12 A STUDY OF WHEAT. 



surrounding air, to throw off a superfluous amount of moisture, or 

 to absorb moisture from the atmosphere when the earth is too dry 

 to supply its demands. 



These stomates are seen in Fig. 4, highly magnified. The 

 dark line at the center, A, is where the opening occurs, here repre- 

 sented as closed. As the wheat is growing in the field if a dry, hot 

 day comes, these openings will be found closed tightly, in order to 

 retain all the moisture possible in the plant. If the day is damp, 

 the little mouths will open as wide as possible to exchange moisture 

 with the surrounding atmosphere. We have proved this many 

 times by careful microscopic examinations. Where this power 

 of moving resides is not at present fully determined, but 

 true it is these little stomates guard the life and habits of this plant 

 as closely as the windows of a house protect the inside from the 

 storm. 



The question of utilizing wheat straw has not been acted upon 

 to any great extent by our American farmers. In some countries it 

 is considered of great commercial value. In Ecuador the most of 

 the native women and children are employed in picking and sorting 

 straws for market. Large quantities are imported to America to be 

 made up into straw work, but the most of it is made up into hats 

 and fancy work before being exported. In Tuscany a peculiar 

 variety of wheat is cultivated, solely for its straw, known as Triti- 

 cutn titngidum. It is noted for its great length, slenderness and 

 strength. The seed grain is grown in the Apennines and the straw 

 crop on the low lands. The plant is cut before maturity and left 

 on the ground to dry in the sun. It is then tied in bundles and 

 stalked. It is afterwards spread on the ground to be bleached by 

 the sun and dew, and then steamed and fumigated with sulphur. 

 They are sorted by women, who can instantly detect the slightest 

 difference in their thickness, and are immediately plated, for, owing 

 to their flexible nature, no preliminary steps are necessary to this 

 process. 



