Yeerow-berry in Wheat 
15 
gest no remedy and so far as the yellow-berry question is con¬ 
cerned, or better so far as our present discussion of the yellow-berry 
question is concerned, the Californian wheats may be neglected sim¬ 
ply because the study of these wheats as presented in their bulletins 
is not parallel to the phase of our work presented in this bulletin. As 
stated, no better description of wheat kernels, wholly affected with 
yellow-berry, could be given than the descriptions of the various Cal¬ 
ifornia wheats furnish,—large, white, plump, soft, opaque, starchy, 
—these are the only adjectives one could properly use in describing 
some samples of our Defiance, whereas for the description of other 
varieties, we could not use them truthfully at all. The Defiance ker¬ 
nel in its normal condition is a short, plump, light-amber colored, 
translucent, flinty kernel. Even the term soft, if used to express 
the ease with which the kernel may be crushed between the teeth, 
would apply to the abnormal, but not to the normal kernels of De¬ 
fiance wheat. I think there is no reservation to be made in stat¬ 
ing that a kernel wholly affected with yellow-berry is much softer 
than a normal, flinty berry of the same variety, and it is certainly 
very different in appearance. 
There is a perfect agreement in the descriptions of yel¬ 
low-berry given by the different authors so that there is no 
question but that they have written about the same con¬ 
dition. The best description is, perhaps, given by Roberts and 
Freeman. “By the term 'yellow-berry’ is meant the appearance” 
(in wheat of a hard flinty grain), “of grains of a light yellow color, 
opaque, soft and starchy. These opaque yellow grains constituting 
what are called 'yellow-berries,’ may have this character, through¬ 
out, but sometimes from a small fraction to half of a grain will be 
yellow and starchy, while the remainder of the kernel will be hard, 
flinty and translucent.” 
It very often happens that the only imperfection in a kernel 
will be a sharply defined spot in one or the other half, or in both 
halves of the kernel; again the affection is more diffused and may 
involve one-half of the kernel or a streak along the back of the 
kernel. Owing to the fact that these spots and areas are less trans¬ 
lucent than the surrounding flinty portion, often being quite opaque, 
the best manner of observing the kernels is by transmitted light. 
In this way it will be discovered that many kernels which by re¬ 
flected light one would consider free from the affection, are in 
reality quite badly affected. When the berry is wholly affected its 
general color will be affected by the color of the bran or outer coat¬ 
ing and will vary from dull white with a tinge of yellow, to yellow. 
Such kernels are usually, if not always, plump and when cut trans¬ 
versely, exhibit a white, starchy interior without any horny portion. 
