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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1931-08-28, Page 110. 1. td X11 it it. 11, ,' y rd m ;l id •s> to ig ly, of �y. •i13 ys on- ;ut m. alp ria a nal in - m. iy- in sa K. iso the rn- L d, I'o- itla ind eek the to k, Seventy-second Yesee Whole Number 8824 QUEEN :OF "TURKS." (By Elizabeth Bailey Prince, in MacLean's) She rounds Up tier turkeys on horse- . Je suis 1'dindon. • back! At the first sign of a storm As far as possible, Mes. Freeman cloud she mounts a saddle pony and has her early turkeys hatched out herds; into Shelter her flocks of hurt- by; chicken hens which give the brood dreds of these birds which dot the the same constant care they would ill'''s, of 'this Alberta ranch bordering give their own. She also has four the foothills of the Rockies. Only a 'incubators and makes use of the Cal- f?* years ago her husband and his gary 'hatcleries cowboys punched eattle,nd horses ov- No poet roaming the hills at sunset c er these selfsame ranges. The days wabc..es the sky with more con ern of the cattle regime are gone, but the than does 'Mrs. Freeman in the rang - ranch has been restored to its former ing days of her turkeys. prosperity by turkeys -myriads of "I round them up at every cloud prime, plump Alberta bronze turkeys. during the spring and summer. At All this has been accomplished al- the first sign of what looks like a sud- most lone -handed by,ia woman -Mrs. den storm I call all hands. I have to W. A. Freeman, of A'rde,node, Alta. ride like fury to drive the main flock The Beau Desire Ransil, owl.ied by to that high red barn over there, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Freeman, was which holds 2,000. The others ere one of the first and oldest stock ranch- driven into the. shelter sheds nearest es of this district. But settlers came; the runs." land near the railway became too val- All this information had been glean- uable for grazing. It was turned in- ed during otir "cup of ,tea" in the to wheat land. Dry years ruined cookhouse, after which Mrs. Freeman many crops. ' Then one day, nine invited us to visit the shelters and years ago, the ranch mistress won runs. As we approached we were two turkeys and a gobbler in a raffle struck with the peculiar -looking strew sheds, a succession of stalls squared off with substantial lumber supports and closed on three sides. The roofs of these• were dotted with what at first seemed to be black chimney pots or ventilators with slanting wind - for charity in the nearby town of Strathmore. That was the start, which has developed to -day into the largest turkey ranch in Canada, one that boasted a flock of 3,000 number one birds which furnished the piece As we drew nearer, the black de resistance of many holiday and guards. to objects moved. They were perching turkeys. There were turkeys everywhere ; hundreds and hundreds of them. They roamed the creek bottom, scratching in and about the brush or drinking the fresh water. They ranged the low hills that encircled the ranch buildings. They seemed to know they were on special dinners from Thanksgiving Easter. It was my privilege to visit Mrs. Freeman when the turkey market was at its peak. It was only an hour's drive from the city of Calgary, 25 miles motor highway and eight miles due north on a prairie trail. We carne upen the ranch suddenly -a natural amphitheatre which provides an ideal show. They seemed also to know environment for turkey raising. We were greeted by a young look- that they were government inspected, ing, brawn -eyed woman whose ener- approved and banded, for Mrs. Free- gy and appearance belied her later re- vin is a charter member of the Re- marks about "grandchildren• attending cord of Merit Association for Tur- a Calgary college." Her naturally keys, which was inaugurated in 1927 wavy hair was bobbed; her dress was by the Livestock Branch of the Do - her work uniform -a becoming blue-' minion Government. To be a mem- tailored chambray' shirt and overalls, . her means a regular inspection of the belted in at the waist. From her first flock by government inspectors, and hearty handshake and her invitation , the stamp of approval is a smell metal gixie•.--all the chop they Van eat three', times a day; This• is Made up of one- quarter barley, a little less than half nuinber one wiheat, and the remainder oats, alfalfa and corn if 1 can afford it. To every hundred pounds 1 add an ordinary corn tin full of cod liver ; As we were leaving, dusk was set- tling quietly on the land, the turkeys were being driven to their shelters, and a man was going about lighting lanterns at intervals on the surround- ing fence posts. On enquiry regard- ing this, Mrs. Freemar} explained that it was done to frighten away coyotes. The turkeys, too, drew the atten- tion of the hawks, but the presence of these birds of prey was always her- alded by a peculiar ery among the turkeys known as the hawk call. The signal is answered by the nearest helper running to the scene of disturb- ance with a shotgun. However,, if this first aid does not materialize the turkeys gang together and advance upon the. enemy in a body, peeking and scratching at him until he drops his victim. The marketing begins in July with the hens that 'were kept over for lay- ing and hatching purposes and which now are a little over a year old. It reaches its height from Thanksgiv- ing to •March. All birds are killed scientifically by the helpers, who pierce their brains with knives. They are dry -picked. Mrs. Freeman prides herself that everything shipped from the ranch is in the finest condition. She has never had any sickness in her flocks, and diseases like roup are en- tirely unknown to them. She attri- butes her success to the out-of-door life of her turkeys, their well-balanced food, the cleanliness that attends their care, and she doesn't discount the cod liver oil. Mrs. Freeman's amazing success in this venture is the wonder and talk of theasurrounding country. Her fame, too, has gone abroad. Each year she receives'hundreds of letters; in the spring from ten to thirty-five daily. Her advice is being sought by agri- cultural schools of this country and the United States, by turkey breeders in England, South Africa and Swe- den. She has received an order for breeders from the Jamaica Agricul- tural Society. A moving picture .put - fit has taken pictures of the flock for the world's news reel. All these de- mands are niet with a generosity and great good nature. "And do you ever get ,a holiday?" I asked. "Well, now," she hesitated, "come) to think of it, I really don't in the same sense as other people. I get up with the turkeys at a quarter to four in the morning, spring and summer, 'and, of course, I go to bed at their roosting time --glad to call ita day. Every Sunday I see my neighbors drive gaily away to the beautiful lakes that are a part of this province. But that is not for me. I suppose my work is myye pleasure. It must be, be- cause I only wish my flock numbered five thousand. That is what I hope to accomplish during the coming season." to have a cup of tea in the 'cookhouse we were caught up in the atmosphere of her absorbing interest in her work, Yes, •she would show us the turkeys gladly and tell us about them; not boastfully but because she believed that raising turkeys was one of the ways of salvation for the Western Canadian farmer. "For instance," she explained, "take the price of number one wheat paid to the farmers around here last fall =--forty cents •a bushel. One bushel of wheat will provide enough of this variety of food for forceful feeding to develop a turkey to the average and most saleable market weight -twelve pounds. All- season I received the steady price of 25 cents per pound f.o.b. at the ranch. Even at this, the minimum price for years, it means we are getting two dollars a bushel for all the wheat we have grown. "We had twelve hundred of our three thousand acres in crop, but we are not depending on current grain prices for our returns. We are not worried about the price of beef. We only keep fifteen cows and we use all the milk here. "Think, too, of the future of this industry, which can be made primar- ily Canadian. Only the other day I had a visit from a poultry expert from the States who emphasized the qual- ity and flavor of Canadian turkeys. They are getting as good a reputation as our wheat and beef. My flock is entirely Canadian raised. I have nev- er imported breeders or setting eggs. In fact, I do not go in for fancy breed- ing. My aim is to raise big, quick - growing, healthy and well -flavored birds -Alberta bronze turkeys. "I .began the season with assets of approximately 3,000 turkeys; 350 hens, 40 gobblers, 2,600 well -hatched turks and 250 chicken hens. In the spring the sale of eggs and breeders brought me $2,000. I couldn't begin to supply the demand for eggs, and the money '1 had to return would bring tears to your eyes. The market was surpris- ingly good, both demand and price be- ing steady. In fact, I have almost a year-round Market, the only slack time being during the layingi and brooding period of the turkey hens, which ate sold when the young ones no longer need them. The price, too, this year has ;been low, for in the past I have received as 'high as 44 cents per pound f.o.b.. dressed at the ranch. In all, I estimate that my turkey busi- ness this year has netted, me well ov- er $7,000 in cash, and I am starting the season with 500 hens, 50 gobblers and 200 chicken hens. "Turkey raising needs no scientific training, no courses in agricultural schools -just hard work and common sense. Knowledge of the fundamen- tals may be obtained from pamphlets available for the asking frons Pro- vincial and Dominion Governments of Agriculture, schools of agriculture and, experimental farms." One of the •first problems that Mrs. Freeman had to solve --rand the slur - mounting of this has been the key- note of her suocess-Was the unremit- ting are of the newly hatched. Ter- - key hens are' not good mothers. Un- like the chicken lien, who clucks her brood to shelter beneath her warm breast at the least sign of a storm. or when night is approaching, the .eerkesr another trails her young otilk tlirei gh the wet, cold grass; and if Ithua ex- posed, invariably the casualty rate is high. Turkey hens are literal examples ef' "not knowing enough to wine in out of the rain." Thie fitupidity has been recognized by the French habitant • more that the British fanner. The latter, when he, •blunders saes, "What a goose I amt ; the formes' ejaculates band attached to the turkey's leg. As I looked upon that scene of pros- perity and "fat of the land," it seem- ed almost incredible that it could have been developed from nothing in com- paratively so short a time. But surely you have some experi- ence in poultry raising?" I asked. • "No, I hadn't," Mrs. Freeman re- plied, "1 never even raised a chicken. When I won the first three turkeys I did not wish to kill them all at the same time, so it was, necessary to learn what to feed them. I enquired of the -neighbors and mixed up feed according ' to their directions. The turkeys seemed to thrive upon it. I liked working with them, so I got the idea I might make a little extra money by going in for turkeys and help pull up the ranch. I wrote to the Depart- ment of Agriculture for information regarding their care. "When the replies and pamphlets came, I grew more enthusiastic, for I realized that our ranch was particu- larly favored for this phase of agri- culture. Our buildings were in a valley with protecting banks; we had a constant supply of fresh water; the land was well drained and consequent- ly dry; and we were in the irrigation beitewhich assured the growing of a grain crop that was necessary for their feed. "In the spring the turkeys began to lay, and I started that first year with twenty-five turks. "'Many times I am asked for my Methods, which are very simple. In the beginning I cannot over estimate the necessity of cleanliness -- Clean nests, clean• coops; clean dry shelters sand food served in clean troughs. All this eliminates lice and mites, which are the greatest enemies turkeys have. Speaking of vermin, never put strong insect powder on setting hens or poults. It is apt to get into their eyes and result in blindness. "My equipment never has been elab • orate,- as you see, even when the flock is as large as it isl to -day. From the beginning I provided big roomy nests built in such a way that the turkey hen at setting is closed in and let off every second day for feed and water, then carefully closed in again. We are `notion . 11 to quote "ex emel• . '1 low prices OH Stock • Size 4 M Sash for Poul Stables, try• Houses, Etc. N. CLUFF & SONS THE PARENT AND', SCHOOL The growing child apeuds a nuin ber of years in isch4;in :order that he may be. prepared for ,adult life. This 1pre+pai'atiou for life includes the child's body as arell as his "Mad. ; It is neither necessary nor desirable that the health of the school child should be neglected or sacrificed.. The end to .achieve is a sound wiind in a sound body. The modern School provides a healthy environment for the child dur- ing the many hours he spends•,there. Attention is given to fresh air, sun- shine, cleanliness? provision for 'lay and other facilities which make -f i` a healthy development of the child's body. In order that the child may get the best out of his school years, it is nec- essary that the parent and school co- operate. Neither can take on the re- sponsibility of the other The parent is responsible for seeing that the child is properly fed, that he is clean when he leaves for school, that he goes to bed at the proper hour and sleeps with his window open. The school. is re- sponsible for protecting thechild from communicable diseases and for pro- viding him with healthy surroundings and an opportunity to develop his body. - "The school cannot control communi- cable diseases without the assistance of the parent. The child who is ill should be kept at home. The child who has a sore' throat, or who shows a rash of any kind should not be sent back to school until he has been seen by a doctor. It is the mild cases of disease which are frequently respons- ible for the spread of disease. Many children arrive at school with- out breakfast or else they have had a piece of cake and a cup of tea. They stay up late at night and are not rest- ed and ready to get up in the morn- ing. The result is they have neither the time to wash properly nor to eat their breakfast, and so they go to school dirty, hungry and tired. That is a poor way to start the day. Under such conditions the child is unable to do his school work, and then the parents not infrequently blame the school because their child does not get on when the fault is at home. Most schools provide for the medi- cal examination of the children. Par- ents should be invited to attend at the examination and if they are invited, they should go. The school doctor doctor cannot do more than advise the parent that the child requires medi- cal attention; the school does not pro- vide treatment. The parent who neglects to follow the advice of the school doctor may be seriously handicapping his child. The child who requires glasses cannot do his work without them. The child who cannot breathe .through his nose because of adenoids is not likely to do well in school. The parent is respon- sible for seeing that his child is re- lieved of the conditions which the school doctor brings to his attention. That is part of the team -play between parent and school. "ensike" will tell you, is the great bearded vulture of the lofty moun- tains of Southern Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. Some class, eh, what? Now for a few real hints as to .the care of this noble' fowl. In making a selection, be sure to choose strong, healthy birds in full song (Coloratura sopranos are the nicest). The feathers should be tight to the body or you will have trouble with them moulting all •ov'er the place. Pull out a few handful's to see if they come away readily or not, that is, if you can without getting bitten. It is easy to tell the young full- grown birds from the old. Examine the feet well and see if they have bunions. 'The old birds get Pots of these .from roosting on the mountain crags. Natudalists tell us that the lammer- geier is the link between the vultpres and the eagles. It is both vulgar and noble, you see. Thus, in making a pet of the lammergeier, youwill do well to try to bring out its better nature. This means letting it inhabit the liv- ing room instead of the woodshed. Al- way=s be on your best behaviour in front of it, and this will not only be helpful to the bird, but will be attrac- HOW MY WORLD WAGS By That Ancient Mariner DEAN D. HURMDY Edmonton despatch says Great Bear area one of the richest in the frorld. Important projects Bruin? * * * • Already the green on an occasional tree begins to look a little shop-worn. "The Wearin' of the Green." * * * "Doped contestants in Montreal wal'kathon see snakes and cats in the air." Even figments of the imagination getting air -minded. The turks are allowed to become strong and well -hatched before they are removed from the nest. They are then moved to a large, clean coop. Wihen forty-eight hours old, they are given their 'first small feed of thick sour milk -a saucerful to twenty. with the addition of a thimbleful each of rol1d oats slightly dampened with raw eggs. In the course of a few days, if the weather is fine, they are allowed their freedom in the yards near the brooding houses with their mothers, their food being gradually increased. "This is the time they nee Imes- increased. watching. Alberta May snow - 'storms are events to be feared. Sud- den rain, hail or thunderstorms can be the worst catastrophes --even to wiping out the whole hatch. * * * Toronto chefs report the despised handling a very tasty fish, but fail to say whether we shall have to linger longer than usual, after giving the waiter our order for it. * * * Well, the Lindbergs got along nicely in Canada. At the present writing they are at Petropavlovsk, and we hope their seaplane doesn't get tang- led up with some of those Russian names. • "As the weather becomes Warmer and the crops begin to grow, the tur- keys are turned out every fine morn- ing into special pastures or grain fields to. scratch for themselves. I toy to persuade my husband that they earn the price of their grain feed by theirwork in ridding the land of weedsand insect pests. We never had a grasshopper in the bad grass- hopper years, and as for dandelions well, that is ene of their- favorite foods.. They are' fed at noon and night from the troughs and soon learn til answer the `chop' eall. In tilde province of cool nights, they are rounded up in the shelters every night.""In Septsmbe 4or4efuul feeding be - * * * The popular King and Queen of Siam, now visiting Western Canada, are remarkable for their ease, their Siamese, as one might say. Asked whether he was enjoying his tour, the King is reported to have said: "In- deed, yes, Siam." * * * From Vancouver we learn that an outward bound passenger for the Or- ient served cocktails to her guests from a pewter shaker that taxed the strength of two men to jiggle. The hostess' said that more ,‘,`mileage" was obtainable from the large size. Those over -size, smart cocktail-shak- Football CHALLENGE GAME EGMONDVILLE is. CLINTON For Crawford Cup. PAPPLE'S FIELD 21/2 miles out Mill Road FRIDAY, AUGUST 28th Game 6.00 p.m. sharp. Admission: 10 and 20 cents Support Our Local Team. rM O11 Tuesday, Au Clu; ntertar the haameP4 Inaita i o'ns 'were p tofl4 and their friends,.; and and fifty visited her Alice .is thirteen yeas old and hopeless . cripple :since thildhes4es41 after attending theLions Club Clinic last year, the club• took o vex hex: mer. sending her to the flpspital fpr. Sic1 Children, Toronto. , after• a series of u e t'o major. operations' performed with pnly you a• email hope of ultimate success, Allow* to say scent nine. months, in hospital, while? ,Lions we,a .re goin her progress was studied day by day. your seer t,. Improvement came slowly, but. ev-� cause we feel t att4 entually she was able to return home, exceptional ease ,an� a happy, healthy little girl, able to know that, while t+ ie, walk about with the aid .of crutches, have done mach for; YOU, andthese can be , discarded later on. the doctors and ..nurses have Her case was exceptionally painful much for you, your own' coir and tedious, but she smiled through grit; along with your sunny 1.R it all, and her many visitors at thee tion have been, perhaps; thea gre hospital and -at her Seaforth reception factors in bringing about much'.; of were impressed with her cheerfulness success we find in your case and happy c'hara'cter. Although the and we do wish you well." tive to the customers, if you wish to commercialize your hobby. The lammiergeier• is said to carry bones to a great height, and.drop them on the rocks to obtain pieces small enough to swallow. To allow it to in- dulge in this pretty whim, first, get a few boulders and strew them on the front lawn. Second, procure some bones from the butcher and hand them to the bird, Third, tie a stout cord to the fowl's leg (binder -twine is hardly strong enough) and let your pet fly up the full length of the cord. Perhaps the card may break and the bird get away. And maybe you will be just as glad if it does. rwe dk y` n CLINTON RINK WIN.S M&MILLAN TROPHY. 31 Rinks Play in Seaforth's Second Anniversary Bowling Tournament. The second anniversary -Rink Tourn- ament of the Seaforth Lawn Bowling Club was held on the beautiful local greens on Wednesday afternoon and evening of this week. The McMillan Trophy and five sets of prizes, valued at $150, were on the card and in addition there 1 -as a spe- cial prize offered for the greatest to- tal score in the last two games. Four fourteen end games with a possible plus of 10 each were played, Hovey's, Clinton, Rink capturing the McMillan Trophy with a score of 4 wins and a plus of 33. Perry Hall, of Kitchener, won the second prize with 4 wins plus 26; C. A. McDonell, of Hensall, took third prize with 4 wins and a plus of 22, and E. Koch, Listowel, won 4th with 3 wins and a plus of 26. The special prize for best plus in the last -two games was won by Al. McD•onell, of Bewail, with a phis of 21. Thirty-one rinks were in competi- tion and with ideal weather condi. tions and good greens, play was very keen throughout the day. The ladies served an excellent lunch for the bowlers at the club house. The Scores: ° Clinton. ers, Society's latest thirst-slakers, In "life's -just -a -smile" age, Will render more "mileage" To get to old John Undertaker's. * * * Looking After Your Lammergeier. it is considered very much au faitit. to possess something unusual in the way of a pet. Every dog has his day, and the cats their nights, which leaves pothing much except goldfish and canaries, and these have been rather cverdone in the past. Movie stars are 'going in more and mare for monkeys, but there is dagger of confusion here, some people being unable to tell which is the monkey. If you wish to have something dis- tinctly novel I would suggest the lam- mergeier. Yon may have forgotteo just what this is, which only goes prove the uniqueness of such a choice as thin would be. No doubt, if a fear prominent ,people took it up, it would beacon* quite the rage in a certain set. Well, flow; the lanirnergeier, as any; * * * How Are Your Brakes? When travelling the highway, And traffic is light, You let her go fifty Or more, just a mite. There's one little matter, Oh, just very slight: How are your brakes? then Life is the highway, And folks aren't polite, But seem full of meanness, Self-seeking and spite; Perhaps you are tempted Some sinner to smite, How are your brakes? When Life's road is ended; And on comes the night, Just count up your blessings, Your days of delight. • No doubt then you'll answer This question aright: How are your BREAKS? LIVE STOCK BRANCH ANNOUNCE SECOND BACON LITTER COMPE- TITION FOR 1931 Due to the keen, interest taken in the Bacon Litter competition which was sponsored by the Federal and Provincial Departments of Agricul- ture last spring, it has been decided to conduct another competition this fall. Any farmers in the county may make, entry in this competition and the date of farrowing must be be- tween September 1st and November 18th, and entry must be made within seven days after the date of farrow- ing. In order to qualify there must be nine pigs in the litter raised to marketing age, and at least 30 per eent. of the litter must grade as select bacon. The awards will be based on the weight, size, quality, and uniformity of the litter. The Federal Live Stock Branch and the Ontario Live Stock Branch offer $275.00 in prize money which is divid- ed as follows: • 1st, $25.00; 2nd, $24; 3rd, $23; 4th, $22; 5th, $1; 6th, $20; 7th, $20; and eight more prizes of $15.00 each. In view of the substantial prizes offered and the fact that there is no expense in connection with entering the competition, there should be a large entry from the county, For further information and appli- cation forms apply to the Ontario De- partment of Agriculture, Clinton, Ont W. Grant J. Miller Dr. Axon J. E. Hovey, skip -4 wins plus 33. Perry Hall, Kitchener -4 wins plus 26. C. A. McDonell, Hlensall--4 wins plus 22. E. Koch, Listowel -3 wins plus 26. Al Lutz, London -1 win plus 5. Seaforth. E. Duncan R Boyd Op. iRae, 'Wingham-I win 'plus ,9.. H. Dillon, Stratford-2winsplus 15. W. E. Willis, Brussels -1 win plug • 4. ' Fred Hunt, Goderieh-e wins plus 14. Seaforth. Gerald ,Stewart J. Hotham F. Sills �l E. H. Close, skip -1 win plus 5. H. Robinson, Blyth -2 wins plus 14. W. Powell, Goderich-2 wins plus 11 Seaforth.. G. Hanley J. J. Cluff M. McKellar J. Broderick, skip -1 win plus 2. D. McTavish, Paris -3 wins plus 20. Seaforth.• J. Devereaux W. J. Duncan H. Jeffrey R. 11. Sproat, skip -3 wins plus 14. C. Teskey, St. Marys -1 win plus 7. S. Livermore, Clinton -2 wins plus 16. F. Pennybaker, Clinton -1 win plus 2. Seaforth. E. Fowler `• R. R. Ross C. Holmes J. E. Willis, elcip-3 wins •plus 14. R. Wheeler, Goderich-2 wins plus. 13. Seaforth. M. Smallman C. •ABarber Dr. F. J. Burrows R. J. Sproat, skip -2 wins plus 13. Al. McDonell, 'Hensall-3 wins plus 25. R. J. Winter J. Swafield, Goderich-4 losses. Dr. Bechely, skip -2 wins plus 14. Seaforth. N. Binkley, Stratford -1 win plus 5. S. Carter F. Debus, New Hamburg, 1 win plus J. J. Haggard 18. H. Stewart Seaforth. W. G. Willis, skip -2 'wins plus 11. L. Dale. Seaforth. C. Corrie J. G. Doherty R. Devereaux • M. A. Reid C. P. Sills, skip -4 losses. Dr. H. H. Ross C. Rowntree, Tcj•onto-2 wins plus John Beattie, skip•, 2 wins plus 7. NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE BUSY FARMER Big Soybean Crop. From information gleaned by members of the O. A. C. staff, it is estimated that there are at least two thousand acres of shy beans in Rent County this year, with notable in- creases in many other sections of the province. The O. A. C. No. 211 is the popular variety. It is being grown for seed and as an annual hay crop for feeding to livestock. Dairymen are giving consideration to the soy- bean as a source of protein food. Present indications point to high yields. BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENT. Having purchased the butcher business of Mr. M. Beaton. t will take possession on September let, without any interrup- tion in business. It will be my aim to satisfy the general public by prompt attention to all orders. We solicit a trial order. yours sincerely, W. J. Kelterbourn. handle with greater ease. The popular demand in the hay market to -day is for the light three wire bale weighing around 120 pounds. Farmers in hay districts who are using presses are urged to give at. tention to the stated preference of dealers and buyers in the hay market. In 'a good year for hay almost any kind of a bale can be sold, but with market conditions such as they are this year and with the restricted out- let which prevails, every attention should be given to putting up bales of hay of a weight desired by the hnarket. Toured Northern Ontario. Hon. Thomas L. Kennedy and a party of agricultural officials, in- cluding heads of experimental farms recently made a tour of Northern On- tario, visiting each of the experimen- tal farms and many private farms. They reported that the farmers seem- ed remarkably prosperous and optim- istic, having splendid crops, new barns and good 'animals. The ' itin- erary of the trip, in the course of which the Minister opened the Lake- head Exhibition at Fort William, took the party from New Liskeard to Coch- rane, whence a side journey was made to James Bay. The underly- ing purpose of the tour was to de- cide what the Government can do to assist the agricultural development of Northern Ontario. Tomatoes For West. Tomato shipments on a large scale from Southern Ontario to the West- ern Canada market represent a new development confidently expected as `the result of recent orders for seven. Icarioads of the fruit, especially pack- ed. The consignment,i according to Charles W. Bauer, secretary of the Growers' Market Council, is to go for- ward packed in lugs and paper wrap- pers and he anticipates the day when a large proportion of the Ontario pro- duct will be marketed in this manner. Lighter Bales Wanted. At the recent National Hay Con- vention in Buffalo strong complaints were made against the practice by Canadian producers of pressing and baling hay too heavy, and many deal- ers stated that unless this fault is overcome they would d'isc'ontinue handling the Canadian product. Canadian dealers are urging that the attention of farmers in hay jlirodnei•ng districts be •brought to this fault. The bulk of baled hay is used by carters and truckmen, who have to carry -the bales some distance to get them to the feeding 'loft. When a bale runs 150 pounds or more in weight this is a heavy job, cot heavq in fact that the buyer will pass up the heavy bale for one which he earl Barley to Britain. Final arrangements have been completed by Hon. Thomas L. K,ennedya Minister of Agriculture, and Hon. G. H. Ferguson, Canadian Htigh Commissioner to Britain, where, - by Ontario will make a definite bid to capture the overseas 'barley market this year. Test shipments' of eight different grades of barley are being 'dispatched to England and after the market consumers there have made their selection a carload of the pre- ferred grade will be forwarded front here. It is understood that 20,000,000 bushels of barley can be taken from Ontario if conditions are satisfaetoty, At present a price of $1..08 l bushel is being paid, less' Cots cf shipment. The British market iffi (fairly well agreed near that f1, .•. No. 21 barley i s the best barley that; lean be obtained for Melting .l ea'