Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-02
From the Southern Cultivator.
VARIETIES, OF WHEAT.

VARIETIES OF WHEAT.
RED AND White WHEArs-It is gener-
ally kaown that among tie varieties of
common wheat, some are found with white
grains and others with red Or reddish
grains. The former known as white
wheats, are regarded as the best Of all the
wheats Much industry has latterly been
used to introduce them into the centre OF
France, and almost everywhere the far
mers have been very much pleased with
them; but, in many places the millars and
bakers have decried them 80 much as to
cause them to cease to be cultivated. The
memoir of Mons. Des Faux contains on
this subject important remarks, Of which
we deem it useful here TO give the SUBJ
stance. The defect of the white wheats
is to give paste too short and less adhe-
sive than the red wheats; this arises from
its containing too great proportion Of
tecula or starch, at the expense of gluten.
1t would, therefore, be sufficient with
grinding to add small portion Of hard or
glazed wheat, in which the gluten super
abouDds, in order toohtan perfect paste.
This mixture, according to Mons. Des
Vaux, could in case Of need, be supplied
by the addition to the -four Of white wheat
of small quantity Of animal gelatine. =
HARD AND TENDER Misunderstanding
to Mons. DesVaux, the hard and tender
wheats do not yield more than 70 parts of
bread to the 100 parts Of raw flour, while
the tender or soft wheats, and the whites
especially, yield 80. This would be
strong reason for preferring these last
however, the flint wheats have their ad-
vantages also. The bread made with their
-four, although less white, is more palpa-
bic, dries and hardens less quickly, and
appears to be more nutritious. If this
last could be exactly stated in igures, it
would prove perhaps compensation
We know that the flint wheats keep better,
and are more easily kept, than the soft
wheats. The circumstances which tend
to give to the grain of wheat the one or
the other or of these qualities, are imper-
fectly known. We know that in general,
hot climates, such as that of Africa, pro-
duce the flint wheats, while at the North
it is the soft wheats which predominate.-
But this rule offers a number of excep-
tions-thus, we see that the Touselle "a
hard wheat Of Provence) becomes much
glazed and harder in the neighborhood of
Paris than it was in Provence. Sometimes
in the polish wheat known among US as
"California rye flint wheat, par eacel-
Iea,ce, and of which the substance is al
most like glass, we find some grains quite
soft and foary; other varieties, and es,
pecially the bearded Spring wheat of Sici.
", present frequent grains of which one.
half is soft and the other that of horn
The causes Of these variations, which are
not without Importance, deserve to be
studied.
WINTER AND SPRING WHEATs-Lineus
made of these two varieties Of wheat two
botanical species. His successors have MOI
admitted them, and, as botanists, they
were right Bnt agriculturists, not leas
many among them, have been wrong il
regarding as almost a heresy to speak o
winter and spring wheats as different anc
distinct things. Although it may be true
that these may be habits acquired, quail
ties resulting from long succession o
sowings at certain season, it is certain
however, that this quality is an importan
consideration to the cultivator. Man,
writer's have advanced the idea that il
three Or four years they could make a
will spring wheat from a winter wheat
and vice yersa. This assertion appears t,
Us a very bold one. 1t is not very proba
bic that one can make or unmake in thre
or four years quality which, in our &C
auired varieties, is the result of the contin
5ation of the same influence during cen
turaes. On the other hand, the few fact
that we know are opposed to this opinion
Agricultuyists ought, therefore, carefull
toayoid those Theoretical reasonings whic
wonld lead them to believe that winte
and spring wheats are very nearly tn
same thing. II they have to SOW whes
IN the spring let them be careful to SOW
t., true ses spring wheat, and let them ohoos
9TH more carefully true winter whes
# they wish to SOW in the fall; We pr.
pose here a subject Of researches. Not
me- we think, would be more importa.
+i,an to find awhest equally suited to 90,
and early enough, if sown in the spring,
constantly, and by the usual harvest Il Il
son. arrived at complete maturity. y. y
can easily imagine the advantages ~ u
such a wheat would offer to repair 'pe "