1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON ; J9
W h e n I received M i s s B e a r d m o r e ' s letter, I was s o r r y I d i d not live nearer
C a l g a r y , as I w o u l d l i k e t o h a v e met her, a n d got p e r s o n a l l y a c q u a i n t e d w i t h her.
H e r o u t l i n e o f suggestions i s m u c h t h e same as t h e o u t l i n e g i v e n t o a l l o u r Conveners.
( a) P o u l t r y r a i s i n g .
( b) P r o d u c t i o n of s m a l l f r u i t s.
( c) Bee- keeping.
( d) F l o w e r g r o w i n g for a profit.
( e) M a k i n g of b u t t e r , cheese, etc.
( f) M a r k e t i n g of our produce.
{ g) T e a c h i n g o r j u d g i n g i n s p e c i a l l i n e s of a g r i c u l t u r e.
( h) M i x e d f a r m i n g of o u r o w n .
( i) T h e b e a u t i f i c a t i o n of t h e home s u r r o u n d i n g s.
I t h i n k e v e r y C o n v e n e r s h o u l d t r y to l a u n c h a c l e a n - u p c a m p a i g n , p a r t i c u l a r ly
a l o n g the roads, for that is where so m a n y of our weeds come from, and w i t h the
h i g h winds the seeds are scattered to either side i n t h e fields.
M r s . B r i m b l e is c o n v i n c e d t h a t u n t i l t h e r u r a l k i t c h e n is r e m o d e l l e d , rearranged,
redecorated, refurnished, and a l l t h e other ' ' r e ' s , " t h a t we s h a l l not get v e r y far,
a n d f r om our o w n knowledge of homes i n o u r d s i t r i c t s , we k n o w t h i s is o n l y t o o true.
So w h i c h e v e r C o n v e n e r has t h i s o n her p r o g r am of a c t i v i t i e s , we s h a l l have to refer
it to her.
N o w to t u r n t o some definite i n f o r m a t i o n w i t h reference to our a c t i v i t i e s i n the
P r o v i n c e . The t u r k e y i n d u s t r y has more t h a n d o u b l e d i n t h e last year, a n d m a y 1
suggest that we s h o u l d a l l t r y to h a v e a more h i g h l y finished p r o d u c t for t h e E a s t e rn
m a r k e t s . C o m m u n i t y k i l l i n g of t u r k e y s , organized d u r i n g the past year i n the
s o u t h e r n part of the P r o v i n c e , p r o v e d to be v e r y p o p u l a r , and h a n d l e d three times
the q u a n t i t y as c o m p a r e d w i t h the o r d i n a r y w a y . 45,000 l b s . s o l d f o r m e r l y compared
w i t h 128,000 lbs. i n hist season.
A large p r o p o r t i o n of the egg p r o d u c t i o n was s h i p p e d to Great B r i t a i n and
E a s t e r n C a n a d a , seven cars of eggs being s h i p p e d out of the P r o v i n c e . The 1923
r c j x i r t shows a n increase of 145 per cent, i n eggs, a n d 178 per cent, i n p o u l t r y h a n d l e d.
A word o n t h e bee i n d u s t r y . This is new to most of us, b u t I have h a d several
people report that t h e y can be kept a n d w i n t e r e d p r o p e r l y . A farmer i n o u r d i s t r i ct
s t a r t e d last spring, and on e n q u i r i n g we heard that the bees put up enough honey
t o feed themselves for the w i n t e r , a n d came t h r o u g h well. The h i v e was put i n the
centre of a large p a c k i n g box, and p a r k e d a l l r o u n d w i t h s t r a w . Four tons of honey
have been produced i n t h e L e t h b r i d g e d i s t r i c t.
T o conclude m y report, I want to say a l i t t l e about our home surroundings.
A n a t t r a c t i v e f a rm home a n d grounds are t h e best a d v e r t i s e m e n t for the f a rm owner.
" I ' v e never had" time to fix up m y p l a c e , " is a too common excuse. Progressive
business farmers, not ashamed of their profession, are not in this class. They
r e a l i z e that good s u r r o u n d i n g s p l a y a n important part i n t h e i r life and work. " I
d o n ' t see a n y use i n p u t t i n g m o n e y i n a place to let some else's k i d s tear i t u p , " is a
common expression. This is one of the greatest obstacles to progress in o u r fertile
c o u n t r v . There are so m a n y thousands of people here w i t h s t i l l the same idea they
came " with, v i z . , m a k e a k i l l i n g and get cut, These people u s u a l l y plunge deep,
and w i t h the general result, end i n the hole. As soon as we can settle our m i n ds
d e f i n i t e l y to e i t h e r s t a y or get out, the sooner we s h a l l be on the r o a d to progress.
D u r i n g i h e last few years there has been a decided change in the a t t i t u d e of f a rm
people t o w a r d s f a rm i m p r o v e m e n t . Let o u r s l o g a n for t h e c o m i n g y e a r be " C l e a n - up
a n d fix- up."
R E P O R T O F C A N A D I A N I Z A T I O N A N D N A T I O N A L E V E N T S C O M M I T T E E .
D u r i n g the past four years my a n n u a l reports have largely consisted of the
p h i l o s o p h y of t h i s w o r k , s h o w i n g that the v a r i o u s members of t h i s c o m m i t t e e were
t r a i n i n g to fit themselves for the w o r k — w i t h l i t t l e to show. Now I a m h a p p y to
s a y t h a t we are able to r e p o r t p r a c t i c a l results. I a m g l a d to n o t i c e t h a t i n m a ny
cases t h e s a m e c h a i r m a n h a v e been re- elected each y e a r , a n d h a v i n g l a i d g o o d f o u n d ­a
t i o n s , h a v e been better able t o a d v i s e t h e i r v a r i o u s branches. 1 n o t e i n t h e v a r i e ty
of r e p o r t s r e c e i e v d t h a t the three features w h i c h I asked m y c o m m i t t e e to s p e c i a l i ze
i n , n a m e l y : ( 1) a flag and flag- pole for every s c h o o l ; ( 2) E m p i r e D a y observance
i n the s c h o o l s ' ( 3) a c o r d i a l i n v i t a t i o n t o e v e r y female newcomer to j o i n t h e W o m e n ' s
I n s t i t u t e i n all W o m e n ' s I n s t i t u t e d i s t r i c t s , h a v e been v e r y w e l l c a r r i e d o u t . W i t h ­out
n a m i n g the C o n s t i t u e n c i e s I w i l l quote the work t a k e n u p i n b r a n c h I n s t i t u t e s.