301 



(called also Indian millet and Guinea corn, and spelled in various 

 ways, as "dura," " dliura." "doura"'); canary grass, FhaUois, and 

 a few other species holontjing to the grasses. In addition to these 

 botanical cereals are the buckwheats, which, for convenience in this 

 report, are classed among the true cereals. They belong to the genus 

 FoJyyonum^ two species of which are cultivated in this country, 

 and perhaps others elsewhere. Several species belonging to the 

 genus Chenopodium have been cultivated in various parts of the 

 world, particularly in India and central Asia, but none are of impor- 

 tance to European nations as grains. Of a considerable list that 

 might be made, wheat, rice, and Indian corn are the first three in 

 importance; oats, barley, and rye next; then durra, the millets, and 

 buckwheats next ; all the remainder being of insignificant importance 

 to the world at large. 



However defined and classified, and however used, all the cereals 

 are agricultural grains, all are starchy, all are breadstulfs, and all are 

 annual plants. 



Being annuals, they are adapted to almost universal cultivation 

 where the summer climate admits, for '' an annual plant may be said 

 to belong to no country in particular, because it completes its exist- 

 ence during the summer months, and in every part of the world there 

 is a summer." 



This fact underlies the agricultural importance of the cereals. 

 Every gardener knows that annuals may be brought from almost any 

 country and be made to flourish in cultivation in any other country 

 in which they can complete their life in one summer, and that, even if 

 the summer is too short, varieties may be produced by art which w^ill 

 mature quicker, and then their cultivation may be extended to cli- 

 mates unlike that of their original home. This may be continued up 

 to certain limits set by nature for each species, which limits can be 

 determined only by experiment. Not so Avith perennials. They 

 must have not only a favorable summer climate, but also a favorable 

 winter climate and a favorable average climate, and, moreover, be 

 able to stand occasional wide deviations from the average climate. 

 The exceptional heat of one year or cold of another, a too wet season 

 or a too dry one, may kill the tree or perennial which has lived and 

 thrived for many years. Hence all perennials are restricted in their 

 growth to very much narrower limits than annuals. Moreo\'er, 

 annual plants are believed to be nnich more varial)le under ditl'erent 

 external conditions than perennials are. They vary more in nature, 

 and it is among the cultivated annual species that we have the widest 

 variation known to science. They can adapt themselves more readily 

 to changes of soil, climate, and other variable conditions than peren- 

 nials. Thus it is that the plains of Dakota and Manitoba, with their 

 genial summers and fertile soil, even though the winters be of Arctic 

 severity, and California, .wnth its rainless summer, bnt genial winter, 

 can alike send wheat to the mild-wintered and moist-summered 

 British islands. 



Illustrating the first point regarding excellence of seed, both as to 

 its actual condition and its pedigree, there are numerous illustrations 

 recorded; but the famous experiments of Mr. Frederick Hallett, of 

 Brighton, England, may be taken as a good illustration. The experi- 

 ments were planned with so much intelligence, conducted with such 



