specific land use projects on their own land. In return for Authority financial 

 and technical help, the landowner must agree to the use of the project as a 

 demonstration. Often such projects have been used as a feature of a "Conservation 

 Day" in which the Department of Agriculture and local farm organizations 

 co-operate with the Authority in publicizing the event. A dozen Authorities have 

 held a number of such events which have been attended by about ten thousand 

 people. 



The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority has established a demonstration 

 pasture farm on land that tends towards the marginal for most farming purposes. 

 This demonstration shows the possibilities of various types of pasture management 

 and seed mixtures for this class of land. The demonstration has attracted wide 

 interest. 



Land Judging Competitions 



A project becoming increasingly popular in recent years is the land judging 

 competitions. First sponsored in 1955 by an Authority in the Toronto region, 

 in 1961 about 20 such competitions were held across Ontario. Many of them 

 were sponsored jointly by Conservation Authorities, the Ontario Agricultural 

 College, and the Department of Agriculture. 



Primarily designed to interest and educate rural young people in soil and 

 its management problems, the competitions have also attracted adult interest. 

 The usual procedure is to have instruction in the morning of the event with 

 the actual competition in the afternoon. Soils are judged according to such factors 

 as erosion, stoniness, drainage, slope and suitability for various crops. Contestants 

 fill out judging cards and score points for their answer, and usually the winners 

 are given prizes. 



Forest Conservation Programs 



Good forestry practice is predicated on the assumption that it will produce 

 wood products at a profit. Aside from this fact, however, forests have an 

 important and sometimes intangible part to play in a watershed management 

 program. They are the natural covering for headwater areas such as swamps and 

 gravel moraines which give rise to many small tributary streams, and are the 

 only crop which can be grown on extensive, rocky lands. Forests embrace other 

 factors included in the conservation scheme such as surface or underground water 

 storage, wildlife management and recreation. 



The Conservation Survey of the watershed carried out by the Conservation 

 Authorities Branch indicates to the Authority concerned the forestry needs of the 

 watershed in question. The conservation report indicates to the Authority which 

 portions of the watershed, on land submarginal for agriculture, should be under 

 forest cover for better land management and for watershed protection and 

 conservation values. 



Most conservation reports recommend the establishment of an Authority 

 forest. Authority forests may consist of existing woodlands plus areas of land 

 that must be reforested. The primary functions of an Authority forest in a 

 watershed conservation project are: 



( 1 ) the protection of source water areas 



(2) the control and prevention of erosion 



(3) the improvement of timber production and timber quality in 

 natural woodlots 



(4) the return of abandoned and open lands suitable only for 

 reforestation, to forest 



38 



