THE WHEAT PLANT 



ii 



-2. 



Kernels of grain secured from the farm, elevator, 

 or the mill will show the following : the oval 

 form, the furrow or suture on the inner side, and 

 the germ or embryo at the lower end (Fig. 6). 



By cutting the kernels we can learn of their 

 hardness. Some varieties are much harder than 

 others, and so wheat 

 is classified as hard 

 or soft on the mar- 

 kets. Imperfect ker- 

 nels are soft, light, 

 and chaffy. Grain 

 dealers call them 

 unsound. 



The natural colors 

 of the grain are 

 whitish, yellowish, 

 reddish, or darker, 

 depending on the 

 variety and climate. 

 The natural color is 

 modified by rains 

 and other weather conditions at harvest time. 



The Parts of the Kernel. - The wheat kernel 

 has three principal parts, the coatings, the embryo, 

 and the starchy interior called the endosperm. 

 We shall not fully describe these parts. Such a 

 study belongs to a department of agriculture 

 called agronomy. Our chief interest is in the 



FIG. 6. The wheat grain: /, cheek; 2, 

 suture ; 3, brush ; 4, embryo. 



