of old country farmers. After a year's experi- 

 ence as hired man with a farmer in the district, 

 he rented a farm which, after five years, he 

 purchased and still occupies. 



At a time when everyone was engrossed in 

 wheat he concentrated not so much upon grains 

 as on vegetables. His first local exhibit won 

 three prizes, and in his first ten years of farming 

 he made forty entries and secured 134 awards. 

 From 1905 to 1908 he grew roots, vegetables 

 and grain for the Canadian Pacific Railway for 

 exhibition purposes in other countries, and pro- 

 duced citrons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash 

 and marrows for the Dominion Government for 

 the same purpose. 



Mr. Larcombe's career as an exhibitor has 

 been one consistent succession of triumphs too 

 lengthy to mention in detail. His international 

 successes have brought considerable renown to 

 Western Canada and widely advertised the 

 wonderful possibilities of intelligent farming 

 with assiduous application. Mr. Larcombe 

 recently celebrated his seventieth birthday on 

 the farm which has been the scene of every one 

 of his achievements. He can look back over his 

 thirty years of agricultural life in Manitoba 

 with supreme satisfaction in the knowledge that 

 in winning renown and prosperity for himself he 

 has pointed the way to thousands of his fellow- 

 countrymen. 



Tractors in Western Canada 



In the development of Western Canada's huge tracts 



I of fertile farm lands, the use of mechanical equipment, 



> especially the tractor, has proved an important factor, 



i The farmer in the West is not restricted like his brethren 

 in the older settled districts in the amount of land which 



| he can acquire, for on the Prairies he can purchase large 



I areas of land at prices which are low in comparison with 



I their producing power. At the present time it is not un- 



I common for a farmer in Western Canada to have a farm 



I thousands of acres in extent, and the cultivation of such 



: farms has resulted in the utilization of tractors on a large 



i scale in order that the farmer may receive from his lands 



I the greatest return possible in proportion to the amount 



I of labor expended thereon. 



While the horse is still in use on a great many of the 



I smaller farms in the Prairie Provinces, the tractor is now 



: acknowledged as the most economical and efficient instru- 



: ment for the breaking and preparing of large tracts of land 



for agricultural purposes. It is not uncommon in the 



early spring to see a battery of tractors chugging their 



I way across some large farm, getting the land in shape for 



' seeding. It was found on investigation that the tractor 



was operated in Western Canada last year on an average 



38 days, 37 days of which are credited to plowing, 19 to 



i 22 to on the land, and 10 days to other work. 



A questionnaire recently sent out by the " Nor- West 

 i Farmer" to owners of tractors in Western Canada elicited 

 ' a great amount of valuable and interesting information. 

 Forty-seven per cent, of the reports indicated that the 

 tractor was growing in popularity; 13%, tractor was losing 

 its popularity; 78%, that banks adopted a more or less 

 unfavorable attitude toward lending money to tractor 

 owners or prospective purchasers; 15%, favorable attitude 

 by banks towards tractors; 13%, anticipate a good demand 

 tor tractors in 1922; 43%, a fair demand; and 23%, a poor 

 demand. 



Farmers Operate 30,000 Tractors 



From actual reports of manufacturers and distributors, 

 it has been computed that 3,428 tractors were sold in the 

 three Prairie Provinces in 1921, as compared with 10,200 

 in 1920; 9,000 in 1919; 7,500 in 1918; and 5,000 in 1917. 

 Saskatchewan being the largest grower of wheat naturally 

 purchased the greatest number of machines, accounting in 

 all for 1,655. Manitoba was second with 1,057 and 

 Alberta third with 716. In addition 97 steam engines 

 were purchased last year,54 being bought by Saskatchewan, 

 30 by Manitoba and 13 by Alberta. The estimated total 

 ownership of tractors in Western Canada in 1921 was 

 30,000, with an estimated value of $24,250,000. In fixing 

 the valuation for 1921, allowance has been made for the 

 general reduction in inventory values, as well as a sub- 

 stantial decrease on account of depreciation. 



The majority of tractors at the present time are used 

 for a great many purposes, other than breaking, discing, 

 etc. They can supply power to a blower for filling a silo, 

 run the threshing machine, etc. Replies to the question- 

 naire above referred to indicate a general feeling of satisfac- 

 tion with dealer service, operation of machines and return 

 on investment. Seventy per cent, of the replies indicated 

 that the tractor was used as much as ever last season; 85%, 

 that another tractor would be purchased when necessary; 

 60%, use tractor for both belt and field work; 28%, use 

 tractor for belt work only; 12%, use tractor for field work 

 only. Last year it was estimated that 17% of the thresh- 

 ing machines in Western Canada were operated by steam 

 traction engines. 



Thirty Tractor Manufacturers Represented 



These machines must have constant attention and are 

 often in need of spare parts, which has resulted in a large 

 number of machine shops being operated in farming dis- 

 tricts, where tractors are used, to cater to this trade. In 

 addition many of the tractor manufacturers have estab- 

 lished their own repair shops and have established also 

 agencies where spare parts can be obtained without delay. 

 Practically every nationally-known tractor manufacturer 

 has branch offices and warehouses in Western Canada or 

 has an officially accredited representative. During 1921, 

 there were 21 American manufacturers represented in 

 the Prairie Provinces, eight Canadian firms and one 

 English concern. 



While 1921 was not a very good year for the tractor 

 trade in Western Canada, due to the unsettled state of the 

 market for farm products in general and particularly 

 wheat, it is the majority of opinion that 1922 will see a 

 resumption of tractor activity on a fair scale. The lack 

 of funds for capital investment last year hampered sales to 

 a great extent, but from present crop prospects, as well as 

 the staple condition of the market, 1922 and 1923 should 

 witness much activity in this industry. 



The Standardization Movement in Canada 



By R. J. Durley, Secretary, Canadi-m Engineering 

 Standards Association 



In Canada, as in other countries, some popular un- 

 certainty seems to exist as to the use of the term 

 "Standardization,'? some taking it to include only the 

 work of measuring, calibrating or comparing scientific 

 instruments, measures of length and so on, while others 

 understand that it refers to the preparation of such designs, 

 dimensions or specifications in industrial, manufacturing 

 or construction work as will be generally accepted and 

 worked to by all concerned. 



The latter is, of course, the line of work along which 

 the activities of the Canadian Engineering Standards 

 Association are directed. 



The first steps towards the organization of engineering 

 standardization work in Canada were taken in 1918, when, 

 at the suggestion of the British Engineering Standards 

 Association, a committee of prominent Canadian engineers 

 and industrialists was formed to deal with the matter. 



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