, I think, bring forward this small Province of Manitoba as one of the richest agricultural districts of the world to-day, though less than one-tenth of the fertile lands are under cultivation. The day is not far distant when Manitoba will be producing as much wheat as the entire spring wheat crop of the United States." On September 3rd the wheat returns were stated to be 2,011,835 acres under cultivation, with a production of 48,857,255 bushels. The product per acre was 24-28 bushels-the highest on record, except in the years 1887, 1891 and 1895. In 1900 it had only been 89 bushels. The official figures, as finally published in December, were better even than these estimates, and the general production of the Province was given as follows:

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The poultry disposed of by farmers during the year 1901 included. 77,220 turkeys, 33,940 geese and 306,365 chickens. The butter marketed was 1,748,090 tubs, valued at $395,965. The dairy butter was valued at $395,540; the creamery butter at $442,424; the cheese product at $88,348. The live stock in the Province was placed at 142,080 horses, 263,168 cattle, 22,960 sheep and 94,680 pigs. Speaking of this splendid agricultural record and production, for a population of not much over 200,000 souls, in a Province whose land area was only 64,000 square miles, the Toronto Globe of December 16th quoted some recent correspondence in its columns as showing that out of 2,800,000 acres in the Red River Valley, only 550,000 acres had ever been cultivated; that of the 4,600,000 acres between the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the border of Dakota, west

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