sturtevant's notes on edible plants 579 



and south of India, too hot for wheat-growing, received their grain from the Hill Tribes 

 of the north, where the climate suited it.' In the Bhavaprakasa, two types are mentioned, 

 the large-grained and small-grained, or beardless. The first variety is said to come from 

 the west, the second to be indigenous to middle India.^ About 1330, in the wonders 

 described by Friar Jordanus,* it is said, " wheaten bread is there not eaten by the natives, 

 although wheat they have in plenty." In China, according to Stanislas Jiilien,^ wheat 

 was cultivated in the year 2822 B. C 



The first wheat raised in the New World was sown by Spaniards on the Island of 

 Isabela. The foundation of the wheat harvests of Mexico is said to have been three or 

 four grains, carefully preserved by a negro slave of Cortez in 1530, which were found in 

 some rice brought from Spain for the use of the troops.' In Quito, says Hxmiboldt,' the 

 first wheat was raised by a Franciscan monk in front of his convent. The first wheat 

 introduced into Peru was by a Spanish woman who took great pains to disseminate it among 

 the colonists, says Prescott,' but no dates are given. Garcilasso de la Vega * affirms that, 

 up to 1547, no wheaten bread had been sold at Cusco, Peru. In 1542, John Alphonse,* 

 chief pilot to Roberval, in speaking of the region about the present Montreal, says, ",I have 

 told in one ear of com 120 grains, like the com of France and you need not to sow your 

 wheat imtil March and it will be ripe in the midst of August." The first wheat grown 

 in New England was that sown by Gosnold,'" on the Elizabeth Islands, off the coast of 

 Massachusetts, " which sprang up eight or nine inches in fourteen days." In 1604, on 

 the Island of St. Croix, near Calais, Maine, the French had some wheat sown, which 

 flourished freely," and, in 1606, wheat was sown by L'Escarbot near the port of Port Royal, 

 Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia. In 16 10, wheat was among the plants in Champlain's 

 garden at Quebec." In Virginia, the first wheat appears to have been sown in 16 11;'' 

 in 1626, samples of wheat grown in the Dutch colony of New Netherlands were taken 

 to Holland for exhibit." In 1629, wheat was ordered by the Plymouth Colony, from 

 England, for seed." In 17 18, wheat was introduced into the Valley of the Mississippi 

 by the Western Company.'* In California, wheat is spoken of by Father Baegert," as 



' Pictet Anthrop. Rev. and Journ. 1:241. 1863. 



Dutt, U. C. Mat. Med. Hindus 269. 1877. 



Jordanus, Fr. Wonders East. Hakl. Soc. Ed. 12. 1863. 



* De Candolle, A. Geog. Bot. 2:931. 1855. 

 ' Humboldt, A. Views Nat. 130. 1850. 



Ibid. 



' Prescott, W. H. Canq. Peru 1:142. i860. Note. 



''Walton Journ. Agr. 2ad Ser. 1:615. 1845. 



Pinkerton Co. Foji. 12:674. 1812. 



" Hubbard, W. New Eng. Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. 5:11. 1818. and Ser. 



" Champlain Voy. Prince Soc. Ed. 2:34. 1878. 



" Parkman, F. Pion. France 360. 1894. 



" Flint, C. L. U. S.D.A. Rpt. 280. 1872. 



"Ibid. 



" Ibid. 



" U. S. D. A. Rpt. 127. 1853. 



" Baegert, F. Smithsonian Inst. Rpt. 356. 1863. 



