58 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



in Spring, from February to April, though March was general 

 ly the favorite month. The real Spring Wheat does not ap 

 pear to have been generally known in that country till the be- 

 giiiing of this century. Though sown in April or May it ripen 

 ed as early as winter sown wheat. It was not, however so pro 

 ductive as winter wheat sown either in Winter or Spring, and 

 the ears were shorter. There are many nominal varieties in the 

 United States, the best probably being the Italian, the Siberian 

 Bald, or Tea Wheat, and the Black Sea Wheat. Of this last 

 there are again two varieties, the red and the white chaff ; both 

 of which are bearded. It is not known that the practice of 

 sowing Fall Wheat in Spring has ever prevailed in this country, 

 though there is no apparent reason why it should not succeed 

 as well as in Scotland, and be profitable in certain localities. 

 In the Northern States, it is considered important that Spring 

 Wheat should be sown as early as the season will permit. 

 The soil may be lighter than for the Fall variety ; it ought to 

 be in good condition ; and is generally better if it has been 

 plowed, and laid up dry in the Fall. From one and a half to 

 two bushels is the proper quantity of seed per acre ; more gen 

 erally the latter. The after processes of harvesting and thrash 

 ing are similar to Fall Wheat. 



156. The varieties of Fall Wheat are very numerous, differ 

 ing not only in appearance, but also in constituents, in adapta 

 tion to soil and climate, in hardiness as regards disease and in 

 sects, and in productiveness. There appears to be one fact as 

 certained regarding them, which is, that they are constantly un 

 dergoing change in their relative productiveness. A new varie 

 ty will be introduced into a given locality, and for a few years 

 will succeed better than any other, after which it begins gradu 

 ally to deteriorate in the qualities which at first recommended 

 it. The ancient varieties appear to have been much inferior to 

 some in the present day. There are four distinct divisions, (a,) 

 White, (I,) Red, (c,) Bald, (d,) Bearded: the Red being gen- 



