Seager Wheeler

Seager Wheeler
Born 1868
Isle of Wight, England
Died December 15, 1961
Victoria
Occupation Plant breeder, agronomist, farmer
Known for pioneering viable wheat strains suitable for the Canadian prairies
Spouse(s) Lily Martin in 1908
Children Beth and Isobelle

Seager Wheeler, MBE (1868 – December 15, 1961) was a Canadian agronomist. Wheeler produced viable economic wheat and fruit strains for a short prairie growing season with harsh winters. Known as the "Wheat King of the prairies" or "The Wheat Wizard of Rosthern"[1] he owned and operated the Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm. He was designated as a person of national historic significance in 1988 by the Canadian federal government and inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Seager came to Canada in 1885 and applied for his own homestead in 1890. His original homestead was located at NE Section 16 Township 38 Range 4 West of the 3rd Meridian, and he was aided by a loan from the Temperance Colonization Society Limited - Toronto[2][3] Whereas the nearest present day town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan[4] is located at Sec.35, Twp.42, R.3, W3. To get to the restored Seager Wheeler Maple Grove 185-acre (0.75 km2) Farm travel 7 km east of Rosthern. Five separate entries of wheat which were grown at this farm location during 1911 to 1918 won World Wheat Championships. Morris Bodnar, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Dundurn, commemorated Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm as a National Historic Site of Canada on August 3, 1996.[5] The site is honoured as the location where hardy wheat and fruit strains were developed which were well suited to the prairie climate and growing season.

Life

Born on the Isle of Wight, England in 1868, Wheeler emigrated to the Canadian prairies in 1885, the year of the North West Rebellion. He worked on various farms for five years before applying for his own homestead near Rosthern, Saskatchewan. He died in Victoria and is interred with his family in the Bergthal cemetery, near Rosthern, where he homesteaded. His life story by Jim Shilliday was published in 2007 by the Canadian Plains Research Center.[6]

[7]

History

Seager Wheeler developed many dryland farming techniques, invented equipment as well as winning numerous awards for developing wheat strains and fruits which would grow in the short prairie season, seeds which would survive over winter and many other practices which helped develop a sustainable agricultural economy in Saskatchewan.

Awards

Legacy

Published works

References

  1. ↑ "Virtual Saskatchewan - Wizard o' Wheat". 1997–2007. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  2. ↑ SK Archives Board, Pioneer, EDS, SK Genealogical Society, ISC, ISM, SIAST, Metis National Council, SK Heritage Foundation. "SHIP Search Results". Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  3. ↑ Library and Archives Canada. "Western Land Grants (1870-1930) - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada". Archived from the original (– Scholar search) on October 7, 2006.
  4. ↑ Library and Archives Canada (2007-02-12). "Item Display - Post Offices and Postmasters - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  5. ↑ Trevor Ashfield, Canadian Heritage. "Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm Commemorated as a National ..". Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  6. ↑ Shilliday, Jim (2007). Canada's Wheat King: The Life and Times of Seager Wheeler. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Center. p. 177. ISBN 0-88977-187-1.
  7. ↑ "CRS COMMPOSTER". October 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-09-26. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  8. 1 2 "Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame". Salute to Saskatchewan Farm Leaders. 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  9. ↑ "Welcome to the Seager Wheeler Farm - The Man". Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  10. ↑ National Library of Canada. (1997). "resAnet Results Summary". Retrieved 2007-05-01.
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