64 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



ancient Egyptian monuments, older than the invasion of the 

 shepherds, and the Hebrew Scriptures show this cultivation 

 already established." Evidence points toward Western Asia 

 as the probable home of the original wild plant from which 

 wheat has been developed. 



Range of wheat. — Wheat in some of its forms is now grown 

 throughout the world in all kinds of environments, having a 

 wider range than any other cultivated crop except barley. It is 

 grown in practically all civilized countries, from the hottest to 

 the coldest, and at practically all elevations where civilized man 

 lives. 



Classification of wheat. — AMieat, like corn, is made up of a 

 large number of varieties which can be divided into a few rather 

 distinct groups. These groups cannot be based on texture of 

 kernel, as was the case with corn, because of the variation in this 

 character within the same variety when grown under different 

 conditions. But the basis of the grouping is found in the varia- 

 tion of structural characters such as the shape of head, character 

 of the glumes or chalf, adherence of chaff to kernel, etc. The 

 eight groups conmionly used in separating wheats are: 



1. Common wheat. 



2. Club Avheat. 



3. Poulard wheat. 



4. Durmn wheat. 



5. Polish wheat. 



6. Einkorn. 



7. Spelt. 



8. Enuner. 



The first group includes most of the wheats cultivated in this 

 countr}^, the characters of which are well known. The second 

 group is made up largely of soft wheats gro^^^l on the Pacific 

 coast but is distinguished from common wheat by a short head 

 which is dub-shaped and a short stiff straw. These two groups 

 make up the bread wheats of the world. Groups three, four, 

 and five are distinguished from all other wheats by having a 

 pithy stem and unusually long kernels. Poulard is distinguished 

 by branched heads ; durum by long, light amber, very hard ker- 

 nels; and Polish by very large, thin chaff. These Avheats are 

 used largely for the manufacture of macaroni, etc. Einkorn, 

 spelt and emmer are distinguished from other wheats by retain- 

 ing the chaff when threshed. Einkorn has only one grain in each 

 segment of the head while spelt and emmer have two grains. 

 Spelt possesses a long, very lax head, while emmer has a rather 



