RErOliT OF TEE DIRECTOR 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



PUBLICITY. 



Since the inauguration of the Dominion Experimental Farms in ISSG, with a 

 Central Farm as headquarters at Ottawa and four branch Farms — one in each of 

 the provinces of Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and British Colum- 

 bia—the Farms system has expanded until to-day there are twenty-nine Experimental 

 Farms, Stations, and Substations established throughout the Dominion, where syste- 

 matic experimental and research work is being conducted by specially trained iuvesti- 

 gators seeking to sjlve the innumerable problems which uudei'lie successful farm 

 operations. These Farms and Stations are equipped and maintained for the special 

 beneiit of the farmers of Canada, and our aim is to place before these farmers in a 

 practical and understandable minnner the results of our experiments and investiga- 

 tions. 



In no small measure we have assisted in the extraordinary development which 

 has taken place in Canadian agriculture during the past quarter of a century; but, 

 helpful as we have been, we realize that the objects for which the Dominion Experi- 

 mental Farms were incepted will not have been fully attained until every one of the 

 Y65,0O0 farmers of this country has a knowledge of our institutions, of the work we 

 are doing, and is directly or indirectly benefiting by our experience. 



By short courses, lectures, correspondence, reports and bulletins, and through 

 the agricultural press we are imparting a vast amount of valuable information ; but, 

 from lack of the necessary facilities and machinery, that information is not as widely 

 disseminated as we should wish; nor are we able to get in touch with a very large 

 number of the men who more particularly need our assistance. There are mnuy 

 thousands of farmers throughout the Dominion, especially in the more recently settled 

 sections, who are not receiving- directly or regularly our publications; who do not 

 know of the existence of the Farms System, and that these bureaus cf agricultural 

 information are available to them for advice and suggestions when confronted with 

 problems which they themselves are unable to solve. 



For these reasons, the question of greater publicity concerning the Experimental 

 Farms has been receiving our earnest consideration for some time past, with the result 

 tliat early in the spring of 1914 provision was made for taking definite action in the 

 matter. Of the several schemes contemplated it appeared to us that, with the facilities 

 available, an organized plan of attending the principal exhibitions and fairs through- 

 out the Dominion would, for the first year at all events, be the most economical and 

 fruitful of results, since we could by a representative and practical exhibit: (1) impart 

 considerable information to the many thousands of visitors to the fairs; (2) we could 

 make known the fact that there was an extensive system of Dominion Experimental 

 Farms with stations in every province of the Dominion; and (3) attention could be 

 directed to our mailing list and to the large number of publications available for dis- 

 tribution on application. 



EXHIBITIONS ATTENDED. 



Under my supervision, Mr. J. F. Watson, of the Experimental Farms staff, was 

 given charge of the work of bringing together representative exhibits from the various 

 Divisions of the Central Farm, and the carrying out of the programme of attending 

 the principal exhibitions and fairs to be held during 1914 throughout the Dominion. 



The plan of organization adopted provided for assembling at the Central Farm 

 the staging and exhibits for five circuits of fairs, each circuit being arranged so as 

 to permit of attending as many fairs as possible. In accordance with this plan a 

 "Dominion Experimental Farms' Exhibit," including an exhibit from the branch 

 Farm nearest to the place of exhibition, and an exhibit from each of the Divisions of 

 the Central Farm, representing Animal Husbandry, Field Husbandry, Cereals, Chem- 

 istry, Horticulture, Botany, Poultry, Bees, Forage Crops, and Tobacco, was shown at 

 the following exhibitions: Shubenacadie, N.S.; Sydney, N.S.; St. John, N.B.; 



