AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES 185 



of spring wheat. In the pioneer era^ wheat was 

 planted on the newly cleared field among the stumps 

 on the vmplowed ground which was lightly dragged 

 in preparation for receiving the seed. The crop has 

 never been cultivated, as in some parts of Europe, 

 except in a few instances for experimental purposes, 

 although a special wheat-cultivator is said to have 

 been invented in Oakland County.^ 



Standardization of types of wheat was not secured 

 for years and many varieties were grown, such as 

 Eeed Chaff, Bald, Mediterranean, Club, Soules, 

 White Flint, Eed Amber, Tappahannock, Blue Stem, 

 Boughton, Lancaster, while the Diehl and Treadwell 

 were considered especially choice sorts.^ In 1877, 

 the Fultz wheat was referred to as a new variety, the 

 seed for which was introduced by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. It is described as hav- 

 ing white chaff and stiff straw, growing to medium 

 height, and as the earliest variety then grown. It 

 was a red wheat, with a berry bright, plump and hard, 

 and was said to be the heaviest kind then known, one 

 farmer reporting a bushel that weighed sixty-five 

 pounds. It was reported to be well adapted to heavy 

 rich soil.3 The Gold Medal resembled the Fultz, 

 but was a white wheat of fine quality. The Clawson, 

 introduced from New York after the Civil War, be- 

 came a favorite variety. It is described as a red 

 chaff, bald wheat, hardy, a strong grower, standing 



•"Ropt. Mich. Bd. Agr.," 1889, 449. 

 ''Ibid., 1877, 141. 

 ^Ibid., 141. 



