A Brief History of Variety Changes on Farms in North Dakota By T, E. Stoa, Agronomist

ed Fife, also called "Scotch Fife," was the most commonly grown wheat in North Dakota beginning with the agricul- R tural development of the State. It continued to be the pre- dominant variety for some time after Bluestem was introduced in the early 90's. North Dakota's reputation for the production of the best quality "No. 1 Hard" wheat was made with . This wheat was introduced in the United States from Canada, coming into Canada in 1842 by way of Germany and Scotland. It is presumed to have originally come into German ports and Germany from Galicia. Red Fife gets its name from David Fife, Ontario, who received and grew the first small sample and did much to preserve this early introduction and popularize its use in eastern Canada.

There were many early attempts were bluestem selections that came to improve this wheat by early ex- to be widely grown in the early periment station workers and pri- part of the century. "Bolton's Blue- vate growers. N. Dak. 313 and stem," selected by Thomas Bolton, Minn. 163 (Glyndon) were recog- Park River, and "Davis Bluestem" nized experiment station selections selected by G. E. Davis, Buxton, grown extensively in those early were other strains. Bluestem was a years. Several, farmers purified and later ripening variety than Red improved their fife wheat by sys- Fife and very satisfactory when tematic selection. The increase of growing conditions were good. It these strains when distributed of- appears to have been grown more ten came to be identified with the extensively than fife soon after the name of the man responsible, for turn of the century. Both fife and the selection and its distribution. bluestem were seriously lacking in Some of the farmers who were resistance to stem rust. most active in this early improve- ment were: J. B. Power, Power, N. Experiment stations .tested many Dak.; James Holes, Fargo, N. Dak.; varieties or strains of wheat during J: G. McKendry, Fargo, N. Dak.; these early years, obtaining seed Jens Eysting, Mayville, N. Dak.; from many states, U. S. Depart- Chas. McKissick, Mayville, N. Dak.; ment of Agriculture, Canadian and D. L. Wellman, Frazee, Minn. provinces, seed companies and from farmers who may have Bluestem wheat was introduced brought seed from their native in the early 90's. L. H. Haynes, land. Varieties from other coun- Fargo, had a considerable part in tries, particularly European Rus- the early improvement and distri- sia, where climatic conditions are bution of this wheat. Minn. 169 somewhat the same as ours, were from the' Minnesota Experiment also introduced and tested in at- Station, and N. Dak. 316 from the tempting to find those better suited North Dakota Experiment Station to our northern conditions. Very 22 NORTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

few of these, however, proved su- This did not prove to be the case perior or came into general farm and later came to be grown use in North Dakota. most successfully in eastern North Preston, more popularly known Dakota, outside the Red River Val- as "Velvet " and sometimes as ley. An appreciation of the impor- "Bearded Fife," was introduced tance of durum to the wheat grow- from Canada about 1895. This var- ers of North Dakota -may be real- iety was from a cross between a ized when one considers that since Siberian wheat and Red Fife made about 1917 from about 20 to 40 per- by Dr. William Saunders and asso- cent of the North Dakota wheat ciates, Central Experimental Farm, acreage has been given annually to Ottawa. Preston came into more the production of this crop. From general production after about 1905, two-thirds to more than three- and continued to increase for a fourths of the durum wheat usually number of years, representing in produced in the United States is 1919 about three-fourths million grown in North Dakota. acres in the State. Preston did not There have been some important have a particularly high yielding changes in the varieties of durum capacity but ripened a little earlier grown since the early years. After and showed a little more rust tol- the rust years of 1916 and 1919, erance than other then Kubanka replaced much of the Ar- grown. A tendency to shatter when nautka acreage. Kubanka is still ripe, a lower quality of , and grown to some extent. A strain of a . less market appeal were factors Kubanka called K-75 has been which discouraged its more extens- grown extensively- in the northern ive use. part of the State. Acme introduced by the South Dakota Experiment Introduction of Durum Wheat Station, Monad (D-l) and Red The introduction and establish- durum (D-5, also called Pentad), ment of durum wheat can be con- introduced about 1911 by H. L. sidered a step of major importance Bolley of the North Dakota Experi- in North Dakota wheat production. ment Station, were selections dis- Durum was first grown in the late tinctly resistant to stem rust. These 90's and farm production increased came into considerable use after soon after 1900. Early durum the rust years of 1916 and 1919. wheats • were sometimes called Nodak, a rust resistant selection "Goose" or "Goose Wheat." Durum from Kubanka by the Dickinson varieties grown were principally of Substation was released in 1923. Russian origin. Arnautka was Unfortunately these more rust re- grown most extensively during the ' sistant varieties were less satisfac- early years. T. I. Oium, Lisbon, tory for making high quality mac- was one of the early growers. Ku- aroni products, therefore, were not banka, Gharnovka, Black Don, and so well received on the market. Velvet Don were other varieties Algerian varieties—Kahla ("Black in production. The U. S. Depart- Chaff") and Peliss, introduced by ment of Agriculture and the North the U. S. Department of Agricul- Dakota Experiment Station were ture from northern Africa and Gol- active in the introduction and den Ball .("Solid Stem," "Viking") early increase of durum wheat, from South Africa, have from time demonstrating its qualities for the to time been grown in some com- making of macaroni products, aid- munities, but never became gen- ing in establishing new industries erally popular. Mindum, a variety and new markets. of amber durum released by the When durum was first introduced Minnesota Experiment Station it was thought that this wheat • about 1917, came into general pro- might be better suited than hard duction a few years later, and for red spring wheat to the drier con- some time has been the variety ditions of western North Dakota. most extensively grown in North BIMONTHLY BULLETIN VOLUME VII, NO. 6, JULY-AUGUST, 1945 23

Dakota. Mindum is only moderately Marquis is not resistant to stem resistant to rust, but an excellent rust and its earliness, compared yielder and ranks high in macaroni with Red Fife and Bluestem, alone quality. could or did not solve the rust problem. Since there were no bet- Early Work ill Plant ter varieties of hard red spring Improvement wheat available, however, Marquis Early work in wheat improve- continued to be the predominating ment was mainly thru plant selec- variety for several years, and par- tion, sorting out, testing and in- ticularly so in western North Da- creasing superior lines. W. M. Hays kota where rust injury was less of Minnesota and later of the North frequent. Dakota Experiment Station, did As rust years and serious losses some early crossing but this was continued with" increasing frequen- largely limited to crosses between cy there developed an increasing strains of fife and bluestem. J. H. demand for, and interest in, new Shepperd of North Dakota, Andrew varieties. With this demand came Boss of Minnesota, William Saun- the development, introduction and ders and later Chas. E. Saunders, promotion of many new varieties. of the Central Experiment Station, Usually these were not resistant to Ottawa, were others active in this rust nor superior to Marquis under early wheat improvement. our conditions. Several, however, were earlier ripening sorts, and Marquis this sometimes gave them a better After the early introduction and chance to escape damage. Some of establishment of durum production the varieties which came to be the next contribution of major im- grown to a more or less extent for portance to wheat growers in North a time about 19201 and soon after, Dakota was the introduction of especially in the eastern part of the Marquis wheat. This variety was State were: Ruby, Prelude, Kitch- developed by Dr. Chas. E. Saun- ener, Quality, Red Bobs, and Early ders, Ottawa, as a selection from a Triumph. Varieties coming into cross between an early ripening limited production after about 1925 Indian wheat, Hard Bed Calcutta included Supreme, Progress, ' Ax- and Common Red Fife. It was se- minster, Garnet, Reward, Broatch's lected in 1903 for its earliness over Br ownhead (Montana King), White - Red Fife and was released in Can- man and Marvel. Of these Reward ada in 1909. It first came into lim- proved to be the most satisfac- ited farm production in North Da- tory and, while lacking in resis- kota in 1912. tance to rust, usually yielded well, Marquis had many characteristics producing grain of high test weight of its fife parent, though ripening and pleasing appearance. In 1934 earlier. This" shorter growing sea- Reward was grown on about 2 per- son, which permitted it to "escape" cent of the hard red spring wheat heat and rust injury better, was acreage in North Dakota. one of the advantages which it had over Red Fife. With serious losses Modern Plant Breeding due to rust occurring in North Da- Modern plant breeding and var- kota in 1914 and 1916, the older iety improvement, as recognized fife and bluestem varieties were and practiced today, began to de- discontinued ..in many Communities velop after 1910, in North Dakota in favor of this earlier ripening about 1915. Creating superior rust Marquis. By 1919 Marquis 'was resistant varieties by crossing two 1 grown on about 4 /4 million acres or more varieties made slow pro- in North Dakota, representing gress for several years because re- about two:thirds of the then hard sistant lines which might be suc- red spring wheat acreage in the cessfully used as parents were rel- State. atively unknown. Three contribu- 24 NORTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION tions to variety improvement which spring wheat acreage in North Da- came about soon after 1915 were kota, with a further increase in of distinct importance. The North 1935. Since 1935 Ceres has to a Dakota Experiment Station selected large extent given way to Thatch- and introduced Kota, the first stem er, a variety more resistant to stem rust resistant hard red spring rust. wheat then known. H. K. Hayes Hope was distributed first in and associates of the Minnesota Ex- 1927. It proved to be very satis- periment Station in 1914 success- factory in rust resistance, but fully crossed Marquis wheat and a lacked capacity to yield under un- rust resistant durum called Iumillo. favorable drouth or heat conditions Out of this cross was selected in and never came into extensive 1918 a rust resistant hard red farm use. It is still recognized, spring wheat, later named Mar- however, as one of the most re- quillo. E. S. McFadden in South sistant varieties available and is Dakota in 1915 successfully crossed extensively used by plant breeders Marquis with the highly rust re- to transmit its type of rust resis- sistant ("speltz") and out of tance to new hybrids. this cross selected in 1923 a highly resistant line, later named Hope. Marquillo, developed by the Min- nesota Experiment Station came It is not important that no one into farm production in North of these early rust resistant wheats Dakota about 1928. This variety ever came into extensive farm pro- had considerable resistance to rust duction. The thing that is impor- and was therefore, superior to Mar- tant is that these new lines of hard quis in areas where rust occurred red spring wheat, together with frequently. Marquillo lacked some other selections from the same in quality and capacity to crosses, did greatly increase the yield under a wide range of condi- choice and variety of breeding ma- tions and so did not come into ex- terial which, having rust resistance, tensive production in North Da- could now be readily used by the kota. plant breeder for further crossing and with the larger assurance of Thatcher success. Nearly all new varieties Thatcher, developed by the Min- which have since come into produc- nesota Experiment Station from a tion, or promising selections now in double cross, (Marquis x Iumillo) experimental tests, have some rela- x. (Marquis x Kanred), made in tionship to one or more of these 1921 and selected in 1925, was re- original rust resistant lines. leased to Minnesota farmers in 1934. Thatcher was more satisfac- Ceres tory than Marquillo, had good re- Ceres, developed by L. R. Wal- sistance to stem rust, yielded more dron of the North Dakota Experi- consistently and the grain was of ment Station from a cross made in high flour quality. A weakness in 1918 between Marquis and Kota, Thatcher was lack of resistance to was first distributed in 1925. Ceres leaf rust. Thatcher became extens- when released and compared with ively grown after the rust years Marquis, the variety then most of 1935,i 1937 and 1938, when un- commonly grown, was considered usual rust conditions seriously as moderately resistant to stem damaged Ceres. Thatcher was rust. It proved superior to Mar- grown more extensively than any quis, not only in resisting rust but other wheat in North Dakota by in ability to yield well under 1941, occupying about 60 percent drouth and other severe condi- of the hard red spring wheat acre- tions. As a result Ceres production age in the State. increased rapidly during the next Following the rust years of 1935, few years and by 1934 represented a number of other new varieties about 45 percent of the hard red were brought out. These are all re- BIMONTHLY BULLETIN VOLUME VII, NO. 6, JULY-AUGUST, 1945 25 sistant to stem rust and by the and the U. S. Department of Agri- standards for comparison available culture, were leased in 1943. These 20 years ago, when Marquis was varieties, bred and selected for re- the variety most commonly grown, sistance to stem rust and back would have been assured of exten- crossed twice with Mindum to re- sive production. Renown and He- cover macaroni quality, are super- gent are selections from a cross ior to Mindum in rust resistance between Reward and H-44, made and equal to Mindum in macaroni at the Dominion Rust -Research quality. Laboratory, Winnipeg. Apex was developed at the University of Summary Saskatchewan and released in 1937. And so—North Dakota's wheats "Nordhougen" was distributed by have passed in review. Beginning Carl Nordhougen, Leeds, N. Dak., in the early years with Red Fife, Coronation and Brandon 123 (also supplementing this with Bluestem in . production under the name and both of these largely replaced "Great Northern" and "Newmarq") later by Marquis and a consider- are other varieties introduced in able acreage of durum wheat. Mar- the late thirties but have never quis in time was replaced by Ceres, been grown extensively. especially in eastern and central North Dakota, and an expanding Rival and Pilot acreage of durum, especially in the The North Dakota Experiment rust area in eastern North Dakota. Station released two new rust re- Reward came into considerable sistant varieties in 1939, Rival production in northeastern North [Ceres x (Hope x Florence)] and Dakota. Pilot (Hope x Ceres), the latter Thatcher followed later, replac- variety developed in cooperation ing Ceres and Reward in eastern with the .U. S. Department of Ag- and central North Dakota and to a riculture. These two varieties class considerable extent elsewhere, as as moderately resistant to stem well as taking over much of the rust, also to leaf rust, and are ex- remaining Marquis acreage. Re- cellent yielding varieties. Follow- nown, Regent, Rival, Pilot and ing the serious leaf rust epidemic Vesta then followed, taking over in 1941, and injury to Thatcher, the a considerable proportion of the acreage sown to these more leaf Thatcher acreage. In 1944 the North rust resistant wheats, and particu- Dakota wheat acreage sown, ac- larly Rival, increased rapidly. Ves- cording to a survey by the Bureau ta, a high yielding sister selection of Agric. Economics, U.S.D.A., was ' of Rival, with high resistance to about 82 percent hard red spring stem rust but not to leaf rust,, was and 18 percent durum. The esti- released in 1942 for use in western mated percentage of hard red North Dakota. spring acreage sown to the leading . In 1944 another new variety, Mi- varieties were: Thatcher 32 per- da, was released by the North Da- cent; Rival 31 percent; Regent 12 kota Experiment Station. Mida is percent; Pilot 8 percent; Renown superior to Rival, Pilot and Vesta 6 percent; and Vesta 4 percent. in a number of important plant Thus -the wheat variety picture characters and in the years ahead in North Dakota has changed sig- may come to be sown on much of nificantly over the 60' years and the acreage now sown to these var- especially so in the last 20 years. ieties. More than 90 percent of the record Two varieties of amber durum, 1944 North Dakota wheat crop was Carleton [(Emmer x Mindum) x produced by varieties which have Mindum*] and Stewart [(Mindum come into farm production within x Emmer)' x Mindum^] developed the last 10 years. It is likely to cooperatively by the North Dakota change even more rapidly in the Agricultural Experiment Station future, but with a larger choice of 26 NORTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION good varieties it is doubtful if any by Thatcher. Winter wheats have one variety will predominate to the not been grown with much success extent that Marquis did at one in North Dakota. time, followed by Ceres and then

INFECTIOUS EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN NORTH DAKOTA IN 1944

One hundred twenty six horses and mules were affected by infectious equine encephalomyelitis in North Dakota in 1944 of which 43 died. The total horse and mule population was estimated at 167,948 hence the cases of this disease amounted to 0.7 cases per 1000 horses and mules. Thirty-four percent of those affected died. The first case was reported in June and the last case in Sep- tember.

Counties reporting five or more cases per 1000 equine animals were Williams, Pierce, Cavalier, Nelson and Grand Forks. Counties reporting less than 1 case per 1000 equines were McKenzie, Moun- trail, Ward, McHenry, Benson, Wells, Eddy, Cass, Richland, Dickey, Morton, Grant, and Emmons.

There were 19,590 cases in the United States in some 33 states. .The frequency with which the disease occurred in animals not vaccinated was 14 times greater than in the case of animals vaccin- ated—for the United States only 0.2 per 1000 for vaccinated ani- mals and 2.9 per 1000 for unvaccinated animals. (From "Report on Infectious Equine Encephalomyelitis in the United States in 1944," by A. W. Miller, Chief, Bureau of Animal Industry, U.S. D.A., May 19, 1945.—Abstracted by H.L.W.)