[james] AN HISTORICAL WAR CROP 113 
In 1876 spring wheat failed in Ontario, the old reliable Red Fife 
apparently had run out, or had lost its vigor. Perhaps the fault lay 
in the soil rather than in the grain. The Red River Valley Fife wheat 
had made a reputation, and so in the fall of the year the late Mr. 
R. C. Steele, of Steele Brothers, Toronto, started for Manitoba. He 
travelled by rail to St. Paul, and thence to Fisher’s Landing, where, 
doubtful of the river navigation so late in the year, he took a lumber 
wagon and made the 150 miles to Winnipeg in thirty hours of con- 
tinuous going. He wished to bring back 5,000 bushels, but all 
he was able to secure at Winnipeg was 857 bushels. This wheat came 
down to Toronto by steamer from Winnipeg to Fisher’s Landing, 
where he secured some additional United States wheat, thence by rail 
to Duluth, by vessel Duluth to Sarnia, and by rail from Sarnia to 
Toronto. This was the first wheat exported from Manitoba to the 
east. It was in the latter part of October, 1876. Mr. Steele paid 
85 cents per bushel for this wheat on the twelfth of October, 1876. 
The purchase was made from Messrs. Higgins and Young, who 
collected the wheat from the following growers: 
Cake Nes. -Kaildonane... 2: 204 bushels 
JonnMelvor "rs Greenwoods..+. En “ 
AW Carleton a7 2/.c5 . Clear Spring. .... 803 “ 
EP SOA tase er) A. LAO... eke). 2 14: ‘ 
1 Dyed Biker [oe ies rene at Lee Springfield....... 35 5 
Neil Meleod.....:4:.1 Nictoriar nein ses 22 
181 EN SPP NAME Springfield.......102 . 
DEMeDonald 272.0: Springfield....... 94 4 
JOHN SpEAT. sea y4 a. 0e Sprincheld’ 50.52: 44 : 
eB NObInSON 1, ---Rockwood.::1."1. 32 . 
Alex. Gibson © See Springfield....... 33 : 
TORRES MS EN Pau Er El 40 5 
The consignment was shipped in twelve sacks and the freight charges 
Winnipeg to Toronto, were 35 cents a bushel. 
The first shipment for export to Great Britain was made on 
17th October, 1877, by Mr. Robert Gerrie. It was consigned to Bar- 
clay and Brand, Glasgow, Scotland, and went out via the United 
States. The following statement as to the first shipment abroad by 
the all-Canadian route has been furnished by Mr. Thompson, of 
Winnipeg, who, himself, made the shipment. He writes:— 
“It has been claimed for us by earlier writer on the Manitoba 
Grain Trade, that we made the first direct shipment of wheat from 
Manitoba to the United Kingdom, but we regret to say we are not in 
a position either to confirm or deny the claim. 
8 
