1948

At the September 13th meeting of the Oxford County Plowmen, 1948, Mr Alvin Hunter suggested having the Junior Farmer match in conjunction with the Oxford match because they were in the same area. Hargreaves was not in favour of the idea because some of the classes at the county match were not too well filled and this would only aggravate the situation. The executive voiced the same opinion. No record of an Ingersoll Junior Farmer match was found in 1948, but the Junior Farmers were actively involved in the Oxford Plowing match. They were put in charge of the parking and traffic committee, along with the Provincial Police, and Alvin Hunter was the chairman. The Sentinel Review printed a glowing report for the 1948 Oxford match:

Dawendine Farm is Site for County Plowing Match

You've been to the International and if you saw any plowing, you walked miles to see it, more miles than the contestants in the horse classes walked behind their plows.

Now, if you want to see some plowing in match competition, the real thing as it is done in Oxford, and not walk miles to see it, the Oxford County Plowing Match is the place for you.

On Oct. 26th, drive south of Ingersoll to "Mike" Dewan's farm (two miles) on the Culloden Road. There was plenty to see besides plowing, a display of farm machinery, all your friends (over 5000    turned out last year), and a horse show.

Now, this horse show, its different. These horses must plow on the day of the match. Not just drag a plow a few feet to qualify. They must complete a land and while doing it must be in show harness, there's a sight for you, powerful spirited Clydes and Percherons in full regalia working a land.

The plowmen will be competing for a total of $800 in prize money, including many special awards which have been put up. Never before in Oxford was such a wealthy prize list compiled for a county match.

The East Zorra Plowmen's Association Memorial Trophy will be put up for competition. Fred Howard won the trophy in 1946; Harry Blackman was winner in 1947.

Other special prizes include $5 worth of motor oil donated by W.S. Ashman of Ingersoll for the oldest plowman in the regular classes. The youngest plowman will get $5 worth of goods from Ingersoll Hardware.

The Ingersoll Junior Farmers Club special will go to a member of the club placing highest in the amateur class in either horse drawn or tractor drawn classes. Entry in these classes must be a first attempt at a county plowing match. The prize will be $10 cash in each class.

The prize money for the horse show has been donated by the Ingersoll Agriculture Society. The Canada Permanent Trust Co. has put up a special award of $20 to the championship team in the show. All teams entered in the show must plow in show harness after one o'clock in the afternoon. Prizes are offered for the best draft team of Clydesdales, Percherons, or Belgians, the best wagon team, and the best plow team.

A highlight of the afternoon's program will be the class of non-farmers. This class may not be strictly novice as some retired farmers get the itch to lay hands on the plow handles, but as in previous years there should be enough green novices to supply plenty of fun when they first try their hand at turning a furrow.

Not only for the 1948 county match, but for the future 1951 IPM, 27 directors are listed in the minute book:- J.R. Hargreaves, Murray Gray, Lorne Richardson, Wilfred Grenzebach, Doug Start, George Innes, Murray Armstrong, H.E. Longworth, Sam Banbury, George Matheson, Calvin McKay, Fred Bertrand, Alex Muir, Ben Ball, Albert Roberts, Wilfred Corp, John Smith, Arnold Gee, Ross Hargreaves, John Wallace, Russell Karn, F.W.Goble, Doug McClintock, Sid Goring, Ed Hansuld, Bob Rudy, and Harper Hammond.

Fred Howard is president this year of the Oxford Plowmen's Association.His executive committee consists of K.R.Daniel, M.P., T.R. Dent, M.L.A., Warden Gordon Ross, C.W. Riley, Mayor of Ingersoll, and E.V. Kennedy past president, all of whom are honorary presidents. Also on the committee are Murray McBeth, first vice-president; A.D. Robinson, second vice-president; George E. Bell, secretary; Norman Shelton, treasurer. The committees for the 1948 Oxford match:

Plowing Teams:  A.D. Robinson and Murray McBeth, Donald Dane Learn, Eric Taylor.

Grounds: A.D. Robinson, P.M. Dewan, Wilfred Grenzebach, John Hargreaves, Alvin Hunter, Harley McBeth, E.V. Kennedy, Lorne Richardson, Doug McClintock, and John Smith.

Machinery and Educational: George Matheson, Percy Sage, Charles Nancekivell, Murray Gray, Harry Ellery, R.A. McDonald, Harry Little, Leroy Curtis, Burford Learn.

Prize List: Murray McBeth, E.V.Kennedy, A.D. Robinson, John Hargreaves, Norman Shelton, Harper Hammond, Ed Hansuld, Wilfred Grenzebach.

Horse Show: Bill Tapsell, Harry Ellery, Alex Amos, Harper Hammond, R.Alex Forbes, George Innes.

Parking and Traffic:  Ingersoll Junior Farmers and Provincial Police, Alvin Hunter, chairman. Fieldmen: Percy Sage, Leroy Curtis, John Hargreaves, James Calder, Tom Pellow, L.G.St.Clair. Announcements:  Jack Cockburn

Lunch was served on the grounds by the Salford Women's Institute.

Judge of the plowing was Frank Bell of Stratford.

Sentinel Review, Wednesday, 27th Oct., 1948 pg.7

Albert Roberts Champion Plowman of Oxford County

Albert Roberts, who plowed at the International Plowing Match at Lindsay, won the East Zorra Memorial Trophy in the class for tractors on sod plowing two furrows, yesterday. In addition, he won the "Esso Champion Tractor Special" of 1948 ($10), and the right to compete in the Esso class at the 1949 IPM, the William Stone& Sons Ltd. special (1/2 Ton of fertilizer), and the cash prize for the class of $15.

2000 or more people attended. Ascendancy of the tractor over horses was noted- 11 entries for horse classes and 24 in the tractor classes.

Officials of the Association were congratulated; the event seemed to run by itself, but it was the result of many hours of work by the directors and committee members. Mr. Daniel, M.P. said it compared favorably with the IPM.

The job of welcoming the crowd to the match on behalf of the plowmen's association fell to secretary, George Bell. He had the task because "the president, both vice presidents, and the treasurer were all plowing in competition".

He mentioned the hope of the association to bring the International Match to Oxford in 1951 and urged his audience to keep up their interest in the county match.

Wayne Richardson, 12, of 590 Ingersoll Ave. in Woodstock was the youngest plowman entered in the match. His father, Norman Richardson, entered the non-farmer class and won a dressed chicken. Oldest plowman was J. Ferguson, R.R. 2, Croton, 56. He plowed in the open class for tractors.

The horse show concluded the afternoon. All horse show entries had to complete a plow land to qualify. Earl Woolcott, R.R. 3, Embro won the championship with his draft team of Clydesdales. The $20 prize from Canada Permanent Trust was presented by Hector Symons of Woodstock. Next to the horse show, the non-farmer event drew the biggest crowd. Contestants were required to plow one round with a single furrow walking plow. Eight non-farmers entered; five came away with prizes of dressed chickens. Two newspaper reporters also ran. Class results as follows:

HORSE DRAWN

Sod, open- Elmer Armstrong, R.R. 2, St. Paul's; Karl Wilson, R.R. 4, Forest; William Buck, R.R. 2, Paris; D.G. Lee, R.R. 2, Paris; S.W. Small, R.R. 1, Mossley.

Sod, open to Oxford County - Fred Howard, R.R. 3, Woodstock; Russell Carter, R.R. 7, Woodstock.
Sod, open to boys 17 and under- Murray Long, R.R. 1, Salford; Lloyd Thompson, R.R.1, Bright.

Sod, no handling class, open- Fred Bertrand, Oxford Centre; A.D. Robinson, R.R. 4, Ingersoll.

TRACTOR DRAWN

Sod, open: N.D. Munro, R.R. 2, Oil Springs (best finish); J. Ferguson, R.R. 2, Croton (best crown); Kenneth Rath, R.R. 2, Mossley.

Sod, two furrow plows: Albert Roberts, R.R. 2, Woodstock; Jack Hargreaves, R.R. 1, Beachville; Reg Manuel, R.R. 1, Salford.

Sod, three furrow: George Shearer, Bright (best crown, best finish); George Masson, R.R. 1, Woodstock; Ken Howard, R.R. 3, Woodstock; Fred Richens, R.R. 2, Mount Elgin.

Sod, two or three furrow: Doug McClintock, Brownsville; Benny McGrath, R.R. 1, Beachville; Howard McCall, R.R. 3, Lakeside.

Sod, row crop: Norman Shelton, R.R. 1, Beachville; Murray McBeth, R.R.1, Salford.

Sod, two furrow: (must be operators first attempt at match plowing)- Jack Thompson, R.R.4, Woodstock (best crown); Vaughan Logan, R.R. 4, Woodstock (best finish); Alvin Hunter, R.R. 1, Mount Elgin;  Arthur Dale, R.R.1, Curries.

Sod, open to Oxford boys 20 and under: Ralph McCutcheon, R.R. 1, Beachville, (best crown, best finish); Bev Long, R.R.1, Salford; Gerald Heeney, R.R. 2, Ingersoll; Hubert Little, R.R. 1, Salford; Wayne Richardson, 590 Ingersoll Ave., Woodstock.

Non-farmers class: Alex Amos, Ingersoll; Bruce McCall, Embro; S.Wadsworth, Ingersoll; Norman Richardson, Woodstock; Joe Duffy, Ingersoll.

HORSE SHOW

Best draft teams: Clydesdales, Earl Woolcott, R.R. 3, Embro; best draft team, Percherons or Belgians, A.D. Robinson, R.R. 4, Ingersoll; Charles Sheahan, R.R. 1, Salford; best wagon team, Harold Duffy, R.R. 1, Salford; Harold Duffy, R.R. 1, Ingersoll; Don Spencer, R.R. 1, Ingersoll; George Sharp, R.R. 4, Ingersoll; best plow team, G.V. Barrons, Mossley; Richard Wilson, R.R. 1, Ingersoll; George E. Powell, R.R. 5, Ingersoll.
Championship team, Earl Woolcott.

Specials

Salada Tea Company special, Fred Howard

Esso Tractor Special, Albert Roberts

T.Eaton Co. Special, Doug McClintock

Robert Simpson Co. Special, Jack Thompson

John Hargreaves special, Norman Shelton

Ingersoll Hardware special, Wayne Richardson

W.S.Ashman special, J. Ferguson

William Stone Sons special, Albert Roberts

New Idea Furnace special, Murray Long

East Zorra Plowmen's Association Memorial Trophy, Albert Roberts

Ingersoll Junior Farmers Club special, Alvin Hunter

R.A.McDonald special, Murray Long

 Schedule for 1948:
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 35th IPM opens at Jack Chambers's farm west of Lindsay.
Tuesday, Oct. 12 was local counties day for Peterborough, Durham, South Ontario, and Victoria on the farm of J.C. Chambers in Victoria County.
Tuesday, Oct. 26, Oxford match at P.M.Dewan farm, Culloden Road, 2 miles south of Ingersoll.

S.Review, 12 Oct. pg. 4

County Officials at International Plowing Contest

With the possibility of bringing the IPM to Oxford in 1951, county officials are leaving Wednesday morning for a two day trip to Lindsay;- Council members, Reeve James Calder of North Oxford and Deputy Reeve J.Calvin McKay of East Nissouri. With them will be George Bell, agriculture representative; Emerson Moulton, county weed inspector; three ex-wardens, Milton Betteridge, J.Winston Nichols and Alex McCorquodale; A.D.Robinson of Ingersoll and E.V.Kennedy of Oxford Centre, members of the executive of Oxford Plowmen's Association; L.K.Coles, county clerk; J.N. Meathrell, county road superintendent, and Alfred Bishop, sheriff. John R. Hargreaves will be judging at the match. Last year, Oxford plowmen Albert Roberts, Kenneth Howard and Fred Howard of Oxford were among the winners at the match.

Agriculture Minister Tom L.Kennedy was scheduled to speak at the Friday night banquet Oct.15th. Premier George Drew announced on Oct.20 that T.L.Kennedy, from Peel County would be named Premier of Ontario. Mr. Kennedy still retained the portfolio of agriculture minister.He was a farmer, noted by his lean leathery cheeks, weathered by sun and rain.

Lindsay council on Monday Oct.11th declared Friday, the championship day, (for Salada Tea and Esso classes) a civic holiday, but the merchants all stayed open.

A team of champion plowmen came from Ireland to try their skill against Ontario plowmen.

Eight airplanes were for hire; apart from joy riding, farmers were also using them for crop spraying.

Sir Andrew Jones, head of the British food mission in Ottawa opened the match on Wednesday. The European Recovery Program, also called the Marshall Plan, named after George C. Marshall would end in 1952-53. Initiated in 1947, the United States spent 13 billion dollars in food aid and supplies to war torn Europe. The Marshall Plan was also credited with helping to check the spread of communism, when the Communists blockaded West Berlin. The blockade was an attempt to drive western powers out of the city. The blockade lasted from June 1948 to May 1949. During this time of the Berlin airlift, American and Allied planes delivered over two million tons of food and supplies to West Berlin saving them from starvation. Andrew Jones warned the gathering that Britain, next year, would reduce her imports of food from Canada as a dollar conservation measure, while stepping up her own production of grain and livestock. That did not mean that Britain would close her markets to Canadian farm produce. As soon as Britain overcomes her currency difficulties she would again turn to Canada for nearly 50% of her food requirements, before the U.S. food aid plan ends in 1952. Jones said it was Canada's shipments of bacon and eggs to England during the war that enabled them to win freedom to live their own lives. England has two objects in view- financial stability and production efficiency. "England will achieve solvency" he said. England must go forward with purpose, faith, and in step. Economic salvation is the spearhead of democracy. He then declared the match open and advised the plowmen to labor for future prosperity, to plow deep and straight.

Wednesdays competition, in stubble, had 86 teams and 213 tractors entered in nine classes. As the number of entries broadened, so did the distribution of prizes. In class two, horses, James Morrow from Northern Ireland placed third.

Thursday's competition, in sod, had two horse classes and eight tractor classes. One of the horse classes was the Junior Farmer inter-county competition. The two boys on the winning team were from Brant County. They won a free trip to the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago. The inter-county competition (Class 10) was held on Thursday and Friday. Brant County was first, Peel second, Haldimand third on both Thursday and Friday. Brant team was Bill Buck, Paris, and Carman Porter, Ohsweken. Duncan Watson, from Woodbridge, won the F.G.Fuller trophy on Thursday and the Bank of Montreal trophy on Friday.

Thursday results were:

Class 9- Tractors, open, 1. Bill Clark, Gormley; 2.  Vera Jacques, Jarvis; 3. Peter Imrie, Argyle;
4. Madeline Huffman, Waterford; 5. Dorothy West, Oakwood. The Royal Bank Shield (SPECIAL) was won by Ross Nottingham, Little Britain.
"The Post" newspaper from Lindsay published only the three top placings in each of the following classes:
Class 10- Inter County, Horses- 1. Brant Cty; 2. Peel Cty; 3. Haldimand Cty; F.G.Fuller trophy- Duncan Watson, Woodbridge.
Class 11- Horses- 1. Howard Timbers, Aurora; 2. Willis Jarvis, Blackwater; 3. Howard Fess, Cayuga. Class 12- Tractors- 1. Bob Timbers, Stouffville; 2. Glen McFadden, Millbank; 3. Ernest Evans, Maple. Class 13- Tractors- 1. Ivan McLaughlin, Stouffville; 2. Joe Tran, Claremont; 3. Hugh Leslie, Georgetown.
Class 14- Tractors- 1. Grant Wells, Stouffville; 2. Ross Nottingham, Little Britain; 3. Lorne Beilhartz, Bruce Station.
Class 15- Tractors- 1. John Pickett, Hornby; 2. Donald Horn, Orillia; 3. Wallace Moore, Lindsay.
Class 16- Tractors- 1. Mervin Harper, Stouffville; 2. Ernest Thomas, Breslau; 3. Floyd Forsythe, Stouffville.
Class 17- Tractors- 1. Wilbur McFadden, Millbank; 2. Allen Mayer, Claremont; 3. H.Carter, Arkell. Class 18- Girls- Tractors- 1. Madeline Huffman, Waterford; 2. Betty Lambert, Woodville; 3. Dorothy West, Oakwood.
Class 19- Boys- Tractors-1. Junior Tellons, Brantford; 2. Donald Dunbert, Claremont; 3. Douglas Manley, Brunswick; 4. Cecil Wells, Paris.(21 contestants in this class,said Cecil)

Fridays results: much the same as above; Cecil Wells placed 10th out of 27 contestants; Cecil plowed with tractor at his first three IPM's 1948, 49, and 50. Bill Buck was his next door neighbour who got him started. He was 12 years old when he plowed at Lindsay in 1948. The Ayr newspaper gave more detailed results. Duncan Watson won the Bank of Montreal trophy for inter-county horses; Floyd Forsythe placed third again in Class 16 tractors.
Class 21- Horses- 1. Elmer Armstrong, St.Paul's; 2. R.G.Brown, Galt; 3. Marshall Deans, Paris; R.G.Brown won the Massey Harris Challenge trophy. Alvin Mark and Wilbur McFadden were winner and runner-up in the horse plowing class sponsored by Salada Tea.
Rys Bacher and Bob Timbers were tops in the tractor class sponsored by Esso oil Co. These four men, besides the six week trip to England in January won gold and silver medals; gold for first, silver for second.