JNo. 1. 



kyvUivation oj f-Vhcat. 



11 



1. Tiiticum fcstivum, Summer or spring wheat, (a.) 



2. " liyb^rnum, winter or Lammas wiieal, (6.) 



3. " comp6situm, Egyptian wheat, (f.) 



4. " turgidum, Turgid wheat, (d.) 



5. Triticum polnnicum, Polish wheat, (e.) 



6. " sp^Ita, Spelt wheat, (/.) 



7. " nionoc6cciim, one grained wheat, {g.) 



Fig. 1-7. 



The first, second, fourth and fifth sorts are 

 by many considered as only varieties, and it 

 is doubtful whether the third and sixth may 

 not be the same. The seventh has all the 

 marks of a distinct specie.s, but it is very 

 questionable whether, if much cultivated, it 

 would not always continue to produce one 

 row of grains.* 



Of the species which have been enumer- 

 ated, greatly the most important in rural 

 economy, is the winter wheat. The kinds of 

 it are very numerous, and, in truth, there is 

 scarce a limit to the difference which climate, 

 soil, and situation may produce. 



The characters which it thus acquires in 

 the different conditions in which it is placed, 

 are more or less permanent and important. 

 The kinds are distinguished by a great va- 

 riety of local terms, derived from their re- 

 spective qualities, their places of growth, and 

 other circumstances. 



With respect to their uses in agriculture, 

 they may be divided into two classes, dis- 

 tinguished by the color of their seeds, red 

 and white; and these may again be distin- 

 guished by their spikelets being smooth or 

 liairy. the one being termed thin or smooth- 

 chaffed, and the other thick or wool ley-chaffed. 



Of these classes, the white are superior in 

 the quality of their produce; the red are the 

 more hardy; and in general, the thin and 

 smooth-chaffed are preferred to the woolley 

 and thick chafl^ed. 



Winter wheat is sometimes termed spring 

 wheat. This merely arises from the period 

 of sowing. If it is sown in spring, it is termed 

 spring wheat; if previous to winter, summer 

 or winter wheat. This circumstance has 

 perplexed some writers, who have evidently 



* Encyclopedia of Agricultur", p. S12. 



drawn di.stinctioHS between the winter and 

 spring wheat of the farmer which do not 

 exist. 



But it is a curious fact that wheat sown in 

 spring, changes its habit with relation to the 

 period of ripening, the produce of wheat sown 

 in spring acquires the habit of coming much 

 sooner to maturity, than the produce of that 

 sown in autumn. Hence the farmer, when 

 he sows wheat in spring, should sow the pro- 

 duce of that which had been already sown in 

 spring, and not the produce of that which had 

 been sown in autumn. 



This change in the habit of ripening, 

 though it may at first view appear somewhat 

 singular, takes place in all the cereal grasses, 

 and also in many other cultivated plants. 

 The minor varieties of any species of wheat 

 are not permanent in their character, though 

 under given conditions they will remain un- 

 changed for an indefinite period ; under other 

 circumstances, however, they degenerate — 

 and hence, particular kinds that were once 

 valued, have now ceased to be so.* 



Wheat is of very general cultivation on 

 all classes of soils ; but the soils best suited 

 to it are those which are more or less clayey. 

 So peculiarly is wheat suited to the stifl^er 

 soils, that they are familiarly termed wheat 

 soils. The soils of the lighter class are the 

 least suited to wheat ; and it is an error in 

 practice to force the production of wheat on 

 soils, and under circumstances which are 

 better suited to the production of the other 

 grains. 



To be continued. 



Without frugality, none can be rich — and 

 with it few would be poor. 



* Professor Low, page 234. 



