Document Record

Title

Department of Agriculture : Docket and letterbook registry system, general correspondence
Ministère de l'Agriculture : Système de classification des chemises et des registres de copies, lettres, correspondance générale

Identifier

lac_mikan_156172
163160
RG 17 A I 1
oocihm.lac_mikan_156172

Document source

Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Language

English

Description

Originally called the Bureau of Agriculture during the pre-Confederation Province of Canada, the department was established by an Act of Parliament in 1868 to concentrate on the urgent need of the time to control livestock diseases and prevent their entry into Canada. The department, now called Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was and is responsible for federal policies relating to agriculture and food, including grading and inspection, seed certification, regulations on pesticides and fertilizers, market development programs, farmer assistance, scientific research and dissemination of information. In addition, the department oversees race track betting in Canada. The Dominion Chemist of the Department of Agriculture oversaw the work of the Chemistry Division. Its responsibilities included, among other matters, analyzing natural and artificial fertilizers, examining the composition and digestibility of food for domestic animals, testing soils, conducting water tests, and analyzing pesticides.
This collection consists of incoming correspondence received by the Upper and Lower Canadian Boards of Agriculture, 1852-1867 (with certain gaps) and the federal Department of Agriculture, 1867-1920. The subjects covered by this collection reflect the rich diversity of the functions of the Department of Agriculture, including such topics as archives, agriculture societies, exhibitions (local and international), experimental farms, animal, crop and food science, census records, every aspect of immigration, copyright, patents, cattle exports, quarantine, public health and some land matters. The files are fewer in number before 1865, but after that date a fairly complete series has survived.

URL

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_156172