IN THE FIELD 183 



24. Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Oats. 



MATERIAL : Young grain sown in boxes or cans ; young bean- 

 plants ; bunches of full-grown grain showing roots and flowers ; ripe 

 ears and straws of each kind collected the previous years or selected 

 from early matured plants ; a handful of kernels from each kind ; 

 small quantities of wheat and rye flour ; cracked oats and barley 

 would be interesting to the children. The children should have ob- 

 served, as far as possible, the sowing, harvesting, threshing, market- 

 ing, and milling of grain ; but these subjects can best be enlarged 

 upon in connection with the geography of the wheat-producing states. 

 Wherever practicable, city children should see fields of grain. The 

 teacher should briefly review here what has been learned about the 

 structure and use of grasses. 



We begin to study to-day the structure and life history of 

 the most important of all plants, the cereals. 



Lack of space prevents us from saying much about the 

 history of our cereals. Wheat and barley were known to, and 

 cultivated by, the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews two 

 thousand years before Christ; but these peoples were not 

 acquainted with rye and oats, both of which were, however, 

 well known to the Romans about the time of Christ. Buck- 

 wheat did not become known in central Europe until the 

 fifteenth century, when it was probably introduced by the 

 Saracens ; the French still call it Saracen wheat. Nothing 

 definite is known about the origin and original home of these 

 plants. Like our domestic animals, they must have sprung 

 from wild species, but these wild forms can no longer be made 

 out with any certainty and may indeed be extinct. 



The teacher who is interested in this subject is referred to De Can- 

 dolle's Origin of Cultivated Plants. 



Time for solving. In states where the winters are not 

 too cold, as in Iowa and Illinois, farmers raise mostly 

 winter wheat and winter rye. The time for sowing these 

 is in fall. In what month is it done in your latitude ? The 



How does the kingbird catch its food? 



