The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-04-11

circumstances, plants very nearly resem-
bling wheat had been produced from two
perfectly distinct species of Egilops, and
the presumption obtained that these were
the wild representatives of cultivated grain,
and that therefore wheat is nothing more
than Egilops modified by the influence Of
soil, climate and superior cultivation.
While this point was yet mooted by the
botanists, an experiment was going on un-
known to them, instituted by one who had
never heard of their investigations, their
discoveries or their disagreements, and
who knew but little of botanical science.
Its results have had an important influence
in determining the question at issue. In
1888, French gardener, Esprit Fabre,
found the Egilops ovata growing wild in
the ighborhood of his residence at Adge.
In the autumn of that year he sowed the
seed, and in 1889 the plants grew from 2
to % feet high, ripened and yielded an
increase of only fve-fold. This increase
was again sowed, and in 1910 the crop
bore a striking resemblance to genuine
wheat. It was sowed that fall, and in 1871
the product was crop of ears more closely
resembling true wheat. Great and impor-
of this third crop. There were no longer
any barren spikelets, while all of them
were in every respect Ike wheat, each one
bearing two or three perfectly developed
grains. These were sowed, but in 1912
the crop was almost entirely destroyed by
rust. The few grains saved were scwed,
and in 1913 the plants grew three feet
high, the straw being frmer than before,
and less brittle. The ears were less fragile
and resemblcd wheat exactly. One grain
yielded $50 grains for one sown, and an
other $50. Planted again, and in 1914
all the spikelets were fertile, and many of
them contained three grains. In l845 all
who examined the crop adjudged it to be
true wheat. Mr. Fabre so regarded it
himself, and in lS45 he sowcd the grain
in an open field, and for four succeeding
years continued to produce it with equal
success, the yield being 6 to 6 times the
seed sown. The stems were straight, solid
and 80 inches high.
This remarkable result excited the live
Eest attention from the learned men of
Europe 1t confirmed the position of one
set OF dlsputants, who maintain that by
climate, soil, positi IN and culture, plants
may permanently change their character
istics, while it covered with confusion some
Of the most eminent French botanists-
Instead Of according merit to the simple
gardener who for twelve years had labored
patiently to solve a great botanical prob
lem, they impeached his veracity, and ac-
cused him Of producing a mere hybrid,
forgetting, in their zeal, that if SO, it was
one which possessed the rare quality of
reproducing itself This series Of expert
ments is pronounced by Mr.. kilppart, of
Cincinnati, IN his recent exhaustive work
on the wheat plant, to be pregnant with
the most important consequences. He
thinks that if wheat must be regarded as
of an allied genera of Egilops, Improves
that botanists were not sufficiently familiar
with the character of the plants when the
classification was made, and that identity
will reconcile the traditions, the vague
and disconnected accounts of the origin of
wheat, which in ancient as we'll as in mod
ern times, was claimed to be found in
Babylonia, Persia and Sicily, as in all of
them the Egilops is very common.
Wherever the foot of civilized man has
penetrated, this symbol of his power has
gone with him. California, the latest IL
lustration of this fact, which ten years ago
imported vast quantities OF -four, is now an
exporter of food A not less curious fact
is the number of varieties of wheat, and
the apparently capricious taste of growers
in selecting particular sorts for cultivation
The origin of some of these varieties is
equally curious. The Hunter wheat, SO
extensively cultivated in Scotland, sprung
from single plant accidentally discovered
in large field. The Ohio Lambert wheat
had similar origin. Whence these vari-
eties proceed, no one can say. A field Of
kind long cultivated on the same farm,
shows strange head in its crop. 1t may
topple up higher than its neighbors, or it
may be larger and fuller, but from some
cause attracting notice, it is preservePand
propagated. The difficulty is to say where
it came from. A bird has probably picked
it up in some northern climate which pro-
duces harder berry, and, flying south,
has.dropped it, undigested, on field al
ready sown, in season for vegetation to
follow. This theory is sustained by the
we'll known fact, that any variety OF this
grain which is taken much south of its
usual locality and there sown, will present
a more vigorous and hardy appearance
than its neighbors that have been acclima-
ted ii is also known that all the varieties
from Europe and now the stand
ards in our best wheat regions, came IRON