20 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



This year there were more calls for drainage surveys and plans than 

 we could attend to. Twenty-four applications, averaging 100 acres, 

 have been received, and of these thirteen have been completed. 

 Considerably more drainage would be done, but labour cannot be 

 obtained. We made surveys and plans only where the farmers were 

 prepared to go ahead with the work. A ditching machine will likely 

 be purchased before spring, and from present indications there will 

 be many more calls another year. I cannot cite any outstanding 

 instance where underdrainage has been a benefit, as the work has 

 been so recently undertaken. Last fall we took levels for a main 

 drain across three farms; the drain was completed late last year, and 

 the farmers had this year more than double the crop they ever had 

 on the same land. 



I have assisted in making plans for farm barns, and particularly 

 in laying out of stables, planning for ventilation, and the construc- 

 tion of silos. 



Waterloo FARMERS' CLUBS: We have about twelve Clubs in 



County operation in the county, meeting once or twice a month 



during the winter, with some continuing during the whole year. 

 These meetings are of an educational nature and are addressed by 

 the members themselves with an occasional outside speaker on the 

 programme. The Club affords opportunities for public speaking, 

 for acquiring the benefit of the experience of other farmers in the 

 community, it acts as a social centre for the district, neighbours 

 become better acquainted, and in many ways proves very beneficial. 

 Different schemes have been initiated in various Clubs. One has 

 been instrumental in getting a rural telephone system among the 

 farmers and in starting a continuation class in the village school. 

 Another has revived the ploughing match and instituted an annual 

 neighbourhood banquet. Others have various co-operative schemes. 

 Each Club is working out plans for the betterment of its members. 

 Of course, I attend as many meetings as possible, and as they are 

 all held in the evening and are in different parts of the county, at 

 times it means considerable travelling and driving at night. In view 

 of this, it is impossible for me to attend all. However, each Club 

 Secretary sends me a full report of each meeting, together with 

 copies of some of the papers read and a synopsis of the discussions. 

 Consequently, I keep in close touch with all the clubs over the coun- 

 ty. I have used some of these reports and papers for full-page 

 accounts of the various meetings in our local weekly papers, copies 

 of which were sent to the members of all the Clubs. We are holding 

 a conference of the officers of these Clubs in the near future in order 

 that ideas may be exchanged, and preparation is being made for the 

 organization of more Clubs. 



