10 THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 



a field of wheat to spring up spontaneously, and were we 

 not required to break up the stubborn ground and culti 

 vate it, and put in the well-selected seed, existence would 

 not bring half the pleasures which it now proffers so 

 freely. The all-wise Creator foresaw that it would always 

 be better for every man, woman, and child to have some 

 thing to do, than to spend their days in idleness. For this 

 reason, if we would have fine wheat for making excellent 

 bread for ourselves and children, we must labor for it. 



It has been suggested by some writers that the diffi 

 culties attending the production of delicious fruits, and 

 fine grain, seem to increase with developments in arts and 

 science. As our day is, so shall our knowledge be. Our 

 ancestors cultivated wheat with but little difficulty. As 

 soon, therefore, as scientific men were competent to devise 

 remedies for the insect and other enemies in checking 

 the growth of the wheat crop, the foes appeared. Science 

 has taught us that, if we would have ripe fruit, we must 

 destroy the insects which will devour the young fruit or 

 kill the tree. And science has taught us that, when we 

 would grow wheat, as we are unable to exterminate the 

 hordes of insects that would feed upon the crop, we must 

 cultivate and enrich the soil so as to make the plants grow 

 faster than the insects can eat. 



CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF WHEAT. 



In common parlance, when wheat is alluded to, the 

 bran and the flour only are spoken of. The bran is the 

 tough skin that envelops the part that makes the flour. 

 Then, when we discourse farther of wheat, we say that 

 the part that makes the flour is composed principally of 

 starch and gluten. 



