1932

1932 IPM at Experimental Farm Carleton, Ottawa

Sentinel Review of Thursday, 20th October, 1932 page one

The Governor General opened the IPM, 1932 Tuesday 11th October at the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Carleton County, grasping the handles of a walking plow.  Lockie Wilson said he ploughed "a fairly good furrow".

On Thursday, 13th October, Ag Minister Robert Weir and Prime Minister R.B. Bennett attended.  Bennett was so impressed that he donated $150 to provide prize money for a whole class in next years IPM.

Attendance was reduced because of:  1) Gale force winds on Day One - some tents were blown down, 2) Rain on Wednesday, 3) Damp cold on Thursday, 4) No sweepstakes class - The glamour that surrounded the annual champion (Grenzebach) was missing.  No Oxford plowmen attended.  R.G. Brown won the Massey Harris trophy to take the championship of Ontario.  Due to its location, the plowmen who did attend were treated to a banquet in the Chateau Laurier.  J. Lockie Wilson and his new bride were presented with a silver tray by the Association.  The outstanding feature of the last day, Friday, was the Inter County competition.  14 counties were represented, each with a team of 3 plowmen and York County won for the third consecutive year - the trophy would remain permanently in the ag reps office at Newmarket.

The Farmers Advocate, owned by Watson Porter, published every other Thursday in London, Ontario, reported the winners of an inter county class for junior plowmen (under age 20 on October 1 of 1932) won by Middlesex team of Ed Wills and Andrew Forbes (Thorndale) and Ralph Woods, Dorchester.  This October 27th issue of 1932, kindly sourced from archival and special collections of the McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph.

FOUR WINNERS OF FREE TRIPS ARE ANNOUNCED

Princeton Boy Heads Junior Farmers of County in Judging Meet

Winners in the annual Junior stock-judging competition sponsored by the department of agriculture, and held yesterday (Wednesday, 19th) at the office of G.R. Green, district representative, and on a number of farms, four boys have won the right to a free trip to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.  The winners out of 28 competitors, were as follows: 

1. Clifford Cunningham, Princeton

2. Walter Scott, Princeton and William Carter, Innerkip, tied

3. Cecil Heal, Woodstock

In the senior stock judging competition, which was also held yesterday afternoon, there were 39 competitors, among whom were a number of those who had taken part in the junior class.  The results were as follows:

Holstein class:

1. Bert Somers, West Oxford

2. Donald Spencer, Ingersoll

3. Roy Wilson, West Oxford

4. Jim McDowell, East Oxford

Jersey class:

1. Bert Somers, West Oxford

2. Clifford Marshall, West Zorra

3. Milne Hart, East Zorra and Jim McDowell (tied)

Swine class:

1. Harold Sims, East Nissouri

2. Bert Somers, West Oxford

3. Donald Spencer and Gordon Sandick of North Oxford (tied)

Sheep class:

1. Gordon Sandick, North Oxford

2. Cyril Smith,  South Oxford and Clifford Marshall (tied)

3. Willard Parkhill, South Norwich

The high man was Bert Somers, who won the purebred Holstein calf presented by the Oxford Holstein Club, while second place was taken by Jim McDowell who won a Yorkshire pig presented by Harold Sims.

Sentinel Review Friday, October 21, 1932 page 5 City and District

WON AT LAMBTON

John R. Hargreaves of Beachville placed first in Class 1 at the annual Lambton County ploughing match held near Warwick village yesterday (ie. Thursday, October 20, 1932)

Sentinel Review of Wednesday, 26th October, 1932 page seven

PERTH CHAMPION IS GRENZEBACH

Oxford Plowman Leads in Open Class - Results of Sebringville Match

STRATFORD, October 26 - Under ideal conditions the annual Perth County plowing match was held Tuesday afternoon at the farm of J.C. Smith, on No. 8 highway, near Sebringville, with approximately 1000 persons in attendance.  The judge was Clark Young of Milliken.

Frank Hamilton, 19, of Cromarty won the special Eaton Cup for the best plowed land in sod, open to Perth farmers, and also the Royal Bank Cup for the best finish in the boys' classes.  He also won first place in the sod plowing, open to boys under 20, residents of Perth.

In the open class in sod, W.O. Grenzebach, of Woodstock, won first place, and in the open tractor class in sod, Gordon McGavin, of Walton won first place.  The youngest plowman competing was Elmer Armstrong of St. Paul's, age 14, and the best team on the grounds was owned by Russell Scott, of Cromarty.

Results in the various classes were:

Plowing in sod, open - W.O. Grenzebach, Woodstock; W. Harrison, Galt; Frank Dewar, Wellesley.

Plowing in sod, residents of Perth - James Hogarth, Cromarty; Russell Scott, Cromarty; Roy Packham, Stratford.

Plowing in sod, open to boys under 21 - Frank Hamilton, Cromarty; Norman Chaffe, Mitchell; Austin Nairn, Munro.

Plowing in stubble, boys 16 and under - L. Pridham, Cromarty; Harold Carter, St. Mary's; Howard Pinder, Munro.

Best crown in boys classes - Frank Hamilton, Cromarty.

Best finish in boys classes - Frank Hamilton, Cromarty.

Tractor plowing in sod, open - Gordon McGavin, Walton; Orval Wassman, Mitchell; Walter McKenzie, Mitchell.

Tractor plowing in stubble, open - W.J. Perrie, Brussels; Paul Armstrong, St. Paul's.

Best crown in tractor classes - Gordon McGavin.

Best finish in tractor classes - Gordon McGavin.

1933

Sentinel Review 10th October, Tuesday

The IPM opened on the farm of Vernon Barber at Owen Sound, Derby Township.  Day one was restricted to local Grey and Bruce County.  Nine events were scheduled for the day with prizes totaling $1000 to be divided between more than 100 entrants.

Friday's paper, October 13th reported that verbal warfare broke out the previous day when 30 plowmen from a class of 56 entries were disqualified for taking too long to finish.  Some of the plowmen were certain prizewinners.  They had been warned in the morning and when it became evident to the directors in charge that they could not finish on time, they were given another hour.  The hour passed and still the plowing was not completed and the disqualifications followed.

Later, the board of directors met, and confirmed the actions of the judges.

Still another disqualification was recorded when the judges found Richard Jarvis, Milliken, who was recorded as a winner of a trophy presented by Hon. J.R. Cooke, chairman of the Ontario Hydro Electric Power Commission, had allegedly competed as a boy in an international plowing match:  The event was confined to those who had not so competed, and Reg Barber, Owen Sound, was given the trophy.  R.G. Brown won the Massey Harris trophy for the best plowed land.  He used a team.  He claimed the Ontario Championship for the second year in a row.

In the class for men over 65 years of age, the trophy was an oil painting by E. Wyly Grier, president of the Royal Canadian artists.

Saturday's paper (October 14th) reported that nine year old J. Sholtz of Chatsworth won the J.J. Duffus special over 6 other boys, all three years older than him.  509 plowmen competed at the IPM in 1933, the largest in history.  700 people attended the Friday night banquet to hear T.L. Kennedy, Ontario Minister of Agriculture.

Monday's paper (October 16th) - Hitler to be Supreme Head of Germany Sentinel Review 19th October.  At the Brant County Match held yesterday at the farm of Gordon Mackenzie, St. Georges Road, W.O. Grenzebach won over R.G. Brown and J.R. Hargreaves.

Sentinel Review 20th October, Friday - At the Waterloo Township Match at Oscar Martin's farm near Waterloo, Grenzebach lost to R.G. Brown.  Third was Glen McFadden, Millbank; 4th G.E. Dedman, New Dundee; 5th W. Harrison, Galt.  There were 28 entries.

Sentinel Review, 25th October, page five reported:

W.O. GRENZEBACH WINS ONCE MORE

Again Gains Decision Over Provincial Champion - Hargreaves in Third Place

Galt, October 24 - With a record entry of 64, the 26th annual North Dumfries plowing match at Branchton proved the best event ever held.  All events were filled, but the feature was the single plow event in which 10 competed, including R.G. Brown, North Dumfries, Ontario Champion, and four ex-champions, W.O. Grenzebach, from Woodstock, who has won 65 matches in the past 12 years, was declared winner in a close contest.

Sentinel Review, Monday 30 October 1933, front page

BEACHVILLE MAN PLOWING WINNER

At the Ohswekin (Six Nations Indians) Match, Hargreaves defeated W.O. Grenzebach and R.G. Brown.  The paper now in italics referred to these men as the premier champions of the Province.  In a colorful ceremony preceding the banquet at Ohswekin, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Thomas L. Kennedy the principal speaker, was proclaimed Indian chief, and carry the name Ba-yo-ron-whta-he (clear sky).  A.J.H. Eckhardt, also of Toronto and one of the province's most outstanding supporters of plowing matches, was hereafter known to the tribe as chief Ra-we-ya-so-wa-neh (big heart).

1934

Reforestation of Ontario had made great gains under the government of E.C. Drury (1919-1923), Howard Ferguson (1923-1926), Geo. S. Henry (1926-1930).

Edmund Zavitz devoted his life to forestry.  He was a naturalist, jack of all trades, dropped out of school at age 14, returned to school, completed grade 12 and 13 at Woodstock Collegiate when he was 23 years old, McMaster University when he was 28 in 1903.  He encouraged landowner participation (of reforestation) by picture and story, giving addresses at Rotary, Lions, and Kinsmen Clubs.  He stated "healthy forests control run-off by helping the snow to melt slowly and equalize the flow of creeks and rivers throughout the year by making the low flow stages higher and the high stages lower.  He wanted foresters to be loyal to the organization of which they are a part.  He stressed that such men are not plentiful.  His legacy, compiled in the book "Two Billion Trees and Counting" by John Bacher relates this story.  Page 122

E.C. Drury was the leader (Premier) of the United Farmers of Ontario (1919-1923), a man of deep Christian faith.  While walking near his farm, Drury was saddened to come upon a dried up spring, which in his childhood had been "bubbling up" like "a boiling pot".  As a child, he had delighted in leaning down against a moss covered tree to drink from the pure spring water.  As premier, when looking around, he noticed that the hillside that had nourished its water was "devoid of trees".  He saw much evidence of human abuse of the earth.

Hepburn became Premier of Ontario in 1934 (June 19).  He removed Zavitz who was the Deputy Minister of Forests and replaced him with a veteran lumberman who had limited experience in forestry and administration.  Hepburn implemented his campaign promise to slash the costs of government by firing civil servants.  Game wardens and forest rangers were dismissed.  But Zavitz was regarded as a hero in rural Ontario, especially in areas devastated by spreading deserts.  183 beekeepers (inspectors) lost their jobs - a keeper for every bee in the province quipped the premier.  This was judged, in hindsight, to be the worst defect of Hepburn's administration - the treatment of the civil service - the wholesale firing of many faithful government employees. (authors comment -- sounds like the Trump administration).

The displacement of Zavitz by an unfaithful forester who favoured the logging interests of timber agents soon came to the attention of Hepburn, who despite his eccentricities and policy reversals, was still, like Drury, a farmer premier.  Hepburn fired him after only 10 months in office.

IPM Tuesday 9th October at O'Connors farm and Maryvale farm in York County.  100,000 attendance

Sentinel Review Monday 15th October City and District

J.R. Hargreaves won on Friday, October 12 first prize in the open class for jointer plows and match championship in sod plowing.

Sentinel Review Wednesday 17th October City and District

Hargreaves second in jointer open class at Brant County Six Nations Match held yesterday (October 16)

Sentinel Review Thursday 18th October City and District

Hargreaves wins two more firsts for best finish in trophy match and in jointer class open (Six Nations in 1934 held a match separate from Brant).

Sentinel Review 22nd October Front page

Kenneth Howard Embro Resident Fractures Skull 

PLOWMAN LOSES THROUGH PROTEST

J.R. Hargreaves Award at Galt Thrown Out - Grenzebach Winner

Galt October 23 -- 1200 attended the North Dumfries plowing match west of the city despite rain and dull skies.  There were 57 entries in 9 events and the plowing in the single open class was pronounced by visiting plowmen as better than anything at the international match because of the perfect condition of the sod.

The protest, in the open event, which had nine entries, included J.R. Hargreaves, provincial champion, and four ex-champions.  When the match was finished, William Harrison, North Dumfries, was adjudged winner and J.R. Hargreaves, the champion, second.  The four of the contestants protested on the grounds that the rules called for furrows of nine or more inches.

In rejudging, it was found only four bits of work qualified and Glen McFadden was pronounced the winner.  The results were:

Class 1 single plows, open, 9 entries:

Glen McFadden, Millbank;

N.G. McLeod, North Dumfries;

Alex Black, Guelph;

Ed Timbers, Milliken;

Crown:  W.O. Grenzebach, Woodstock; Finish:  Black

Class 3 boys under 19, open, 9 entries:

Wilbur McFadden, Millbank;

Grant Eby, Breslau;

Walter Brown, North Dumfries;

Foster Snyder, Kitchener;

J. Dafoe, Drumbo;

Jack Taylor, Beachville;

Stanley Fuller, Hornby;

Donald Taylor, North Dumfries ( in future years Don became ag rep in Oxford).

1935

Sentinel Review Friday 4th October page 5 City and District

J.R. Hargreaves wins four first prizes at the Middlesex County Plow Match at Ailsa Craig (horse plowing)

The IPM opens at Caledonia, Haldimand County on Tuesday, October 15th.  105,000 attendance in 4 days, 544 competitors.  The R.B. Bennett trophy and jointer plowing championship went to Alex Black of Guelph.  The Hydro-electric trophy for tractor plowing was won by Fred Timbers of Ringwood, and the Imperial tobacco trophy for the 3 furrow tractor class went to Harry Pugh of Stouffville.

October 21st Galt - The North Dumfries Match was held, rated as one of the best in the province.  It drew 62 entries and a crowd of 2000.

Dry soil conditions proved a handicap and work was not up to the usual standard.  Alex Black got off to a bad start and finished 6th.

Class 1, single plows, open:

1. J. Hargreaves, Beachville

2. W.O. Grenzebach, Woodstock

3. William Harrison, RR7, Galt

4. R.G. Brown, RR7, Galt

5. Glen McFadden, Millbank

6. Alex Black, Guelph

Crown:  Black, Finish:  Hargreaves

Sentinel Review, 30th October

The Ingersoll Junior Farmers, organized by G.R. Green March 1st, 1929, held their first match October 29 on the farm of Freeman Oliver, North Oxford.  J.R. Hargreaves was judge and showed his finesse by a demonstration at 4 p.m. when the event concluded.  Placings were:

Class 1 (all over 21 years of age):

1. George Jakeman, Beachville

2. Howard Chilton, Beachville

3. Jack Taylor, Woodstock

4. Mervin Cuthbert, Curries

5. Lawrence Patterson, Rayside

6. Harold Haycock, Foldens

Class 2 (all under 21 years of age):

1. Harry Blackman, Beachville

2. Harry Ellery, Verschoyle

3. Donald Crawford, Beachville

4. David Smiley, West Oxford

5. Norman Oliver, Dunn's

6.James Brown, Ingersoll