Halton Hills Newspapers

Georgetown Herald (Georgetown, ON), April 26, 1944, b3

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the georgetown herald wednesday apil 26th im agriculture past present and future bf j a tgt ttaranto a delivered to t bond at the on tueaday ajpafl utb dm ww amikt rafcfenl ol at oatar crest mr m off the nm lands and estate drrwoq of toe nirrfw cf real estate of the united states and be at a brother at tne nue b- indoaanby former leader tag at their produce small though it was they began their homesteads on nuns rf 100 acres or more where indians had frequented they felled the trees tor their first log cabins and in some cases built a stone fireplace where many a tasty meal was cooked in an iron pot which swung from the old crane over the fire many were vtrieti were told around jes their urn for work nd pleasure was governed by them selves- they awakened by sunrise not by the ttarthrtg sound of an alarm dock iw coold they reach for an dactrjc switch to n the dark ness but depended an the old tallow candles x have often heard my i- theray that his father captain wll- en felled a tree before topic of interest to ah of us xa with the past we must pfcom tne condition of tins country waenour forefathers ftna arrived here i left tfaer alter buodrng the log cabin they began their task of clearing the bush many logging bees were followed up by breaking up the vfaebi soil to plant their small crops among the stumps many listening to my voice will have beard from their lathers and mothers of the hardships of their granaparents getting rid of the stumps and clear- nnr the land there were no buqdoz rtbtehoaaeto tne ou ooordary to to posh the trees dowxtm seek thetr forttmem a new and up- those days but the simple axe felled 3 p tnesa great trees later came the cm skw the work was gruel ling and dtfocutt but they were un- d tney wished to have some thing to keep them alive with an ox l primitive plough they cleared the land which being fertile produc ed abundant grain for their needs on cold winter days the grain was flailed and then taken many miles to the nearest grist mm the oow came later lamer was made these were t days of the pioneers ant happy hours were spent in log- ging bees in the daytime and laoghtes around a bright log fire m toe even- in i voyage they did not find s ready he taied the great t pin staunch and beauti ful met their eyes great hawwiip had to be endured while il tugs were to plant then- mat craps wcs ibere dteooorageaieals yew many tpbey suf p by wayoftood for the greater part of the year was dbmkbted in snow with iceblocked riven ml lakes and hnpossinle of agncultural development such be liefs led to hnntmg and trappmg the i hslaliliiim of the nnal fur wy t and the gradual pus hack of the fronner as the agricultur al passabtles of the country became we may all look back with pride to the undying spirit of these people bcawzdbjss of their cnseooragenknts and prttattons they still found simple pleasures fr a few minutes i would bke to base my remarks on the coun ty of peel where my own forefathers wattled 100 years ago this county vacstmuar to all the others no roads no yrtt towns or even villages to ronto was then known as muddy york a small village on the shores of lake ontarrr these settlers brave of heart trailed back through the for- at tooowhsx a bane on the trees jbnmr thinking r bmd near the lake was too low went back to higher land aa my forebears did to caledon town- dk aaw was their tool for beghniing their work at first they of transportation but laker the oxen two wheel carts and the then m dispos the first real canadian fanner was louis hebext who in 1617 began to clear land at a spot now in the mid dle of upper town quebec city his tools were an axe and a spade but he planted field crops and apple trees so in other provinces each bad its small beginnings and early struggles it gkowth of agriculture it is in the principal grain crops es pecially wreat that agricultural pro gress has been most remarkable par ten years aftei confederation m 1867 the wheat crop rarely exceeded 25 mil- i bushels and imports of wheat and hour exceeded exports by nearly nine t hrnihrln the noiih pro duction of wheat in those times did no suffice or domestic requirements la ter a gradual increase in production became apparent and exports began to exceed imports until in 1941 canada produced 551390000 bushels of wheat by referring to canadian statistics we may more clearly realize the growth and development in canadian agri culture in 1890 the area under field crops in canada was less than 16- 000000 acres in 1941 it was over 5v4 mi during these years a better variety of grain fruit and dairy pro ducts and a decided improvement in the methods of cultivation and pro duction are worthy of our attention canadian grain gr have taken top honors at the international grain and bay show in chicago the red fife was the principal heat iu the west then dr saun ders produced the marquis which was grown much further north than the bed fife the looses from rust were very heavy because it was so suscep tive to rust as it was a very heavy type of wheal then science went to work anddeveknment the following varieties of wheat which are more or resistant to rust ohatcher re nown reward regent red bobs and carnation the big enemy of the wheat grower in the west fat the saw fly at indian head they experimented and develop ed a wheat with the hope of it being resistant to the saw fly then pounds of this wheat la now being grown and harvested in southern california and seed from this will be planted in the west this spring with this new strain of wheat they hope to combat the saw fly v effect of war f on agriculture the effects of the war on canadian agriculture have been apparent the value of farm output has been almost doubled from s826000000 in 1938 to 1570000000 in 1942 in eastern canada the type of agriculture has not been changed but emphasis has been placed on a greater production of those products that were normally produc ed there in western canada where wheat was a specialized production one war has put more emphasis on a general type of agriculture including hogs dairy and poultry products as well asjthe oil producing cereals such as flax seed despite the fact that so many men and women have left the farms since the war began the aver age fanner is producing more than ever before this is a true fact in every farm product grains vegetables dairy products fruits poultry live stock forest products sold off farms and the products of the fur farms the war has naturally brought many problems to the farmer greater by far however are the opportunities which it has offered vi keeping pace with the increased pro duction have been the efforts to mar ket to the best advantage the in creased volume of produce markets that were formerly highly competi tive are now being supplied almost exclusively by canadian produce not only in quantity but in quality has canada been given the opportunity to familiarize great britain europe and asia with the products if we are able to convince these nations that the quality will remain the same in peace time as well as wartime and if we can cooperate in producing more than ever before i feel assured that we shall always have a ready market tor our surplus vn value of government representatives many problems will result from this increased production but the farmers will have within their own power and with government assistance the abitl ty to safeguard their security the doll itself must be conserved irrlga ton where necessary would be worths of encouragement if the financial re suits were assured the best breeding stock is necessary losses through in sect pests disease and other natural causes could d avoided by educating the farmer as to the proper practices put victory first ta add to your postwar nestegg each of us must buy more victory bonds because more bonds mean more of the vital muniogns that will guarantee victory the more money you lend now the more money you are saving the more money your victory bond investment is making the more money you will have to spend on the big ger and better values in postwar products buy an extra victory bond now for your nestegg when the war is won ftk buy yictory bonds space donated in the interest of the victory loan by alliance paper mills ltd georgetown merr1tton k ut t u buy v lic tory bonds space donated in the interest of the victory loan by smith stone ltd manufacturers of electrical porcelain bake lite wiring devrces georgetown ontario oi combating these undesiiaok o bles here i should like to mention the value of an agricultural represen alve conveniently located to tne i mer to assist him in his problems ind to convey to him the increasing v 1 ume of nea scientific a ral knowledge if the proper rtphwsii live is appointed i believe he can wor with the larmcrs in miking uicir w m more efnclenl vn kloob prices much is belli said loout lloor prices or minimum prices for i inn produces the farmer will no d ubt fttlcomt this securtly becaut nlir oliqil lm he bad a strong floor at i reasonable level lor his products the purpose lowever would be defeated if the mar keting uf the products is not controll ed ix keeping the young people on tl land propnec li the mot gratuitous lorm ol error therefore when i speak of the future of canadian agrl ouliure i am not lning a pattern of po wur pltnv i sti ngij bcliec tha the opportunities which will be oiler ed to the farmers iter the war will be gladly u t pieu ocitaml ti is u require much thought agriculture must be reconizta ai a basic indus try the men who labour to proaute the primuj products which farm the raw matcrlnu for uroan industries are chiefly agriculturalists therefore u urban communities are to thrive more attention musi ue giien our rural uia tricts why has there been a much greater increase in tne urban popu lallon thai in lhe rural population during the past 20 years could it be that farm life has appeared less at tractive uian city life keeping young men and women with intelli gence and energj in the rural ais- tricts is a problem which must be solved if better working and living conditions are found on our farms and conveniences such aa the city resi dent takes tor granted it would not be difficult to attract our young can adians back to the farm x after the war many people who have been upiooted from their homes dur ing the war will be looking for new locations if country life appears at tractive to lhem it would be an op portune time to direct thetr attention u runl communities well equipped houses as well as educational and rv creation w faciliiles owuld be avail able it would not be necessary lor these people to work only on the land if factories were located dost to the niiural products nisuad of bctnr in uu lirilj populated cities many of tin so ramiers could be employed there when their farm tasks did not require their full attention sons and daiih lrs wtuld ilso havceniploynieiit gra dinllj new larrrnng and industrial cen tres would develop side by idde with the cooperation of 1 the govern ment 2 the industrial centres now situauml in large cities and 3 the rural people themselves great strides will be made in raising the ftnajia and social status of our farmers immigration u is n s probiblc tint postwar ci ada will me m m immigrants 1 in aire idy overcrowded nations as we kiott hurt are eluen million peo ole o copying ur conn r whicn coul ictomlncaau so many more our pop ii lo i is loo small in compailwn wiji our resources canada needs r e it many of these immigrants will find their own occupation many will be attracted to the land if can- ioa en ounces immigration more idle lind v ill become productive there will be t grea cr consumpti n of food products a greater amount of produce foi exporting and a lighter burden for i h cinidlan xi itttl knfcd mfn of flit services in spoking ct pos war plans much u mi tion must be given to our txns in the services what can we do for hese boys who have given up so i much tor our freedom they have i given their services in some cases their jlnis what can we do in return let each one of us do even thing in our power to re establish them to a nor n a peaceful life the best wc hau to rive is i one toj good for them tliese arc the boys that made it possible that we might live let us ive them the encouragement and assistance they will need to orc me uie nervous strain the haie epcriuifkd somt wno were farmers son- will return to the farms others who previously had other vocations will be attracted to ru ral life if our farm offer tne peace and security they seek every induce ment should be made to reinstate u ese returned men and encourage them to find their place in life personally after much thought i i have come to the conclusion that the government would be doing a splendid thing for these returned boys if thej would establish them on farms of about ten acres each i would suc i that these farms be situated in groups of say about fifty en bloc so that a j community life could be enjoyed these larms should have wtlhoullt houses with every possible convenience a well as any other necessary build ings xm government owned the government should retain the ownership of all these farms and by renting them to the boys it about 12 a month or 3 per c nt on i five and dollar investment would assist them in reestablishing themsclve financial the farm machincrv witch wc ill realize is a tremendous ixpense to the nvengp o ins farmer should also be government p opcru tills substantia assistance alone would be mos encouraging xiv immediate problems dally problems will arise here the aavice of two working farm foremen with practical experience and agrlcui tural graduates would spend all their time in assisting these young- farmers to get started properly and such as sistance at the necessary time would save nuiny losses through error in each of these settlements 1 would think it most advisable to have locat ed another farm ol about 100 acres of land on which the milk and eggs for the whole settlement could be produc ed and sold to the returned men at cost xv factories close to these settlements a thriving industrial centre would mean the pro cessing of their farm products to the fullest possible extent right at their origin such factories would also sap- ply parttime employment for these farmers and their families xvt pleaslre all work and no play makes jack a dull boy this i believe is one ol ti t thiel eaiscs oi our young peo ple deserting our farms if a scope for entertainment were provided our farm juu h would not have to seek else- when f r pieasi re there is no rea son why they should not have thea ties community nails fields for sport need the proper educational facili ties should be close at hand for toelr children and libraries containing up- to date reading material xvii expansion i do not wish to assume that my one version is correct i do believe however that if some such plan is in telligently carried out these boys woua in a few jtai establish them selves to such an extent financially trat uity could then atford a larger t i hjow u they wished this bhi i itjipnsibility a qualified v i in t iriuliural representative should however ascertain their farm ing knowleoge and ability before the responsibility of more land is given option to buy these larger farms t could then be given at a lower rate ol interest than has been the case for merly rhus the word mortgage i woula not eause these returned men to shudder as of yore xvm concllsion m closing my address may i ex press mj slnoerest hope that soon very soon this great conflict may be over so that we all may enjoy peace and happiness on our own beloved cana dian soil geo c brown nova4

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