Otonabee Township Genealogy

World Famous "Red Fife" Wheat was developed by David A. Fife, an Otonabee Township farmer in the County of Peterborough. He was a dedicated farmer and concerned about the quality of his crops. David Fife wrote a friend in Glasgow, Scotland, asking him to send some spring wheat. His friend sent him a sample of a new kind of wheat brought into Scotland by ship from Danzig. He planted the few grains in the spring of 1842. The wheat began to grow until one of their cows ate two of the five heads. Mrs. Fife drove the animal away and the remaining three heads matured ten days earlier than the other wheat on the farm. David Fife discovered that the new wheat was more immune to rust, smut and frost damage than any other in this country. Each year as the wheat multiplied, he cared for it, until the spring of 1849, the Otonabee Agricultural Society was able to buy 260 bushels to distribute among its members.

During the early part of this century most of the wheat grown in western Canada was of the "Red Fife" variety. Latterly it has been replaced by earlier maturing varieties, most of which trace their parentage and rust resistant characteristics to the varieties developed by "David Fife".

I read today a story so strange
That it truth was hard to seize,
In this age of plenty-and more to spare-
In this era of wealth and ease,
It told how a farmer, a pioneer,
Dealt defeat a dying blow-
In he face of misfortune, and poverty dire-
In this land we have come to know
As "Canada" fair Canada,
Where want needs not now bring woe.
: : : : : : : : : : :
Although he had chosen his acreage well,
This kindly Scot, named "Fife,"
Could no longer provide for the one he loved,
And had promised to cherish for life.
So he traveled afar to his homeland
To search for a wheat that might
Be early, and yet be hardy enough
To defy the rust and the blight.
: : : : : : : : : :
He found a wheat he hope would bring
A bountiful harvest yield-
In spite of the storm-tossed season of spring-
And he chose, with care a field
Wherein he sowed his precious seed;
Then, in prayer, the farmer kneeled.
To wheat stalks tall, with bulging heads,
He watched his seedlings grow...
But tragedy stalks; and heartache strikes,
As well the pioneer know.
: : : : : : : : : :
He carefully gathered a remnant of wheat
And again, he sowed the land-
But the remnant he sowed with hope in his heart,
Was gleaned in the palm of his hand.
Its bounty and fame so rapidly spread
To a world whipped by hunger's rod,
That it seemed like fire fanned by the wind
And controlled by the will of God.
: : : : : : : : : : :
"Dear Farmer Fife, wherever you dwell
In the land of Eternal Light,
Please hear me while I thank you
For conquering the blight
On the wheat crops of our Canada,
That give to us the might
To feed the poor, and the hungry,
So precious in His sight."
: : : : : : : : : : :
But as I offered my gratitude
For a seeming miracle, rare,
I sensed a thought made manifest
Through the open channel of prayer-
"Good Friend, thou' you speak sincerely,
I would have you know what is right-
I was only a willing worker,
IT WAS GOD WHO CONQUERED THE BLIGHT"
: : : : : : : : : : :
There's hunger and hurt in the world still today-
A hunger of the heart, and of the mind.
But the heedless throng hears not their cry,
Nor suffers itself to be kind.
The pioneer thought not only of self,
But in love for his fellow man.
He labored long, 'gainst heavy odds-
And he offered his heart, and his hand.
: : : : : : : : : : :
So must the pioneer spirit today
Be willing itself to deny. It must be thoughtful; courageous, and kind,
Else, who will hear the cry
Of the hungry heart, and the hungry mind,
Who chose Life to deny.
: : : : : : : : : : :
FARMER FIFE THE CHALLENGE MET
So, by God's grace, will I !

Rosemary John.

When a Peterborough district wife chased a cow from her husband's garden. she managed to save three ears of wheat not eaten or otherwise destroyed, The three ears of grain later resulted in the North American continent becoming the leading exporter of wheat throughout the world.

This episode and the amazing later results began in 1842 on the Otonabee Township farm of David Alexander Fife. He was a native of Scotland who liked to experiment to better his crops. Fife wrote to a friend in Glasgow, Scotland, asking him to send samples of wheat so that he might try growing them at his farm in Otonabee Township. The first samples were sown but no crop resulted. Later, the friend scooped a small amount of wheat from a ship landing in the port from Danzig. He sent these samples to David Fife, who planted them in 1841. He roped off a small section of his garden where the wheat was sown. The wheat was growing favorably, however, one day Fife's wife looked out her kitchen window and saw the cow had broken into the section and was eating the grain. She rushed out and chased it to the barnyard. The grain was destroyed with the exception of three stalks of wheat. Fife's wife placed the three ears of wheat in a safe spot inside the house to await planting next year.

However, it was late getting planted because of being temporarily forgotten while she was ill, The regular crop of Siberian wheat had been planted and was starting to sprout from the ground. It was then remembered about the three ears of wheat stored away and this wheat was planted. Although planted late. it grew into grain as soon as the Siberian wheat planted earlier. The new wheat was free from rust disease. whereas the Siberian wheat was badly rusted as was often the case. The new wheat was thus a success. David Fife threshed the precious crop in the palm of his hand and carefully stored it away for planting again.

In time there was a quart of seed and still later a half-bushel. Fife supplied his neighbors with samples. It became known as Red Fife wheat, after its grower and because of its colour. One neighbor later reaped 300 bushels and sold it to the Otonabee Agricultural Society who distributed it to its members. Once Red Fife wheat started to become plentiful, it became the only wheat grown in the area. As the crop yield became greater, it spread across the province of Ontario and into the northern United States. It finally gained favor in Western Canada were for the first time wheat could grown in some of the northern areas where previously it could not be grown because of the short season and early frost. Red Fife wheat yielded a good crop at an early date and was comparatively rust free. Thousands of acres were sown, Towns in western Canada and the northern United States became large modern cities in the wheat-growing belt. Red Fife Wheat was considered a great agricultural find at the time when frost and rust were the two great hazards of wheat producers in North America.
Another Canadian, Dr. Charles E. Sanders, after years of research developed a hybrid wheat through cross breeding Red Fife wheat with an early ripening wheat, know as "Hard Red Calcutta." The cross breeding continued resulting in the development of "Marquis" wheat, early maturing, rust resistant, frost free and a heavy producer. By 1923, Marquis wheat was grown on most of the wheat fields in North America, making the continent a great wheat producer. It is hard to say what the wheat production in North America might be today if it were not for David Fife.

His grave and monument are in Fife's Cemetery near the farm which he pioneered in wheat more than a century ago. It was Red Fife wheat that enabled Canada to earn the proud title of "The Granary of the World" also aided in establishing and expanding many cities and building Canada into a rich and powerful industrial nation.

As a result of the discovery of "David Fife", the prairie grass of our western provinces was replaced with "Red Fife Wheat" and Canada became known as the "Granary of the World"

One hundred years ago today,
On fair old Scotia's soil,
There was born a wee bit laddie
To be a son of toil
: : : :
His mother then a proud woman,
With all a mothers pride,
Called him "Johnnie" after the man
Who'd taken her for his bride.
: : : :
Now as ever-rolling years
Were creeping on apace,
Six younger brothers,
Were added to the race.
: : : :
But when the family grew up
And John was twenty-three,
They thought they'd leave old Scotland fair
For Canada so free.
: : : :
They talked this place with neighbors,
And Esson was their name,
They asked them for to join their plan
And help them share the fame.
: : : :
So in eighteen hundred and twenty,
When the days were warm,
They boarded a vessel called "Hope",
And braved the ocean's storm.
: : : :
For six long tedious weeks they sailed,
Ere they reached the land they sought,
Then by the "Indian River"
Their new found home they bought.
: : : :
Now t'was here their family flourished.
And ever proved to be
A good honest, honored company,
And unbroken family.
: : : :
Till John and his six young brothers
Got married, all but one.
And to the Fife's thats then were left
Was known as "Uncle John"
: : : :
And when his duty here on earth,
He'd done as he knew best,
His loving Master bade him come
And enter into rest.
: : : :
His loving friends around him wept,
As they gazed upon his face,
Then bore him to the graveyard hill,
To be his resting place
: : : :
Now all the Fife's that are alive,
Has formed one Scottish clan,
And met today in honor of,
That loved long lost man.
: : : :
Oh, weep not for the Fifes that's gone,
To yonder hill to rest,
They now with spirits free from strife
Are roaming with the best.
: : : :
But let us each true pleasure seek,
Enjoy this meeting here,
For lo, the promise is not given,
That all may meet next year. : : : :
But still we hope that death will not slay
Our little Scottish band,
And may it ever prove to be
An honor to the land.
: : : :
Oh, could old Scotia only know,
The loyal hearts so true,
That gather here from year to year,
She'd be rejoicing too.
: : : :

Written by: Miss Margaret Heal
Sept. 28 1898