The Better Farming Train was an
agriculture demonstration train which toured
Saskatchewan, Canada, between 1914 and 1922.
Background
The idea of special trains to promote better agricultural practices was developed in Canada in the early years of the 20th century. In 1904, special trains brought farmers to the
Dominion Experimental Farm in
Indian Head Indian Head can refer to:
Coins
* Indian Head cent, U.S. one cent coin (1859–1909)
*Indian Head eagle, U.S. $10 gold piece issued between 1907 and 1933
*Indian Head gold pieces, U.S. coins issued between 1908 and 1929
*Indian Head nickel, U.S. f ...
to demonstrate farming techniques.
In 1906, a Special Seed Train ran throughout the
Canadian Prairies to advertise the
Seed Act and warn of the dangers of
weeds.
In 1913, the Government of Canada passed the
Agricultural Instruction Act "to assist the provinces by grants of money to carry on educational and instructional work for the benefit and encouragement of agriculture".
Two trains called "Better Farming Specials" operated in
Manitoba in 1913, demonstrating farm equipment, live stock and home economics.
A more substantial "Better Farming Train" was devised by
William Motherwell
William Motherwell (13 October 1797, Glasgow – 1 November 1835, Glasgow) was a Scottish poet, antiquary and journalist.
Life
Motherwell was born at Glasgow, the son of Willan and Jane Motherwell. His father was an ironmonger. He was se ...
of the
Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture. Motherwell was a firm believer in
scientific agriculture and had the enthusiastic support of William Rutherford, a former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and then Dean of Agriculture at the newly formed
University of Saskatchewan at
Saskatoon. Rutherford offered the full assistance of the College of Agriculture to promote the latest information on agricultural research and how it could assist farmers. The train itself was provided at no cost by the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
and operating expenses were borne by the grant.
Formation
The train consisted of between 13 and 17 cars with exhibits and equipment for demonstrations and lectures. The train was divided into five sections: Livestock, Field Husbandry, Boys and Girls, Household Science, and Farm Mechanics. Each section had a lecture car and one or more demonstration cars. A
flat car
A flatcar (US) (also flat car, or flatbed) is a piece of rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck mounted on a pair of trucks (US) or bogies (UK), one at each end containing four or six wheels. Occasionally, flat cars designed to carry ...
also carried displays and
stock cars carried horses, cattle, sheep and pigs.
Operation
The Better Farming Train operated in June and July every year from 1914 to 1922, targeting a different area of the province each year. Prominent professors from the College, including
Grant MacEwan, and agricultural officials from the Department served as demonstrators and lecturers.
The train typically stopped in two communities each day.
Summary
The table below is a summary of train operation.
Other agricultural instruction cars
A separate Special Dairy Car, also known as the Travelling Dairy, ran in Saskatchewan in 1916 to promote better
dairy farming practices. It was staffed by the Department and College and hauled by the
Canadian Northern Railway. It was fitted out as a lecture coach with a
stereopticon
A stereopticon is a slide projector or relatively powerful "magic lantern", which has two lenses, usually one above the other, and has mainly been used to project photographic images. These devices date back to the mid 19th century, and were a popu ...
and exhibits.
Following the Better Farming Train, a single agriculture lecture car for the University of Saskatchewan was attached to various trains from 1923 until the early 1930s.
Gallery
See also
*
Better Farming Train (New South Wales), a similar train which operated in
New South Wales,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
between 1927 and 1929.
*
Better Farming Train (Victoria)
The Better Farming Train was an agricultural demonstration train which toured Victoria, Australia in the 1920s and 1930s to promote better farming practices. It was the first of two agricultural demonstration trains to run in Australia.
Backgro ...
, a similar train which operated in
Victoria, Australia between 1924 and 1935.
References
{{Reflist
1914 establishments in Saskatchewan
Agriculture in Canada
Economy of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
Rail transport in Saskatchewan
Canadian Pacific Railway
1922 disestablishments in Saskatchewan