Every summer between 1914 and 1920, trains pulling between 13 and 17 specially configured cars exhibited the latest in agricultural products, equipment and practices.
One car was dedicated to the care of infants and small children, staffed by “competent nurses” so that farm women could fully participate in the day’s activities. Special cars were set up as theatres where faculty from the University’s Department of Extension gave lectures using “lantern slides”. Topics included field husbandry, household science and farm mechanics. Some cars even carried livestock such as horses, cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry.
Visitors to the household science car likely learned about food preservation techniques, while another car dedicated to “Tree Planting” gave instruction for planting farm shelterbelts to reduce soil erosion. The arrival of the Better Farming Train was extremely well attended by farm families eager to better their farms and their livelihoods.