PLOWSHARES INTO SWORDS

e [Music] This Is Our Land the bful soil of Canada stretching from the green farmlands of the Fraser Valley to the back concessions of Ontario from the yellow expanse of the Prairie to the Farms of Quebec and the east as winter ends the land is ready with its men and its machines to produce more than ever of the staple crops that have made Canada one of the great agricultural countries of the [Music] world we shall need more grain and corn and vegetables we shall need more fruit from our Orchards [Music] and potatoes from our truck Farms we shall need more of everything for this year's food production program calls for an increase of 25% over last year if Canada is to live up to her commitments to her own people to the armed forces and to her friends and allies overseas [Music] from our ample stocks of Farm and Ranch a land in arms looks to the men of the land to supply the greatest of all the Senus of War food Canadians must be well nourished with the vital foods that build strength and resistance for unless the people are fit they cannot fight with all their heart in our factories the men and women who are turning out the tools of battle look to the farmer for the good food served in their canteen food that enables them to work more effectively and to produce use better planes and tanks and ships and guns [Music] as the farmers get out onto the land and preparations go forward for another Rich Harvest they realize that they are the backbone of the nation in arms the hard red grain from the Prairies goes east and west to feed the working men in the cities and Industrial towns the products of the dairy farms in British Columbia and Ontario fill the housewife's basket from Sydney to ano every fresh killed carcass from the Foothills and the Farms of Quebec from provides meat for a people working as they've never worked before but even greater than the needs of the civilian population are the needs of the Armed Forces the tough young men who stand among the finest soldiers of Any Nation from our Farms Comes The energy needed for the quick Rush the hard thrust of muscle behind steel and the daring jump [Music] [Applause] [Music] our army is one of the best fed armies in the world and our soldiers look to the farmer for the rich variety of food that comes to their [Music] nestable the Canadian Soldier eats 15% more food than the civilian and better food he must be in top-notch condition for the great battles now on the m the Army as in all wars still marches on its stomach and a well-fed soldier is a contented efficient fighting [Music] man that as he prepares to seed and gather in new crops across the land the farmer sees that it is not Canada alone but her friends and allies across the ocean that look to him for increased supplies this year loaded onto vessels waiting at our ports is food for the Army overseas for Britain and Russia and Australia and the other peoples of the United Nations fighting the Battle of [Music] freedom and as the loaded convoys prepare to put off the sea they face new dangers for the Nazi High command turned back in Russia stopped dead in Africa has pinned its hopes of victory on an allout submarine campaign [Music] [Applause] [Music] and across the gray Atlantic lies the trail of wasted food that might have gone to fill the mouths and strengthen the hearts of our [Music] allies to beat the submarine we must produce still more food for when it reaches our friends how warm and welcome it's coming [Music] as the bales of grain and meat swing off the ships at the dark side they put fresh heart into the men and women of Britain and [Music] Russia but today Canadian Farmers fighting the battle for increased production face a grave problem shortage of farm labor into the Fighting Force go the young men who once tossed sheet or chucked corn on Canadian Farms who mil the cows and drove the tractors the finest soldiers of our new Army have come from the Farms but they going leaves the farmer with less help at a time when he has called on to produce more than ever before to help him the city Folk have rallied to his side and in every large Center High School boys and girls are putting in work on the farms at the critical harvesting period the Ontario government alone has this year arranged to let 100,000 boys and girls out of school in April to ensure that there shall be adequate health and so women and girls have taken over added work in the field and at the barn youngsters Gravely shoulder new man-sized responsibilities but as the farmer turns for added help to Modern equipment he meet it's another challenge shortage of farm machinery the raw materials of peacetime tillage must be stared for the fighting fronts steel from the blades that cut the earth now carve new furrows on the sea copper and rubber in new forms now roll from the old production lines factories which a year ago made tractors and binders today turn out the tools of a more deadly sewing and a grimer Harvest to ensure equal distribution of available supplies the Dominion government has set up a nationwide rationing system and the wartime prices and trade board is releasing this year only 25% of the new machines turned out of 1940 rations on repair parts are ample 150% of 1940 requirements but priorities make it hard to fill orders fast so farmers now start early in the season to look at their old machines if a new machine is essential the farmer fills out a ration order with his dealer and can then go before his local appeal board this board made up of the ration officer and agricultural representative and a farmer well known in the district ensures the applicant a fair hearing these men consider what job the farmer wants to do with the new machine and if he plans to expand his crop to meet wartime needs his appeal may be granted if not he knows that the men he meets have judged his claim fairly in relation to the needs of the country as a whole well we've seen what the government's doing but after all it takes Farmers to settle a farmer's problem how can we get the best out of our equipment for the duration for one thing we're getting together more than we used to there's a fine tradition of neighborliness around our Farms but now we're extending it to the Machinery we try to figure out ways of pooling our equipment you might call it an extension of custom farming but it's more than that because we're getting to see that if we're going to produce 25% more than we did last year we've got to pitch in and help one another other days we'd use the same combine to harvest the crop but now we'll be doing it with lots of other machines making a Roundup of all the equipment in the community and parceling It Out Among Us where it will do the most good we can't afford to have a single idle machine lying around the farm these days equipment past repair we can turn in for scrap but even the old wreck that's laying out in the fields we can take along to the local dealer so he can have a look at it and call in the expert assistance of the serviceman Now's the Time to let the dealer know just what you need because he can get the parts for you if you tell them what's wanted good and early the dealers have precious little new Machinery to sell so they're going all out to help the farmer get his parts and Replacements Yes she'll do the old wheel comes off she gets a new one with another reconditioned frame with good greasing cleaning and lubrication she'll cut a lot more Acres yet as to care of our own equipment and useful gadgets and wrinkles around the farm well a lot of us are attending the short courses put on by the provincial Departments of Agriculture we get together in the Local hall in groups from 25 up to 100 and go back to school again for the day the agrep and the serviceman point out little tricks like keeping the mo blade sharp or getting the gears meshing completely to take up wear they show us the proper splicing for the ropes at the barn door and the well afterwards we ask questions and listen to what our neighbors have to say there's some of us of course that can't get to the meeting but every farmer can make a simple checkup on his equipment so it'll be in first class condition come the spring and so he'll get the most use of it when it goes out onto the land take the knife of an old Moore you can watch out for loose blades that need new rivets for broken blades or edges worn down to points that'll have to be squared off again you may find a loose part in your disc harrow gang A Worn bearing that will have to be renewed better to find it early than late and when you order new parts a careful description of the serial number and the make and year of the machine prevents a lot of mistakes and delays that will catch up with you at the wrong time old machines last longer if you check the parts that get most wear in a manure spreader with Paul and Ratchet Wheels the driving PS or what we call the dogs often get badly messed up when you take off the driving cup you may find a spring missing and the dog's all worn so you get fresh ones from your dealer Grease the teeth fit the PWS on and it works as good as new there's no difficulty about Parts as long as you order early because we can call on 150% of 1940 requirements the wrench is a handy tool for giving New Life to an old machine it's a wise man that knows where to check for any signs of looseness the beam bolts of a plow the bolts on more frame and Brake and you can test the tightness of your cutter bar guides and adjust them with a socket wrench a monkey wrench makes all the difference between a rattling part and an efficient breake here's a mo that's not doing its job right but a check with a piece of string tied from the center of the Pitman bearing to the outer shoe of the cutter bar tells you why the bar is out of line now a simple adjustment at the drag bar and you've got the correct alignment for cutting right away with a lead of 1 and 1/2 in it's little wrinkles like this that save the trouble later on you may find the twine is breaking on the binder knotter if you can't tell the right tension with your finger a check with the gauge is a good idea just loosen the pole and the gauge shows the correct tension of the binder that's doing a job 6 to 8 lb the blacksmith's Forge comes in useful too you can always sharpen and straighten out bent Harrow teeth and such like on the Anvil machines pick up a lot of caked mud out in the field and when that gets all mixed in with the grease it doesn't do the machine any good but some work with a sharp knife or a good stiff wire brush soon cleans out the dirt along the joints and gears it never hurts to paint up the woodwork either especially if you clean the surface ahead of time painting helps to preserve the wooden and metal parts that are hard to get right now a good lubricating job has saved many a farmer plenty of grief before now but it's best to clean out the grease cups and oil holes first use any good grade of Grease or oil and the guns and can should be kept clean how often you oil a part depends on the amount of work it has to do and the wear it gets but one thing is certain a thirsty machine doesn't do a good job it's a smart idea when storing to smear a coating of Grease or old crank case oil over bright surfaces like the mold boards and the plow shares got to be Mighty careful of our tires these days check pressure as often as you like because if it's too low casings will work loose a box in the workshop is a handy place for tools and the right place you know just where everything is and all the tools that belong in one machine should be kept with it so adjustments can be done quickly on the spot well now is the time to get going before work starts and well ahead of time the farmers all across Canada are looking to their equipment they're getting out into the Barns and the Implement sheds and the Stables they're not just moseying around they've come out there to do a job to make sure now that their machines are in good condition for plowing and seeding and harvesting we've got to carry on this record year just like our neighbors across the line with the bare minimum of new equipment the farmers North and South of the Border have the same rationing system and that's only right because we're all pulling together in the same fight taking care of our our machines we're going to find that after the war we'll be able to farm better and more economically than we did before like the fellow said the other day talking about increased production and scarcity of machines well he says there'll be a lot of hollering but the crop will go in and the crop will come off I guess that's about the size of it the way the farmer sees things it's got to go in and it's got to come off because that's the only way we're going to win the war [Music] [Music] la [Music] [Music]