Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-11-01
From the Southern Cntivator.i
VARIETIES OF WHEAT.

AhIE LIED -OG w HEAL.
RED AND WHITE WHEATs-It is gener-
ally known that among the 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 millers and
bakers have decried them so much as to
cause them to cease to be cultivated. The
memoir of Mons Des Vaux contains on
this subject important remarks, of which
we deem it useful here to give the sub
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
fecula 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
abounds, in order to obtain perfect paste.
This mixture, according to Mons. Des.
Vaux, could in case Of need, be supplied
by the addition to the flour of white wheat
OF small quantity of animal geIatine.
HARD AND TENDER Notwithstanding
to Mons. DesV aux, the hard and tender
wheats do not yield more than 20 parts of
bread to the 100 parts of raw -four, 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 ii cures, it
would prove perhaps a 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-s
fect]y 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 predominatc.-
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 erceL-
Ience, and of which the substance is al
most like glass, we find some grains quite
soft and foury; other varieties, and es-
pecially the bearded Spring wheat of Sici-
ly, 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
WNTEE AND SPRING WHEATs.-Lineus
made of these two varieties of wheat two
botanical species. His successors have not
admitted them, and, as botanists, they
were right. Bnt agriculturists, not least
many among them, have been wrong in
regarding as almost heresy to speak of
winter and spring whests as different and
distinct things. Although it may be true
that these may be. habits acquired, quail
ties resulting from a long succession Of
soWlngs at certain season, It is certain,
however, that this quality is az I'M 1Ortant
consideration to the cultivator. Many
writers have advanced the idea thai in
three or four years they could make at
will a spring wheat from winter whea t,
and vice yersG. This assertion appears to
us very DOiQ one. IL Is uOG very prODd-
BILE that one can make or unmake in three |
or four years quality which, in our .ae-
uuired varieties, is the result Of the contin-
nation of the same influence during CEN
turtles. On the other hand, the few facts
that we know are opposed to this opinion.
ought, therefore, carefully
to avoid those theoretical reasonings which
wonld lead them to believe that winter
and spring wheats are very nearly the
same thing. If they have to sow wheat
in the spring let them be careful to sow
true spring wheat, and let them choose
sill more carefully true winter wheat
# thew wish to sow in the fall; We pro-
pose here subject of researches. Noth.
inc, we think, would be- more hiHapo rtant
than thai to find awheat equalfysnitod to both S'h
seasons, hardy enough to sow IN the IAN,
and early enough, if sown in the spring,lt
constantly, and by the usual harvest sea- We
son. arrived at complete maturity, w.. We
can easily imagine the advantages ma, ma