1938

Edmund Zavitz campaigned to create Conservation authorities.  Coronation Park in Toronto is a memorial to Canadians who fought in WWI.  In August of 1938, 60,000 veterans and 250,000 spectators gathered at Coronation Park to campaign for reforestation.  Tremendous pressure was put on the government to create conservation authorities.

Sentinel Review 12th October, 1938 City and District

OXFORD EX-WARDEN WINS

A.D. Robinson of West Oxford, former warden of the county, won an event for wardens and ex-wardens at the provincial plowing match near Barrie yesterday, with Charles Greatrix of Simcoe county second.  Mr. Robinson was also awarded first for best crown and finish.  No Oxford names are listed in the other events on yesterday's program.The 1938 IPM was held in Minesing township.

Fridays paper of October 14 1938 adverts

Laurel and Hardy were playing at the Royal Theatre; Paul Kirkpatrick Band to play at the Green Grotto across from the Capitol Theatre; Kipp's Barn Dance was to be held on Wednesday Oct.19 one quarter mile west of Princeton on Hwy#2, Teitz orchestra from Hagersville to play- admission 25 cents, and notice of East and West Oxford Plow Match.

 

On the farm of R.A. (Dick) Marriage, Norwich Road, Lots 18 and 19, Conc. 5. East Oxford, near Curries; twenty-four teams in competition, plowing began at 9:30.  Heaviest entry is in the sod class, open to Oxford county plowmen who have not previously won first or second place in open competition.  Nine in this class.

In the open sod class which customarily attracts the top plowmen in Ontario, there are entrants from Lambton, Galt, and Guelph.

John Hargreaves is a spectator, cheering on the second generation of Hargreaves plowmen.  Both sons are contestants, one with a tractor the other with a team.

FOUR TROPHIES

The New Commercial trophy and the Bank of Commerce trophy will go to the best plowing done by West and East Oxford entrants, respectively.

The Eugene Lefler Memorial trophy goes to the Oxford county entrant who leaves the best land.

The Ashman shield is for Oxford County boys 22 years and under.  Judging was done by W.C. Barrie of Galt.

Directors in charge of classes were:  Open sod, Murray Gray; sod, open to Oxford county, George Innes; sod, open to Oxford county boys, 22 and under, John Amos; sod or stubble, open to boys 19 or under, Harper Hammond; stubble, open to boys 16 or under, Martin McDowell; stubble, amateur class for East and West Oxford townships, Fred Millard; tractor, sod, open, Sam Hird; two farrow tractor, Douglas Start; three furrow tractor, Ben Ball, Secretary in charge of records and land allotments is G.R. Green.

A chilly wind sharpened the appetites of competitors and spectators making the high heaped plates served at noon by the women of the district in the Curries  Community Hall thoroughly welcome.

Sentinel Review Friday, 21st October

Hargreaves Boys Are Heavy Winners in Plowing Contest

While father John Hargreaves, who has won so many championships it has become monotonous, he watched his sons win every prize that was open to them.  Ross Hargreaves won the horse drawn plow class for Oxford county boys 19 and under, and 15 year old John Jr. (Jack) won first prize against adult competition in the three furrow tractor plow class.

Ross Hargreaves also won first prize in the class for boys 20 and under whose fathers are patrons of the City Dairy and won the Ashman Shield awarded for the best plowing done in any of the age limit classes.  John Jr. won the special prize given to the youngest plowman in the competition.  Ross also won the extra prizes for best crown and best finish.

Judge William C. Barrie's services were provided by the Department of Agriculture.  He judged R.G. Brown to be the best plowman in the open classes, best crown and best finish.

A.D. Robinson, RR4 Ingersoll won the Oxford county open sod class while Myron Cleary of Oxford Centre won first place in the stubble class for residents of East and West Oxford townships.

Other first prize winners were:  Robert Wright, RR1 Beachville in the 22 and under class.  Keith Cody of Beachville in the 16 and under class; Wray Jeffrey of RR4 Woodstock in the two furrow tractor class; Alex Black of RR2 Guelph, in the open tractor class.

Open sod - R.G. Brown, RR7 Galt; Clifford Cox, Wanstead; R.O. Brush, RR2 Wyoming.

Oxford county sod - A.D. Robinson, RR4 Ingersoll; Harry Blackman, RR4 Ingersoll; Geo. Jakeman, RR1 Beachville; Russell Pellow, RR4 Woodstock; Fred Bertrand, RR4 Woodstock; Russell Masson, RR1 Woodstock; Fred Howard, RR3 Woodstock; Howard Chilton, Beachville; best crown, A.D. Robinson; best finish, Harry Blackman.

Sod, 22 and under - Robert Wright, RR1 Beachville; Murray Budd, RR5 Ingersoll; best crown, Robert Wright; best finish, Murray Budd.

Sod or stubble, 19 and under - Ross Hargreaves, RR1 Beachville; John Masson, RR1 Woodstock; Fred Williams, RR5 Ingersoll; Glen Bartram, RR1 Salford; Kenneth Wade, RR1 Woodstock.

Stubble, 16 and under - Keith Cody, Beachville

Stubble, East and West Oxford townships - Myron Cleary, Oxford Centre; Dick Marriage, RR1 Curries; David Kirkpatrick, Curries; Charles Miller, RR1 Woodstock;  best crown, Myron Cleary; best finish, Dick Marriage.

Tractor, sod, open - Alex Black, RR2 Guelph; John Hall, RR3 Ayr.

Two furrow tractor plows - Wray Jeffrey, RR4 Woodstock; Clarence Zinn, RR6 Woodstock; Chas. Williams, RR5 Ingersoll.

Three furrow tractor plows - John Hargreaves Jr., RR1 Beachville; Norman Schell, Woodstock; Wilfred Gray, RR1 Woodstock.

Best plow team - Murray Budd, RR5 Ingersoll; Bert Siple, Curries.

Best plowed land, open to West Oxford, trophy donated by New Commercial Hotel - A.D. Robinson, RR4 Ingersoll.

Best plowed land, open to East Oxford, trophy donated by Bank of Commerce, won by Lorne Richardson, RR4 Woodstock.

Best plowed land, open to class 2 - Eugene Lefler Memorial Trophy donated by Lefler Bros., Woodstock - A.D. Robinson, RR4 Ingersoll.

November 4th Friday, 1938 was the Ingersoll Junior Farmers Match at the James Bloor farm, North Oxford, widely known as the Hayes farm, one mile north of the North American Cyanimid plant, starting 9am.

Saturday's paper of November 5th, front page, has a photograph of the contestants of the horse drawing contest held at 4 o'clock before a large audience.  George Franklins team of Percherons pulled a load of almost three tons of rock from the Cyamid quarry.  Harry Blackman won the plowing contest.

Fred Bertrand cared for and trained the horses at the County Home Farm on the eleventh line of East Zorra (RR3 Woodstock).  He married the love of his life, May Howesworth on December 3, 1938.  She was caretaker for the patients at the home.  The couple moved to East Oxford Lot 13, Conc. 4 (RR4 Woodstock) where they share cropped a farm owned by Frank Jackson (north half).  When Frank passed away (1950), Jim McDowell bought the farm.  Fred and May purchased their own farm in Perth county.

Fred Bertrand competing with his team and plow was taken 1939 or 1940.
Thanks to the Bertrand family for submitting the above photo.

Fred Bertrand passed away September 9th,2001.  His son Bryan Bertrand is a well-known plowing competitor and judge in Perth county.

Prior to 1943, the Oxford County Plowing Match was known as the East and West Oxford Plowing Match.  Horses pulling a one furrow walking plow were the preferred method of competitive plowing.  Of eleven classes in 1942, seven were for horses, four for tractors.  Dedicated livestock caregivers loved their horses and showing what they could do.  The horse on the right was trained to walk one foot ahead of the other in the furrow without stepping on the plowed or unplowed side.

In 1939, Friday October 20, at the farm of Verne Meek, one mile south and east of Ingersoll, Fred placed second in Class two, sod, open to Oxford residents only.

In 1940, at the farm of Leslie Thornton, 3 miles south of Woodstock, Fred placed third (out of eight in the class).  There were 10 classes.

Fred started competitive plowing,listed in Class 7,1937,residing in East Oxford.In 1938,he was 5th in Oxford's match, still residing in East Oxford.His name will be found many times in subsequent years.