106 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



flower to receive the pollen of some other flower rather 

 than its own. This is accomplished in the case of 

 wheat and other cereals by the wind. At the proper 

 season, this pollen may be seen floating in the wind 

 over the wheat fields. 



Whether varieties of wheat mix by natural methods 

 when sown near together is one of iihe disputed que3- 

 tions. That they do not do so readily seems fairly 

 well established. Wheat varieties may be crossed or 



hybridized by conveying the 

 pollen of one variety to the 

 stigma of another by artifi- 

 cial means. 



The ovary, stigma and 

 stamens are enclosed in two 

 chafpy parts called palets. 

 The parts collectively con- 

 stitute the flower of the 

 wheat. Three or more of 

 these flowers are enclosed 

 by two more chaffy and 

 harder parts called glumes. 

 This is called collectively a spikelet. 



These spikelets in the grass family are arranged in 

 two ways, viz.: On a more or less lengthened base, 

 as in the oat, when the whole head is called a panicle, 

 or joined directly to the stem as in wheat, when the 

 head is called a spike. Several species of the grass 

 family, including wheat, have the spikelets in a spike 

 arranged alternately at the joints of a zigzag jointed 

 stem, the joints being alternately excavated on the 

 side next the spikelet. The reader should study 

 a head of wheat in connection with this description. 



Flowek Pabts of Wheat. 



(After Gray.) 



