10 



Varieties, Properties, and Clctssificotioyi of Wheat. Vol. III. 



coils and climate, since it is the suitableness 

 of each sort to each soil, that will enable tiie 

 former to reap a profit by sowing one variety, 

 when he would be unable to do so, by at- 

 tempting to grow another of a seemingly bet- 

 ter sort. 



On tlie Varieties, Properties, and Classifi- 

 cation of Wheat* 



BY JOHN LE COUTEUR. 



WHEAT,— ITS ORIGIN AND VARIETIES. 



It is not the intention to write an elabornte 

 treatise on this subject, which, aIthou<;h in- 

 teresting to the learned and scientific reader, 

 would be of no practical utility to the farmer, 

 it may, nevertheless, not be wholly uninter- 

 esting to look back a little into the history of 

 wheat. 



We learn fi"om the sacred volume, that it 

 was of the earliest culture, "/n the sweat of 

 thy face shalt thou eat bread.'''' It is there- 

 fore to be presumed that wheat was coeval 

 with the creation ; and that upwards of a 

 thousand years before the Christian era, some 

 improvement in its culture, and some knowl- 

 edge of a superior variety, had been attained, 

 t)y the circumstance of its being stated, that 

 " Judah traded in wheat of Minnith," perhaps 

 meaning that such wheat of Minnith, was 

 held to be in superior estimation. This may 

 be the most ancient designation for any par- 

 ticular growth of wheat, the superiority of 

 which, nt that early period had engaged pub- 

 lic attention. Columella, who wrote aboii 

 the time of our Lord, makes some intcre^tinsr 

 remarks on wheat. "The chief and tli 

 mo^t profitable corns for men, are common 

 wheat, f>Tid bearded wheat. VVe have known 

 .»^everal kinds of wheat; but of these we must 

 chiefly sow what is called the red wheat, be- 

 cause it excels both in weight and bright- 

 ness. 



"The white wheat must be placed in the 

 second rank, of which the best sort in bread 

 IS deficient in weight. 



'• The Trimcstriau shall be the third, which 

 liu.sbandmen are mighty glad to make use ot'; 

 for when, by reason of great rains, or any 

 other cause, the early sowing has been omit- 

 ted, they have recourse to this for their re- 

 lief; it is a kind of white wheat. Pliny says, 

 ttiut this is the most delicious and the dain- 

 tiest of any sort of wheat, exceeding white, 

 but without much substance or strength, only 

 proper for moist tracts of land, such as those 

 of Italy, and someparts of Gaul ; that it ri- 

 pens e<|ually, and that there is no sort of corn 

 thiot suffers delay less, because it is so tender, 

 iji?t such ears of it that are ripe presently 

 sLt-d their grains ; but in the stalk, it is in 

 Jess danger than any other corn, for it holds 

 its ear always uprin^ht, and does not contain 



the dews, which occasion blasting and mil- 

 dew. 



The other sorts of wheat are altogether 

 superfluous, unless any man has a mind to in- 

 dulge a manifold variety, and a vain glorious 

 fancy. 



" iBul, of bearded wheat, we have commonly 

 seen fiiur sorts in use ; namely, that which is 

 called Clusinian, of a shining, bright, white 

 color; a bearded wheal, which is called Ven- 

 uculum, one sort of it is of a fiery red color, and 

 another sort of it is white; but they are botli 

 heavier than the Clusinian. The Trimestrian, 

 or that of three month's growth, which is 

 called Halicasirum ; and this is the chief!, both 

 for its weight and goodness. But these sorts, 

 bi'th of ordinary common wheat, and of beard- 

 ed wheat, must, for these reasons, be kept by 

 husbandmen, because it rarely happens that 

 any land is so situated that we can content 

 ourselves with one sort of seed, some part of 

 it happening, contrary to our expectation, to 

 be wet or dry. Eut coinnion wneat thrives 

 best in a dry place, and bearded wheat is less 

 atlected by moisture." 



Hence it appears the Romans were aware 

 of the propriety of selecting their wheat, and 

 that it was tlien believed, that winter or beard- 

 less wheat was best suited to dry uplands, and 

 bearded wheat to low, or moist lands. 



In addition to the winter wheats, some of 

 which he states to be bearded, he distinctly 

 alludes to Trimestripn, or spring wheat, of 

 which I shall speak iu-rc;ifter. 



In Gerald's Kcrbal, printed in London, 

 IGfiO. only five kinds of wheat are enumera- 

 ted, which are thus spoken of: — 



"1. Triticiim Spica IVIiitica, white wheat. 

 This kind of wheat, which I.obelius, distin- 

 guishing it by the earc, calleth Spica iN'hitica, 

 is the most principal of all other, whose cares 

 are altogether bare and naked, without awnes, 

 or chafTie beards. 



"2. The second kind of wheat, in root, 

 stalkes. joints, and bkules, is like the prece- 

 dent, diflcring onely in care, and number of 

 giaines, whereof this kinde doth ahmnid, hav- 

 jing an rare coIlsi^ting of many ranks, which 

 jseemeth to make the eare double or square. 

 The root and grain is like the other, but not 

 bare and naked, but bristled or bearded, with 

 many small and sharp eiles, or awnes, not 

 unlike to those of barley. 



" '■?>. Flat wheat is like unto the other kindes 

 of wheat, in leaves, stalkes and roots; but is 

 bearded and bordered witli rough and sharp 

 eiles, wherein consists the diflcrence. (I 

 know not what our author means by flat 

 wheat, but I conjecture it to be the long rough 

 eared wheat, which hath blueish eares when 

 it is ripe, in other tilings resembling the ordi- 

 nary red wheat.) 



"4. The fourtli kinde is like the last de^ 



