INTEREST IN AGRICULTURE 193 



times to draw out the talent or personality which 

 most assuredly lies hidden in each member. For 

 this object a roll-call is used and printed on the 

 programmes and gives an opportunity for each 

 member, however shy or bashful she may be, to 

 join in the meeting. Each is expected to respond 

 either with a verse of poetry, a recipe, or kitchen 

 hint as the case may be. In this way those who 

 are retiring and perhaps over-modest are encouraged 

 to express their opinions. 



Another important development which owes 

 its progress to Women's Institute meetings is the 

 interest taken in agricultural and other local and 

 home industries for women. Canada has for many 

 years been aptly called " the bread basket " of the 

 British Empire, and in order to retain this reputa- 

 tion must this year augment her efforts for increased 

 food-production. Not only must she feed her own 

 people and us, but she has also to provide for those 

 at the front. Her women enter with energy into 

 all business transactions of the men, and conse- 

 quently the wives of landowners, farmers, growers, 

 and producers follow each step that is now being 

 taken vigorously to add to the yield of the land. 

 They know the full value of co-operation in agri- 

 culture and appreciate much more than we do in 

 England the assistance that it gives to growers. 

 In one of the Institutes women recently availed 

 themselves of the generosity of the farmers who 

 allowed them to pick up all windfall apples in their 

 orchards. At one of the old-fashioned "paring 

 bee " meetings the apples were peeled and the 

 result was that in one evening fifteen bushels were 



