56 The Thied and Fourth Generation 



that made suck states as the Dakotas famous. 

 There followed a great exodus of American 

 farmers, from the border states particularly, 

 into these promising lands. Within a few 

 years, however, most of these adventurers 

 came back to the States, for the early frosts of 

 the new territory often nipped the unripe grain 

 and spoiled the harvest. Not infrequently, too, 

 the heavy gales common on these northern 

 prairie lands blew down the grain in late 

 summer, before it was ripe, making it well-nigh 

 impossible to harvest it. Canadian farmers 

 sent to the scientific breeders an insistent 

 demand for a new type of wheat, one with the 

 desirable hardness (the American miUer likes 

 no other), with the large yield of the prolific 

 brands, but also one that would ripen early 

 and that should have an exceptionally strong 

 stalk to stand up against heavy winds. These 

 qualities were all known, but in no one wheat. 

 Thus Red Fife, a Russian wheat coming to 

 America by way of Germany and Scotland, is 

 hard and a high yielder. An Indian variety 

 possesses the short sturdy stems, though it is 



