WHEAT BREEDING.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20316, 15 August 1931, Page 9

WHEAT BREEDING.

HISTORY IN CANADA, LATEST INVESTIGATIONS AND SUCCESSES. In view of the magnificent work being { done in Canterbury by the Wheat Research Institute this article in tin English journal sotting out past and Mcent research work in Canada in wheatbreeding is interesting. The history of wheat raising in Western Canada dates back to the settlors established by Lord Selkirk in the Bed Eiver Colony, who harvested their first crop in ISIS. Until IS3l—exactly otfe hundred years ago—the colonists did uot produce more than their owu requirements; and when they reached the stage of producing a surplus there was no available market. The industry remained largely at a standstill until about 187b, when wheat trading as a definite business enterprise became firmly established. The tirst variety of wheat to be lntro* duced extensively into Western Canada was known as Red Fife, named after David Fife, a farmer of Peterborough County, Ontario. This variety proved 10 be oil very high milling find baking cjuulity. as well as a good yielder; and to it" is largely due the fame of Western Canadian wheat. However, R Jl ' Fife matured too late to be depended upon to escapo early summer and autumn frosts. Failing to discover a suitable type from among many importations, Dr. Saunders, the ilrst Director of the Dominion Experimental Farm established near Ottawa, resorted to crossing in t.lw hope of producing something suitable to the requirements of the country. Ale chose as ilrst parents tha varieties Ladoga and Red Fife. Of. the numerous combinations resulting t'roui this cross two gave encouraging promise. They ' were named Preston -tlul Stanley. Both were oarlier ripeneVs. than Red Fife, but the baking quality still left something to be desired. For Early Maturing. In 1892, by crossing an early maturing variety obtained in India with Red Fife, Dr. Saunders produced a uaw wheat which he called Marquis. The introduction of Marquis "wheat into Canj adian agriculture proved that by 1915 it had taken the lead ovt>r all other vaneties throughout the Western Provinces, and had also become . h' 1 most widely grown spring wheat in the United States. It is estimated to have raised the value of the Canadian wheat crop by one hundred million dollars annually. Notwithstanding the great achievement of Marquis the Canadian scientists were not convinced that the best possible type had yet been produced. Other attempts were made, some of them giving early promise but eventually prov-

3 ing unsatisfactory for one reason or e another. But a further step forward - was taken with the production of Garnot wheat, which was first placed in s the market in 1920. This was the pro? y duct of several crosses, though its par--1 entage can bo traced back to Ladoga, Pied Fife, and Early Riga, the last ?■£ >- which had its ancestral homo in tho Himalayan Mountains. Garnet has proved to be an early ripening wheat, a good producer, and of excellent quality. :1 v Latest Success. e Another variety, named Reward, has • recentlv been winning for itself a place t of distinction. It was developed from - a cross between Marquis and Pfoludc, »• and has proved to be a grain of such i excellent quality that both in 1929 and i- 1930 it captured the world s sweepstakes at the Internationa) Grain Show e at Chicago. It is, however, not quite as early a variety as Garnet; but dovelopmenfc is still going on which may s overcome this,slight handicap. »• Meanwhile the scientists at Ottawa r continue their-work. Neither Marquis. '- Garnet, hor Reward 'spells the last word in Wheat - culture.