Wednesday 21 February 2018

1949



Sentinel Review, Wednesday, 5 October, 1949
Fear Record Plow Entry to Make Land Shortage
Kenneth Armstrong, chairman of the Brant county general committee (IPM) reported that requests for 240 tractors had been received up to the closing deadline. These, along with competitors who would bring their own tractors and others who will use horses, are expected to boost entries to well over 1000. He expected 400 tractors. Approximately 400 acres had been set aside for plowing, it was pointed out, but this may have to be boosted to more than 500.
Harold W. Amy's farm, 10 miles west of Brantford, was the site of IPM 1949, Brant County. Officials of the Oxford Plowmen's Association had a hand in staging the Brant event to give them some ideas for when it would be held in Oxford in 1951. The Local Counties Day committee from Oxford were: Reeve Harry Little, of Dereham, Harley McBeth, Salford, president of the Oxford Plowmen's; Doug Start, Curries, vice president, E.V. Kennedy and Lorne Richardson, both of Oxford Centre. President of the provincial association was B.C. Porteous from Owen Sound. J.A. Carroll, secretary-manager of the OPA (Ontario Plowmen's Association) said it was definitely assured to be the biggest match ever held. Well over 100,000 people were expected in the four day event. (It was almost 200,000). The Burford road was lined almost solid with traffic. A special squad of 50 provincial police officers was on duty between Brantford and the plowing site (Tuesday morning, Oct.11th). By the time it was all over Brantford and Brant County was richer by $1,000,000.
Tuesday, Oct. 11, open counties day for Brant, Oxford, Norfolk, Haldimand, Waterloo, and Wentworth, plowing was done on the farm of J. Bellhouse, half mile west of headquarters and exhibition area, A.H. Gehring farm, half mile north of headquarters, and farm of B. Szaloczi, one half mile to the east.
There were 12 classes on the first day, seven for horses, five for tractors. Oxford names in the winners list for horses were: Donald Duncan, R.R. 1, Drumbo; Fraser DeWar, Tavistock; W.H. Tuttle, R.R. 1, Woodstock, A.D. Robinson, R.R. 2, Ingersoll, Murray Long, R.R. 1, Salford.
Tractor competitors were: Ross Hargreaves; George Mitchell, R.R. 4, Bright; Norman Shelton, Beachville; George Thornton, Woodstock; Fred Bertrand, Oxford Centre. There were other Oxford competitors, but only the top twelve winners were listed. Some Oxford men served as directors for these classes;- J.H. Thompson, Harry Little, Doug Start, E.V. Kennedy, Lorne Richardson, Harley McBeth. These were all large classes.
Zimmerman Bros., Tavistock, W.H. Tuttle, Woodstock, A.D. Robinson placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the horse show. Jim Innes placed 8th for the best plow team.
The youngest competitor was nine-year-old Thomas George, R.R. 4, Brantford; the oldest was William Slaught, R.R. 1, Wilsonville, age 82.
John Ainslie, Kettleby, Ontario, entertained a large crowd with his four Border collie sheep dogs. They rounded up eight sheep and herded them into a pen, then performed the same with 3 ducks. Airplanes from a nearby airfield took passengers for flights over the tented city and the plowfield. Fred H. Courtney, plowman, from Mooretown, near Sarnia was given a ride in an open cockpit plane, not exactly to his liking. The stunt pilot flew upside down. Fred grabbed the pilot's arm and told him- "If I fall out, you are coming with me".
Ralph McCutcheon, Beachville, was on his honeymoon during the 1949 IPM. He had requested his overnight abode to be kept secret. Some Oxford boys, led by George Thornton, went to the police stating an urgent message from home needed to be relayed to Ralph. They found out where the couple were staying and chivareeded them.
S. Review, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1949
Rain Forces Postponement of Plowing Match Events
The program continued unchanged except that it closed on Saturday instead of Friday. Ontario Premier Leslie M. Frost spoke on Friday instead of at the Saturday night banquet because of the rescheduled timetable.The banquet was held at the Brantford airport. Brigadier O.M. Martin, magistrate for the county of York, noted educationist, soldier, and former resident of Six Nations Indian Reservation opened the match. Opening ceremonies featured Indian dancers in native costume, feathered headress and beaded buckskin. Elliot Moses, veteran Six Nations plowman, when he introduced the guest speaker, said the Indians appreciated the gesture of the Ontario Plowmen's Association in turning over the entertainment portion of the match program; they entertained evenings throughout the match. Moses said they used to own this country but now they had to get permission to operate even a few minutes. Six Nations people set up an Indian village on headquarters site complete with teepees where the men and women demonstrated Indian handicrafts. Agriculture minister T.L. Kennedy said it was fitting that Canada's original citizens be honored. Twelve hours of steady rain on Wednesday made the exhibition grounds a quagmire. One Brant county resident, George Aulsebrook was so busy pulling vehicles out of the mud with his new Farmall "H" he almost paid for the tractor and three furrow plow. Farm machinery travelled on rubber tires by 1949. J.A. Carroll noted that in 1933 at IPM in Owen Sound only three tractors had rubber tires. Brantford and Burford shoe retailers sold out of any kind of protective footware for the thick sticky mud. One merchant took his wares to the plowing match itself and was able to oblige 200 customers.
Wednesday's plowing schedule (held on Thursday), listed 373 competitors, (Friday's paper stated 393), 24 of them from Oxford, their names spread through nine classes:
Class 1-HORSES (28 entries) had Andrew Forbes, Woodstock
Class 2-HORSES (30 entries) had Donald Duncan, Drumbo
Class 3-HORSES (12 entries) had Murray Long, Salford. The three horse classes all plowed on H. Amy's farm east of headquarters.
Class 4-TRACTORS (66 entries) had Bill Wilford from Salford and Albert Roberts from Woodstock Class 5-TRACTORS (40 entries) had Fred Bertrand,(exhitor #1340)from Oxford Centre, Ralph McCutcheon from Beachville, and Arthur Dale from Curries
Class 6-TRACTORS (105 entries,the largest class); In it were: Ross Hargreaves, Beachville; Bruce Masson, Woodstock; Doug McClintock, Brownsville; Norman Shelton, Beachville; Reginald Manuel, Salford; George Shearer, Bright; Jack Thompson, Woodstock; Jack Hargreaves, Beachville; Vaughn Logan, Woodstock; Jim Richardson, Woodstock.
Class 7-TRACTORS (39 entries) had Gerald Heeney, Ingersoll; George Mitchell, Bright; Jim Innes, Woodstock.
Class 8-TRACTORS (41 entries) 3 furrow, had George Thornton, Woodstock; Ken Howard, Woodstock; Harry Little, Salford.
Class 9- TRACTORS (13 entries) Noteworthy, that four ladies (not Oxford residents) plowed in Class 9: Mrs. T.D. McCann, Brantford; Lois Pond (later known as Mrs. Jack Nixon) from Jarvis; Vera Jacques, Jarvis; Louise Smith, Waterford. Donald Dunkeld, Claremont plowed in this class also. In 2017 he still plows competitively and continues to win.
Oxford Plowmen Win Top Prizes
Friday, S.Review, Oct.14, 1949
Three Oxford plowmen won top prizes in Class 6, yesterday at Burford IPM; George Shearer, Bright was first, followed by the two Hargreaves brothers, Ross and Jack.
THE EXPOSITOR, BRANTFORD, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12, 1949 was an encyclopedia of Brant county agriculture; how the Cockshutt Plow Co. contributed to Canada. It had photos of all the directors and officers of OPA, a history of plowing in Egypt by classical writers (Heslod & Virgil). The first horse was imported to Canada on June 20, 1647, at Tadousac, Quebec, it said.
The main objects of OPA are: 1, to teach farmers, particularly young men how to set and adjust their plows; 2, by competition to encourage them how to use plows to get the desired type of furrow, whether it be narrow or straight; when a young man has mastered the plow he will not be satisfied with other implements that are not properly adjusted. It would be impossible to estimate the annual loss in Ontario in labor and draft power due to improperly set, rusty, or dull equipment. 3, the last and most important object is to encourage pride in doing plowing and other farm jobs in a skilful way. No workman can be happy unless he is trying to do his best.
By Friday, the rain of Wednesday had made plowing conditions "just right" for turning a nice furrow.
PLOWING MATCH SETS RECORDS     The Brantford Expositor, Thursday Oct.13
Traffic jammed all roads in and out of the area; bumper to bumper lines; Number 53 highway and number 2 highway traffic was solid all the way from the plow site for 13 miles east of Cainsville. Friday and Saturday nights Hwy#2 through Woodstock to Ingersoll was jammed with traffic as farmers swarmed into restaurants for supper on their way home.
Brantford Expositor Saturday, Oct.15, 1949
362 entries registered for Friday compared to 393 on Thursday. In one tractor class, (Class 13), open to competitors solely engaged in farming, former first prize winners in this or open tractor classes not eligible, 152 entries were registered. When the time came to tally the results, it was found that several competitors should not have been allowed in as they were not eligible.This complication held up the decision for prize awards. By Saturday night the muddle was straightened out and winners announced: Harold Pickett, Hornby; Joe Tran, Claremont; H. Campbell, Cainsville; H. Leslie, Georgetown; E. Maw, Minesing; Russell Morrison, Beaverton; George Timbers, Aurora; Earl Fleming, Hagersville; Norman Tyndall, Richmond Hill; Doug Campbell, Cainsville; Albert Roberts, Woodstock; Ray Montague, Jarvis.
Class 14, tractors, row crop style, tricycle type only, open to competitors solely engaged in farming who have not previously won a prize in an international tractor class: Gordon Rapson, Londesboro, Bruce Cochrane, Paris, Horace Barnes, Georgetown, Fred Bertrand, Oxford Centre, Ralph McCutcheon, Beachville, Rae Hilborn, Ayr, N. Smith, Columbus, Fred Mason, St. George, Sidney Sisler, Caistor Centre, J. Hill, Scotland, B. Alton, Freeman, Arthur Dale, Curries.
Class 15, tractors, open to boys under 18, engaged in farming, George Mitchell, Bright, placed 8th.
Class 16, Bordens Class, three furrows, not less than 12" wide, former first and second prize winners at an IPM not eligible. Top 12 placings in order of merit were: L.C. Kennedy, Agincourt, Ralph Gerber, R.R.1, Millbank, R.G. Brown, Galt, W.J. Snowden, Nanticoke, Floyd Forsythe, Stouffville, George Cruickshank, Caledonia, Milford Fenwick, Brampton, Les Smith, Gormley, George B. Thornton, Woodstock, Ed Feick, Kitchener, Keith Maw, Lambeth, James Weatherston, Paris.
Class 17, tractors, open, single furrow, not less than 10" wide: Allan Meyer, Claremont, R.R.3; Howitt Carter, Arkell; Graeme Dougherty, Onondaga; Mrs. T. McCann, Brantford; Vera Jacques, Jarvis; Floyd Steckley, Stouffville. Graeme Dougherty was well known to the Oxford plowing community. Graeme plowed up to and during the autumn of 2016. He passed away April 24/2017. His son and grandson carry on the family tradition. For his memoriam card his family chose "The Man Behind the Plow".
 Class 18, girls, over 13 and under 18, plowing with any make of tractor: Louise Smith, R.R. 5, Waterford; Lois Pond, R.R. 5, Jarvis; Margaret Baigent, Waterford.
Expositor, Brantford, Monday, Oct.17, 1949
Saturday Oct. 15 was the climax of the 1949 IPM with 262 entries, 70 in 4 horse classes, 192 in 5 tractor classes, bringing the total entries  for the four days to 1185, published in the Expositor of Monday Oct. 17th. It was declared the "Greatest Ever". The coveted Trans Atlantic Class 20, horses, was won by Ronald Marquis, 28, of R.R. 1, Sunderland. Trans Atlantic Class 25, tractors, was won by Jim Eccles, 30, of Brampton. Runner up in the transatlantic tractor class was Doug Campbell, Cainsville, who won a silver medal and $150 cash. The same award went to N. Jarvis, runner up in the horse drawn class. The tour manager who accompanied Marquis and Eccles to Britain in January of 1950 was Alex McKinney of Brampton, R.R. 2.
Class 23, horses, open to boys under 18, Eugene Timbers, R.R. 1, Milliken; Robert Nixon, Hagersville; Earl Bacher, Cayuga; Mac Gamble, R.R. 3, Chatsworth; George Markle, Alberton; Tom Braithwaite, R.R. 2, Ancaster; Murray Long, R.R. 1, Salford; John Clark, R.R. 5, Goderich; Andrew MacRobbie, R.R. 5, Guelph; Ivan Bell, Kirkfield.
Class 24, tractors, intercounty competition, open to one team of two plowboys from each county. The Brant county team of Cecil Wells and Bruce Cochrane placed fourth.
Class 26, tractors, open, excepting to those eligible to compete in Class 25, (top 12), Robert Timbers, Stouffville; Jack Hargreaves, Beachville; J. Warriner, R.R. 2, Markham; Frost Wells, R.R. 2, Stouffville; Doug Reid, R.R. 5, Brampton; Spencer Wilson, Norval; Allan Meyer, R.R. 3, Claremont; Hubert Turnbull, R.R. 1, Canfield; Carl Jacques, R.R. 3, Jarvis; George Shearer, R.R. 1, Bright; George Dobbin, R.R. 1, Caledonia; Norm Shelton, R.R. 1, Beachville.
Class 27, tractors, three furrow, 10" plows, Floyd Steckley, Stouffville; W.J. Snowden, R.R. 1, Nanticoke; Glen McFadden, Millbank; Floyd Forsythe, R.R. 2, Stouffville; Harold Ellis, R.R. 4, Aylmer; Horace Baines, R.R. 4, Georgetown; William Lemery Jr., R.R. 2, Brantford; Howard Kellam, R.R. 2, Brantford; Harry Jarvis, R.R. 2, Hagersville; George Cruickshank, Caledonia.
Class 28, tractors,open, row crop style, tricycle type only, 3 furrows not less than 12 inches-  L.C. Kennedy, Agincourt; Ralph Gerber, R.R. 1, Millbank; A. Ball, R.R. 1, Fletcher; Fred Mason, R.R. 1, St.George; William Walsh, R.R. 2, Brantford; L.R. McMillan, Norwood; B. Alton, Freeman; Fred Bertrand, Oxford Centre; George Michie, R.R. 4, Brussels; Ralph McCutcheon, Beachville; A. Patterson, R.R. 1, Dunnville; H. McLean, R.R. 1, Melbourne.

HORSE SHOW
Zimmerman Bros. Tavistock won the special for teams and equipment. Names in order of merit; Niles Shantz, Plattsville; T.A. Wilson, Cannington; G. Tuttle, Woodstock; A.D. Robinson, Ingersoll; Zimmerman Bros. Tavistock; Jack Scollard, Brantford; Archie Haas, R.R. 6, Brantford; Albert West, R.R. 4, Woodville; Bob Brown, Galt; Harold Duffy, Ingersoll; Stan May, Hornby; W. McKenzie, Burford; Leslie Van Sickle, Middleport; Hugh Bradford, Dunnville; Bob Loveless, St.George; Bob Brown, Galt; F. Judd, R.R. 3, Simcoe; Edward Stoneman, R.R. 1, Caledonia; Tom McKenzie, Burford.
S. Review, Monday, Oct. 17, 1949, page 4
Make Plans Now For Plow Match
After the 36th IPM concluded, the 38th IPM in Oxford County was confirmed. In February of 1948 at the provincial plowmen's convention in Toronto, the Oxford delegation was unsuccessful in obtaining the event because the Ontario body did not plan more than two years ahead. In February of 1949, the county council chartered a bus, took two pipers and a drummer from the Ingersoll Pipe Band and swept into the convention floor with the most impressive delegation ever to confront the Ontario directors. Len Coles, County clerk, who was part of the delegation, by 1951 also treasurer of the local committee, introduced all the entire council and members of the group. Pipers were Major Alex Collins of Ingersoll and W.L. Pearson of Embro. Drummer Art Preswell of Ingersoll gave a drum roll before each introduction. Aldergrange Farm of John R. Hargreaves was chosen for the 1951 IPM. Traffic, Billeting, and Site of the banquet were major concerns. A Woodstock hotel had a suite of rooms already booked for an implement company who planned to exhibit. One of the greatest headaches was arranging for horse teams and tractors for contestants travelling a distance.
The Ingersoll Tribune, Thursday, Oct. 20, 1949, had a photo of Gerald Heeney,11, of Ingersoll at the IPM in Burford.
The Tribune, Nov. 3rd, 1949, had a story of a Jr. Farmer Plowing Match at Harrietsville, held on the Robbins Bros. farm on Oct. 19 (likely for Elgin Cty.). Kenneth Rath, Crampton won best plowed land in a tractor class. Murray Long won the boys under 20 class. Plowmen over 20 class won by Edward Wills, Thorndale; 2nd-Harry Blackman Jr. Ingersoll. Boys 18 to 24, tractors, placings: Beverly Long, Salford; Carlyle Wood, Ilderton; Wilmer Smale, Crampton.

Oxford Plowmen had a meeting Nov.2nd. Visitors in attendance were the General Chairman of the 1949 IPM, Kenneth Armstrong and Lenard McQuay, agriculture representative of Brant County. The purpose of the meeting was to get some inside information on the 1949 IPM and find out what moves to make in preparation for the 1951 match in Oxford; the responsibilities of the local committee and any other details of value. Armstrong responded it cost $2600 for transport, care, and feeding of teams. Their only source of revenue was from admission and parking fees for cars; this was affected by weather (rain). The extra day at the match gained them $2800. Armstrong said the General Chairman and the local committee Chairman need to have plenty of free time to spend on preparation. It cost $20 per tractor, $12 per team, and Insurance cost $5 per tractor.      The two most important positions were: Chairman of the tractor committee and Chairman of the ticket committee. Lands committee needs to be set up first. It is necessary to take a tough attitude to protect the financial interests of the local committee. Too many complimentary tickets had been passed around. After the large number of entries at 1949 IPM, the Ontario Plowmen's Association decided to limit competition in the big match to those who have qualified at county and branch matches. The demand for lands had put plowing competition for some classes beyond reasonable walking distance from headquarters area. Teams and tractors for 1000 entries puts a heavy load on the host county committee. It raised the standard of plowing for the biggest plowing match in the world to what it should be- experienced workmanship. It stimulated more interest in local county matches. At the Annual meeting of Oxford Plowmen, Dec. 20, 1949, J.A. Caroll was present to reside over the election of officers for 1950. Leslie Curry was still the auditor. A slate of 27 directors was elected. After entering the 1949 Oxford match and IPM 1949, Arthur E. Dale won the heart of 1949 host farmer's daughter Margaret Manson. After marriage, they were loyal leaders of the Oxford Plowmen. Art was Oxford's OPA director for many years and Margaret served as secretary-treasurer. Art passed away in 2005, Margaret, 22nd, January, 2018.

Mr. Frank Manson hosted the 1949 Oxford match 3rd Oct. (Monday) 3 miles south of Woodstock, west side of Hwy 59. Entries were up; again, a horse show was held and the prize list was $800. Match date was advanced so winners could participate at the IPM Burford in Brant County. There were 14 classes, four for horses, eight for tractors, and two special classes. The non-farmer class was retained and a mounted plow class added.
Sentinel Review, Tuesday, 4 Oct. 1949 pg. 5
Roscoe Buck Captures Oxford Plowing Title

Mr. Roscoe of Princeton was awarded the best plowed land with team or tractor, entitling him to enter the 1949 International Plowing Match at Burford later this month. Jim Innes, 16, R.R. 4, Woodstock was winner in the class open to Oxford county boys 16 years and under. Donald Duncan, 17, R.R. 1, Drumbo won the class for the best plowed land in jointer sod, horses only.

Results were as follows:
Sod,open- Alfred Dickie, Jerseyville; Karl Watson, R.R. 6, Forest; Russell Brush, R.R. 1, Forest.
Sod, open to Oxford county - Roscoe Buck, R.R. 2, Princeton; Fred Howard, R.R. 3, Woodstock, Russell Carter, R.R. 7, Woodstock.
Sod, open to Oxford county boys 17 years and under- Donald Duncan, R.R. 1, Drumbo; Murray Long, Salford.
Sod, no handling class- A.D. Robinson, R.R. 4, Ingersoll, Gordon Smith.
Sod, open- Albert Roberts, R.R. 2, Woodstock; J. Ferguson, Croton; William Lemery Jr., R.R. 3, Waterford.
Sods, 2 furrow plows, open to Oxford county plowmen- Jack Hargreaves; George Shearer, R.R. 3, Bright; Douglas McClintock, Brownsville.
Sod, 3 furrow, open to Oxford county- Ken Howard, R.R. 3, Woodstock.
Sod, no handling class, 2 furrow or 3 furrow- Ross Hargreaves, R.R. 1, Beachville.
Sod, row crop tractor class- Fred Bertrand, Oxford Centre; Ralph McCutcheon, R.R. 1, Beachville; Ross Brown, R.R. 2, Bright.
Sod, 2 or 3 furrow open to Oxford county boys, 16 years and under- James Innes, R.R. 4, Woodstock; Gerald Heeney, R.R. 2, Ingersoll; Robert Laird, Norwich.
Sod, open to Oxford county boys, 20 years and under- James Richardson, Woodstock; Bev Long, Salford; Hubert Little, Salford.
Sod, 2 furrow mounted plow class- Oxford county- Wayne Richardson, Woodstock.
Specials- Don Duncan, A. Roberts, Roscoe Buck, Ken Howard, James Innes, Jack Hargreaves.




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