DISCOVERY OF MARQUIS WHEAT 227 



be hoped that such a change as that indicated will actually 

 take place ; for wheat is merely a convenient means of pro- 

 viding the most civilized countries of the earth with food, 

 and every real improvement in the varieties grown brings 

 with it economy of labor in a task which by its very nature 

 man can never shirk the task of procuring his daily 

 bread. 



In the early eighties of last century and until the in- 

 troduction of Marquis in 1909, a period of twenty-five 

 years, Hed Fife (Scotch Fife) was regarded by many as 

 the incomparable spring wheat destined to maintain its 

 sway in a large part of North America forever. In 1883, 

 in an issue of the Manitoba Daily Free Press it was cor- 

 rectly described as then being " unsurpassed." But just 

 as Red Fife replaced Golden Drop, White Russian, Red 

 Chaff, Ladoga, Club, and other varieties in Manitoba, so, 

 in its turn, it has been replaced over vast areas by Mar- 

 quis. Already, however, in certain of the more northerly 

 parts of the Canadian wheat-belt, Prelude has replaced 

 Marquis ; and the new Ruby, should it prove successful in 

 its present trials in the field, may possibly replace Prelude. 

 Red Bobs is also a very fine wheat and has entered the 

 competition for premier honors in the great spring-wheat 

 region. What its future may be time alone will show. 

 At present there are only a few acres of this wheat in 

 existence, but where it has been grown it has shown great 

 promise. The hope built upon it may possibly be justi- 

 fied within a few years ; but it is well not to forget that 

 there is a considerable difi^erence between a promising new 

 variety grown in a few fields and that same variety cover- 

 ing enormous stretches of the prairie and yielding, as Mar- 

 quis actually does, from 200,000,000 to 300,000,000 

 bushels of wheat a year. It seems certain, for mechanical 

 reasons alone, that Marquis cannot be dislodged from its 



