THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 75 



they claim peculiar attention. These are the hard or 

 flint wheats, the soft wheats, and the Polish wheats. 

 The hard wheats are the produce of warm climates, such 

 as Italy, Sicily, and Barbary. The soft wheats grow in 

 the northern parts of Europe. The Polish wheats grow 

 in the country from which they derive their name, and 

 are also hard wheats. It is from their external form 

 that they are distinguished from other wheats. The 

 hard wheats have a compact seed nearly transparent, 

 which, when bitten through, breaks short, and shows a 

 very white flour within. The soft wheats have an opaque 

 coat or skin, and which, when first reaped, give way 

 readily to the pressure of the finger and thumb. These 

 wheats require to be well dried and hardened before they 

 can be conveniently ground into flour. The Polish 

 wheat has a chaff which is much longer than the seed, 

 a large, oblong, hard seed, and an ear cylindrical in ap- 

 pearance. It is a delicate spring wheat, and not very 

 productive ; hence it has only been occasionally culti- 

 vated by way of experiment. 



" The hard wheats contain much more gluten, a tough, 

 viscid substance, which is very nutritious, and which, 

 containing a portion of nitrogen, readily promotes that 

 fermentation, or rising, as it is called, of the dough, 

 which is essential to good, light bread. The soft wheats 

 contain the greatest quantity of starch, which fits them 

 for the vinous fermentation, by its conversion into sugar 

 and alcohol. For brewing or distilling, therefore, the 

 soft wheats are the best." 



Limit of the Wheat-Producing Region. 



A great deal has been written in regard to the cli- 

 matic influences on the wheat crop; and I am sorry to 



