State  Aid  to  Agriculture  in  Canada.  95 
Ottawa  for  the  National  Record  staff,  together  with  stationery 
and  franking  privileges,  and  all  pedigree  certificates  are,  before 
issue,  examined  and,  if  correct,  certified  by  an  officer  of  the 
Live  Stock  Branch  on  behalf  of  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  : 
so  that  in  effect  every  pedigree  certificate  has  behind  it  a 
government  guarantee  of  accuracy — a matter  of  no  small 
advantage,  especially  in  connection  with  international  trade. 
The  Department  makes  also  an  annual  grant,  lately  increased 
to  over  1,500Z.,  towards  expenses,  chiefly  those  incurred  in 
the  organisation  of  new  associations.  All  the  Canadian  breed 
societies  have  joined  in  the  scheme  with  the  single  exception 
of  the  Holstein-Friesian  Society  of  Canada,  which  remains 
independent  and  self-supporting. 
Efforts  are  now  being  made  by  the  Branch  to  place  the  old 
breed  of  French-Canadian  horses  upon  a firmer  basis,  and  animals 
are  being  inspected  for  entry  in  a new  Stud  Book  of  the  breed. 
Another  duty  undertaken  has  reference  to  pure-bred  dairy 
cows.  Inspectors  test  the  milk  production  with  a view  to 
the  entry  of  qualified  animals  in  what  is  termed  the  “ Record 
of  Performance.”  Two  reports  with  the  records  of  cows  since 
1908  have  been  published,  and  there  is  a good  demand  for 
the  cows  as  dams. 
Although  in  Canada  there  are  large  areas  suited  to  the 
rearing  and  feeding  of  sheep  this  industry  has  been  some- 
what neglected,  and  the  numbers  of  sheep  have  steadily 
declined  during  the  past  ten  years.  The  Branch  recently 
issued  a well-prepared  Bulletin  on  Sheep  Breeding  for  free 
circulation,  and  other  efforts  have  taken  the  direction  of  a 
distribution  of  pure-bred  rams  by  means  of  auction  sales 
conducted  by  officers  of  the  Branch  in  different  provinces. 
The  expenses  of  the  sales,  including  transportation  of  the 
animals,  were  borne  by  the  Department ; the  breeders  simply 
contributed  the  stock  and  received  the  full  selling  price.  Sales 
in  Nova  Scotia,  Prince  Edward  Island,  Ontario,  Quebec,  and 
British  Columbia  have  placed  400  pure-bred  sheep  within 
the  reach  of  farmers  desirous  of  improving  their  stock. 
Other  special  inquiries  as  to  the  promotion  of  sheep  breeding 
are  now  in  progress. 
In  the  summer  of  1909  a Commission  visited  Great  Britain, 
Ireland,  and  Denmark  to  inquire  into  the  breeding  of  pigs  and 
the  preparation  of  pork  products  for  the  market.  Valuable 
information  was  obtained  and  is  now  being  circulated  freely  by 
illustrated  bulletin. 
A sum  of  $50,000  (10,274Z.)1  is  granted  annually  through  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  towards  the  expenses  of  a provincial 
1 Throughout  this  article,  excepting  for  quite  small  sums,  dollars  have  been 
converted  into  & sterling  at  the  usual  exchange  rate  ($4.86§  = 1 1.) 
