Cartoon Articles Archive

This diagram appeared in the Summer 1978 issue of the Small Farmers’ Journal. It was not an advertisement, but actually part of an article on new methods for deworming horses. Parasitic worms have long been a major problem among horses in domestic environments, up to today. In fact, some studies have suggested that they might be related to ~50% of horse deaths on farms. Bloodworms, the subject of this diagram, are the most dangerous and common of these parasites. They are extremely...

This ad for the Pixtone Mechanical Stone Picker appeared in the June 1955 issue of Better Farming. It was designed to remove stones from others good topsoil to improve crop yields and prevent damage to expensive machinery. Mechanical stone pickers were not invented until the 1940s, and before that the job had to be done manually in a tough and time-consuming process. The first mechanical stone picker was invented by a Saskatchewan machine shop owner named Peter Anderson in the late 1940s....

This cartoon, appearing in March 16, 1940 edition of the Canadian Countryman depicts the national personifications of Great Britain and Canada, John Bull and Johnny Canuck, arm in arm attempting to move forward together despite the bag labelled “Tariff” tied around their leg. The intended message is a simple one that would be easily comprehended by Canadian farmers then and today: high tariffs and other protectionist barriers are an impediment to the material progress of all...

This cartoon, appearing in the June 22, 1940 edition of the Canadian Countryman, was published on the cusp of one of the most decisive turning points in the early phase of the Second World War. By this point, Hitler’s Germany had invaded and occupied much of central and northern Europe, and France would soon follow three days later. In the east, Stalin’s Red Army conquered the Baltic states and half of Poland. In Spain, the recently-concluded Civil War had sapped much of the...

This cartoon appeared in a November, 1940 issue of the Canadian Countryman magazine. The broad context for the cartoon was the Second World War which Canada had entered on the side of Great Britain on September 10, 1939. At first, the Canadian government had planned for a limited and short war, and had in fact promised not to introduce conscription for overseas military service (no doubt anticipating its disastrous consequences during the First World War). However, the fall of France in June...

This cartoon, published in the June 14, 1924 issue of the Canadian Countryman celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Ontario Agricultural College (now part of the modern University of Guelph). The cartoon features Old Man Ontario (representing the people of the province) congratulating the stylized representation of Science and Agriculture on their successful marriage. The Old Residence building is depicted in the background, which would become popularly known as ‘Johnston...

The horses referred to in this advertisement are of course symbolic, referring to the horsepower inside farmer’s farm and personal vehicles in 1955. Spark plugs, a key component to engine ignition systems, saw various designs throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, primarily stemming from Europe. AC Spark Plugs were the product of one of the pioneers that brought the technology to the North American continent. AC Spark Plugs was founded by a European, Albert...

This cartoon, published in the October 11, 1924 edition of the Canadian Countryman magazine, expresses one of the main complaints of the United Farmers movement in Ontario in the post-war period. The formal peace treaty that ended the First World War did not put an end to the severe social disruptions it had caused. Farmers were particularly hard hit as the prices of agricultural produce returned to pre-war levels at the same time as the cost of raw materials produced in urban industrial...

This advertisement was originally published in 1920 for Carhartt Overalls, a U.S. based work-clothing manufacturer. The brand, originally created for railroad workers, is here seen being promoted to Canadian farmers. From 1910 until the Great Depression Carhartt manufactured for the Canadian market in Toronto, Vancouver and Walkerville. Carrhart’s advertised image featured a focus on quality and honesty in manufacturing; each pair of overalls contained a “Union Made” tag....

Following the Great War, free trade with the United States was a topic of great contention amongst Canadians, it being strongly supported by the Liberal party. However, the United States was venturing into protectionism. In 1921, the United States passed the Emergency Tariff Act, and a year later the Fordney Act was introduced, both of which greatly raised tariffs on agricultural imports coming in from Canada. This protectionism prevented free trade from being realised and disgruntled...