CHAPTER IV 

 WHEAT 



History. Wheat has followed civilization throughout 

 the world and has made it possible for us to obtain a whole- 

 some food at a relatively low cost. No other crop has 

 so important a place in international commerce, and no 

 other has exerted a greater influence upon the human race. 



Wheat was first grown as a food in southwestern Asia and 

 from there carried into Europe and Africa. It is thought 

 that wheat was first brought to the western continent by 

 Cortez at the time of the Spanish conquest. Barley vied 

 with wheat as a human food in Europe and Asia for many 

 centuries, but wheat gradually gained in favor and is now 

 the popular bread-making cereal of the world. 



Classification and Varieties. --There are eight different 

 species or subspecies of wheat which are now cultivated ; 

 namely, Einkorn, Polish wheat, Emmer, Spelt, Club 

 wheat, Poulard wheat, Durum wheat, and common wheat. 



This chapter deals principally with the common, bread- 

 making wheat. There are numerous varieties of common 

 wheat, but for all practical purposes they can be classified 

 as spring wheat and winter wheat, of which there are hard 

 and soft varieties, likewise bearded and beardless varie- 

 ties. The hard and soft winter wheats may be either red 

 or white in color. 



The Turkey Red wheat with its several subvarieties is 

 most widely grown as hard winter wheat and the Fultz as 



67 



