WINNIPEG, 1909. 767 
in regard to the character of the flour, which both in strength and in colour 
is practically identical with Red Fife. Comparative baking tests carried 
on last winter with samples from the crop of 1908 showed that Marquis 
grown at Brandon, Manitoba, was equal in colour and strength of flour 
to Red Fife grown on the same farm, and was superior to Red Fife grown 
at Indian Head, Saskatchewan. The differences observed were not very 
great and might perhaps be reversed another season; but the high strength 
of Marquis is fully established by these and previous tests. Marquis is a 
beardless wheat having hard red kernels and resembling Red Fife in all 
respects, except that it is earlier in ripening. It ripens about with Stanley, 
Preston and Huron. 
Chelsea is a very early, beardless wheat, satisfactory in all respects 
except flour strength, in regard to which it ranks about with Stanley and 
Preston. It closely resembles the new, selected strain of Stanley, but seems 
to be earlier and perhaps more productive than that variety. 
Bishop is a still earlier wheat, possessing many good qualities, its 
remarkable productiveness being of special interest. It gives a rich-looking, 
yellowish flour of good strength, but not equal to the strongest varieties. In 
spite of its many admirable qualities the fact that it possesses a pale, 
yellowish skin prevents us from advising farmers to grow it for export; the 
Canadian grain inspection laws are based on the idea that wheats with 
a pale skin are usually of inferior quality, and the regulations in regard 
to the grading are so worded as to make it practically impossible for 
any farmer to obtain a fair price for a_yellow (or so-called ‘ white’) wheat 
in what is known as the Manitoba Inspection Division. Bishop has 
succeeded remarkably well at almost all points where it has been tested. 
As an instance of special interest I may mention that a large yield per 
acre of grain weighing 65 lbs. to the measured bushel was obtained from 
this variety last season at Lesser Slave Lake in a latitude about 400 miles 
farther north than Winnipeg. No doubt it will succeed very well much 
farther north than this. 
These new varieties and new strains of the older sorts are now being 
propagated for free distribution. Most of them were available to a limited 
extent for that purpose last winter. At present it appears that Marquis 
may take the lead as the best for export purposes of all the early sorts 
yet introduced, unless the selected form of Red Fife, mentioned later in 
this paper, should prove equally early. These two varieties are very much 
alike, though of quite distinct origin. 
In addition to the six varieties of wheat mentioned by name, which 
have all sprung from crosses made in the earlier years of the existence of 
the experimental farms, we have now on hand a large number of very 
promising varieties which have been produced from crosses made by the 
writer in more recent years. About 200 of these new sorts are now being 
propagated for further test and will probably soon be followed by several 
hundred others, from the progeny of the most recent crosses which at the 
present time are not quite fixed in type. Of course it is not intended to 
retain more than a few new varieties adapted to the various conditions of 
soil and climate in Canada. The task of eliminating the less desirable 
sorts will therefore be rather lengthy and difficult, especially as the baking 
strength of the flour must be considered in nearly all cases. 
When this work was commenced, the strength of the flour from any 
wheat could not be determined until a large quantity of grain was avyail- 
able, and even then we were dependent on the mere opinion of some commer- 
cial baker, not usually a trained scientist, as to the characteristics and 
value of the flour. Now, however, with the introduction of the small 
experimental flour-mill and the development of a scientific method of 
determining baking strength, this matter can be investigated much earlier 
