EAELY HISTOEY OF WHEAT-GROWING 23 



tities of dried buffalo meat had been stored up in the same 

 buildings, the daintiest fragments of which were carried off 

 by the mice and mixed up with the wheat, making a 

 compound of wheat, smut, icicles, dried meat, mice, and 

 mice nests, all more or less heated together; the smell of 

 which, without the hazardous experiment of tasting, was 

 absolutely disgusting. In this state, despite all advice 

 to the contrary, and the certainty of bringing disgrace 

 upon the colony, the wheat was ground and the flour 

 shipped off to the different trading posts. The writer, 

 having a mill, was among those patronized on this occasion 

 and can bear witness that the smell was intolerable. 

 When the complaints of the victimized consumers had 

 to be answered, the whole blame was laid upon the 

 millers." ^^ 



To grind its wheat into flour, the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany had employed twelve mills belonging to the colonists. 

 The flour thus produced contained a large amount of 

 bran, as is proved by the following analyses'*^ made by 

 Governor Finlayson: 



Pounds Pounds 



of of 



Flour. Bran. 



No. 1. In 112 from John Vincent's mill was found 12 



No. 2. In 112 from William Bird's mill was found 12 



No. 3. In 112 from George Flitt's mill was found 12 



No. 4. In 112 from Narcisse Marion's mill was found 14 



No. 5. In 112 from Michel Klyne's mill was found 14 



No. 6. In 112 from James Inkster's mill was found 14 



45 A. Ross, loc. cit., p. 120. 



i^Ibid., p. 121. Ross adds: No. 1 and 2. Half-breeds of English 

 extraction. 3. An Orkney man. 4. A Canadian. 5. A German. 

 6. An Orkney-man. 7. A half-breed of Scotch extraction. 8. An 

 Irishman. 9. A half-breed of English extraction. 10. A Scotchman. 

 11. A half-breed of Orkney extraction. 12. A half-breed of Canadian 

 extraction. 



