WHEAT AS A WILD PLANT 



There can, of course, be no question as to whether the 

 Scotch or English are the best ! 



The history of Wheat is a very complicated one ; there 

 are a great number of varieties and sub-species, all closely 

 allied to our ordinary wheat, and difficult to distinguish 

 from it. One variety occurs as a wild plant from Meso- 

 potamia, near Ararat, over Servia, the Crimea, and as far as 

 Thessaly, where entire hills are covered by it. This grain 

 seems to have been cultivated at Troy, for Dr. Schliemann 

 has found it at Hissarlik. It was, however, in cultivation 

 long before the days of Achilles ; it was grown by the Stone 

 Age people, who lived in the lake dwellings of Switzerland. 

 Another kind, " spelt " wheat, seems to have been the main- 

 stay in ancient Egypt, in Greece, and all through the 

 Roman Empire. It is now very rare, though it is still grown 

 in Spain and in other countries where the soil is poor. 



Grains of the true Wheat have been discovered in the 

 Pyramids of Egypt, so that it also is very ancient. To-day 

 Wheat extends to Norway (69° N. lat.), and may be grown 

 up to 4400 feet on the Alps.^ India, United States, Russia, 

 the Argentine, Chile, Australia, and many other countries, 

 produce great crops of this useful and nourishing food. Its 

 fibre is 3 per cent, albuminous matter 11 J per cent, and 

 carbo-hydrates 66*5 per cent. Oat has 10 per cent fibre, 

 11 J per cent albuminous, and 57 per cent carbo-hydrates. 



One guess as to the origin of Wheat is that the first- 

 named (Mesopotamian sort) is the original wild plant. By 

 cultivation in the rich alluvial valleys of Mesopotamia and 

 Egypt, improved kinds were formed. These have eventually 

 replaced both " spelt '"* wheat and the wild race, but could 

 only do so when richly-cultivated fields were ready for them. 



^ Hackel, Trvs Grasses. 

 271 



