CHAPTER XVI 

 ORIGIN AND DESCRIPTION OF WHEAT TYPES 



Origin. It is not possible to know how wheat originated as its 

 culture dates back to the earliest recorded history. Specimens have 

 been found in Switzerland, amid the ruins of the Stone Age. Chinese 

 history shows it was an important crop 2700 B.C. and is one of the 

 seeds that has been sown in their annual ceremony of sowing five 

 kinds of seeds, from that day to this. 



Related Wild Forms. It undoubtedly came from some wild 

 form that was very early brought under cultivation. There is a 

 wild wheat-like grass in South Europe, the botanical name of which 

 is Egilops, that some have thought to be a wild form. Recently a 

 wheat has been found growing wild on the stony hills of Palestine, 

 similar in many details to cultivated wheat. 



Classification of Wheat. Wheat has been an important crop 

 for so great a time, and in every climate, that an unusual number of 

 types and varieties have been developed. At least 1000 varieties have 

 been mentioned and no doubt there are many more. Wheats are 

 usually classed into eight species which may be grouped into three 

 main classes. 



I. Bread Wheats. Grains free, ranging in color from white to 

 dark red; stems hollow; grown mostly in temperate climates and 

 regions of medium rainfall. Well adapted for making bread flour 

 (Fig. 42). 



1. Common wheat (Triticum vulgare) includes most of our com- 

 mon hard and red wheats. 



2. Club wheats (T. compactum) generally soft; grown mostly on 

 Pacific Coast. 



Bread wheats are subdivided commercially as follows, according 

 to degree of hardness and color : 

 White Club 

 Common White 

 Soft Red Winter 

 Hard Red Winter 

 Hard Red Spring 



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