88 



Varieties, Properties, and Classijication of fVheat. Vol. III. 



On the Varieties, Properties, and Classifi- 

 cation of W'ltcat. 



[Continued.] 



ON THE ROOTS AND GROWTH OF WHEAT. 



It has been stated that wheat, when sown 

 in November or December, appears in seven- 

 teen or nineteen days. An excellent article 

 in the Georgical Essays, led me to repeat a 

 course of experiments made by the author, 

 who speaks of them in the following manner: 

 " It is not sufficient for a farmer to be ac- 

 quainted with the nature of different soils; he 

 should be acquainted with the nature of such 

 plants as are used in field husbandry. The 

 soil and roots are so intimately connected, 

 that the knowledge of both becomes essential. 

 Wheat has two sets of roots : the first comes 

 immediately from the grain, the other shoots 

 from the crown some time after. I shall dis- 

 tinguish them by Seminal and Coronal roots. 



" Plants, according to their species, observe 

 a regular uniformity in the manner of spread- 

 ing their roots ; for which reason, the same 

 grain cannot be continued long upon the same 

 soil. Is it not that each takes from the earth 

 8uc?i parts as are congenial ? The food of all 

 plants is the same; only some require more, 

 some less; some take it near the surface, 

 others seek it deeper. This opens to our 

 view a noble field of instruction. A careful 

 inspection of a healthy root, will at once de- 

 monstrate the bias of nature. An examina- 

 tion of the soil will show how far that and the 

 roots will coincide. 



" This is the rational basis of the change 

 of species so well understood in Norfolk, 

 where taprooted plants always follow those 

 that root superficially. 



" Wheat being subject to the severity of 

 winter, its roots are wonderfully disposed to 

 withstand the inclemency of the season. A 

 view of their shape will direct us in the man- 

 ner of sowing that grain to the most advan- 

 tage ; and at the same time enable us to 

 account for some of the phenomena observable 

 in the growth of it. I have observed that 

 wheat has a double root. The first, or seminal 

 root, is pushed out at the same time with the 

 germ, which, together with the farina, nour- 

 ishes the plant, until it has formed its crown." 



As I think I h^ve followed the same course I 

 of experiments with even more care than the 

 author of the above extract, I shall state my 

 own observations in corroboration of it. 



Fig. 19. — Appearance of a grain of wheat 

 which had been sown three inches deep, on 

 the 12th January, after sixteen days growth, 

 with its germ and seminal root 



[Fir. m.— a grain of whnnt sown on the lOth 

 January, 1.s:i4, was in thia stale the iTUi Janu- 

 ary following ; It; days sown.] 



[Fip. an.— A prain of Dantzic wheat sown on 

 the 7lh December, Irt li, and taken up on the 

 l.it February following, had not yet formed its 

 coronal roots.] 



Pie. 20. — Appearance of a grain of wheat 

 after fifty-two days growth, the coronal roots 

 not yet having pushed ; A, the origin of the 

 crown from which the plant tillers; B, the 

 pipe of communicatirHi, covered with a mem- 

 branous sheath ; C, the grain with its seminal 

 roots. 



