band, for we could generally get in that way free of charge. We are proud of the little fair in Lambton, and we always look forward to it in the year; and now I can appreciate the importance and good results that flow from it. I am always glad to know that it is a success, as every fair of that kind is.

I wish your Association every success, for I do not believe that the Province of Ontario could exist without some such association as this is, to constantly instil into the citizens both some ambition to do better and some opportunity to learn what others have done.

I am very glad to see you here. I thank you for the opportunity afforded me to come in and say a word or two to you, and I can only say that I hope all success may attend your deliberations.

THE PRESIDENT: As President of the Fairs and Exhibitions Association, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to accept your hearty welcome and freedom of your beautiful city. The fact that your good city extended to us the invitation, as before, shows that we are not a difficult body to deal with. You have an extended reputation for hospitality and culture.

In reply to the Address of Welcome, the object of the Association is sometimes dealt with, but it is unnecessary to do so.

For your hearty welcome we thank you. I may be permitted to say that what I have read of you, Mr. Mayor, leads me to believe that the city of Toronto has done itself honour in placing you at the head of affairs. I am convinced that you will conduct yourself in such a manner to be satisfactory to all the citizens.

C. NIX: The deputation is about to meet the Government asking it to increase the grant to $100,000. We have gone twice before and this is the third time. If we do not succeed this time, when will we? A body of this kind should have some power and influence. If we go and say that we must have this money that we pay our share to the commcn fund, and we want a portion back, we should get it. If they give us $100,000, then we can afford to insure ourselves out of that.

The motion that we go in a body to meet the members of the Government, was seconded by C. O'Reilly, and carried.

DELEGATES APPLY FOR AN INCREASED GOVERNMENT GRANT.

The Convention adjourned at 4.40 p.m., to permit the delegates to wait upon the members of the Government and present their claims for an increase in the Government grant from $70,000. to $100,000.

EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL RESULTS FROM FIELD CROP

COMPETITIONS.

T. G. RAYNOR, SEED DIVISION, OTTAWA.

The idea of stimulating the production of high class seed by field crop competitions had its origin in the Seed Selection Special which visited a great many western points under the direction of the Dominion Seed Commissioner.

In my judgment there has been no forward movement in field agriculture which has encouraged the production of high class seed more than the Field Crop Competitions.

In Ontario, the ten societies in 1907 had some 200 competitors in oats, barley, fall and spring wheat, beans and alsike clover. In 1908, some forty societies entered the competition with about 650 competitors in oats, spring wheat, barley, beans, corn and potatoes. In 1909 80 societies took up the competitions and the number of competitors was 1,500, covering oats, barley, spring and fall wheat, beans, peas, corn and potatoes. This indicates the wonderful growth of the movement. If each field of five acres had been ideal for seed purposes, it would have made available a very large quantity of first-class seed. Possibly not more than half the oats and barley would be suitable for this purpose; a larger amount of the other crops might safely be depended upon, however.

The educational value of this work cannot readily be realized. To those who take it up there come the inspiration to excel and the desire to win. This stimulates the competitor to look into the question of varieties and brings him in closer touch with the work of the Experimental Stations, for he naturally reads what they have to say about their experiences in varieties, soil cultivation, time for seeding, treatment for smut, etc.; he also becomes a close observer of what his successful neighbors are doing. When once a farmer enters these competitions, he becomes a keen observer of crops; as he drives along the road he measures every crop of grain like the one he has in competition with his own to see how they compare in stand of crop, maturity, smut, weeds, or anything else he can see at a glance; his crops become more and more a topic of conversation. I was told that a year ago, after the first competition in the Kenyon Agricultural Society in Glengarry County was over, no more heated debate occurred anywhere than when some of the farmers met and discussed the field crop competition problem.

Then there is the benefit of the object lesson these plots afford; when it is announced that Mr. So-and-So's plots won prizes, their neighbours are often curious enough to see what these fields look like, so they go and examine.

As the judge takes up the scoring of the field with the owner he is able to show him the weak and strong points of his crop. He may not have known of the presence of certain weeds until they are pointed out; he is shown how he can combat smut by treating his seed; he is advised to try to separate barley, wheat and other grains from his oats for seed purposes. In addition to this his attention is drawn to business methods when the judge asks him for his date of seeding, the amount he sows per acre, his rotation of crops, his treatment for smut, etc. He realizes that it must be worth while to pay attention to some of these details; such facts would help him to compare notes from year to year.

Such business methods applied to grain production generally would mean very much for the Province. It is variously estimated by the Provincial and Dominion statisticians that last year the field crops of Ontario ranged from $170,000,000 to $200,000,000. This does not really give their value, as much of it is

utilized as the farmer's raw material in the manufacture of beef, mutton, pork, milk and its products, eggs, etc., which gives it an added value over commercial prices. Anything that will increase the yields and quality of our farm crops should meet with every encouragement. Some of the means used for this end are better tillage, better drainage and better seeds. The Field Crop Competitions aid the latter means; better seed embodies not only pure, plump, vital seed, but quality and variety in seeds as well.

The Field Crop Competitions have done more in this direction than the most sanguine of its promoters have anticipated. This work has been greatly stimulated by the splendid prizes offered by the various Governments, Societies and private individuals. You have much to be thankful for in the untiring efforts of your Secretary, Mr. Lockie Wilson, who had his ear to the ground, and knew that if he could get the Societies to take up this work by stimulating them to action through money prizes, much good would be accomplished. I have only to refer

you to the splendid prizes given at the Toronto Industrial, the Ottawa Central Exhibition, the Guelph Winter Fair and the Ottawa Winter Fair, for the grain grown in connection with these various competitions to prove to you that this work is having a telling effect. At Guelph this year there were no less than 107 exhibits and at Ottawa 45. The general purity as well as quality of these exhibits proved to be much in advance of last year, the first year that such encouragement has been given. The sale of this seed, too, was much more satisfactory this year than last. In what other way could so large an amount of representative seed be brought together? Yet another good educational feature of these competitions is in drawing the attention of the exhibitor to the kind and extent of the noxious weed life existing upon his farm. He mentally vows it will be less, and such feelings and inspiration are caught up by his neighbours; thus the good work is extended.

In the bulletins which are published giving a summary of the judges' scores much good is done. This is where the competitor can compare his crop with his

neighbour's in the light of the judge's score and see where he succeeded or failed, as the case may be. Then, in the compilation of the bulletins, light is thrown upon the various inferences to be drawn from the competitions.

SOME FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE WORK.

Only a limited number of the competitors can participate in the prizes offered by the Societies or through the Superintendent of the Agricultural Societies, Mr. Lockie Wilson, but all can secure the benefits of more or less free advertising which they get in the bulletins, the agricultural press and elsewhere. Many farmers have found a good market at their own doors for their surplus seeds, when they have proven to be good.

The possibilities for enlarged markets for these seeds may be realized from the popularity of Mandscheuri barley during the last fifteen or twenty years. A few years ago, Professor Zavitz tells us, a striking looking plant of barley was growing in a plot of Mandscheuri, now known as No. 21. It has so multiplied now that some farmers have grown some hundreds of bushels of it; they are selling it at good prices, even as high as $1.25 per bushel. As soon as the results of the Field Crop Competitions were published in 1907, an enquiry came from Aberdeen, Scotland, to Mr. William Lewis, of Dunsford, for 10 bushels of Siberian oats, for which he received $25. He sent them, and they gave good satisfaction, which led to further orders. Ever since 1907 crops were ready to market, Mr. Lewis has had no trouble to sell his seed oats at from $1 to $1.25 per bushel. The work had led him to invest in an up-to-date fanning mill which has paid him well.

There are many other illustrations if one only knew the details. I get numerous enquiries as to where seed of such-and-such varieties may be obtained in quantity and, could I act as a wholesale clearing house, I could dispose of hundreds of bushels of seed grain every year. I refer them to the bulletins. The wholesale seed houses also scan the published bulletins with a view of locating seed grain

in quantity for their spring trade.

This part of the work is yet in its infancy, and if more seed fairs were held and the grain from the Field Crop Competitions were exhibited, as in some cases it is, it would also mean a financial gain to the growers.

One of the strongest arguments that the work pays is, that those Agricultural Societies which try it once are usually eager to enter again the following year, and so the good work goes on.

J. LOCKIE WILSON: After Professor Zavitz, there is no other man in Canada who has done more for farmers in advancing the purity of grain than Mr. Raynor.

On motion of Dr. Simmons, Mr. Raynor received a hearty vote of thanks for his excellent address.

PREPARING SHEEP FOR EXHIBITION.

JOHN CAMPBELL, WOODVILLE.

The first steps to win any measure of success must be taken long before a start is made in the way of final preparation for the show-ring. The selecting of sires and dams, the careful study of their ancestors, their own strong points and defects, the pondering over set ideals and the mating so as to breed up to the high aim are most necessary means to reach the end in view.