FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 125 



Now in Canada we are trying to reach the man who sits in the back seat, 

 the man who has not been interested in the advanced methods. We have 

 men with us who will not tell what they do know, and they have been 

 successful, but because of selfishness they won't tell how they succeeded. 

 We are trying to draw these men out. 



Our strongest association is our Live Stock Association. Eight years 

 ago we had only fifteen men in this association which was then formed. 

 Now this small menibershij) was in spite of the fact that we have a mild 

 moist climate, and hence an excellent live stock country. We have for 

 our area a larger per cent of full blood stock than any other portion of 

 North America. But after awhile we found, and especially during the 

 hard times, that we had on hand an excess of high priced stock. Our 

 stockmen began to turn their attention to the great Canadian Northwest 

 as a place for disposing of this excess. But there is only one railroad into 

 that country and the extremely high freight rates had practically pro- 

 hibited long distance shi])ping of stock. So six of these fifteen members 

 of the Live Stock Association went down to railway headquarters at 

 Montreal to see if they could not get concessions as to rates. They were 

 very politely informed that when the railway managers desired the advice 

 of Canadian farmers about managing their railroad, word would be sent 

 them to that efl:ect. Our delegates were then bowed out of the office. But 

 our folks thought they would simply have to succeed, so they started to 

 enlarge the Live Stock Association. They carried on a campaign of 

 education, they made our stock growers see the advantages of organiza- 

 tion. They kept at it until today they have 2,500 members. With these 

 backings they went a second time to the railway officials but they got the 

 same reply as before; so they went before the Dominion Parliament and 

 got a law enacted compelling the railway to reduce its rates for stock. 

 Whereas, we used to have to pay from |30 to 190 freight for each animal 

 from Ontario to the Pacific coast, we now pay only .fl2 to |20. And 

 since this reduction we have sent over |1,000,000 worth of stock into the 

 Canadian Northwest. 



Our next association of interest is the Provincial Winter Fair. I cor- 

 dially invite you all to come over to it next December. I am really serious 

 about this, for it is a rather unique institution, and you would all be 

 interested in it I am sure. It is held in Toronto, and is run entirely by 

 the live stock men. Animals are brought in ready to be slaughtered, 

 flO.OOO in prizes are ofl'ered. The animals are judged in the ring from 

 the standpoint of the consumers. Then the animals are killed and judged 

 again in the carcass. We have a lecture room with a capacity for 1,-500 

 people. The judges when judging, both on the hoof and on the carcass, 

 are required to give reasons for their judgment. This is not an easy task 

 for the judges but is extremely instructive to the audience. You can see 

 at once how valuable this fair may be to those men who are ambitious to 

 grow cattle cheap or only those which shall give the best satisfaction to 

 the consumers and hence bring the top price. It eiicables the grower to 

 reach some conclusions as to what sort of an animal makes the carcass 

 most desired by the butchers. 



Our next institution of interest is The Horse Shoir. This is an annual 

 fair held in April in Toronto. It is largely devoted to farm work horses. 

 Many horses are bought and sold at this show. 



