50 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



Russia, though a rather large quantity of emmer is produced 

 each year." This species is often incorrectly called spelt in the 

 United States and the two species are thus sometimes confused. 



"The plants of this species are pithy or hollow, with an inner wall of pith; leaves 

 sometimes rather broad, and usually velvety hairy ; heads almost always bearded, 

 »ery compact, and much flattened on the two-rowed sides. The appearance in the field 



is therefore quite different 

 from that of spelt. The 

 spikelets, however, look 

 considerably like those of 

 spelt, Ixit differ principally 

 in the presence always of 

 a short pointed pedicel. 

 This pedicel, which is really 

 a portion of the rachis of 

 the head, if attached at all 

 to the spelt spikelets, is 

 always very blunt and 

 much thicker. Besides, the 

 emmer spikelets are 

 flattened on the inner side, 

 and not arched as in spslt, 

 so that they do not stand 

 out from the rachis as the 

 spelt spikelets do, but lie 

 close to it and to each 

 other, forming a solidly 

 compact head. The spike- 

 lets are usually two- 

 grained, one grain being 

 located a little higher than 

 the other. The outer chaff 

 is boat-shaped, keeled, and 

 toothed at the apex. The 

 grain is somewhat similar 

 to that of spelt, but is 

 usually harder, more com- 

 pressed at the sides, and 

 redder in color. 

 "For the production of new varieties by hybridization emmer has qualities 

 similar to those of spelt, but still more valuable. At the same time emmer, besides 

 possessing harder grain, is more resistant to drouglit, and usually rather resistant 

 to orange leaf rust. It is well adapted for cultivation in the northern States of the 

 Plains and has already proved very valuable as a hardy forage plant in that '•egion, 



Common wheat: Turkish red variety on the left; Red 

 Fultz variety on the right. 



