Evening journal., 1922-02-20
OF A
Slice OF BREAD
'lrst Wheat Harvest Placed
at From 10000 to $4,000
Years Ago
AY 1T GREW
ON MT. HERMON

It is we'll known that Neolithic
| ban grew wheat. and some authori-
es have put the date OF the first
'heat harvest at between 5000
nd 10000 years ago.
The ancient civilizations OF Baby
pnia. Egypt. Crete, Greece, and
,ome were largely based on wheat
nd It is highly probable that the
rst great wheathelds were In the
brittle land between the Tigris and
ne Euphrstes.
But there must have been a long
story OF wheat before that. The
ncestor OF all our ordinary wheats
the emmer. which was cultivated
4 the Neolithic Axe.
Think Of Neolithic man noticing
he big seeds OF this Hermon grass
which still grows on the slopes OF
cunt Hermon, in Paiestine). gath
-ing some OF the heads, breaking
he brittle spikelet-bearing axis in
Is fingers. knocking or the rough
F. wns or bruising the spikelets in
rs hand till the char separated off
nd could be blown away, chewing
mouthful OF the seeds-and re-
,lving TO SOW and SOW again.
n That was the beginning OF a long
L'ory.
] Virgil refers in the Georges" to
Fhe gathering OF the largest and
Qiuest ears OF wheat in order TO get
pod seed for another sowing, but
was not TIL the first quarter Of
e nineteenth century that the great
ep was taken. by men like Patrick
heriff OF Haddington, England, OF
deliberately selecting individual
a rs OF great excellence and segre-
81 #,ting their progeny from mingling
81 ith mediocre stock.
a one OF the factors that assisted
70 Allies in overcoming the food
81 isis in the darkest period OF the
u ar was the virtue OF Marquis
( heat. a very prolific wheat with
~ gcellent qualities. II Is now the
q ,minant spring wheat in Canada
(. I'd the United States. and It has
N ,rmously increased the real wealth.
' the world in the last ten years.
This Marquis Wheat Is a fine ex-
mple OF evolution going on. In
3 ~ upwards OF 25O.OOO.00o bushels
Is this wheat were raised in North
merica. and IN 1913 upwards OF
#DO. 100000 bushels; yet the whole
e riginated from a single grain plant
III in an experimental plot at Ottawa
n DR.. Charles F. Saunders, so re-
~ ntly as the spring OF 1908.
~ The parent Of Marquis Wheat on
he male side was the mid-European
= ed Fife. The parent on the female
de was a less promising wheat
+ ,lled Red Calcutta. which was i'm
sorted from India into Canadaiabout
hirty years ago.
The father was part Of a cargo
at came from the Baltic TO Glas'
s DIV. and was happily included IN
~ mple sent on to David Fife in on
<> rio about 1912. From one kerne
this sample. David Fife started
stock Of Red Fife. which was
+ a ossed by Doctor Saunders with
ard Red Calcutta.
The result of the cross was a
edley OF types. nearly a hundred
~ ,rieties altogether. and Il was In
81. rutinizing these that Doctor Saun-
RS hit upon Marquis. He worked
g eadily through the material, study
{, z head otter head Of what resulted
om sowing. and selecting out those
at gave most promise. Each OF the
81; ads selected was propagated, and
5f ally Marquis Wheat emerged
obably the most valuable food
ant in the world.
'<| Il Is like a romance TO read that
he first crop OF the wheat that was
Fl: stined within a dozen years tc
( ertax the mightiest elevators IN
nj e land was stored away in the win
OF 19O4-5 in a paper packet nc
rger than an envelope"
8 Thus from the Wild Wheat OF
ount Hermon there evolved one Of
e most important food plants o.
@ world.