The Rural Voice, 1985-09, Page 23shirkers, meaning men who would
register enthusiastically and then fail
to appear on the day of the match.
"This leaves some lands unplowed
which results in a patchy field,"
wrote Smith sternly, adding that this
was unfair to the farmer who donated
his land for the good of the cause.
I ittle could our writer envision the
stress put on farmers' land today by
the tented city and 150,000 visitors at-
tracted by matches like the one to be
held at Bradish and Sons Farms out-
side St. Thomas.
The next matter discussed by
Smith, who left no piece of plowing
match information "unturned," was
the scoring of the competition.
Smith's formula for judging was:
crown, 15 points; straightness, 10
points; in and out of ends, 5 points;
depth of furrow, seven points; width,
eight points; finish, 15 points; even-
ness of top of the land, 15 points; and
covering of weeds, 25 points. If the
land was relatively free of stones, the
writer recommended using a skim
coulter or a jointer when plowing.
Plowing matches weren't to be
limited only to adult farmers, but to
any competitor 15 years and older
who could handle a team and plow.
11
Prizes were from $5 to $10, sums
which might seem like small potatoes
today but were certainly worth com-
peting for in 1923. Also, the Alberta
government was offering grants of up
to $200 to cover 50 per cent of the
cost of the match.
His instructions in place, Smith
returned to his basic philosophy that
a good plowman is really a superior
man generally.
"You should encourage everyone
to learn to plow with a walking plow,
because no matter how dull or indif-
ferent a boy or man may be, he will,
between the handles of a walking
plow, learn some important things
about the line of draft and general
setting of a plow, whereas sitting on a
bag of hay on the seat of a modern
gang plow, these same principles can-
not and will not be so easily
understood."
In case his doubting reader still
wasn't convinced that life would not
be all it could be without a communi-
ty plowing match, Smith concludes
his pamphlet by listing several
benefits of the match.
A match, for example, not only en-
courages better plowing (and thus
better farming) but "such an event
also promotes social intercourse and
a good community spirit."
"It helps to put culture into
agriculture," Smith continues. Since
no further explanation is offered, one
envisions the earnest plowman prac-
tising for the match with a volume of
Keats or Shelley in hand as he
fashions his furrows.
Also, a match interests the boys
(and the girls), notes Smith. Not
knowing the author's stand on equali-
ty of the sexes, one assumes Smith
thought of the girls as admiring
bystanders rather than as competitors
themselves. There's certainly no men-
tion of a Queen of the Furrow event.
long an Ontario plowing match tradi-
tion.
The match would also demonstrate
the value of accuracy and neatness in
farm operations and, wrote Smith,
"it offers a splendid chance for the
discussion of important topics in the
field."
Finally, returning to his inspiring
introduction, Smith concludes that a
match "reminds us of what the plow
has meant to our present
civilization."
He concludes his brochure by
noting that propaganda was used very
effectively by governments in the too -
recent war (World War I), if for all
the wrong reasons. But farmers and
members of local agricultural
societies could use propaganda
positively in making their plowing
match a success.
Let's hope Elgin County organizers
can do just that when their IPM
opens on September 17 — even
though they likely didn't use Smith's
charming little guide in their planning
process. '
La There have been some strange
things going on down
_� Rp1�H on the farm.PARMS
I ents are springing up. Farm The 1985 plowing match is being
machinery is rolling in. Exhibits held on the Bradish Farms near
are all set. Over 150,000 people St. Thomas, Ontario. Come one -
are ready to pour in. So let the come all, and keep on farming.
show begin.
September 17-21, Elgin County
SFPTFMRFR 1985