OUR ANNUAL MEETING. 



13 



takes the full time of a man in most of the 

 States across the line. For the year ending 

 June 30th, 1903, the paid-up membership of 

 this organization in Ontario was 23,754. 

 Eight hundred and thirty-seven meetings 

 were held during the year, and 3,337 ad- 

 dresses were delivered before audiences ag- 

 gregating 126,459 persons. The arranging 

 of the details of all this work involves a 

 large amount of patience and painstaking 

 work. 



Mr. Creelman has associated with him in 

 the Farmers' Institute work fifty practical 

 farmers, who attend the meetings as ar- 

 ranged in circuits by the superintendent. 



Three years ago Mr. Creelman decided to 

 do what he could to encourage the forma- 

 tion of Women's Institutes, and as a result 

 of his decision there are now in the Province 

 of Ontario fifty-three Women's Institutes, 

 with a paid-up membership of over 6,000. 

 The usefulness of these organizations is un- 

 questioned, and their rapid development in- 

 dicates the great need of better methods and 

 better appliances in farm homes. 



The agricultural societies have also had 

 the benefit of Mr. Creelman's oversight dur- 

 ing the past two years, and the most notice- 

 able development under that head has been 

 the sending of expert judges to place the 

 awards in the different classes of live stock, 

 giving reasons, at the fall fairs. This year 

 152 agricultural societies availed themselves 

 of the offer of the Ontario Department of 

 Agriculture, and through Mr. Creelman they 

 were supplied with competent judges in the 

 different classes of live stock. The good 

 effect of this work has already been felt, and 

 its importance cannot be questioned when 

 we remember that 80 per cent, of the farm 

 produce of Ontario is fed to live stock. 



In a word we may say that Mr. Creelman 

 is in close touch with all phases of Ontario 

 agriculture, and probably no other man in 

 the country has a more intimate knowledge 

 of the needs of the farming communitv in 



every county and township of the province. 



THE secretary's REPORT. 



IN ]\Ir. G. C. Creelman the Association 

 has an excellent executive officer, 

 whose command of details and excellent 

 judgment in the conduct of affairs has 

 gained for him the confidence of the Board 

 of Directors to such an extent that he was 

 unanimously re-elected as secretary for 1904 

 at an advance in salary. His report of 

 work done and work in prospect was most 

 exhaustive, and, if carried out, means much 

 for the development of the commercial side 

 of the fruit industry of the province. The 

 following is a brief summary : 



1. Orchard Meetings. 



Meetings of farmers in their orchards having 

 proven most sucbessful in 1902, the work was con- 

 tinued during this year. Messrs. McNeill, Carej- 

 and Lick of the Dominion Fruit Department helped 

 us very materially in this work. The meetings 

 were held mostly during the month of March, when 

 practical demonstrations were given in pruning and 

 grafting, whieh led to a general discussion on 

 orchard management and matters generally pertain- 

 ing to the fruit business. In all, 49 such meetings 

 were held, and the amouut of good done cannot be 

 estimated. 



2. Fruit Experiment Stations. 



Last year a copy of the report of this most impor- 

 tant branch of our work was sent to 1047 members 

 of our Local Fruit (Irowers' Associations. Besides 

 this, it was arranged with the Farmers" Institutes 

 for farmers in the vicinity of these stations to visit 

 them at certain periods and receive instructions 

 from the experimenters, especially in reference to 

 matters pertaining to fruit culture, and in regard 

 to the best varieties to grow in that particular 

 district. 



Of course it is impossible to determine the good 

 this educational work is doing. Farmers are reticent 

 about their business. It is an undisputed fact that 

 at agricultural dinners held in our towns and 

 villages most of the speech making is done by law- 

 yers, doctors and other professional men present. 

 The same is true in meetings of Farmers' Institutes. 

 Very often our speakers are almost discouraged, and 

 say on returning from an institute campaign that 

 they do not believe they accomplished any good in 

 certain districts. Later on, however, come letters 

 from farmers who were present at our meetings, 

 asking for fuller information in reference to certain 

 things that were discussed at these meetings. We 

 realize therefore, that many farmers get information 

 at our fruit stations, in our orchard meetings, 

 through our reports, and at our Annual Meetings 

 which they never acknowledge. But what matters 



