HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-01-05, Page 4Page 4 — Lucknow Sentinel, -Wednesday, January 5, 1994
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Published weekly by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd at 619 Campbell Street Lucknow, Ont
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Saunders - the creator
of the "bread -basket"
by Marsha Boulton
OTTAWA, 1907 -- What
Canadian scientist chewed his way
to the discovery of the wheat that
made Canada the bread -basket of
the world?
Charles Saunders was something
of a reluctant agricultural resear-
cher. His father, William, a phar-
macist from London, Ont. main-
tained a passion for horticulture and
fioni an early ,age all five of- the
Saunders children were 'taught the
Latin names of plants.
Saunders was a frail child. Al-
though he dreamed of studying
music and enjoyed playing the flute,
his father preferred him to study
chemistry, so he attended, the
University of Toronto. "I am a
docile person," he once noted. "I
am always going where I ' am
pushed."
After completing his studies at
Johns Hopkins University and
teaching chemistry in Kentucky,
Saunders escaped the influence of
his father briefly, studying singing
and teaching music at •a ladies'
college. •
But Saunders. Sr. was bent on
having his son carry on the work he
had started in developing a strain of
wheat that would ripen early
enough to survive fall frosts in the
West.
In 1885, William Saunders
became the director of the
Dominion Experimental Farms
where he conducted horticultural
research.
At every vacation, Charles and his
brother, Percy, were called upon to
apfy their knowledge of chemistry
to developing new strains.
" In 1902, Charles Saunders was
appointedas Dominion Cerealist.
It was a tedious task to check'
each sample, but Saunders was a
meticulous researcher. Selection
was rigorous. Strains had to be
grown separately and individual
seed heads demonstrating the
greatest strengths were tested.
Ultimately, mastication became
the mother of invention, when
H
11_ti Iasi '•!
Saunders discovered that by simply
chewing a sample of kernels he
could determine its level of gluton
and the sort of , bread it would
make.
Saunders chewed his way through'
more than 100 varieties before
discovering "Markham," a 1 cross
between Canadian Red Fife wheat
and an Indian variety called Hard
Red Calcutta. Feeling that the name
was not noble enough, Saunders
dubbed in "Marquis" and sent a
sackful to the Experimental Farm at
Indian Head, Saskatchewan for
testing in 1907.
Panic set in when the precious
, seed sample disappeared. An urgent
call went out, and the wheat was
returned by one of the men who
had inadvertently taken it home to
feed his chickens.
Marquis wheat proved to be
everything Saunders had hoped for.
It yielded more bushels than is
predecessors and, most importantly,
it ripened for harvest one week
earlier than Red Fife. •
When it was released for com-
mercial production in 1909, Mar-
quis became the wheat that won the
west. Northern areas were settled;
and wheat returns amounted to
millions of dollars.
, By 1920, 90 per cent of the wheat
grown in Western Canada was
Marquis.
Saunders suffered a physical
breakdown . in 1922. He went to
Paris where he ` studied French
literature, producing a book of
verse and essays which Quebec
critics extolled as "courageous."
Music remained the passion of his
,life, although his scientificen-
deavors earned him a knighthood.
When Sir, Charles Saunders died
in 1937 the Daily Express of Lon-
don wrote that "he contributed more
to the wealth of his country than
any other man."
The Sentinel Memoirs
It was a hot election for council
70 years ago
Jan. 3, 1924
Hof election for council - Lucknow will have
an election for councillors though there will be
no contest for the reeveship.
Councillor Miller, who at the nomination meeting
announced himself a candidate for the head of the
board, after spending a day in feeling the electors,
decided that his chance of election was not good and
dropped out giving Johnston an acclamation for the
eighth time.
Miller, however, is a candidate for the council.
His change constituted a surprise of, the election
proceedings, as all had expected a strenuous battle for
the reeveship.
The nomination meeting on Monday evening was
quiet and orderly; so quiet in fact, that we fear some
went away disappointed. At least that is the impres-
sion one got from remarks heard in some quarters of
the hall.
The fireworks of a year ago rather over -advertised
the nomination meeting as good entertainment.
Nominations for the reeveship were Robert
Johnston, Elliott Miller and George H. Smith.
50 years ago
Jan., 6, 1944
Handle express at depot - Due to tie illness
and enforced absence from the Express Office
of Miss. Elizabeth Henderson, the express
business and wire service is being handled at the
CNR depot by A.W. Hamilton and Joseph Conley.
The village delivery and pickup service is not
affected. Rural residents however must call at the
depot for express parcels. The telegraph service is
also conducted from the depot.
sed the scissors - The Publisher took things
mighty easy over the New Year's weekend,
when we dropped everything and with the
family headed to Pa Thom's farm for a couple of
restful days which featured sleeping, eating and the l
sociability that comes from sitting round the fireside,
and with your feet up on it, if you wish.
For the time being work was completely forgotten
includling the task of preparing something for our
editonal ,column. As a result, the sum total of this
week's effort was the clipping of the opinions of
others.
ith the troops Dave Jewitt, who ' is
stationed in British .Columbia with a High-
land regiment, spent the weekend at the
home of his mother.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McNall received word from
their son Rae last week that he had landed in Italy. •
Rae left for overseas in mid-July.
Clifford McNall, stationed at Hamilton with the
RCAF and who is convalescing from pneumonia,
spent .the weekend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs, '
Robert McNall. '
In the thick of things Mrs. Percy Crosier,
formerly ' Dorothy. MacDougall of Kinloss
received an airgraph from her husband in Italy,
which bore the inscription "Christmas greetings from
the Eighth Army" and the quotation, "Together you
and I, we will see this thing through to the end."
Dorothy's husband is with the 1 lth Canadian Tank
Regiment and has been in the thick of the fighting in
Sicily and Italy, and has escaped "without a scratch".
Percy landed in Sicily on July 10, and in Italy on
Sept. 3. He states he liked it in Sicily, but he doesn't
think much of the rain and mud in Italy at present.
25 years ago
Jan. 8, 1969
Takes over shoe store Terry Rathwell has
taken over the operation of the Rathwell Shoe
Store, in Lucknow, effective the first of the.
year. Terry is the third generation of the Rathwell
family to operate the retail shoe outlet in the village.
The business was established by the Rathwell
family in 1917'. Terry's grandfather, the late S.C.
Rathwell came to Lucknow in 1911 from Clinton to
take charge of the Joynt Shoe repair department. He
later entered a partnership in John H. Ackert. Later
business enterprises were made in association with.
Allan Turner and W.P. Reed.
In 1941, the business became S.C. Rathwell and.
Son with Gerald Rathwell becoming associated with
his father in' the business. After his father's death in
1957; Jerry continued to carry on the. business until
his death in May.
Since May, Terry has worked in association with his
mother in operating the business until he officially
I took over.
July 10, 1941 - at the Lucknow Presbyterian
Church Sunday School picnic, Kincardine.
Rev. C.H. MacDonald, Jimmie Little, Wm. E.
Henderson, with Bill Fisher in the back-
ground: (courtesy Wm. Henderson)
Getting the mail - Jan. 1, 1940. Dan Ferguson,
John Donald Ross, Dan ;Klondike,) MacLeod,
and Mrs. Bill Lloyd. (courtesy Wm. Hender-.
son)
George "Brick" MacKenzie, Jan. 1, 1941, with
Reid's ,Bakery In the .background. (courtesy
Wm. Henderson)
Writer says men's rights are abused too
To the editor:
Within the last couple of.years,
the public has been reading and
hearing information about child,
wife and women abuse (sexual,
physical and psychological).
I am a male who ,was taught by
his family and. is a firm, believer in
a zero tolerance to any of these
acts.
Women and children need to lie
T0 THE EDITOR
protected from any form of abuse.
In my view, the statistics show that
it is getting out of hand and it has
to be stopped.
However, the public should
realize that this could and does
happen to men.
In my opinion, women are given
all rights and men have very few.
Men's rights can and are abused by
• some women who take advantage
of men and the public (misuse of
government assistance, the use ,of
shelters and what the shelter
provides).
In a recent occurrerfCe this hap-
pened to me.
• It is about time that men were
given equal rights. In certain cir-
cumstances, investigations should
be completed to protect both men
and the public.
There are some private, not
public, associations set up to help
ese men. Men also need help it
searching for their rights and ob-
taining much needed justice.
MTC
I I
Lottery winners
' Winners between Dec. 25 and
Dec. 31 in the Ripley District Lions
cash calendar draw were Ken
Donaldson, Goderich; Dennis
Courtney, Ripley; Evelyn Bradley,
R,R, 3,^Goderich; Garry and Connie
Dadkin, Listowel; F. Bullivant,
Southampton; and Murray Culbert,
Ripley with $50 each.
The big $2500 winner on Dec. 31
was Don MacTavish of Ripley.
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