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An averag^e head of wheat is about throe and a half inches in length. 

 It is made up of a large number of spikelets which are arranged alter- 

 nately along the stalk. Each spikelet usually contains three flowers. 

 The flower is small and is enclosed by two glumes, which after- 

 wards form the chafl^. These glumes are sometimes blunt and 



sometimes elongated into awns or beards. The 

 very interesting little flower, therefore, cannot 

 be seen except by opening up the glumes, which 



Fi>;-. 22. Spikelet of wlieat. 



Wheat flower. 



can be readily done by means of a sharp knife or 

 a pin. A small magnifying glass will greatly help 

 in examining the \arious parts of the flower. The 

 flower produces the seed which at first is very 

 small, but which grows rapidly and ripens in three 

 or four weeks after the formation of the flower. 

 As the grain ripens. 



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the leaves turn brown 

 and wither, the stems 

 or straws change to a 

 green or lightish yellow 



Fi^. 21. Ileadof wheat, natural color, and the glumes 



^'^''" become dry and harsh. 



From the one seed which was planted, we 

 have obtained a well ripened plant, which is 

 ready to be cut, harvested, and threshed, and 

 will furnish us with straw, chaff, and grain, 

 all of which are useful. 



I have touched on only a few of the 

 points in connection with the life history of 

 the wheat. The gernvnation of the seed ; 

 the feeding of the plant ; the growth of the 

 leaf, the stem, and the head ; the arrange- 

 ment of the flower ; the production of the 

 grain, — are all subjects which are very interest- 

 ing and worthy of a person's close attention 

 and careful study. 



In view of the importance of the wheat 

 crop, a large amount of experimental work 



has been done at the Ontario Agricultural _ _ 



College in order to glean information which may be ot value in mcreas- 

 ing both the yield and the quality of the wheat of Ontario. The results 

 of these experiments have been published in bulletins which have been 



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Fi^-. 23. A head uf wlieat divid- 

 ed into three part^;: (a) the grains; 

 (b) the chaff, and (c) the eentre 

 stem. 



