THE WHEAT CULTUfilST. 



109 



found in the tombs of tlie 18tli dynasty — i. e.^ from b. 

 c. 1822 to B. c. 1476 — lias germinated when sown in 

 Germany, and is frequently found in the tombs of Egypt. 

 It has been groAvn by P. Poorman, in Stark County, O. 



" This is an indifferent variety of wheat. The straw 

 grows to the height of about live feet, is thick and pithy ; 

 the leaves are often ten inches long ; the head, or rather 

 panicle, is about four inches long, and nearly two wide 

 and deep, and when ripe is of a reddish brown. The 

 head consists of from five to twelve small heads densely 

 compacted ; the awns or beards are often four inches 

 long, and of a very dark brown or blackish color. The 

 lower part of the grain is inordinately swollen ; it is 

 very starchy, but not hard or flinty." 



The Weeks Wheat. 



Perhaps very few other varieties of wheat have been 

 cultivated with more general satisfaction than this 

 variety. (In numerous instances, this wheat has erro- 

 neously been bought and sold and advertised as the 

 " Wichs " wheat.) But as I lived for many years within 

 a few miles of the originator of this variety, at the time 

 of his experiments with it, and am personally acquainted 

 with him, I can correct any false impressions that have 

 been promulgated concerning its identity, with the as- 

 surance that my statements are correct. There has been 

 great confusion among farmers in regard to the identity 

 of the Weeks wheat. In some instances, the heads 

 were bald, while in others they were bearded, similar 

 to the head herewith illustrated. Although the head 

 of wheat from which this engraving was made was said 

 to be the genuine Weeks wheat, still I know, from what 



