AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 305 



Grain-bearing plants are all remarkable for the wonderful power they 

 possess of multiplying themselves indefinitely, according to the circum- 

 stances under which they are grown. Their stalks are increased by tiller- 

 ing, which is performed by throwing out a set of coronal roots, above the 

 seminal. One seed has been known to throw up two hundred and fifty 

 stalks, bearing nineteen thousand seeds, and the stalks were divided and 

 planted until they had multiplied to five hundred and ten, sustaining twenty- 

 one thousand two hundred ears, yielding six hundred thousand grains. 

 Cereal plants have been cultivated for so long a period of time, that it is 

 not known where they originated, but it is most probable that most of them 

 came from India, as nearly all our vegetables and fruits. At all events 

 they were all unknown in America when it was discovered, except Indian 

 corn. 



The cerealia do not grow equally well in all climates. Rice requires 

 the warmest climate of all, and a totally different mode of cultivation ; 

 then next in order comes Indian corn, followed in succession by wheat, rye, 

 barley, and finally oats. Rice, corn and wheat are more extensively culti- 

 vated thoughout the world than either of the others, though corn has much 

 the greatest range of temperature ; rice supports by far the greatest num- 

 ber of the human family ; oats and barley extend farther north than any 

 other grain. In Liberia, rye grows to 60 deg., in Kamtschatka no cereal 

 will grow, and in America 52 deg. appears to be the limit, but in Lapland, 

 70 deg. In Western Asia, rye will not grow, but wheat succeeds admira- 

 bly, and furnishes bread for the inhabitants. In China and Japan, rice 

 abounds. In the South Sea Islands no variety of grain will grow, and its 

 place is supplied by the bread fruit tree. In New Holland, agriculture 

 disappears entirely, except in the temperate part, and the people live upon 

 sago. In South America, Indian corn predominates between 4,000 and 

 6,000 feet of elevation, and not much below or al)Ove ; but potatoes suc- 

 ceed well at 12,000 feet. "Wheat does pretty well in Van Diemen's Land 

 and New Zealand. 



In all countries where wheat will succeed at all, it is raised in prefer- 

 ence to all other cerealia. It contains more gluten and starch than any 

 other grain, which qualities make it by far the best for bread. During the 

 reign of Henry VIII. wheat flour was only used by the rich, and rye, oats 

 and barley, was the chief food of the poorer classes. 



There are several varieties of wheat, but two are mainly cultivated, 

 to wit : Triticum, hybernicum, winter wheat, white and red ; and triticum, 

 astivum, spring, or summer wheat. It is sown in April and ripens in the 

 fall, about two weeks before winter wheat. The grain is small, and does 

 not yield quite as much flour as the winter variety, and is less productive 

 and uncertain in some districts ; the straw is used for hats, being easily 

 plaited. Botanists think that the varieties of wheat are produced by 

 peculiarities of soil and climate, and have been divided into hard and soft 

 wheats. The hard wheats arQ produced in warm climates ; the soft wheats 



[Am. Inst.] 20 



