Legislative_ Assembly

junction with this work a week was spent in Iowa along with four other Maritime agricultural personnel to study soil erosion and control measures in that state. In co-operation with the Federation of Agriculture a series of meetings was held to discuss the problems in connection with farm machinery, purchasers and maintenance. A brief was drawn up and submitted to the Commission in Charlottetown. A barn hay finisher was installed on the farm of Erskine and Allan Forbes, Lot 16, and records of costs, feed value of hay, etc. are being kept. Mrs. Edwin Mills of Bay Fortune and Barry Wilson of Cornwall won the right to represent P.E.I. in the Can- adian plowmg contest in Quebec in 1968. Dr. Carl Willis represented Canada in the World Plowing Contest in New Zealand and Australia in 1967. Barry Wilson and William MacInnis attended the Canadian Plowing Championship at Barrie, On- tario, in 1967. Plowing matches were held in all three counties in 1967. Corn acre- age in P.E.I., at 1,500 acres, showed an increase of 300 acres over 1966. The aver- age yield of 15.3 tons was slightly lower than the previous year. This could be attributed in part to severe dampness caused by heavy winds and rain storms. A pamphlet, The. A,B,C of Corn Production was distributed to producers and use was made of personal contact and other media. Meetings, competitions, schools, and the publication of a grain production pamphlet were some of the measures used to en- courage and improve production of grain during the year. I think it was a Jonah. Twenty acres of field peas were grown on an experimental basis and the yield appeared promising enough to publish a leaflet on the subject, Mr. Speaker. Per- sonal contact. community schools and mass media were used to distribute informa- tion on weed control in the Province. During the year a P.E.I. Soil and Crop Im- provement Association was organized with an executive and twelve farm directors. Ten public meetings were held with a total attendance of 900 farmers. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a word on that. This organization was organized last year. They came to our Department to see if we’d assist them in this endeavour and I think possibly it’s one of the most productive organizations we’ve ever had in this Prov- ince. It’s wonderful, the attendance. They usually hold the meetings at Birch Court and last week there were four farmers from the outlying areas that told about their own personal experience. I didn’t attend the meeting but they really display enthus- iasm out there and I think that it’s a wonderful thing, the way it’s growing and we contribute to it financially, look after the expenses and so on, but it’s more or less of a self—help program. They go there and they’re figuring out their own prob- lems and figuring out ways to solve them so I certainly want to commend them very highly for their efforts to those people, they’re all busy people, good farmers. They really are the type of farmer that are able to make a living on P.E.I. They don’t have to turn their back on anybody and there’s not very many of them looking for moratoriums either! Approximately 200 acres of cucumbers were grown in Western Prince County for Catelli Food Products of Montreal. Yields averaged seven tons per acre with high yields in the eleven to twelve ton range. This is a considerable increase from 1966 when the average yield was two tons per acre. 1967 was the best year to date for tobacco in terms of acres grown. Total pounds produced and yield per acre, the average yield per acre. was 1,400 lbs. with the price averaging 67c and 68c. Assistance was given with the agricultural classes in community schools in nine areas. Tobacco is making great strides in P.E.I. More people are showing interest in it. I think, possibly, that anybody that has the land that’s suitable. There’s not so very many areas on the Island that are suitable but I think it’s a very good thing. The soil testing service includes free soil sample boxes, questionnaire forms, soil analysis, fertility recommendations as a sign to provide farmers with the latest available information on all aspects of soil management. We have a sampliing group set up out the Soil Lab., the Research Station, and if your friends and neighbors want to get their soil tested, this is a very beneficial thing to be doing. There’s not as many farmers participating in it as really there should be. but it is coming up. It’s increasing every year. Adverse weather conditions in 1967 undoubtedly reduced the number of samples which would have been taken if the weather had been more favorable. However, 3,225 samples were submitted and this number compares favor- ably With the number submitted in 1966, an increase of quite an amount. Now, under the ARDA program that people seem so very fond of, want so much done from, the year 1967 was a very busy one in the ARDA division. Two of our blueberry co-ops became actively engaged in production this year. 80,000 lbs. of berries were picked at the cultivated area at Goose River and 23,000 lbs. on the acreage at Tig- nish. Our pasture program continues to play a very important role. in-the agricul— tural program in several areas. The Lot 16 pasture serves three districts Within a

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