350 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



the grain was broken from the parent plant. At the tip of the ker- 

 nel are numerous very short, white hairs. Perfect or well developed ker- 

 nels of one kind of wheat resemble each other more closely than kernels 

 of different kinds of wheat. Kernels of wheat kept in water three to 

 eight hours, are softened and enlarged and are then mostly free from 

 wrinkles. The circular spot near the base of the kernel has smoothed out, 

 excepting a shallow groove around the outside. 



There is much difference between kernels of buckwheat. One kind, 

 known as the silver-hull, has a gray color, and the corners are rounded 

 more or less and the sides bulge out considerably. Another sort, usually 

 known as common buckwheat, is dark brown in color and has three sharp 

 ridges running lengthwise of the kernel, while the sides are flat or more or 

 less depressed. Kernels of wheat and common buckwheat are often nearly 

 of the same length, though in most cases wheat is the longer. The lower 

 end of a grain of buckwheat is larger than the upper end, 

 and if it were not rubbed too hard in threshing there will 

 still be found the remains of some brown scales, and at the 

 base a email scar where it was joined to the plant while 

 growing and at the apex of some of the kernels may yet be 

 found three little club-shaped things which usually turn 

 downward near the sides of the grain. The buckwheat 

 ^^\^- u^- ^^\^i^°^ after soaking in water is somewhat enlarged and 



buckwheat three .^c' <=> 



times natural size. SOltened. 



The circular spot near the lower end of a kernel of wheat kept on wet 

 earth, no matter in what position, is usually soon split open 

 and a short white bunch is thrust out directly away from the 

 kernel. This white sheath soon splits open at the end and 

 a slender root pushes out, and excepting the naked end 

 this root is soon covered by a downy material, the root- 

 ^. ,. r. ■ » hairs. Before this single first root has made much prog- 



Fig. U. Gram of , , ° i • i f & 



wheat enlarged re^^s, another One appears on each side, 

 root ^fro°m 'a* white a little Smaller than the firet one, but in 

 sheath. other respects the same, making three in 



number, and before long still another comes out on either 

 side making five in all. Very likely it may not be long 



before the side roots 

 catch up and some of 

 them possibly over- 

 take the tirst one. For „. ,^ ^ . , 



. , , , .. Fig. 15. Gram of 



a considerable time wheat showing 

 before all 



appear, there is an 

 other single greenish-white object 

 Fig. 16. Grain of wheat showing five roots, and destitute of hairs and shorter than the 



at the right two leaves are shown, one within the . , . . -it j_- 



other. roots pushing in an opposite direction. 



A kernel of wheat is not heavy and the roots are small and soon clothed 

 with root-hairs. The kernels left on the surface are not unfre- 

 qiiently raised above the soil and kept there by the several roots in a 

 spider- like manner. Sometimes some of the roots grow faster than others 

 and they push the kernel over on its " back," but some of the curving 

 roots aided by the hairs, unless allowed to dry, are sure, sooner or later^ 

 to enter the soil and secure water and other materials. 



fllA TV»nts ^^^^f ^'^°^^' ^^'^^ 

 LUC luuues coming from a short 



white sheath. 



