vLhc (Crops of \Lhc .farm. 



GRAIN CEOPS. 



'HEAT. Triticum vulgar e, or common wheat, is the 

 must important and most valuable of our ^rain crops. 

 I have no doubt it is generally known that botanically 

 there r\i>ts no difference whatever bet ween what are 

 called Winter and fjtrutt/ wheats : being of one family 

 and varying only in form and habits of growth, the vari- 

 ation has been brought about by habit ; winter wheat 

 grows best by being sown in the fall of the year, and 

 other varieties best in the spring, because they have 1 

 habituated to it not because they will not grow if reversed. Winter wheat 

 ii in spring will ^row the first season, but not mature until the suc- 

 inu r one, and spring wheat sown in the fall will either die off or com- 

 MLTtT and earlier in the spring. Yet a continuity of these changes 

 will ultimately make the winter kind a spring, and the spring a \vi' 



-some d-iimr belter than others in both cases, and so it has resulted 

 that we have a! present established varieties of both winter and spi 

 wheats. The fact of some having a beard, or a continuation of the awn, is 

 but ty of form of individual plants indicative of character. and 



rally, not always, distinguishes those of the least value a- regards tine- 

 and large flour producers, In this, therefore, we have more bearded 

 pri7i<7 than bearded winter sorts. It is not common for wild vegetable 

 'much vain.- in laruy hulk and without much ivt'u- 



find neglected wheat, or wheai i--|uii-inu- improvements, becoming "pen 



ruuirh in the head, the llnrets stamling wide aj.ai t < >n t he stalk, t he 



id rouirh and inn-easing in extent of beard. ( >n the ntht-r hand. 



impruvin-j- and \v,-Il cultivated wheat becomes nn-re eoiMpa--t iu the head.tlnj 



ni'lin-_r' er, the chaff reduced in thicknew and i,-n'_rth 



lt(vj"ethe]- \\-ithiiut a heard. 



6 value in small spae,- .shuiildthen be our lii^t idea of a ty: 



wheat plant of any secure this the head, or ear. ifa 



compact, ha\ ble numbiT .f 1 the length and 



1th. ai:d minimum <|uantity in th 



