CHAPTER XI 

 INDUSTRIAL REVIEW 



The History of the Wheat Plant. - - Wheat early 

 became a cultivated plant. Its origin precedes 

 human history. It was cultivated by the Chinese 

 3000 years before the birth of Christ and, accord- 

 ing to their legends, is a direct gift from heaven. 

 A field was plowed each year by the emperor in 

 preparation for the planting. Thus he expressed 

 his appreciation for the gift, and by his work he 

 dignified labor. 



The Egyptians have a legend attributing the 

 origin of wheat to Osiris, the goddess of the Nile. 

 A tomb at Thebes built probably about 1500 B.C. 

 bears a painting which shows some of the early 

 cultural methods of the Egyptians. 



Wheat is often referred to in both the Old and 

 the New Testaments. Job xxxi, 40 indicates that 

 some of the wheat pests were known, for it reads, 

 ' Let thistles grow instead of wheat." In the 

 third chapter of Matthew we get a hint of early 

 threshing methods : : Whose fan is in his hand, 

 and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather 



190 



