288 [Assembly 



and very often turn out. entirely different from the buyer's notion 

 of them, 



Featherstonhaugh says that a bushel of wheat weighing 62 

 lbs., contains five hundred and fifty thousand grains or kernels ; 

 that when the plant has fairly got out of the ground, a set of up- 

 per roots are thrown out by it, close to thesuriuc^ of the ground, 

 which searcli all the superficial parts of the soil in their reach, 

 while roots which are thrown below, with tlio same activity 

 search for pabulum down below. These two distinct sets of roots 

 serve, first, to fix the plant firmly, and next to find nutrition. 

 The upper set take atmospheric supplies or surface fertilism, and 

 put out new stems, which are tillered up, and so greatly increase 

 the product. 



A classification of wheat in reference to its varieties in the flour, 

 bran, straw, and adaptation to soils, is a grand desideratum; but 

 it will require time and talent, witli much perseverance, to 

 make such discoveries. There are estimated to be 150 varieties 

 or sub-varieties. Large premiums have been offered for crops of 

 spring wheat on a large scale. Those who best understand 

 the growing of wheat say that spring wheat is preferred to all 

 other for a grain crop, and that this is owung to the small quanti- 

 ty of leaf it bears, less, perhaps, than any other wheat, and also 

 to the short duration of the leaf, which fades and falls do ?7n about 

 as soon as it has attained its full size. . 



Sir Humphrey Davy's analysis of spring wheat, proved that it is 

 more nutritious than winter wheat, because it contains a larger 

 proportion of gluten, or half animalized matter. He found it, 



Of Sielian ATheat, 6-laten. Starch. IbsoIuUo matter. 



100 parts. 21 7.5 5 



' Spring wheat, 24 70 6 



With respect to the qualities of red and white wheat, it is not 

 a little remarkable that the same experience we have as to the 

 more nutritious character of red wheat over white, was stated by 

 Collumella^ of Rome, more than 1800 years ago, showing that ages 

 and difference of climate have not altered these conditions of red 

 and white wheat. 



