29 



important quality. They are very deceptive in tliis regard, the short- 

 ness of the head leading one to suppose at hrst that it can not contain 

 so many grains as are present in reality. The chati' is usually very 

 tenacious, so that these wheats may be harvested long after ripening 

 without loss from shattering. This is especially true of varieties 

 grown in California and Washington. Having short, stiff straw, these 

 wheats also usually stand up well, any damage from lodging being 

 quite rare among them. Besides producing the class of tlours desired 

 in certain localities, club varieties are very good for cracker making 

 and for the more starchy kinds of breakfast foods. They are grown 

 either as spring or winter varieties except in Turkestan, where the 

 winters are too cold for fall sowing. Being grown in dry, hot regions, 

 they are usually rather drought resistant. 



Club wheats are at present cultivated chiefly in the Pacific Coast 

 and Rocky Mountain States of this country, in Chile, Turkestan, and 

 Abyssinia, and to a slight extent in Switzerland, Russia, and a few 

 other districts of Europe. The special qualities of the group are as 

 follows: 



( 1 ) Great yielding power. 



(2) Stiffness of straw. 



(3) Freedom from shattering. 



(4) Early maturity (in some varieties). 



(5) Drought resistance (in some varieties). 



(6) Excellence of certain varieties for cracker making and breakfast foods. 



POULARD WHEATS {T. turgidum). 



This group of wheats is usually classed as being quite distinct from 

 the durum (T. durum) group, the two ranking as subspecies of T. 

 vulgare. But as a matter of fact there are intergrading varieties 

 which bring them as close together as are the club wheats and common 

 bread wheats. They will both be considered here, like T. co7nj?actum, 

 as distinct species. 



The poulard wheats are usually rather tall, with broad, in most varie 

 ties velvety, hairy, or often glaucous leaves. The stems are thick 

 and stiff, and sometimes pithy within. Heads long, often squarely 

 shaped, with long beards, that are white, red, or bluish red in color, 

 or sometimes black. Spikelets two to four-grained, and arranged 

 rather compactly. Outer chaff' strongly and sharply keeled. Grains 

 large, proportionally shoit and rounded, sometimes ahnost semicircular 

 in middle cross section, rather hard and glutinous, light yellowish red 

 in color, sometimes nearly white, and becoming glassy in varieties 

 allied to the durum group, or on growing in certain soils. 



The name poulard is most commonly applied to these wheats. In 

 Europe they are sometimes called English wheats, a very misleading 

 name, as they are really little grown in England. On th(> other hand 

 the few varieties that have been grown there are known as rivet 



