94 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



Chess. 

 (One-fourth 

 natural size.) 



are obtained, and when chess only is sown only chess is obtained. It has been 

 shown furthar that in order to obtain seed from chess, chess must be sown the pre- 

 ceding falL \Mien sown in the spring it does not produce seed for 

 the same reason that wL t lye and winter wheat do not. It is not 

 found, therefore, in any out fall sown, crops, and is less abundant in 

 rye than wheat, because of the greater hardiness of rye as corr.pared 

 with wheat. The above habits are sufficient to explain the abun- 

 dant development of this plant in wheat which has been injured by 

 winter killing or by the Hessian fly when the sowing of clean seed 

 has not been continuously 

 practiced. The introduc 

 tion of chess seed in the 

 grain seriously injures its 

 market value, as the chess 

 must be removed before 

 the wheat is ground. The 

 machinery for this purpose 

 in large milling establish- 

 ments has reached great 

 perfection. Hackel says 

 that flour containing an ad- 

 mixture of chess willbe dark 

 colored, remain moist and 

 is narcotic. 1 Chess can be removed rather 

 readily from the seed wheat by the ordi- 

 nary fanning mills. When wheat is treated 

 for smut, if the grains are stirred in the solu 

 tion, any remaining chess seeds will come 

 to the surface and can be skimmed off. 



140. Darnel. — Darnel belongs to 

 the same tribe of grasses as wheat, to the 

 same genus as perennial and Italian rye 

 grass. Unlike these grasses, however, it 

 is an annual. It occurs in grain crops of 

 Europe and is also reported occurring in 

 wheat fields of California, where it is 

 known as chess. This plant is supposed 

 to be the "tares'' spoken of in the Bible. 

 Like chess it is said to contain a narcotic 

 principle which causes eruptions, tremb- 

 ling and confusion of sight in man, and in flesh-eating animals, and very strongly 

 in rabbits, but does not affect swine, horned cattle or ducks.2 Darnel may bO 

 removed from wheat intended for seed by the same method as chess. 



1 The True Grasses, p. 168. 



« Ibid, p. 171. 



Cockle. (One-fourth natural tize ) 



