Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-11-06
THE NEW SPECIES OF WHEAT. a.,
R,IrIMnRr Oct. 3, lSa

To the Editor Of the .7meriean Farmer. occasion 70
SRI think IL proper TO take the earliest occasion 70
notice the new species of wheat, drawing Oh "eI
has Just been published in the American NV
on;ed into The American and Patriot, accompanied "
,e,,er from Mr. Read do this for the double pul
o.e of saving money and trouble TO all cohcel"eu
This new species Of wheat, 49, without uouo1, s
Epyptian Wheat, Trcum Compositnh. TOT u'""
ing and description OF when, see dnr and that
media of Plants The engraving IN Louooh anu .%a'
N the Farmer present the same characters Pfec'sey
Resides have often seen the Egyptian wheat, ano 'ne
head of the new species which has oeeh -,
me- is ide nca with The Egyptian ms KING % WI
wax introduced into England in 1899, and IRON tha'
e n tho nresent has made frequent appearances IN
the United States. , c;.,
Manyspiked ST. ven headed, Reed, Wildgoose wheai,
Sc &c The name of "Wildsoose was gwen 10 u
;n ,he FAR, thai few Grains of il found some
wears ago in the crop of wild goose that was hie
IN the shores of Lake Champlan. The name "heeu
wheat was given To it because OF us STOUT sym
scmbpp small reed II was received ny l'e
Philadelphia Society for promoting agriculture ~ oo''
from General Armstrong, then our Minister at far's,
Judge Peters took charge Of part OF It, and grew al
Il FIVE or six years. 1t at first very productive IN.
der his cultivation, pint OF seed sown IN dlls ana
hoed producing one bushel and peck OF gram But
after e first three four years, the Judge says 1t did
not thrive sufficient to authorize extensive cultivation
Al that time il was extensively distributed hy the above
named society Judge Bur said lie had seen extensive
fields of it, In the Domestic Encyclopedia, published
in S2l it is stated that the Egyptian wheat does mol
Weld as much flour any of the other kinds and that
The -four scarcely superior 70 that obtained from IN"
finest barley In March, 1888, it selling in AL
bany New York at FIVE dollars per bushrl.
Ii has several times been brought from Santa Fe, by
travellers and traders, 1t appears To be cultivated IN
that country probably owing its proper ptation to
the climate than any other kind That the Usage lndi-
ans might have obtained from Santa Fe is no way i'm
probable How It found its way from Egypt to Santa Fe,
canno, pretend to guess unless wild goose also car
ed it from the former TO the latter country; which, on re-
Election, is scarcely improbable than the fact stated
above that one of these birds carried IL 10 the shores OF
Lake Champlain. From all these facts it would appear
that if the wheat in question had been adapted I" our
climate or was susceptible Of accmaton, and IN other
respects good variety, il would have gone into general
cultivation long before this time, and take it for grant
ed that an article that had been extensively dIsr'-
huted and so thoroughly experimental upon, would
have been retained and universally cultivated if II had
been found valuable. During the - years Of my agr-
cultural experience il has been presented 10 my notice
at least 20 times.
Your obedient servant,
GIDEON H. SMITH.