199 
The climate of Southern Europe is probably, of all others, best 
adapted to the production of wheat. Facts are deficient as to the com¬ 
parative quantity of grain produced to the acre. Analysis, however, of 
the various kinds grown, in various parts of Europe, show that the 
southern varieties, derived from their own soil, yield a greater propor¬ 
tion of the nutritive property than any other. The following Table ex¬ 
hibits the amount of water and of gluten in several varieties of European 
wheat: 
Per Cent, of Water 
in the 1'lour. 
Per Cent, of 
Gluten. 
Red English. 
. 1G.4 
9.5 
White do. 
. 15.5 
7.5 
White Scotch. 
. 1G.3 
9.4 
Saissette. 
. 15.1 
12.7 
Rochelle. 
. 129 
11.2 
Odessa. 
. 13.0 
15.0 
Taganrog.. 
. 12.6 
22.7 
And Sir Humphrey Davy says, 
that he obtained 
from the flour of 
Barbary wheat 28 per cent, of gluten, though doubts are expressed of 
bis correctness. 
These exhibits are sufficient to show, that in the countries bordering 
upon the Mediterranean, the wheat plant arrives at its greatest perfec¬ 
tion, giving to the same bulk the greatest positive amount of nutriment. 
Other facts are not wanting : their harvests rarely, or never fail—the 
grain has few diseases, and those are rather accidental than permanent— 
the yield is uniform, and the labor of cultivation is light. It is reason¬ 
able to suppose, that the grain grows to the greatest perfection on the 
soil native and suitable to it. 
Like other plants, perhaps owing to original and native distinctions— 
perhaps to the influences of climate, soil, and culture, wheat exists in 
almost endless varieties. The more common and vulgar distinctions are 
those between winter and spring wheat. The former is sown in autumn 
and ripens the following summer ; the latter is sown in the spring and 
ripens a few weeks later than the former. But little doubt can exist 
whether there is any natural and essential difference between these two 
varieties. If winter wheat is sown in the spring it will ripen the fol¬ 
lowing autumn; the quality will be greatly inferior, but the form, 
the properties, and the germ of the grain will be complete. If again 
sown in the spring, it will ripen a little earlier, and will ever after 
