VARIATION OF WILD WHEAT 



This large seeded "sport" of the Palestinian wild wheat appeared in cultivation at Bard, Cali- 

 fornia. It is here shown natural size. The head at the right shows in a striking way 

 the fragile nature of the articulations in this wild wheat — a character that is also found 

 in wild oats and other grains. In the struggle for existence in nature, such fragile articu- 

 lations are an advantage to the plant, for they enable its seeds to be more readily dissemi- 

 nated; under cultivation, however, they are a distinct disadvantage to man, making the 

 grain much harder to gather. One of the most striking results of the domestication of 

 wheat, therefore, has been a reduction in this character, until the present varieties are 

 reached, in which the head remains compact until it is threshed. (Fig. 2.) 



477 



