ds that had succeeded in building up the cheese
industry must be applied to other lines, and all the organized forces
must be co-ordinated in carrying this out. This was work for a
department of Agriculture, and the minister of Agriculture, John Dryden,
who guided and directed this co-operation of forces and made plans for
the future growth and expansion of agricultural work, was an imperialist
indeed who, in days of depression and difficulty, directed forces and
devised plans that not only helped the agricultural classes to recover
their prosperity, but also made for the strengthening of imperial ties
and the working out of national greatness.

The British market presented new conditions, new demands. The
North-West could send her raw products in the shape of wheat; Ontario
must send finished products--beef, bacon, cheese, butter, fruit, eggs,
and poultry--these and similar products could be marketed in large
quantities if only they could be supplied of right quality.
Transportation of the right kind was a prime necessity. Lumber, wheat,
and other rough products could be handled without difficulty, but
perishable goods demanded special accommodation. This was a matter
belonging to the government of Canada, and to it the Dominion department
of Agriculture at once began to give attention. The production of the
goods for shipment was a matter for provincial direction. Gradually the
farmers of the province adapted themselves to the new conditions and
after a time recovered their lost ground. General prosperity came in
sight again about 1895. For several years after this the output of beef,
bacon, and cheese increased steadily, and the gains made in the British
market more than offset the loss of the United States market. It was
during the five years after 1890 that the farmers suffered so severely
while adjusting their work to the new conditions. With these expanding
lines of British trade products, the values of stock, implements, and
buildings made steady advance, and in 1901 the total value of all farm
property in the province crossed the billion dollar mark. Since that
year the annual increase in total farm values has been approximately
forty million dollars. The following statement of total farm values in
Ontario, as compiled by the Ontario bureau of Industries, the
statistical branch of the department of Agriculture, is very suggestive:

_Total Farm Values_

1885 $958,159,740
1886 989,497,911
1887