90 



Varieties, Propertie.t, and Claasijicalion of Wheat. Vol. Ill 



" In the Spring, when the crown has be- 

 come sufficiently large, it detaches a number 

 of strong fibres, which push themselves ob- 

 liquely downwards. These are the coronal 

 roots. A small pipe preserves the communi- 

 cation between them and the seminal roots. 

 It makes an essential part of the plant, and 

 is observed to be longer or shorter, according 

 to the depth that the seed has been buried. 

 It is remarkable, however, that the crown is 

 always formed just within the surface. Its 

 place is the same, whether the grain has been 

 sown deep or superficial. I believe I do not 

 err, when I call this vefrptuhle mrAinct. 



"As the hicrense and fructification of the 

 plant depends upon the vigorous ab?orbtion 

 of the coronal roots, it is no wonder, that tliey 

 ehouid fi.\ themselves so near the surface, 

 where the soil is always the richest. 



" From an attention to this circumstance, 

 we are led to explain the operation i^of top 

 dressings. In the northern counties, wheat 



Fig. 22. 



\B gencfd'-'y sown late. When the frost 

 comes, the coronal roots, being young, are 

 frequently chilled. This inconvenience may, 



however, be easily prevented, by sowing 

 more early, and burying the seed deeper. 

 The seminal roots being out of the reach of 

 the frost, will then be enabled to send up 

 nourishment to the crown, by means of the 

 pipe of communication." 



Fig. 22, — Shows a plant of wheat sown 

 superficially. A, the crown and roots; B, the 

 pipe of communication ; C, the seminal roots, 

 and capsule of the grain. 



"Hence, it is c.bvious, that wheat sown 

 superficially, mu.^t be expo-^ed to the severity 

 of the frc*t, from the bhortnessof the pipe of 

 communicaticn. 



" The plant in thnt situation, has no benefit 

 from its double root. On the contrary, when 

 the grain has been properly covered, the 

 seminal and coronal rends are kept at a rea- 

 sonable distance. The crown, being well 

 nourished during the winter, sends up nume- 

 rous stalks in the spring. On the tillering 

 of the grain, the goodness of the crop princi' 

 pally depends. 



"A fieldof wheat, dibbled, or sown in equi- 

 distant rows by the drill plough, always 

 makes a better appearance than one sown 

 with the harrow. In the one, the pipe of 

 communication is regularly of the .same 

 length, hut in the other it is irregular; being 

 either too long or too short." 



The elegant writer, whom I have thus 

 largely quoted, says truly, that a noble field 

 of instruction is iiere opened to our view ; the 

 double set of roots, thrown out by wheat, 

 showing clearly tiiat the first set, formed 

 from the seed it^elf. and shooting downwards, 

 >-eek their nourishment and l're^hness froni 

 helow, while the upper set, or coronal roots 

 receive theirs from the rich* rpai tides of the 

 manure, which rise near tlje smface of the 

 soil, also from top drej-sings, and from the in- 

 fluences of the almosi)hpre. 



This theory uppesred so plausible and con- 

 sonant to cfmnion kpuso, tliat the author, a 

 low years b.ick, was inr'nced to plough in 

 some fine seed ofDantzic wheat, about seven 

 or eight inches deep. 



It had been soaked, pickled, and limed, and 

 was in a rather pulpy, soft state; the conse- 

 quence was, that bemg buried tao d((p, and 

 the winter and spring proving cold and wet, 

 a vast quantity of the seed rotted instead of 

 germinating, and proved a very losing crop, 

 much to his regret and mortificat'on. It is 

 of the utmost importance to avoid running 

 into extremes in the prosecution of any new 

 e.vperimcnt, how pl:ul^ible soever it may ap- 

 pear. Ilail the seed hern row n nt four inches 

 depth, it probably would have all germinated, 

 or even had it been loss soaked, and pxklfd 

 a less time. But the intention was to have 

 the seminal roots at as great a dist.'ince from 

 the coronal roots as possible, in order that 



