DISCOVERY OF MARQUIS WHEAT 207 



Fife as being David Fife of Otonabee in what was then 

 called Canada West but now Ontario.^" 



Clarke's letter naturally attracted attention in Canada, 

 and in March, 1861, it was reproduced in the Canadian 

 Agriculturalist. Accompanying the first letter, however, 

 was a second, written by George Essen, in which the main 

 facts relating to the introduction of Red Fife in Canada 

 were recorded for the first time and by an eye-witness. 

 George Essen was one of David Fife's neighbors. More- 

 over, the Fifes and Essens had both come from the Kin- 

 cardine parish of Tullyallen in Scotland, and, as pioneers, 

 had settled together at Otonabee, Peterborough County, 

 Ontario. It is very evident, therefore, that George Essen 

 was in a particularly good position to know the true facts 

 concerning the introduction of the new wheat which was 

 becoming so famous. Essen's letter was as follows : 



" About the year 1842 David Fife of the township of 

 Otonabee, Canada West (now Ontario), procured through 

 a friend in Glasgow, Scotland, a quantity of wheat which 

 had been obtained from a cargo direct from Danzig. As 

 it came to hand just before spring seed-time, and not know- 

 ing whether it was a fall or spring variety, Mr. Fife con- 

 cluded to sow part of it that spring and wait for the result. 

 It proved to be a fall wheat as it never ripened, except 

 three ears which grew apparently from a single grain. 

 These were preserved, and although sown the next year 

 under very unfavorable circumstances, being quite late 

 and in a shady place, it proved at harvest entirely free from 

 rust, when all the wheat in the neighborhood was badly 

 rusted. The produce of this was carefully preserved, and 

 from it sprang the variety of wheat known over Canada 

 and the JSTorthern States by the different names of Fife, 

 Scotch, and Glasgow. As the facts occurred in my imme- 



80 ihe Country Qentlemcm and Cultivator, October, 1860. 



