60 



THE SMALL GRAINS 



56. Uses of spelt. Spelt is used very little for human 

 food, but is generally fed to stock. It is very important, 

 however, for certain portions of our country, at least, to 

 obtain for the common wheats the particular quality of 

 this group of holding the kernel tenaciously. This can 

 readily be done, as the Garton Brothers have amply 

 demonstrated in England, by intercrossing varieties of 



FIG. 19. Two varieties of spelt : a, Red Awnless ; b, White Awnless. 



the two subspecies. In certain varieties that would 

 otherwise be of great value in the Pacific Coast and Rocky 

 Mountain States the prevention of shattering at harvest 

 is one of the most important improvements that can be 

 made. The few varieties possessing this quality that 

 are now grown in these districts are sometimes not desir- 

 able in other respects. At the same time complaint is 

 often made that certain introduced varieties which are 

 most excellent from the standpoint of yielding capacity 

 and hardiness are rendered worthless because of the 



