The sun., 1919-07-29
CANADIAN PUSHES
WHEAT BELT NORTH
Burbank Of the Saskatchewan
Develops New Hardy
Varieties.
CRED BOBS" THE RESULT
Hardness and Baking Strength
Of New Grain Appeals to
English Millers.

PRINCE ALBERT, SaslS.. July 2s.-Seager
Wheeler, whose selected" farm near
Rosthern, on the Canadian National
Railway in Saskatchewan, is the most
famous 100 acre tract in Canada. studied
the map. Here" said he, as he traced
a line, the northern frontier of the
wheat belt ends where the early frosts
begins. II I could produce an early
ripening wheat I could move the wheat
belt a hundred miles north"
Red Fife wheat was then the staple
wheat of Canada. From Red Fife, after
years of experiment, Wheeler evolved
Marquis wheat 1t ripened a week
earlier and usurped the Red Flies place
as the most popular wheat in Canada.
Marquis extended the wheat frontier
further north, but not a hundred miles.
SO again the wizard turned to his alchemy
and Kitchener wheat was born. It was
heavier headed than Marquis and stood
up more sturdily under hail, but it rip
ened in exactly the same time.
A sample of wheat called White Bobs
found it's way to Canada from Austria
liza in 1905. 1t was a cross between
wheat and Nepaul barley. Wheeler OBJ
tained some seed. The wheat ripened a
week earlier than Marquis or Kitchener
but II was white, and white wheat is
barred from the higher grades I'm Can
ada Wheeler tried for three years to
turn II into red wheat. But It remained
hopelessly white. He determined to try
one more year. AS his crop was ripen-
ing he walked through the field looking
for red ears. He found none. He was
leaving the field when a fine large ear
Haunted itself in his face. He shipped II
IL Ill 81 ~ No.,
were red
How "Red Bobsr Was born.
He planted the red seed next year.
Most of the little crop was red. with
some white throw-backs. He planted the
red seed again, and the entire crop was
red. Red Bobs was an accomplished fact.
This seed was distributed throughout
western Canada last spring by the lana
department of the United Grain Grow
ers. Experts predict that 1t will realize
the ambition of Seager Wheeler's life
and push the limits of the wheat belt
indeed 100 miles further north.
BY way Of effective supplement to the
foregoing THE SUN appends the follow
ing article, awaiting publication in this
issue Of the Canadian Section:
reputation in the English market This
reputation u due partly to the natural
superiority OF our wheats owing to being
grown under very favorable climatic
conditions for the production OF hard
grain, and also to the fact that Canada
perhaps leads all other countries in the
uniformity of the wheat that Is exported
This uniformity is partly due to the ex-
cellent grading system directed by the
Canadian Government, yet great deal
of 1t may be credited to the wise policy
Of the Department of Agriculture in that
1t has recognized only varieties of high
baking strength and has endeavored to
educate new settlers to the Importance
of growing varieties the grain of which
would be popular for export purposes.
Color, hardness and baking strength
are the principal factors that commend
Canadian wheats to the English millers.
Such being the case, It behooves the
grain grower TO consider these essentials
most carefully before he discards an old.
established variety for a new and I'M
known sort.
Favored by English MilIers.
When one speaks of the popular color
Of Canadian wheat it is now generally
understood that red Is the color referred
wheat from Canada and refuses to pay
as much for it. This suspicion is based
on the fact that frequently. but not al
ways, softness and low baking strength
accompany pale color. and the English
miller will take no chances. While in
certain respects the conception is wrong,
particularly in the case of the White
Fife and the Bobs varieties, yet as we
have red wheats which are superior in
yield and equally good in their milling
and baking qualities there is no reason
why we should continue the growing OF
white wheats and receive lower price
The hardness of Canadian wheat ap-
peals to the English miller. as he has
associated II with high baking streng' =
for so long a time that he is most dub =
Gus as to the purchase of a soft wheat
from Canada. Again as we have
wheats that possess both hardness and
high baking strength (our best wheats
are very hard), there Is no reason why
we should prejudice our reputation by
the growing and exporting Of varieties
that have naturally soft kernels The
suppositon, however. that a soft wheat
is necessarily low in baking strength Is
not always correct There are soft
varieties that are very good in this
respect, but they are not superior to
the present commercial hard sorts and
consequently they have never been
recommended to the public.
The baking strength of Canadian
wheat is what commends 1t the most to
the English trade. The weak wheats OF
England require mixing with the strong
wheats Of Canada in order that the
-four may make the most desirable and
attractive loaf As long as we can pro-
duce wheat that will answer this pur-
pose Just so long will our wheat be
popular with the English miller. There
is only one way in which we could
weaken our reputation for the produce
ton OF wheat of high baking strength,
and that is by the individual grower
shifting his attention from the recon-
mended and well known varieties of
Canadian wheat to unknown sorts that
have not been thoroughly tested.
AS has been shown. the future Of our
export trade is largely in the growers
hands.
British Columbia Awakening.