AMERICAN & CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 8

AMERICAN & CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

THE OBSERVATIONS OF A DISTINI GUISHED ROSS-SHIRE BREEDER. ; On Friday evening, February 24-, Mr John Ross, Meikle Tarrel, the noted Ross-shire i breeder and feeder of fat stock, was enter- \ tamed to a publio dinner by the members of the Easter Ross Farmers' Club and other 1 friends, on the occasion of his recent return from Chicago, where he acted a« a judge at the great annual show of stock last December. It was considered by the Easter Ross agriculturists and others that the invitation to Mr Ross to judge at Chicago was a distinction not only to himself, but also to Easter Ross, which has for a long number of years maintained a high name on account of the excellenoe of its farming, and more particularly in connection with the breeding and feeding of fat stock. Mr Ross has for many years been recognised as at the head of the breeders of fat stock in this country, animals bred by him having won all the principal honours at the great national fat shows. During the aboence of Mr Ross across the Atlantic, a shorthorn heifer, Jewel, bred by him, and owned by the Earl of Rosebery, was the dinner of the Breed Cup, the £50 Heifer Cup, and the lOOgs Champion Plate as the best animal at tbo Smithfield Show. The gathering was a large and representative one, and the health of "The Guest of the Evening" was enthusiastically honoured. Mr Ross, in course of his reply, said: — ... I was very much struck at the show at Chicago, and again at Guelph, by the sobriety of those I met -there— the shrewd, hard-working farmers, and the attendants of stock as well. Very many of the hired men were Aberdonians. Amongst all who con- : gregated from their far-away homee I never met a single oase of drunkenness ; drink was not, so far as I oould see, an accompaniment of good-fellowship. — (Applause.) THE GREAT CHICAGO LIVE STOCK SHOW. After describing the great stockyards of Chicago, and the enormous number of animals handled ir> them, and also alluding 1 to the great packing-houses of Armour and Co., Swift and Co., and others, Mr Ross proceeded to refer to the great International' Live Stock Exposition, at which he acted: as a judge. He said::— ln buildings belonging to the stockyards of Chicago the International Live Stock Exposition is held. It is a gathering of all the clans of the great agricultural world. It begins on a Saturday and extends to iho following Saturday, and I during tho week thousand* upon thousands pass through the turnstiles. Their buildings are enormous, as you can readily understand when, you find that they are capable of accommodating over 1000 cattle : 275 of this number were in the fat sections, the remainder including' ehorthorns, polls, Herefords, and Galloways. Sheep numbered nearly 1000, and pigs nearly 500. Horses numbered over 400 .single animals ; then there were 21 pairs, 7 three horses abreast, 12 four-horse teams, 7 six-horse teams — well on for 600 horses in all. In addition to the barns required for the j housing of this great number of animals, there were also Ihe necessary judging rings; and you can quite imagine that as all this accommodation was only provided from tim© to time as necessity demanded, it wa=; not so compact or so suitable as it is lil- •-*■»■ to ba made in the near future. A peculiarity of American practice is inevidence almost everywhere — machinery and buildings are all set aside once their usefuinoss and suitability are over. They don't mend and pate l ! as we do ; they set aside or pull down and replace. — (Applause.) For the cattle parados they have a long, narrow building, . with a central dome or rotunda capable of seating many thousands, and here the. final championship was given, in the presence of multitudes of interested spectators, to the Minnesota College polled ox. The college lads fairly broke loose, and yelling their college cry, made for the arena, and throwing their college ensign over the champion, hoisted their feeder to his back, anil marched from the contest victoriously, yelling defiance to all around. (Laughter.) Out in the stockyards the carload competitions of 15 oattle each — about 15 hundred animals in all — was a more interesting show, from a feeder's point of view, than even the large number of single animals inside. Here you have the natural product of the great ranches — the calves, chiefly from New Mexico, worked up towards the slaughtering- point as they aged, until at 20 to 24- months they landed in Chicago well gr'-wn and fed, just to suit the present-day taste of the market, quite as heavy as many of our own " under-two-year-olds. — (Applause.) They are fed almost entirely in the open, and are got ready for killing at very much less expense. Their favourable climate, cheap food, and small expenditure in buildings or attendance are factors we will have to reckon with to a still greater extent than at present. Probably the most attractive feature to the immense crowds at the International was the draft horse competition. The single horses and the well-matched* pairs and teams of three abreast were a magnificent sight that appealed to the sporting instincts of the multitude, but when the four and single-horse teams trotted! into the arena th« enthusiasm was intense — (Applause.) The individual merit and value of the 42 horses in the six-horse teiams was great, and I believe that nowhere else in the world could a display of such excellence and magnitude be seen — (Applause.) Handled as these powerful horses were in a narrow alley lined on both sides with thousands upon thousands of spectators, the most perfect horsemanship I ever saw was cheered and cheered again and again as they passed and re-passed and turned and formed the figure 8 without a hitch. Some of the teams were decorated with small electrio lamps, ticking out the harness and along their manes, but such good animals required nothing in the way of such decorations ; it was attempting to paint the rose. (Applause ) An excellent feature of the shew was the good fellowship displayed on all hands. Maay came there for the week from all pa-rts of the United States and Canada, conferring in publio and private regarding iho conditions of their callings. In that excellent club, the "Saddle and Sirloin," attached to the Transit House Hotel, all under the wing of the Exposition directors, you find daily ever so many friendly groups around the lunch and supper table % to which guesta are made heartily welcome, and where, in the evenings more especi ally, discussions on agricultural subjects are tho rule. Many » oattle is fought over again. *nd many an interesting glimpsa

is given by the older men of the conditions under which they worked in days gone by. The University professor is everywhere willing to hear and to tell some new thing that will help forward the great endeavour to nroduce more, and of better .quality, and in shorter time than was ever done before. The marketing of their stock ! is largely done privately by the salesmen, much as was done in our young days by the Munroes and Sutherlands from Cannress in the Muir of Ord, and by John Swan and William Ritchie in Edinburgh; and as usual, a Scotsman is ab the head of the largest business of that character m tin world.— (Applause.) The auction ring , has not yet got a footing in America, ' though this year many of the prize animals i were put up to auction out in the open. > The Chicago champion was sold to a New i York syndicate for 35d0l per cwt, netting nearly £135 for his carcase alone. With , his prize money he will have netted more ! money for his college than any prize-winner I in the Old or New Country. — (Applause.) The industrial side of Chicago is immense, both in manufactures and in the handling of produce, wool, corn, etc. Through the courtesy of the representatives in this country of tho M'Gormick Harvesting Company, I was able to take just a run through part of their immense manufactory. It covers many acres of land, and goes far up into the sky. Here again machinery makes everything identical in size and fitting, so that all new parts are exact duplicates of the old. The knotlers were being tested by three boys, knotting away until j they knotted perfectly before being sent to ! the market. All the operations seemed to ', be carried out on the same careful lines, ; and economy was shown in the wood det partment, where shavings, sawdust, and parings fro mthe different shaying machines were all sucked away by a strong current of air from the benches out of the opera- ! tors' way, and delivered to the furnaces for fuel. VISIT TO CANADA— THE GUELPH SHOW. But I must reluctantly leave Chicago, just as I left it personally with sincere regret that I could not spend more time amongst its many wonders. As we approached Guelph we came to more friendly looking farms, larger, and with a touch of home about them. Hers they wore holding their annual week's fair, which for many years has gathered round their great — I believe the greatest, and certainly one of the oldest colleges in America. This is a small show in comparison to Chicago, and is more after the style of our Highland, only under cover On my arrival I got a guest badge — evaryone almost wears a badge of some sort, — and I was free to go anywhere. As they did at Chicago, the farmers here make a week of it, under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture for Ontario, the Live Stock Commissioner for Ottawa, professors from many of their colleges, besides many others interested m agriculture from all parts. Arrangements wore made by the Reception Committee , for the accommodation of strangers and i visitors. Many of the private houses throw ! open their door 3, and every inducement is 1 g : ven to farmers to gather together at this • convenient centre. On one evening the Mayor gave an address of welcome at a publio meeting in the City Hall, which was crowded to overflowing by the en- , thusiastio Canadians and their ftiends. Excellent address is were given upon various j subjects bearing upon agriculture by proj fessors and others, and the evening was brought to a close with the singing of "Gcdsave the King" as heartily and loyally as ever it was sung at Home. — (Applause.) I just wish that those who suggest the Canadian loyalty does not reach their pockets had been there that night, and they would have seen and felt how their loyalty came from a very different plaoe — straight and strong from their hearts ; their blood was up, and they were ready to shed it for their own and their Old Country's King. — (Applause.) On other days the exhibitors of live stock were entertained to luncheon by the City Council — one day the exhibitors of cattle, the next the exhibitors of sheep, and the next th-3 exhibitors of ■, swine. Annual meetings of the various breed societies were held, just as at our own Highland On each day of the week meetings were held in the lecture room of the Winter Fair Buildings. Let me just mention the subject for one day (Wednesday), and wo may form some idea of the value of the Winter Fair Weefit to the I farmers of Ontario At 10 a.m. an address | on dairy cattle, followed by questions and j disci. ssions as to the production of milk and the marketing of dairy produce. At j 2.30 p.m., beef cattle ; address on baby I lieef. Questions and discussions how to 1 improve the quality of our export cattlo. i Canadian "beef on the British markets. I and the dead meat trade, and how it would i bei efit stoo'emen. These lectures were most valuable, as the professors are almost all specialists competent to give practical advioe on their own subjects. Thursday- was given over to- sheep in the foienoon and swine in the afternoon, and Friday to cattle carcases. Just fancy what those addresses and discussions must mean to the Ontario farmer. In the lecture room at the Fair Buildings on Wednesday I sat away up among great, strong working farmers interested in the baby beef addresses. Here they were all around taking notes of the practical experience of others. It was a wonderful sight, over 400 shrewd, hardworking fellows taking home some simple j truths, to be thought over and mayhap put into practice soma day. I was told by one of their professors that the first improvement in hog-raising was begun in that lecture room. On to a small platform in full view of the audience they brought two live pigs — one the ordinary pig of the country ; the other what was wanted by the ham-curer. They were closely examined and demonstrated upon, then removed and slaughtered l . The. next day the dressed oarcases were hunj? up for inspection, and from that: day forward improvement was begun, and now they produce magnificent pig 3, with hardly a bad one amongst them. — (Applause.) That day one of tbe mest perfect shorthorn heifer calves I ever saw was brought upon the platform, just to show the first-prize calf at the St. Louis Would Fair, the Chicago International, and now at the Guelph Winter Fair, and to give those present an inspiration to go home and produce others liko her. — (Applause.) The Guelph College is a very imposing building, placed on a wooded heia&t overlooking the large college farm. llt includes tha professors' houses, lecture rooms, laboratories, and dormitories ; while not far removed stand tbe farm offices, with mill and machinery for various purposes, driven by steam. The stabling for lioreea, byres &nd boxes and courts for

cattle, with partially-covered yards for sheep, and a large piggery, were all conveniently arranged around. In the immedi. ate neighbourhood, through tbe generosity of Sir William Macdonald, who has amassed a large fortune, I understand, from tobacco, the Macdonald Institute, for the training of young women in housewifery, was opened last year. There were beauti* ful dining rooms, lecture halls, and recroation rooms, a dairy, laundry, cutting^out, sewing, millinery, Sloyd and other rooma and dormitories for 150 girls, with rooms for the matron and her assistants. All were beautifully and simply furnished, and adl so fresh a,ndl bright, just like the young poople, all over 18, who occupied them. Not a single empty room had they, showing how the opportunity for instruction was appreciated. I Avas greatly struck by the practical way in which their course was conducted. They have a small moJoI house, with dining room, two or three bedrooms, kitchen, etc., which is handed over to the care of the girl for a week. She; has to go to the city to buy the necessary fcod for her small household of two or three persons, prepare and cook and serva all the meals, and do all the household work connected with the house.— (Applause.^ Her expenditure at the end of the week 13 counted up, anJ upon that, as well as upon ho v she has performed all the other duiies of the work, depends the grafting, of her diploma. An excellent practicaltest, I bought it was, of what every girl should ha able to do before getting chargo of a hou3e of her own.— (Applause.) Mr Ross then gave a graphic description of a visit to the Niagara Falls. CO-OPERATION OF AMERICAN FARMERS. Mr Ros9, in his concluding observations, said: — We might take a leaf out of oub neighbours' book in regard to concentration and co-operation, which seems to be their watchwords They sell their corn into their own elevators, finance their own banks, sell and buy through organisations of which they largely hold the management, and, above all. they have the powerful help of the Minister of Agriculture, the Live Stock Commissioner, and the professors in their agricultural colleges, established and substantially subsidised by the Government, in every separate province in Canada and every State of the Union. — (Applause.) Those men make it their business to mix among farmers, and take a very large share indeed in organising and working up successfully excellent meetings, such as those 1 attended at Chicago an«l Guelph, and of which I have endeavomvel to give you some idea One can hardly ovtr-estimate tha benefits of these organisations and meetings to the An.erican and Canadian farmer, but when we find that some 30,000 of them visit the colleges and! experimental farms of Ontario alone during tha year, you can understand the view they tak3 of the advantages of seeing ar.d hearing for themselvos. They do not stop where we 100 often do, I fear, at the stock show merely, but use it rather as a help to demonstrate Ihe best methods of furthering their general prosperity. — •.{ Applause.) But I fear I am exhausting your patience,' and must bid farewell to thai great country, my visit to wliieh I shall always remember with genuine pleasure. Seeing so many young fellows going in for farming, furnished so handsomely as they are for their life's work, quite cheered my old heart, and in spite of much to depress, X am encouraged to believe that there still remains some life in the old industry. — (Applause.) Th-ore is on the part of the young people less of the tendency of a few years ago towards crowding into the cities in the quest of those fortunes which now they are more willing to exchange for perhaps the less lucrative occupation, but certainly the more healthy one, in the country. — fAT^plause.) Mr Ross concluded by stating that it was the lonaest journey and the most enjoyable time he had ever spent at a cattle show. — (Loud applause.)