1939 - Convention Report

              T W E N T Y - F I R S T PROVINCIAL CONVENTION 61
In the past 30 years, much of the wild land of this Province has been
broken for cultivation. In fact, most experts agree, too much of it was
put under the plow. The result has been soil drifting- in some areas. Now
the trend is to restore the trees, to plant windbreaks, to return a portion of
the land to pasture by planting various grasses and cover crops. Strip farm­ing
is also used successfully i n our drought areas. It is in furthering this
work, talking over various grasses and trees for planting in different sections
of Alberta, and in keeping up- to- date on what others are doing to solve their
problems, that our Institute women can make their most valuable contri­bution.
Our grains and grasses have continued to win high awards in the major
exhibitions of this continent, and Peace River wheat still holds the world
crown. Alberta livestock has also taken championships at the Toi'onto Win­ter
Fair, the Chicago International Stock Show, and the San Francisco
World's Fair, as well as in all Western Canada Fairs and Exhibitions.
Agricultural farms, experimental farms and nurseries have been oper­ated
with highly successful results. Boys' and girls' clubs have been or­ganized
and are growing in popularity and usefulness. Our young people
are being given every opportunity and assistance in learning to judge live­stock,
and to grow grains.
The University of Alberta has done much to encourage agriculture,
not only at Edmonton and through its experimental farms, but also through
its Department of Extension.
Horticulture has developed greatly. Flowers, annuals and perennials,
are to be seen in many farm yards, and people are realizing that a well
laid- out yard, surrounded by trees and flowers, adds to the value of the
land, as well as to the pleasure of living in colorful surroundings.
And here are a few of the ways in which Alberta Institute Branches
have been making contributions in the field of agriculture. One Branch
held a fall haiwest sale, to which members donated vegetables and fruit,
with proceeds of the sale going to W. I. funds. Members exchanged seeds
and plants. A Branch held a flower- guessing contest, with packages of
seeds going to the winners.
Roll calls at meetings were answered by giving garden hints in many
cases, and with the exchanging of garden seeds. Mrs. Roy Ballhorn of
Wetaskiwin, in a comprehensive report, states that she distributed seeds
of her own growing to all W. I. members, and many others, and that many
cuttings and plants were also given away.
Turning to the manufacturing and producing side of Alberta's indus­tries,
the most important development of the past two or three years has
been in the Alberta oil industry. Since the discovery of crude oil in Turner
Valley in 1936, the oil industry has been thriving, and has leaped into second
place in Alberta's industries, second only to agriculture in value of pro­duction.
Value of oil to producers in this province for 1939 will be nearly $ 10,-
000,000, and it is estimated that total production for the year will be be­tween
7,000,000 and 8,000,000 barrels of oil. However, the value of the
oil is but a beginning, for by the time the crude has been refined, the many
gasoline and oil products have been distributed throughout Western Canada,
and sold through hundreds of service stations and garages, the total payroll
and value of refined products reaches many millions of dollars— wealth for
Alberta.
Calgary as centre of the oil industry, has, of course, derived the great­est
benefits from the industry. In the past year alone, two major oil com-